Each month, our partner school districts submit glowing reviews of our employees, from which we select four employees of the month. We’re pleased to recognize our honorees from September 2023!
Monika Elango
Manchester Public Schools, CT
Monika was nominated by Amy Beardsworth, Coordinator of Student Support at Illing Middle School, who wrote: “Monika has been a fantastic new addition to the Illing team. In a remarkably short time, she has quickly grasped many of the intricacies of the building, middle schoolers, and her new role. Her adaptability and eagerness to learn have enabled her to seamlessly step into various classrooms and ensure lessons are delivered and the day runs smoothly. Monika’s friendly and approachable demeanor has created a welcoming atmosphere and has been noted by many staff and students. Teachers have been sharing feedback with us that they are pleased with the coverage provided while they are out. Specifically, they have shared that their sub plans were delivered, work completed, notes about the day have been left, and the classroom was in order when they returned. We are thankful Monika joined our community and have no doubt her positive impact will continue to grow.”
Megan Theel
Center School District, MO
Megan was nominated twice this month by colleagues at Red Bridge Elementary, who had such wonderful things to say!
Nicole Thomas, Kindergarten Teacher, wrote: “It takes an exceptional adult to walk a classroom with the youngest learners and become a part of their classroom community. It takes an exceptional adult to take on their own classroom a week into school and set it up and running by week three. Megan Theel is our exceptional adult. She took on a challenge that would overwhelm even a veteran teacher, and she is ROCKING it. I am not sure this school year would be possible without her flexibility, hard work, and dedication to Red Bridge and its learners.”
Shana Bailey, Secretary, wrote: “Megan came to RBE, and she has assisted our kindergarten classrooms as an aide because our kindergarten numbers were so large. Fast forward, she was offered to be our long-term sub for our third kindergarten classroom because of her love for her job and how well she works with the students. She had already built a great relationship with the kindergarten classrooms and the entire RBE staff, so the transition was smooth. She was offered the job, and she accepted, and from then on, we have been so happy to have her on our team. She has used her own money and resources from home to decorate her classroom. She has toys, supplies, and student activities that she purchased to make a welcoming class for her students. I was personally in there the first day she had her class, and I was so impressed with the knowledge she took from our other kindergarten teachers. The student’s routine stayed the same. All the students already knew her because she worked in their other classrooms. She was so excited! The one thing I love about Ms. Theel is that she loves to learn, takes feedback very well, and has been determined to learn as much as possible about her position. Our RBE family just loves to have her here and see her grow day by day. We were in a bind for another teacher and she filled that role. We are glad she is here!”
Andre Alston
East Windsor Regional School District, NJ
Andre was nominated by Rosetta Brown, Assistant Principal at Hightstown High School, who wrote: “I want to nominate Andre Alston for the following reasons: Andre, a retired Assistant Principal, continues to find purpose in educating children and supporting our staff. He has dedicated numerous years of service to HHS and consistently demonstrates his readiness and willingness to assist the high school in various capacities. While he no longer holds an administrative role, he is remarkably adaptable and consistently addresses the evolving needs of our school to enhance our students’ education. Furthermore, he graciously accepted our offer to serve as a building-based substitute, working in our ISS room daily. Andre has taken it upon himself to engage in one-on-one conversations with students regarding their behavior and collaborates with them to identify ways for improvement. He goes the extra mile by seeking out these students after they have completed their ISS sessions to remind them of their pep talks and to ensure their well-being. Andre is also proactive in advocating for positive visual displays on our walls and meeting with the administration diligently to make this a reality. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of incorporating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities once students have completed their assignments. His vigilance extends to informing the administration of any potential issues we can address proactively to prevent adverse impacts on our students. Andre accomplishes all these contributions with a warm and welcoming smile.”
Mary Faulhaber
Lewisville ISD, TX
Mary was nominated by Lafrancie Thurmond, Secretary at Indian Creek Elementary, who wrote: “The office usually never gets a sub when any of us are out due to it being so difficult to find someone who can truly be helpful in the office. A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing with my principal that we needed someone who could sub in the office and add to our productivity. Our office clerk was going to be out for a week. Here comes the best part of my story. I received an email the day I discussed the issue with my principal. I thought it was a SPAM email when I first opened it and was going to delete it. But upon reading it, the email was very well worded, almost like a resume. The sub told us that she would love to sub for us in the office if we ever needed a sub. Long story short, I emailed Mrs. Mary Faulhaber and told her we would love to have her come sub that week. Once on campus, Mrs. Faulhaber performed with a wonderful smile and a great personality. She greeted our incoming students and visitors with her warm persona. She delivered tons of items dropped off for students, assisted our attendance clerk with attendance entries, handled incoming phone calls, helped with lunch duties, and kept incoming items tidy in the office, to name a few duties. We felt like our office clerk was not out. Mrs. Faulhaber was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! She is part of our office family now! We invite her to come back anytime. If you saw her in action, you would know she deserves recognition for her great job as a sub. Thank you, Mrs. Faulhaber.”