The Renton School District announced its Outstanding Employees Award winners for the 2009-2010 school year.
The annual awards recognize staff who demonstrate an extraordinary level of job performance, vibrant support for students, professionalism and dedication.
About 30 district staff members were nominated for this year’s awards. A committee, which included school board members, selected the winners.
Winners were recognized at a School Board of Directors meeting April 14, where they were presented with trophies.
Outstanding Elementary Teacher
Lindsay Lofstrom is a third-grade teacher at Sierra Heights Elementary School.
Lofstrom is known among her coworkers as a generous person who shares ideas, time and resources with everyone.
She worked as a teacher in the Spokane School District and at the Northwest Christian School.
Lofstrom has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Gonzaga University, and numerous additional education and training credits.
She volunteers on several committees. She works with children and parents during evening math and reading nights, co-directs the school’s talent show and volunteers during field days and evening family carnivals.
Outstanding Secondary Teacher
Nathan Maddox is a math teacher at Hazen High School.
He’s a motivated, passionate teacher who works hard to ensure the success of students in his classroom. He connects with his students through wit and charisma, engaging them in lessons, and creating an atmosphere in which students are eager to attend class.
He also worked as a math teacher at the Williamsburg Charter High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in mathematics education from Columbia University.
He also teaches in Hazen’s academic skills lab to allow students to make up work or receive more time on subjects; he has judged the school’s talent contest; and taught summer school. He also serves on the district’s Equity and Access committee.
Outstanding Building Support Person
Working at the district for 17 years, Lorinda Schoeneman is the registrar at Dimmitt Middle School.
When Dimmitt reopened in 1996, Schoeneman was hired as the counseling secretary, and has worked at the school for 14 years. She now serves as the school’s registrar.
She serves as a resource to build the school’s student master schedule, which ensures students are assigned to proper classrooms.
She also facilitates English Language Learning classes for students whose first language is not English.
Schoeneman graduated from Renton High School and attended North Seattle Community College.
Outstanding District Support Persons
This year’s award was shared by Sarah Eldridge and Jody Hanawalt who were nominated together. They both work at the Department of Learning and Teaching district office.
First working in the district as a Lindbergh High School Senior, Eldridge has worked in the district for eight years.
In college, she continued to work with the district during breaks. After her graduation, she was hired as an administrative specialist at Campbell Hill Elementary School.
She now works as an administrative assistant in the Department of Learning and Teaching.
Eldridge’s work includes planning professional development, ordering and distributing needed district materials.
She holds an arts history degree from Western Washington University.
Hanawalt has worked in the district for 16 years, first as a substitute secretary and paraeducator.
She’s worked at Highlands Elementary School, McKnight Middle School and in human resources.
She served as a greeter at the district administrative office front desk.
Hanawalt works with teachers to organize and ensure all professional development time is scheduled and accounted for.
She is a mentor for district students through Communities in Schools and was responsible for the after-school tutoring program at McKnight Middle School.
