Classified Staff Celebrated March 14-18

We’re excited to thank each member of our classified staff during Education Support Professionals Week (formerly called “Classified Week”) this week, March 14-18.  

Classified staff members are critical to keeping our district running and providing an excellent education to Issaquah School District students every day. This category of employees includes bus drivers, paraeducators, health room specialists, office professionals, kitchen staff members, Technology Department staff and many other vital members of our team. 

To join the celebration, consider writing a thank you note to a classified staff member you appreciate, and/or creating a social media post sharing about why that person has made a positive difference in your student’s education. 

For a video series from 2019 about the important work of our classified staff members, visit our YouTube Channel.

Here are highlights from selected buildings throughout the district:

Apollo Elementary School
“Paraeducators Mary Walker, Kathryn Bonne, Abi Sindhu, Jeni Ma, Rebekkah Leibowitz, Seung Park, Lori Tappan, Jill Wirick, Jen Leavitt, Jill Dennison, and Sushma Kukunuru: These incredible paras at Apollo work hard every day as advocates for student success. They are the support that empowers students at all levels to develop the skills they need to be successful, and to learn, every day at Apollo. We are so grateful for all that they do. They are essential members of our team, who make sure no student falls behind. Thank you, Apollo Paras!”

Clark Elementary School
Joan Clausen, Bogie Pehrson and Ashley Munoz-King

Cougar Mountain Middle School
“Belle Bascao is an utter joy to work with and successfully transitioned a whole school kitchen mid-year without missing a beat!” Principal Erin McKee said.

Cougar Ridge Elementary School
Paraeducators Ms. Haugen, Ms. Chu, Ms. Saraswathy, Ms. Davis, Ms. Tredway, Ms. Drake, Ms. Repp, Ms. Wood, Ms. Hillock, Ms. McCabe, Ms. Quintanares

Liberty High School
“Jeanette Were does an amazing job in our Counseling Office!  She creates systems to keep us organized, and is critical to the work we do!”

“Lanell Scheda takes care of absolutely everything we need to keep the school running smoothly!  She is always thoughtful, friendly, and responds right away whenever she is needed.  Thank you!”

Maple Hills Elementary School
“Nichole Treadway is our wonderful Health Room Specialist at Maple Hills Elementary School!  Every day Ms. Nichole’s warmth and kindness is on display as she helps students with cuts, bruises, lost teeth, and sometimes just TLC!  This year Ms. Nichole has been especially crucial in keeping our students, school, and community healthy and continuing to learn.  Throughout this pandemic, Ms. Nichole has worked with families to answer any questions or explain protocols, monitored students for symptoms, and kept the school and staff up-to-date with state guidelines.  We are very fortunate to have such a caring, knowledgeable, and hard-working Health Room Specialist like our very own Soaring Eagle, Nichole Treadway!” Principal JoEllen Tapper said.

“Catherine Disney is an Educational Para at Maple Hills Elementary School.  Mrs. Disney works so hard with so many students at Maple Hills.  She can be found working with the kindergartners and special education students in small groups.  Mrs. Disney is hard working and always does what is best for her students.  She runs small groups, helps in the classroom and brings a ray of sunshine wherever she is.  Not only does Mrs. Disney help with students, but she helps all around Maple Hills.  Thank you, Catherine Disney for all you do for our school and students!” said Sarah Friend, 2nd Grade teacher.

Pacific Cascade Middle School
“Our classified spotlight goes to Cari Beck. From making sure that all of our students with testing accommodations have their every need met and supporting teachers in their classrooms, to being the brains behind our state testing scheduling, Cari Beck’s organization and attention to detail is unmatched. She even goes the extra mile and runs the after-school homework help program in the library, further exemplifying her commitment to our all our students.  Thank you, Cari Beck for being such an incredible part of the PCMS community.”

Pine Lake Middle School
 “Patty Honnen is the Health Room Specialist at Pine Lake Middle School.  She greets every student with the same amount of care and concern she would with a member of her own family.  There can be upwards of 4-5 students in the health room at any given time.  Each student is given the same amount of attention while she is finding out what type of treatment they need. Patty takes care of anyone who enters the health room with grace and respect whether it be a student or a staff member.  Patty Honnen is the epitome of what a Health Room Specialist should be,” PLMS bookkeeper Debi Raposa said.

Sunset Elementary School
Lindsay Krienke: “Lindsay jumps in wherever needed around the school building. She is student-focused, highly relational and always brings a smile and a laugh to the work we do each day.”

Kathy LeMond: “Kathy is all things safety when it comes to student drop-off and pick-up. She is amazing at running the coordination making sure all students get safely on the correct buses and on their way at the end of the day! Kathy is dedicated to the Sunset community.”

Anna Mishra: “Anna has been a wonderful addition to our reading support team. She has had a huge impact on our students needing additional layers of support to be successful in reading, and receives compliments from staff frequently.”

Deepa Balasubramanian: “Deepa has such a solid sense of students and how to support their success. She is a true team player and, not only shares her knowledge with colleagues, but also suggests strategies to implement that make a big difference in students’ behaviors.”

Karen Montgomery: “Karen is a valued member of the LRCII para team! She goes above and beyond to support students, provide inclusion and help all students engage socially and academically in the classroom setting.”