Six employees of the Lapeer Community Schools have been honored for their exemplary service to students and the District with Distinguished Service, Outstanding Contributor and Distinguished Educator awards.
The award winners were announced throughout the District March 31 and the school board acknowledged the awards during its March 31 meeting at Murphy Elementary School.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a recipient’s relationship with students and staff, exemplary representation of the District within the community, consistently excellent work performance and integrity and concern for fellow employees.
Distinguished Service Award winner Debbie Thompson began her career in the Lapeer Community Schools in 1974 as a third and fourth grade teacher at Schickler Elementary and for the last six years has served as the Superintendent of the District. In between she has served the district as a Chapter I reading teacher, administrative assistant for staff development, curriculum coordinator, director of curriculum and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
The Outstanding Contributor Award is for those who have demonstrated creativity, innovation and outstanding accomplishments through the development and use of ideas that contribute to improved instruction and/or improved operation and management of the District.
The 2011 Outstanding Contributor Award recipient is Cindy Gillaspy a paraprofessional at Maple Grove Elementary. She was honored for the work she has done for the last six years as a reading coach for first and second graders.
The District also honored four teachers with Distinguished Educator Awards. These awards honor the recipients for their ability to relate and to inspire students, creativity in teaching, genuine concern for students and exemplary dedication and integrity. The recipients of these awards are:
• Cathy Frazee has been a Speech Pathologist with the District for the last 18 years. Prior to that she was a speech pathologist for the Lapeer Intermediate School District for 15 years.
• Mary Ellen Quaine is a Speech Pathologist in the Rolland-Warner Early Childhood wing and is the District’s Project Find Coordinator. She has been with the District for 19 years and has been in education for 31 years.
• Pam Siivola is a second-grade teacher at Elva Lynch Elementary. She has been a teacher at Lynch for 22 years.
• Steve Stearns has been a business teacher at Lapeer East for the last six years and has also taught math, science and physical education classes during his 27 years in the District. He is currently the East boys and girls golf coach and has coached JV and freshman football and baseball and junior high football and basketball. He also taught and coached for five years at Zemmer Junior High School
A committee comprised of one member each from the AFSCME, Central Office Administration, LESP, LSDAA, LTA and SEIU – Cafeteria selects recipients of the Distinguished Service Award and the Outstanding Contributor Award. A committee of eight teachers and three administrators selects recipients of the Distinguished Educator Award. Recipients are selected from nominations made by District staff.
