Meet Our November ‘Lakota Gems’

Lakota Local Schools is celebrating its inaugural group of “Lakota Gem Award” winners - the teachers, administrators and support staff who bring a sparkle to our schools. Selected from a pool of 130 nominations, Lakota’s most precious gems for November include: 

• Ben Schneider (Principal, Heritage ECS) – Beacon of Positivity Award
• Helen Vassiliou (English as a Second Language Teacher, Adena Elementary) – A Cut Above the Rest Award
• Kimberly Phillips (Office Manager, Hopewell Junior) – A Cut Above the Rest Award
• Jason French (Teacher, West Freshman) – Sapphire of Student Support Award
• Mark Byrd (Supervisor of Accountability and Assessment 7-12) – Sapphire of Student Support Award
• Bryan Hacker, Nicolas Pegram, Lucas Pennington, Jennifer Price and Matthew Smythe  (Maintenance Team members) – A Cut Above the Rest Award

Each “gem” was celebrated on Nov. 13 or 14 with a surprise recognition during their regular workday and surrounded by their students, colleagues and those who nominated them.

“It was so special to share with our gems the immense admiration and respect they’ve earned from other Lakota parents, staff and community members,” said Lakota Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely. "The pool of nominees was deep and filled with some incredible examples of our staff leading by example. We could not be more thrilled to celebrate the impact they’ve made in their roles.” 

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The Facets of Our November Gems

Ben Schneider: Early Childhood School Honoree (Grades K-2)

Formerly the assistant principal at Endeavor Elementary who stepped into the top position at Heritage ECS just this school year, Principal Ben Schneider was presented the “Beacon of Positivity” gem award. Nominated by both a parent and former colleague from Endeavor, he was applauded for his genuine, compassionate and energetic spirit of leadership. 

“Being around his zest and happiness for life is quite infectious, and I always leave every encounter feeling a bit brighter,” wrote the parent. “I’m thankful my kids have him as their principal.”

“From the moment he arrived, our building was filled with "Benergy!" wrote a staff member. “Ben exudes compassion, energy, positivity, teamwork, humor and empathy - the entire package for our wonderful Lakota! He cares so deeply about others and is always willing to jump in and support as necessary, for students and staff.”

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Helen Vassiliou: Elementary School Honoree (Grades 3-6) 

English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher Helen Vassiliou, nominated for the “A Cut Above the Rest” award, was coined “the definition of an advocate for her students.” Her nomination detailed Helen’s success in exiting English Learners from services and directly contributing to Adena reaching the highest possible five stars for the gap closure component of the state report card. 

Vassiliou was applauded for always putting parents at ease as equally as she supports her colleagues by helping them scaffold their instruction to meet the needs of all students. She works alongside teachers to build lesson plans and has even organized a class to help her colleagues learn Spanish.

“I would be lost without Helen and am so lucky she chooses Adena year after year as her home,” wrote a fellow staff member.

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Kimberly Phillips: Junior School Honoree (Grades 7-8)

Called “the glue that keeps Hopewell Junior held together, Office Manager Kimberly Phillips also received the “A Cut Above the Rest” award. She was applauded for the many hats she wears in her role, a quality that makes her the “go-to person for any question.” 

She handles everything from budgeting and purchasing to communications and facilitator of students visiting the school counselor or nurse. She is still often seen handing out granola bars from the school’s food pantry to kids in need, noted the colleague who nominated her. 

“I admire her patience, organization and forward-thinking skills. We would be lost without her,” she wrote.

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Jason French: High School Honoree (Grades 9-12)

Lakota West Freshman social studies teacher Jason French was the recipient of the “Sapphire of Student Support” award. Described as “a caring, dedicated and uplifting instructor,” French was recognized for taking a keen interest in getting to know his students in an effort to support and encourage them to pursue classes and opportunities that align with their interests. 

“The freshman school is unique from all the other schools in our district in that the teachers only get one year with their students to make an impact,” wrote the parent who nominated French. “Therefore, for my nomination to highlight one of these teachers speaks a lot about the impact this teacher has made.”

“Students want to know that you care about them as a person, not just a student, and Mr. French illustrates this in an amazing way that has left an impact on both my children,” she wrote.

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Mark Byrd: Lakota Central Office Honoree

Mark Byrd, recognized in the “Sapphire of Student Support” category, is the one responsible for preparing actionable data for Lakota school administrators and teachers. His work to aggregate and understand data points help inform daily decision making about student needs. 

According to his nomination, his work has even evolved to providing customized data reports for individual teachers, bell by bell, helping inform classroom-level decisions and instructional models. 

“Mark's work is quiet and behind the scenes, but absolutely critical to the success of our buildings,” read his nomination letter. “ Lakota's data work is far superior to other districts.  Mark and his teammates are the reason for this!”

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Lakota Service Center Honorees

Several members of Lakota’s facilities and maintenance team, including Bryan Hacker, Lucas Pennington and facilities managers Matthew Smythe, Jennifer Price and Nicolas Pegram, were awarded the “A Cut Above the Rest” award. The honor recognized their above and beyond efforts to support Lakota’s “Stuff the Bus” food drive for Reach Out Lakota this year. The record-breaking drive brought in almost 60,000 donations, all of which was collected and transported by this team over just two days. 

Their nomination noted the staff members’ positive attitudes in spite of the very laborious demands of the job. Several even requested a tour of the pantry when dropping off the donations to better understand how Reach Out Lakota serves families dealing with food insecurity. 

“Stuff the Bus is not possible without these individuals who ensured that the donations made by students, staff and Lakota community members alike were delivered to the people who needed it,” read their nomination. “We hope that the extra effort made by these individuals does not go unrecognized.”

 

Watch the video that captured all of these surprises.

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About the Lakota Gem Award

"Every single position here at Lakota is important and part of our district's success story," said Lakota Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely. "Through the 'Lakota Gem Award,' it is my goal to celebrate staff whose range of responsibilities and areas of expertise are varied, but whose qualities are strikingly similar. Things like teamwork, innovation, positivity, growth and a student-centered mentality drive excellence and span all roles in public education."

To qualify, nominees should reflect any one of these gem-like facets: 

• Sapphire of Student Support - Values strong relationships and the importance of meeting students' individual academic, social and emotional needs.
• Beacon of Positivity - Radiates positive energy and promotes a welcoming culture that celebrates and respects differences. 
• Brilliant Innovator - Uses creativity to create dynamic experiences for students and staff, solve problems and allocate available resources wisely.
• Polished Team Player - Embraces the power of community and collaboration to lift one another up and work together for the best possible results.
• Gem of Growth - A lifelong learner who values feedback and has a growth mindset for continuous professional improvement.
• A Cut Above the Rest - Shines in their area of expertise and goes above and beyond in their daily work.

Every month, Lakota's "gems" are celebrated for ONE of these award categories, receiving a unique gem pin that corresponds with the facet for which they were selected. Not every category will be awarded each month. Likewise, the same category may be awarded to multiple staff any given month.

Over time, staff may be awarded multiple gems to celebrate the different qualities they exhibit through their work at Lakota. An individual will not be eligible, however, to receive the same gem twice.

The District aims to recognize a new group of "Lakota Gem Award" recipients on a monthly basis who represent each grade band (K-2, 3-6, 7-8 and 9-12), as well as Central Office and the Service Center. These individuals are determined by a representative selection committee, surprised during the workday and spotlighted through district communication channels. 

Staff members can be nominated at any time using the form linked below. New nominations will be pulled on the first day of each month in consideration for the previous month's awards. All nominations will carry over from month to month and will be considered for the rest of the current school year without needing to re-submit. At the start of each new school year, the nominee pool will be reset. 

Nominate a staff member for a Lakota Gem Award. Nominees will be pulled on the last day of November, with the December recipients announced mid-month.