Congratulations to Laurie Ruell, our August employee of the month!  Laurie has worked for the school district since October of 2004.  During her first year she worked as a secretary and then moved into a bookkeeping position.  In October of 2005, Laurie was selected to assist in the business office and be our go-to accounts payable employee.

Laurie works hard year round to assist our business manager and the payroll department.  She processes orders for the district and takes care of all things accounts payable.  She enjoys coming to work because of the co-workers she gets to interact with every day.  Laurie always has a smile on her face and enjoys both working with the public and completing all the accounts payable paperwork that truly keeps our district operating smoothly.

When she is not working at the district office, Laurie enjoys going for walks with her husband, Mike as well as working in her yard and reading.  However, those of us who get to work with her know how much she loves sharing time with her kids and grandkids.  She has four beautiful grandchildren, Maelee (5), Nash (2), Jace (3) and Dane (1) who all brighten the walls of her office space!

Thank you Laurie for always being willing to help no matter the request and for doing such an amazing job taking care of so many details (big and small) that are crucial to our school district.  We couldn’t do our jobs without you!

Our final employee of the month for the 2018-2019 school year is Pete Mazzei.  Pete is a custodian at Fern Ridge Middle School and has worked for the district since June of 2010.  He was nominated for this award because he is constantly proving himself to be a valuable part of the staff at FRMS.  He is always willing to stop what he is doing to help a student, staff member or parent volunteer.  In addition to his custodial duties, he also serves on the middle school safety committee.

Pete works hard each day to ensure that the building is clean and ready for students to arrive the next school day.  While students and staff are looking forward to a summer break in the next few days, Pete and the entire custodial crew are busy preparing for their summer cleaning schedule. During the summer break for staff and students, custodians are working harder then ever to strip and re-finish gym floors, deep clean classrooms, staff areas and locker rooms.  They work tirelessly to get the buildings ready for students to return in September.

Pete enjoys weightlifting and atv riding in his spare time.  He says that his favorite part about his job is the hours that he works because he gets to interact with staff and students during the course of his work day.  Thank you Pete for all that you do for our middle school staff and district!

Debra St. Hilaire or “Ms. Saint” as she is known at the high school is our May employee of the month.  Ms. Saint has worked for the Fern Ridge School District since 2008.  In her own words here is some insight into this deserving educator:

Of all the adventures experienced in life, the most life changing and cherished is my son. Henrik transformed me the moment he was born, I knew him as though he’d been in my life for eons. He has allowed me to love deeper and more completely than I could ever have imagined while bringing me endless joy!  At 22, Henrik’s a reflective and conscientious young man being true to himself in finding his path. Initially enrolled in Astro-Physics at UCLA, he’s completed two years of medical work at a hospital and clinic, and contributed to three medical research studies. He competed in cycling, Judo, picked up bouldering, and bought himself a violin to “stretch” himself, eventually performing with UCLA’s Game Orchestra. Henrik graduates in June with majors in Economics and French. He loves the challenge of programming and data crunching and we have our fingers crossed that he lands his dream ‘gap year’ job at Rand Corporation in Los Angeles.

Things that make me ‘tick’…  crisp air on my face while the rest of me remains warm. I love snow, sun, hiking, cycling, extended meandering walk-a-bouts and animal trails that get me lost within familiar territory, cross-country skiing, and road tripping with the flexibility to change routes or destination or pace. I’m addicted to designing and remodeling my home, and having my own tools so I can complete projects without hiring them out. I forgive myself when I make mistakes and take the freedom to laugh at them as I learn.  I love sleeping under the stars on my roof every night of summer!

What Elmira students give to me is complete and unexpected. These kids bring me so much joy that I literally tear up when talking about them to others. They are ‘present’ and real, and supportive of each other in spite of differences. They have made my life incredibly full and I love soaking up their energy and innocence. When I describe what I do to friends, it feels as though I’m talking about ‘playtime’ because I get to have so much fun while guiding and tricking students into learning. Teaching these kids is by far the most rewarding, challenging and satisfying of all my professions, and I am profoundly fortunate!  Thank you for sharing your kids with me.