The Sunnyvale School District is proud to announce its 2016-17 Employees of the Year.
Mirell Kazos
Teacher of the Year
It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Mirell Kazos as SSD’s 2016 – 2017 Teacher of the Year.
Mirell strives to serve her students well. She is an advocate for English Language Learners, serving on District’s English Learner Action Team for numerous years. She spends part of her summers teaching summer school to incoming middle school students. This past summer, she taught English Learners with a rigorous curriculum that she devised. Mirell is a lover of music and the arts. She has put in extra time and effort into bringing musical theater to Bishop School. This year marked the fourth year that Bishop Bobcats have been given the opportunity to showcase their talent in Starting Arts productions. Sometimes these productions are the one place where some of our students get to show their genius. Her reach goes beyond the walls of Bishop School. She was the trainer for the new curricula for Family Life for new fifth grade teachers in the district this year. She was also the teacher representative at the District when parents were invited to learn about the Puberty Talk curriculum. Mirell also works closely with the District Office to coordinate a performance by Bishop theater kids at the annual Our Kids Our Community fundraiser, which provides funds for the summer nutrition program.
Congratulations Mirell as this year’s Teacher of the Year!
Shawn Machado
Classified Employee of the Year
Shawn is highly effective as Columbia Middle School’s Food Services Manager! She is meticulous and diligent about proper food prep and schedules, while still being flexible with many changes and requests. A large part of her effectiveness is due to her strong communication skills. Shawn has created a positive culture in her department by setting and communicating clear expectations, by listening to her coworkers’ input, and by giving positive feedback. She communicates well with administration if she needs help when short-handed, advocating in a professional and positive manner. As a result, her team feels supported, works well together, and produces a great product! She interacts positively with all of our students and understands that students will be respectful when they are treated with respect. She is able to manage hoard of hungry middle school students with high expectations and humor, knowing how to redirect student behavior while maintaining a positive relationship. She makes staff aware if she notices a student isn’t eating, or if she notices a student is acting differently than usual and also lets staff know about students who have improved in behavior or student helpers who have been exceptional. Shawn is very responsible, ensuring that everything in the kitchen runs smoothly and efficiently. While this is a job that often gets overlooked, Shawn comes into contact with the majority of our students on a daily basis. While the contact may be brief, Shawn ensures it is a positive one and has made a very positive impact on our school climate.
Congratulations Shawn Machado as this year’s Classified Employee of the Year!
Daniel Poo and Esteban Ybarra
Management Team Members of the Year
Daniel and Esteban work tirelessly to support families, staying late to accommodating parent schedules, conducting home visits, connecting families with resources. As a result, families feel comfortable on campus, and see the school staff as advocates rather than adversaries. Esteban and Daniel have also been instrumental in helping CMS staff develop an asset-based lens when seeing students. They have shared their own personal experiences and path through education, and have guided staff to shape the school around the community rather than force the community to mold to traditional notions of school. They have also contributed to the district’s cultural proficiency initiative, both formally and informally through asking questions and contributing to the discussion. And finally, they are amazing team members. Their commitment is unparalleled, their skill sets complement each other, and CMS Principal Mary Beth Allmann said she trusts them implicitly which takes a great burden off her shoulders. While CMS still has work today, it is a different place than it was eight years ago and that is in large part due to Daniel and Esteban.
Congratulations Daniel and Esteban for being this year’s Management Team Members of the Year!
Congratulations to those listed below for their years of service and dedication to the Sunnyvale School District who will be retiring at the end of the year. We will miss you!
Terri Ann Clark, 19 years
Sheila Coli, 18 years
Nina Dimalsky, 11 years
Deborah Dodge, 18 years
Nola Eckley, 28 years
Ann Lopez, 19 years
Sharlene Low, 10 years
Ann McCarty, 32 years
Mark Mizell, 30 years
Cheryl Morrman, 32 years
Ester Ubillos, 30 years
