District Five names Support Employee of the Year finalists

IRMO – Lexington-Richland School District Five has announced the three finalists for its 2015-2016 Support Employee of the Year award. Finalists include: Donna Corley, a registrar at Lake Murray Elementary School; Brenda Macaluso, a teacher assistant at Chapin Middle School; and Patricia Powell, a nurse at Irmo High School.

District Five Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner said, “Our support employees play an important role in making our schools great. We congratulate this year’s finalists and thank them for their dedication and hard work in making District Five a leader in education.”

 

 

 

Corley has a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University and has worked in District Five for 16 years. She says, “A school is much more than just a building where children go to learn. A school is a community with a variety of people and everyone is a vital part of the body…From the bus driver to food services, instructional assistants to nurses, registrars to clerical assistants; each one of us makes personal contact with the students and their family.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macaluso is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has been with the district for five years. She says, “Behind every great principal, assistant principal, teacher, etc. is a support person ready, willing and able…Behind every student is a support system for them. Support employees are there for them…We exist for our students. It’s all about them day in and day out. We want them to be creative, critical thinkers and the learners for a new generation.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powell earned a degree in nursing from Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing in New York and has been working for District Five for six years. She says, “Everybody has a role to play to have a positive impact on our students. Support services do many things behind the scenes that support teaching and learning…I believe when you love what you do it shows. As a professional I am proud to work in this district.”

 

 

 

 

Support Employees of the Year from each school include: Nicole DeYoung (Academy for Success), Sabrina Martin (Ballentine Elementary), Jesse Gates (District Five Transportation), Ann Mims (Center for Advanced Technical Studies), Laura Bull (Chapin Elementary), Shelia Steptoe (Chapin High), Brenda Macaluso (Chapin Middle), Jodi Groller (CrossRoads Middle), Nathan Childs (District Office), Crystal Silas-Brown (Dutch Fork Elementary), Henry Burton (Dutch Fork High), Terri Wood (Dutch Fork Middle), Cindi Teague (Harbison West Elementary), Robin Howell (H. E. Corley Elementary), Bet Miller (Irmo Elementary), Patricia Powell (Irmo High), Allison Redick (Irmo Middle), Donna Corley (Lake Murray Elementary), Susan Spencer (Leaphart Elementary), Christine Keschinger (Nursery Road Elementary), Betsy Johnson (Oak Pointe Elementary), Julie Lamb (River Springs Elementary), Meredith MacLeod (Seven Oaks Elementary) and Diane Boncorddo (Spring Hill High School).