May 8 , 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:Megan Overman, Public Information Officer
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District
817-251-5503

GCISD employees of the year announced

View photos from the reception
View the Teacher of the Year Video and the Auxiliary Employees of the Year Video

More than 500 GCISD employees, family members and supporters gathered Thursday, May 7, for the annual Employee Appreciation Reception at the Grapevine Convention Center. Patti Rogers of Bransford Elementary and Dan Oberlender of Cross Timbers Middle were announced as the Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year for 2008-2009. Rogers teaches fifth-grade at Bransford and Oberlender is the choral instructor at CTMS.

From the campus paraprofessionals of the year, Keri Sweet of Colleyville Heritage High School was selected to receive the Carolyn Frank Paraprofessional of the Year Award. Sweet is the administrative assistant to the principal at CHHS.

In addition, three Auxiliary employees of the year, as well as the school nurse of the year, were honored during the reception:

• Ann Hunter, Colleyville Elementary School Cafeteria Manager - Nutrition Services Auxiliary Employee of the Year
• Dennis O'Gorman, Driver/Trainer - Transportation Services Auxiliary Employee of the Year
• Troy Trammell, Irrigation Tech - Facilities Services Auxiliary Employee of the Year
• Kathy Meyer, Glenhope Elementary nurse - GCISD School Nurse of the Year

Also recognized during the event were those employees who have contributed five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service to GCISD, as well as those who are retiring this year from the District. The 12 retiring employees have collectively dedicated 209 years to GCISD and 288 years to public education.

This year's theme of the annual reception was "Honoring Education's Treasures," and ALL employees were acknowledged as treasures to GCISD for their dedication and devotion to students and each other.

The G-C Education Foundation presented Rogers with the Helen Lucas Elementary Teacher Grant for $2,500. While the Secondary Teacher of the Year has also received $2,500 from the Foundation in years past, this was the first year for this gift to be funded by the John T. and Janis A. Eubanks Secondary Teacher of the Year Endowment Grant. Mr. and Mrs. Eubanks were in attendance to present the check to Oberlender.

The two District teachers of the year will now advance to the regional level, with an opportunity to continue on to the Texas Teacher of the Year competition.

2009 Campus Teachers of the Year
Bear Creek Elementary - Marilyn Hamen, 1st Grade Teacher
Bransford Elementary - Patti Rogers - 5th Grade Math Teacher
Cannon Elementary - Amanda Coburn, Counselor
Colleyville Elementary - Jane Weber, 1st Grade Teacher
Dove Elementary - Allyson Moran, Special Services
Glenhope ELementary - Leslie Detrick, Music Teacher
Grapevine Elementary - Susan Anderson, Reading Recovery Teacher
Heritage Elementary - Gina Ballweg, 4th Grade Teacher
Silver Lake Elementary - Lisa Grimes, 5th Grade Teacher
O.C. Taylor Elementary - Susan Weston, Kindergarten Teacher
Timberline Elementary - Jeanette Fink, Second Grade Teacher
Colleyville Middle - Steve Nathman, Keyboarding Teacher/Athletics Coach
Cross Timbers Middle - Dan Oberlender, Choir Director
Grapevine Middle - Lori Atkeisson, 7th Language Arts/Read 180
Heritage Middle - Molly Stuart, Special Education/LEVELS Teacher
Colleyville Heritage High - Lucy Dougherty, Special Education Teacher
Grapevine High - Jane Rose, English Teacher

2009 Campus Paraprofessionals of the Year
Bear Creek Elementary - Cheryl Swart, Special Education Assistant
Bransford Elementary - Carolyn Cunningham, Special Education Assistant
Cannon Elementary - Debbie Van Pelt, Administrative Assistant
Colleyville Elementary - Deanna Parker, Special Education Assistant
Dove Elementary - Connie Hessling, Student Data Secretary
Glenhope Elementary - Judy Jones, Special Education Assistant
Grapevine Elementary - Lori McPherson, Student Data Secretary
Heritage Elementary - Loujean Fuller, Administrative Assistant
Silver Lake Elementary - Cuneeda Freeman, Special Education Assistant
O.C. Taylor Elementary - Linda Sawtelle, Special Education Assistant
Timberline Elementary - Odemarys Mungra, Bilingual Assistant
Colleyville Middle - Karen Clark, Student Data Secretary
Cross Timbers Middle - Lisa Gallagher, In School Suspension
Grapevine Middle - Blanche Ziegler - Student Data Secretary
Heritage Middle - Julie Buttell, Attendance Clerk
Grapevine High - Angela Brown, Student Data Secretary
Colleyville Heritage High - Keri Sweet, Administrative Assistant
Administration Building - Superintendent/Educational Services - Linda Grado, Admin. Assistant
Administration Building - Financial Svs./Operational Svs. - Michelle Johnson, Admin. Assistant
Administration Building - Bridges/VISTA/Swim Center/SSC - Cindy Appleby, Software Support Specialist
Administration Building - Extended Care Services/KidzU - Ashley Otto, Admin. Assistant

Download a .pdf version of the list of Teachers and Paraprofessionals of the Year