Nearly 70 Granite School District contract employees reached a major milestone this school year: 25 professional years in the district. These individuals have served in various capacities, but they have all contributed to student success.
Here’s the list of this year’s Gold Pin recipients, along with a few memories:
| Name | Position | Favorite Memories | What I Enjoy Most About My Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| James M. Baez | Instructional Assistant, Academy Park Elementary | -- | -- |
| Brenda K. Bartunek | Math Teacher, Bonneville Jr. High | -- | -- |
| Gary Bradford | Foreman, Carpenter Shop | -- | -- |
| Kimberly D. Brian | Resource Teacher, Cyprus High School | -- | -- |
| Elaine Brough | Instructional Coach, Plymouth Elementary | -- | -- |
| Jennie A. Crapo | Preschool Coordinator, Preschool Services | -- | -- |
| Heather Creel | School Psychologist, College & Career Readiness | I always loved doing Fall Home Visits with the staff of Redwood Elementary School. Deciding how to organize the groups and family visits, having board members and directors participate, watching the faces of the children when they knew the teachers were in the neighborhoods, being followed by flocks of children on bicycles, and listening to the staff stories afterward were all highlights of this experience for me. The connections we made were life-changing! | I love the team aspect of working in the public schools and watching the hard work that goes on behind the scenes every single day. I enjoy working with colleagues to design experiences that are "outside of the box" for students and families. I also think that watching a student meet a personal goal and helping in their celebration is the "icing on the cake!" My most favorite aspect of my job is in the connections I make with others and walking this part of life's journey with students, families, staff, and others. |
| James M. Deyerle | Crew Leader, General Maintenance | -- | -- |
| Kenneth L. Dilley | Spanish Teacher, Granite Park Jr. High | Participation in the 100 year celebration of Granite High School was quite memorable. I also feel like our Veterans Day memorial assemblies that recognized former students of Granite Park Junior High and the South Salt lake community have been heartfelt and rewarding. | The diversity of our student body makes every day a cultural experience. I enjoy working in the after school program helping students with make up work . I also enjoy the competitive nature of our students as they participate in the sports program. |
| Todd Farnsworth | Head Custodian, Olympus High School | -- | -- |
| Marcos Figueroa Anguiano | Head Custodian, Fremont Elementary | -- | -- |
| Julie Gardner | Graphics Teacher, Olympus High School | Getting to know the students and caring about them. I love teaching! | The ability to teach the students a skill that they can use in their lives. Either as s job or a skill they can take to a job of their choice. |
| Cindy K. George | 5th Grade Teacher, Oakridge Elementary | -- | -- |
| Robert Goble | Head Custodian, West Lake STEM Jr. High | Telling ghost stories and local and school history to the students at Cyprus high school. | Interacting and joking with the kids. |
| Phillip M. Graves | Assistant Foreman, Plumbers | -- | -- |
| M. Susan Gunn | Special Education Teacher, Sandburg Elementary | The joy of seeing my students improve academically and that they realize they are the ones who did it. | I love the support and friendship from my principal, Julie Wilson, my para, Cindy Lundgren, and the staff I work with. |
| Karen Hanks | Counselor, Wasatch Jr. High | I have been very privileged in my 25 years at Wasatch Jr. High to have several responsibilities. I loved teaching physical education, coaching girls' volleyball, teaching student government including SBOs, cheerleaders and Wasatch peer leadership team, then finally working as a school counselor. With all these roles come many great memories. One that I will share was with my student government kids. Each year at the end of the year I would have the kids circle up our chairs (very common for this class), and have them go around the circle to share something they learned from their experience as a student leader. Invariably, one or more would say that when they were elected the previous year, it was "all about me". By the end of the year they had learned that instead it was "all about what I can do for others" and the satisfaction that comes from service. | Aspects that I enjoy most in my current position as a school counselor is working individually as an advocate for students whether it is helping them to be more successful in school, dealing with personal or social issues, celebrating their successes or anything that will help them to navigate through the challenging years of junior high school. |
| Patrick Healey | Business Teacher, Olympus High School | The Students | The Students |
| Leanne Helbling | Secretary, Crestview Elementary | I have had 27 years of great memories! | I love working with our teachers, students, and community. |
| Scott N. Henderson | PE Teacher, Hunter High School | -- | -- |
| Diana A. Hiatt | Head Custodian, Calvin Smith Elementary | My favorite memory was when JoAnn Crawley was my principal and I had the kids in the lunch room sing Happy Birthday to her. | I love giving the community a safe and clean building to come to each day. |
| Chip A. Hopkins | History Teacher, Olympus High School | Meeting Eunice Kennedy Shriver at the Kennedy Library in Cambridge at a Community of Caring seminar. | Providing avenues for critical thinking and curiousity. The remedy for apathy. |
| Rod S. Horton | Principal, Jefferson Jr. High | The great relationships I have with the amazing educators in the schools I have worked in. I will always cherish those friendships. | Hopefully, the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the students and teachers. |
| Anne John | Speech Pathologist, Special Services | -- | -- |
| Shelly D. Johnson | 6th Grade Teacher, Orchard Elementary | In 25 years how do you pick one? It was pretty amazing to go to the Granite Conference in 2018 (before the school year started) with my sister and daughter. Having some the most important people in my life share my passion for teaching and education is the best. | *The best part of being a teacher is the relationships. Building relationships with kids and their families is by far the best (and in my opinion, the most important) part of teaching. I have many treasured friendships that started in the classroom. *Seeing what my kids so after they leave my classroom; seeing them being successful adults and achieving their dreams. *Planning fun learning activities like Fear Factor Integers, Mock Nwebery, Stock Market math, OREO project, Dr. Pepper Decimals and Percent Day, First Chapter Friday, Trasketball. *My class tie-dye tradition. *Our annual rock, paper, scissors tournament. *Watching kids fall in love with learning, reading, and deciding they really can do math (and like it). *Our Kind is the New Cool Campaign and focusing on friendship and connections in the classroom. |
| Jennifer Keil-Reed | Principal, Upland Terrace Elementary | -- | -- |
| Eva J. Kendrick | ESL Adult Education Teacher, Granite Peaks Lifelong Learning | One day after class, a student gave me the supreme compliment. He was an adult ESL learner from Brazil with many of life's experiences behind him. He said that he loved coming to my class because he knew that he learned something everyday that meaningful for him to use in his life. I think that's what it is all about! | The world has come through my classroom door. I have met people from more than half of the world's countries. I have received an education in loving the peoples of this beautiful world! |
| Bill J. Kenley | Director, Educator Support & Development | I absolutely loved my time traveling all across the state to watch the kids participate in high school activities. It was a great way to see the kids in an out of school environment, meet and associate with parents, and build life long friendships with colleagues. What a great experience. | I really love working with new educators and administrators. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to help pepole get through those first few years in a position, and help them realize their professional potential. |
| Brian Lestarge | Science Teacher, Churchill Jr. High | our school taking 1st 2nd and 3rd at physics day at lagoon | The kids |
| Chris A. Lewis | Director, Accounting Services | The first time I finished the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). I smiled all the way home thinking, "I can do this!" | I enjoy the innate goodness of the people who end up in public education. |
| Scott D. Lewis | Science Teacher, Granger High School | Coaching Wrestling. Building An Experimental Aircraft | Best School and Staff in the District |
| Emily Liddell | Principal, Taylorsville High School | -- | -- |
| Heidemarie Lind | Counselor, Granite Park Jr. High | All of my students in my counseling alphabet graduated from High School | In my Parent Center I serve adults to increase their quality of life! |
| Tiffany Lofgran | Resource Teacher, Redwood Elementary | Many years ago I walked into my classroom to find a student with his hand in my candy bucket. Even though I knew it wasn't the best practice I had him write one sentence over and over again. He was supposed to write, "I will not steal from Ms. Lofgran". He began writing them but as he got about half-way down the page, the sentence changed to, "I will not steal FOR Ms. Lofgran". HaHa | I just love seeing progress...any progress! |
| Stacey A. Lowe | 5th Grade Teacher, Elk Run Elementary | -- | -- |
| Patti Jo Mazanis | Science Teacher, Jefferson Jr. High | -- | -- |
| Heidi K. Meenen | Technology Specialist, Educational Technology | -- | -- |
| Rebecca Monson | Principal, Bacchus Elementary | Being part of opening a new school. | Building relationships with more students. |
| Jane Munson | 2nd Grade Teacher, Cottonwood Elementary | -- | -- |
| Mike P. Nelson | Multimedia Teacher, Granite Connection High | -- | -- |
| Annette H. Nichols | Resource Teacher, Hunter High School | Watching students understand a concept and fell proud that they finally got it. The expression of delight is my reward for teaching all of these years. | High School kids are the best!! I am so happy to be ending my career with these kids. I LOVE teaching English to kids who struggle with learning. Finding ways to introduce them to literature in creative ways is such a delight!! I love my principal and my team, there are so many good people who care about kids at Hunter High. |
| Shauna L. Nordgren | Assistant Principal, Wasatch Jr. High | I loved teaching dance at Granite Park Junior High for 11.5 years. I loved the students, my colleagues and the community. Seeing students who have never taken dance before put on a costume, get on the stage and then perform their hearts out each year are memories that I keep close and cherish. | It was a challenge to go from being a well-liked dance teacher to an assistant principal. I have been an assistant principal 13.5 years now at 4 different schools and have loved the challenges at each school. I enjoy seeing these junior high kids each day with their energy and smiles and drive to do well. Students feel comfortable coming to my office, partially for the M&Ms, and know I am available to listen to their issues and help out where needed. I love working with students in all the activities at the school including assemblies, lunchtime karaoke, our reward store, field trips, 4 square in the commons, supporting our musical, filming announcements, posting on social media, etc. I love taking pictures and video of all our activities and posting them on YouTube for others to enjoy. I enjoy working with our parents and working through problems and celebrations. The students are why I stay in education, I enjoy them the most! |
| Thomas Olsen | Science Teacher, Cyprus High School | -- | -- |
| Dennis Otteson | Head Custodian, Pleasant Green Elementary | Watching several of the special-ed kids get promoted to 7th grade and seeing them grow from the time the first started here. | Being around the kids from Kindergarten to 6th grade. Seeing them all grow up. One of the kids will always be where I happen to be and they all say "HI Mr. Dennis |
| Kenneth Peterson | Assistant Principal, Cyprus High School | -- | -- |
| Cindy Phillips | Assistant Principal, Cyprus High School | -- | -- |
| Ross Pope | Special Needs STS, Educational Technology | When the principal and I had the whole school thinking we were live streaming when she was reading on the roof of the school. It was all prerecorded and I hid in a back room when it was happening. | Working with staff and students on learning new software. |
| Shane Prows | Journeyman Painter, Paint Shop | -- | -- |
| Vini T. Purcell | Bus Driver, Transportation | -- | -- |
| Terry Reynolds | LD/CD Teacher, Farnsworth Elementary | Any time one of my students say I can do this. It is easy. They could not do before. | Working with wonderful Para educators and 6th grade staff that support and include my students in their activities |
| Lina Robinson | Assistant Food Manager, Kearns High School | Making 85 pounds of bread dough into Dinner rolls and Hamburger buns | Serving the students |
| Patricia Sargent | Bus Driver, Transportation | -- | -- |
| Jerry M. Schaffer | Math Teacher, West Lake STEM Jr. High | -- | -- |
| Thomas L. Sharpe | Math Teacher, Cottonwood High School | -- | -- |
| Gailia Shepherd | Assistant Food Manager, Taylorsville High School | -- | -- |
| Maren K. Singleton | Math Teacher, Cyprus High School | Participating in the 50 yr. celebration at Brockbank. It was fun to hear all of the stories from the Alumni that came. | The excitement that students have when they master a difficult concept. |
| Scott Slade | Spanish Teacher, Eisenhower Jr. High | I was allowed to have 6 ibooks in my room. My students were able to work on them and create projects. The students presented to some district people and did so well that I was given more ibooks the next year. I have used computers to individualize instruction since then. | I enjoy creating assignments that engage most of the students and allow them to work at their own pace. I have really enjoyed creating friendships with the people of the schools that I have had the opportunity to work in. |
| Pamela Staggs | Speech Pathologist, Special Services | One of the most rewarding experiences I have had at Granite School District has been the collaboration with the Taylorsville High School Drill Team and our students. For the past three years I have had the drill team students come and dance with our students. I have watched as great friendships between the girls have developed with each practice together. It has been truly amazing! | I work with the high school and post high students and enjoy going out into the community to interact with others outside the structured classroom. It is a great thrill to watch them greet others and use the social language skill I have taught them. |
| Lana Sutton | Secretary, Special Services | -- | -- |
| Deborah Thomas | Math Teacher, Olympus Jr. High | -- | -- |
| Michael J. Virgin | Technology Teacher, Hunter High School | Many years ago I taught a student who had been told by his father that he was not allowed to touch their computer at home because he would probably break it. As we doing an activity on our computers he suddenly yell out, "I can do it! I can do it!" He was an entirely different student after that experience. | Help students open theirs eyes to the world around us and be able to capture unique images on their cameras. |
| Le Vuong | Math Teacher, Bennion Jr. High | My favorite memory was the time I went back to my alma mater (Granite High) to teach math. | Being able to inspire students and to help them understand the values of education and hard work. |
| Tina West | Director, Elementary Schools | Some of my favorite memories are from when I was a principal and had the FA special classes at my school. I will always remember how Miss Marley said, "Hi Miss West," everyday. Also how Cody said he liked my black car everyday, but I would always tell him that I drove a blue car to which he would say, "I know Mrs. West." Then one day I was driving my husband's black car and I had to tell him to which he replied, "I know, Mrs. West." | I love working with my prinicpals. They work so hard and have so many creative ideas to share. They are to be commended! |
| Jennifer Whitlock | Social Worker, College & Career Readiness | -- | -- |
| Craig Yuill | Warehouse Distribution Manager, Bates Food Service Center | -- | -- |