Each month, one secretary within the district is nominated for the GEM (Going the Extra Mile) Award. Congratulations to the 2023-2024 winners!
October 2023
Mara Escobar, Office Clerk at Granite Park Jr.
Mara has been working for this school for 16 years. She is a front office secretary, but she does so much more. If someone is needing something she is the person they contact for help. She is the runner to take things to teachers or to pick things up. She answers the phones, talks to parents and others who walk through the doors. Mara is also our Spanish interpreter. She steps into all sorts of rolls that she doesn’t necessarily have to, but is more than happy to. She works wonderfully with the students. She is always bubbly and happy to be at work. People notice when she is not here. She works extra when asked. She interacts with the parents with such ease and actually has made a lot of friends. She is open and honest in all that she does and people flock to be around her. She makes work a great environment. If you need someone to talk to she is who you go to. She cares about everyone. She is someone who would do anything to help you ease your load. I am lucky to be her coworker and friend. This is why I think Mara deserves to be the GEM recipient.
November 2023
Cynthia Halliday, Principal Secretary at Hartvigsen School
I am enthusiastically nominating Cynthia Halliday for recognition of always going the extra mile , exceptional dedication and contribution to our school. She has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, making a significant impact on both staff and students. Cynthia has demonstrated outstanding organizational skills, ensuring that classes always have items such as flyers they need , parent letters and any thing we ask her to do she does with a smile and I know a lot of what she does is not part of her job description. Cynthia also watches students or helps out on buses and even has feed students to help out a class that is short .On numerous occasions she has proactively identified and resolved challenges we have had as a special needs school before they escalated. Her ability to foresee potential issues and just taking care of it has had such a positive impact on the entire school. She excels in communication , ensuring that information needed gets to everyone . She makes everyone feel important and cared for. She is like our school mom always taking care of everyone. She is always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave . Cynthia Halliday deserves to know she is appreciated and Hartvigsen would not be the same without her .
Cynthia is always willing to help out she is super patient and will help you get what ever is needed.
December 2023
Courtney Call, Attendance Secretary at Wasatch Jr. High
Courtney keeps her cool when students and parents are asking for her to bend office rules and she stick by the rules in a calm and kind manner. She send out reminders to teachers about taking roll and grades and is helpful when teachers have questions or problems.
Courtney has been amazing at adapting to Focus! I know that there have been some bumps in the road with adopting the new software at various places, but with Courtney guiding us through it, you would never know. She also has a great relationship with the students and works so hard to make sure that our records are in tip-top shape.
She is here early, always ready and willing to help, diligent in her duties, knowledgeable, attentive to details, provides correct, accurate information, sensitive to our student’s needs, cares for our students’ success and keeps them accountable. As our attendance secretary, she handles a lot of delicate information in a professional manner and when the difficult cases come her way, she remains sweet, kind, and helpful. I notice when she is absent! SHE DESERVES THIS AWARD 100%
January 2024
Lisa Turner, Principal Secretary at Morningside Elementary
She not only knows the name of most of the students, she knows their parents and when she sees the parent walking up to the front door, she is already calling the student down for them. She makes sure the kids knows they are safe and loved at school. She smiles through all the stress of her job and the loss of her husband this past summer. I try to help, knowing what she’s going through, having lost my husband ten years ago, she is having a harder time with his financial stuff than I did, so I can’t relate to some of what she’s going through, but even after a struggling phone call, she has that smile in her face like nothing is wrong. She is there for the teachers and staff too, on more than one occasion she has lifted me up when I was feeling low or stressed.
February 2024
Jessica Brooks, Attendance Clerk at Jackling Elementary
Jessica has stepped up and filled in day after day. Jessica is our attendance clerk and spends lots of time contacting parents with phone calls and letters. She also helps students with band-aids, ice, and phone calls. She helps staff with any project they ask of her. And now I’m out on short term disability due to a car accident. Four days after my accident, the school fundraiser began. She ran with it and took care of the huge job of prizes in addition to everything else. She’s often the only one in the office and has to do it all…day after day! And she does it all with a smile! Jessica helped make it possible for me to stay home and heal by going way above and taking on some parts of my job. Jessica has held down the fort when the other secretary was on leave and did multiple tasks herself for many months.
I just started this year at Jackling and from day one Jessica has been able to help me out to better understand the students to be able to excel at my job. While working in the front office it can be easy to get busy and not acknowledge those around you at all times but Jessica has made sure not a single person goes by without acknowledging them. Even on the busiest days she still wears a smile and lets her body language know you are important and she wants to help you. She is not just this way with staff, but she is so sweet when helping parents and students as well. Thank you Jessica, you are FABULOUS!
March 2024
April Smith, Bookkeeper at Cottonwood High
April has been pulling double duty as the Assistant Bookkeeper and our Financial Secretary for almost two months now when our Financial Secretary took leave before retirement earlier than expected. She has now been hired as the Financial Secretary and will begin training the person who will replace her in her old job. She has worked tirelessly, learning the new position and helping teachers, administration, coaches with anything they might need concerning finances. She has done an incredible job of maintaining both positions to keep the school afloat. She treats everyone with respect and has such a kindness about her that is so well-received. We are so blessed to have April at Cottonwood, we truly could not function without her.
April took on the job responsibilities of our school’s financial secretary when she retired and prior to hiring a replacement. She willingly helped with P-Card statements, purchase order requests, and answered all other financial questions I had. She did this in addition to her regular responsibilities.
April has been THE team player this year. April has been positive and kind, all while learning how to do a completely new job with new responsibilities, AND handling her previous duties, AND training someone new. Although you would have no idea how busy April is because despite all of that, she has been such a team player. I really admire April and all she does to keep Cottonwood afloat. She really leads by such a great example.
April 2024
Kari Montoya, Principal Secretary at Olene Walker Elementary
Kari Montoya 100% deserves to be recognized as a GEM employee! She is one of the hardest working elementary school secretaries I have ever worked with. Yes, I know everyone says that about their own school secretary and yes, I know this sounds like a cliché. However, it is the truth and here are a few examples why… 1). Kari is an extremely thoughtful person. For example, she is putting together a surprise celebration for one of our paraeducators who has worked in Granite School District for 50 years. Kari came up with this idea, is spreading the word (been in touch with District members), is getting donations, is putting together a slide show/memory book, is getting an award made, is trying to get a limo, the list goes on and on. Kari is doing most of this on her own. Does Kari need to be doing all extra stuff? Does she need her plate to be any fuller? No, she certainly does not, but she does this because of who she is and that is a very thoughtful person. 2). Kari works in a very challenging school where many of the families/students do not speak English. This does not stop her or scare her. She will figure out a way to communicate whether it is reaching out to another person for help, using Google Translate, or using Linquistica. She won’t ignore these families, pretend to help them, or shy away, she will actually help. 3). Kari wears a lot of hats. She is a “boo-boo kisser,” the PTA (Walker does not have one), a genius at getting copiers/laminators fixed, a money manager, a very fast typer, a faculty room cleaner-upper, a problem-solver, a teacher advocate, a friendly face, a trusted friend/co-worker…the list goes on and on. Kari 100% deserves to be recognized for the GEM award. Olene Walker Elementary School would be lost without her! This is my third time nominating Kari Montoya for the GEM award Hopefully; the third time is the charm.
May 2024
Jesie Canning, Administrative Secretary in Payroll Office
Jesie is amazing! She is always helpful and friendly and the extra load she has had for months has not changed that. She has taken “other duties as assigned” literally as she has completed 2 jobs in the payroll office for half of the year. My calls were always answered, emails responded to promptly, and most importantly she was always smiling and friendly in-person. She didn’t let the added assignments or pressure show in her interactions with me. Jesie went MILES above and beyond to make sure all of our Granite family was taken care of and I sure appreciate her! – Trinda
I would like to thank Jesie for her tenacity, organizational skills, and calmness throughout our long staffing transition. She showed herself to be indispensable throughout all the changes. She has been remarkable. – Ali