Shout OUTS! 2022-23
May 2023
To: Tony Schoff - Denkmann Elementary School
From: Patrick Versluis
SHOUT: Tony went above and beyond to ensure our school's yard was prepped and ready to go for our Family Lunch on the Lawn. He supported our school for our absent custodian earlier in the week and heard we were having this event and took it upon himself to make sure the grass was cut even though it had been done the week before. I greatly appreciate him thinking of us and our families to have a fun event!
To: Katy Bohan - Eugene Field Elementary Scool
From: Susan Stiles
SHOUT: Katy Bohan has had perfect attendance this school year! Wow! That is so difficult to do. She spends countless hours making slides for her lessons and making sure the kids have engaging activities!
To: Liz Kongkousonh - Rock Island High School
From: Jay Wayland
SHOUT: During the past few months I have been off work due to a serious illness. After surgeries in December Liz and the (EL) students in her class sent me handmade Christmas / Get Well cards to help lift my spirits and send positive vibes in my direction. I was humbled and extremely touched by the gesture and will remember it always!
March 2023
To: Lori Alvarez - Rock Island High School
From: Mike Adams
SHOUT: In addition to her role with campus security. Lori has been going above and beyond to help keep the lounge of the new addition neat and tidy. On several occasions I have witnessed her running the dust mop, straightening the new furniture, and wiping surfaces down. I appreciate your all-hands-on-deck approach to maintain our spaces.
To: Julie Hudnall - Rock Island Center for Math & Science
From: Shaya Smith
SHOUT: I want to give a shoutout to Julie Hudnall for being a huge part of our RICMS family. She does so much for all of our students at RICMS, but then she coaches just about everything at the high school. Her influence can be felt by hundreds of students on a daily basis. She keeps projects moving and is often the one saying, " Let's get it done!" I appreciate you, Julie. You are a great person, teacher, and coworker. Thank you for all you do for us.
To: Dora Castaneda - Rock Island Academy
From: Rob Demeyer
SHOUT: We have had a lot of compliments on her work area throughout your time at Academy. She does a great job and always has a great attitude and never complains. Happy to have you on the custodial team! Keep up the excellent work!
To: Michael Shivers - Rock Island High School
From: Rob Demeyer
SHOUT: Michael has been doing an excellent job since the day he started. He has a great attitude. Hard worker self-motivated and pleasant to be around. Thanks for all the hard work keep it up doesn't go unnoticed!
To: Logan Kinder - Rock Island High School
From: David Sebben
SHOUT: Thank you for shoveling the snow on the sidewalks for the SPED kids so they can safely get to their buses and rides after school. It makes a big difference for those with physical challenges.
To: Ralph Lohman - Rock Island High School
From: Mike Adams
SHOUT: Ralph is a tremendous addition to RIMSD#41 facilities team. Ralph is always available for questions and addresses issues in a timely manner.
To: Gina Cox - Eugene Field
From: Mandi Stout
SHOUT: The Spring Concert at Eugene Field was fantastic! Gina went above and beyond to put on an amazing show! You can tell how much time and energy she and the students put in to make the show a success!! Thank you Gina for making this day such a memorable experience for all!
To: Connie Hayek - Rock Island High School
From: Tari Nevener
SHOUT: Mrs. Hayek is constantly doing things for our kids. She comes so early in the morning preparing for her day. She is in charge of NHS and has all of the information together and neatly organized. She is in charge of the NHS induction ceremony and has decided to donate ALL of the flowers for the ceremony for our students. It was a large purchase and we can't thank her enough for her loving care, compassion, and kindness to all in the building and for all of the students that she helps on a consistent and constant basis! Thank you Mrs. Hayek for just being who you are!
February 2023
To: Shane Mattis - Rock Island High School
From: Mike Adams
SHOUT: Shane has been a tremendous addition to our maintenance staff. He is always available to address issues in a prompt manner. In addition to this, his experience as a professional painter is a huge plus for the district.
To: Dustin Johnson - Rock Island High School
From: Mike Adams
SHOUT: I decided to give Dustin a shout-out for his work ethic. What more can I say than he jumps right in every day without hesitancy to complete the job at hand. He is grateful for being part of RIMSD#41 and it is evident through his work.
To: Mario Vesey - Thurgood Marshall Learning Center
From: Mike Adams
SHOUT: Mario is a self-starter and a great asset to the community. He takes the initiative to task in keeping our buildings clean and conducive to a great learning environment for our students.
To: Jeff Booker - Rock Island High School
From: Mike Adams
SHOUT: Jeff is doing a great job of keeping the Field House and red floor looking good. In his new position at the school, he has taken the initiative to be a self-starter and a role model for our students.
To: Dr. Grandberry-Pugh (RICMS) & Dr. LaShanta Williams (Administration Center)
From: Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris
SHOUT: Dr. Grandberry-Pugh and Dr. LaShanta Williams organized, hosted, and did a follow up to a forum that focused on African American males in the district and the community. This endeavor highlights the K-12 experiences of African American males in our local QC community. Drs. Grandberry-Pugh and Williams steadfastness in recognizing the gap in focusing on this particular population, highlighting strengths and challenges faced, is extremely important for growth in this area of education. Their willingness to broach conversations about where there is room for improvement speaks to the dedication of these two educators in uplifting and supporting student populations that are often facing inequities in K-12 systems. Thank you to Dr. Grandberry-Pugh and Dr. LaShanta Williams, and also to the men who engaged and shared their personal experiences! This is an opportunity for local school districts and the larger community to learn and improve.
To: Dawn Wolf - Administration Center
From: Jen Barton
SHOUT: Dawn does a great job processing the payroll for the nearly 1,000 employees each pay period. Managing the TRS and IMRF benefits is a behind-the-scenes duty that Dawn has mastered. Congratulations on passing the TRS Audit with no findings and thank you for all you do!!
January 2023
To: Cristine Braddy - Ridgewood
From: Rosaland Lee
SHOUT: Cristine is always there for her band students. She is very caring. She made sure that her student had the required outfit for their recent band concert. Her generosity is unparalleled. Thank you, Cristine, for always being there for our students.
To: Steve VanDeWalle - TMLC
From: Tia Edwards
SHOUT: Email to me from a parent about Mr. VanDeWalle:
Good morning Mr. Vandewalle!
My son shared the book you gave him, with me last night. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for supporting my son in who he is & who he has the potential to become. When I had the option to send one of my other boys to Thurgood I was very concerned & spoke to a lifelong friend who is a teacher in the district, in regard to Thurgood. She was the one who told me how wonderful the staff was & how the individual attention to students made all the difference. One of the things she stated “the staff there wants every single student to be successful”. I wish I could tell the whole world how absolutely amazing YOU & the entire staff are. I honestly feel like you all have walked every step of this journey with my boys & I. There are no words of appreciation & gratitude that I can express what all of this has meant to me & how you have set these boys up for a great & educated future. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Good morning Mr. Vandewalle!
My son shared the book you gave him, with me last night. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for supporting my son in who he is & who he has the potential to become. When I had the option to send one of my other boys to Thurgood I was very concerned & spoke to a lifelong friend who is a teacher in the district, in regard to Thurgood. She was the one who told me how wonderful the staff was & how the individual attention to students made all the difference. One of the things she stated “the staff there wants every single student to be successful”. I wish I could tell the whole world how absolutely amazing YOU & the entire staff are. I honestly feel like you all have walked every step of this journey with my boys & I. There are no words of appreciation & gratitude that I can express what all of this has meant to me & how you have set these boys up for a great & educated future. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
To: Keyaira Lavine - WJHS
From: Ashley Boyer
SHOUT: Shout out to Mrs. Lavine for going above and beyond to make our student-athletes feel celebrated and seen. For each season, Keyaira has made personalized sports decorations for their locker. If Mrs. Keyaira didn’t take the initiative to do this, no one would have. Thank you for making our students feel special!
To: Shaya Smith - RICMS
From: Holly Rangel
SHOUT: Shaya goes above and beyond for our students and for her team. We would be lost without her. We suffered a great loss this year, and Shaya was right there to pick up the pieces. Shaya is a bright light in our building. I think I speak for everyone when I say how blessed we are to have her.
December 2022
To: Chad Quick - RIHS
From: David Ames
SHOUT: Chad has been a huge help when I sub in his classes. He makes sure that everyone is on task at all times and really cares about the success of the students he works with.
To: Becky Beck - RICMS
From: John Hawley
SHOUT: I received the following email from a parent who praised the efforts of Becky.
Mr. Hawley,
I wanted to take a minute and reaffirm something I am certain you already know. I have the privilege of overhearing Mrs.Beck working with students on their reading when I volunteer for Ms.Krone. It is nothing short of amazing!
She isn't just teaching them to read, she's teaching them to respect and support each other, she's re-emphasizing the tools they have learned in class, and she is reminding them to make connections to their own lives. I love getting to sit near her and see the way she inspires these young minds. I was listening tonight when you said we should think about what our kids will need at 30. It has helped me think about my kids and how I raise them in a new way.
You also said your teachers are doing the same...raising students to be wonderfully successful 30-year-olds. Please know, you have a tremendous asset in Mrs.Beck. I'm so glad she's at the Center for Math and Science and in the Rock Island District.
August 2022
To: Dawn Mlekush & Jennifer Wendland - RIHS
From:Tari Nevener
SHOUT: ALL I can say is both of them are amazing!! I could NOT have gotten the "ID project 2022" accomplished without either one of them! They both had a lot of their own work to do, but chose to help me with my work so that I could get it done in a timely manner. Thank you so much to Dawn and Jennifer! Forever grateful for your help and enthusiasm!
To: Mr. Coyne Logan and Mr. Behnke - RIHS
From: Brendan Sears
SHOUT: A huge thank you to Mr. Coyne-Logan and especially Mr. Behnke for going above and beyond in supporting the hand out of Freshman chromebooks at RIHS. Thank you!
To: Cindy Arkebauer - Eugene Field
From: Jennifer Alongi
SHOUT: Mrs. Arkebauer was instrumental in stepping up to be the Teacher in Charge during the principal's 1-week Covid-19 absence. She also is virtually incapable of saying "no" to any request for assistance. She lives and breathes Eugene Field and loves RIMSD. Thank you, Cindy!
To: Cafeteria Staff - RIHS
From: Venessa Taylor
SHOUT: A student missed lunch because she had been called out of class to meet with outside resources. The High School Cafeteria Staff members allowed me to interrupt their lunch so that the student could get lunch. They were understanding and made sure that the student had what she needed. It was a TEAM effort to take care of our students.
To: Kristin Allen - Administration
From: Tia Edwards
SHOUT: Kristin has been very helpful since starting her new position. She has supported new initiatives at TMLC. We appreciate her presence and assistance.
To: Annette Moreno- Administration
From: LaShanta Williams
SHOUT: Day in and day out, Annette helps the school district meet the needs of our bilingual families. Her knowledge is endless and she demonstrates a great passion for understanding and supporting bilingual parents to ensure their voices are heard. The amount of time that Annette spends coordinating all the moving parts and trying to make her department better goes without saying. Annette is an amazing person to work with and a wonderful person to call a friend. Her heart is big and her desire to serve is great!
To: Debra Frantz- Administration
From: LaShanta Williams
SHOUT: Debra is a great addition to the EL administration team. She has been a pleasure to work with and does a wonderful job taking in all the new information and providing great feedback to help enhance the EL program as a whole. Debra also values teamwork. I truly appreciate the think sessions of great ideas and program opportunities. It is great to have more EL support.
To: Maria Hanrahan - RIHS
From: LaShanta Williams
SHOUT: Maria has been a great addition to the EL program. It has been a pleasure to work with her. Her leadership and attention to detail have been invaluable to the RIHS EL Department. Maria works tirelessly to make sure that all the ELs are accounted for and receiving the best education our RIHS team has to offer. We are blessed to have her as a teacher and as a department leader.
To: Beth MacKenna - Administration
From: Heidi Matherly
SHOUT: Great Job to Beth and her team in the Nutrition Department! The nurses appreciate all the hard work you have put into the development of the new online RIMSD Nutrislice menu! This is a tool we utilize every day for the healthcare of our students and we love it! Great Job!
To: Candace Lopez - Earl Hanson
From: Steve Inman
SHOUT: Candace is always the first person who is willing to help out in situations that need extra support. Her guidance to the new ED/BD staff at Earl Hanson has been incredible and we couldn't be the awesome team we are without her. We hope she knows how valuable she is and how much she is appreciated. Without knowing, she goes above and beyond on a daily basis for not only her colleagues but her students as well. She's an amazing teacher who deserves to get many kudos. Thank you Candace for all you do and for all the ideas/suggestions/and tips you give to your team.
To: Deidra Dunbar - RICMS
From: Dr. Wickard
SHOUT: Deidra is our new para and I was observing one of her math groups today. She was working with a couple of our more challenging students and she did an incredible job. She maintains an even tone with high expectations and is consistent. The students responded appropriately and celebrated the success with a high five. Great job Mrs. Dunbar! You are definitely an incredible asset to our team!!!
June 2022
To: Beth Heaney - Administration
From: Debbie Case
SHOUT: Beth Heaney, Human Resources Assistant Benefits Coordinator, rocks! While working with Beth on benefit information, she was very professional answering questions and providing information. What makes Beth stand out above and beyond expectations is her ability to do it with kindness! Thank you Beth for caring about the Rock Island-Milan staff! What you do and how you do it matters! #kindnessmatters