2012-13 Crystal Apple

Recognizing Excellence In Education in the Brush School District...

Maria Chacon...Brush High School

Sharing her culture is important to Spanish teacher

By Maggie Christensen
Special to the Brush NewsTribune

Before school, during school, during lunch, as well as after school, you can always hear the sound of students laughter erupting from Maria Chacons classroom. Chacon, who has taught Spanish at Brush High School over the past four years, has been known for her strong connection with her students and cheerful personality. She had not always planned to become a teacher though. When she was little she planned to become a nurse and started college in the nursing program. It was not until she started volunteering at a non-profit after school program she discovered her true passion. The interaction with the children at the program sparked a new dream and she set off to become a teacher. Chacon started her schooling in Santa Monica, California. On a trip to visit her mother she discovered

Brush and instantly fell in love with it. She enjoyed the small town and felt it would be the perfect environment for her and her husband to raise their son, Joshua. They then moved to Colorado, she became an assistant ESL teacher at Brush Middle School where she remained for three years. Then after she finished her college and graduated with a bachelor degree in Spanish with an emphasis in secondary teaching, she was then hired at Brush High School. In her first year at BHS she taught speech and ESL classes. Her second year she taught ESL classes and Spanish, with her third and fourth year spent teaching Spanish 1, 2, 3 and 4. She enjoys teaching her Spanish classes, because as she mentioned I get to share my culture; I was born and lived in Mexico City until we moved when I was 14. Culture is very important to me. She enjoys providing her students with the knowledge of other cultures and emphasizes knowing a for-

Maggie Christensen/News-Tribune

Dedicated Spanish teacher, Maria Chacon, helps Laura Lynch understand a challenging concept in Spanish 1. eign language opens up with amazement written all International Travel Club. many doors for job opportu- over their faces. She first started the Latino nities. She most enjoys sharThe Crystal Apple award Leadership Club because felt ing something about her cul- winner also has dedicated there were many students ture and when her students her time to the Latino See Chacon page 8 reply, You used to do that? Leadership Club and

Children are the world's most valuable resource and it's best hope for the future." John F. Kennedy

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE CRYSTAL APPLE

Dorothy Dick...Brush Middle School

Dedication and drive define passion for teaching

A 1990 graduate of Brush High School and Beetdigger through and through, this Brush born-and-raised teacher began her career in education by attending Northeastern Junior College where she received an Associate of Arts degree before earning her Bachelors in Elementary Education, with an emphasis on Social Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado. Dorothy then went on to earn her Masters in English Language Development from the University of Colorado-Boulder before returning to her roots in Brush. When asked if she had always wanted to be a teacher, Dorothy responded, I think I did, with a reminiscing smile. Ive always worked with kids and I taught swim lessons for years. When I went to college, I realized teaching would be a great fit for me. First and foremost, Dorothy is an outstanding teacher, said fellow BMS teacher Lisa Uhrig of her colleague. Each year students in her classes show growth on both state assessments and NWEA tests because Dorothy knows how to move her students to the next level. She works hard to plan motivating, grade-appropriate lessons and she makes learning fun. Singley concurs, noting of Dorothy, Her work ethic has consistently returned some of the highest CSAP scores in the district, but she also makes time for her coworkers and is always willing to lend a hand. As a teacher, she is what many professionals strive to be. For Dorothy, exposing her students to the outside world is one way shes connected. I try to get them to see different places and cultures other than Brush through their reading and writing, noted Dorothy. According to Uhrig, the students enjoy Dorothy as well. Students enjoy her humor and they enjoy her class, said Uhrig, because she truly enjoys teaching dynamic, ever-changing sixth graders. But her dedication does not stop when the bell rings.

Katie Collins/News-Tribune

BMS Sixth Grade Teacher Dorothy Dick, a 2013 Crystal Apple Award winner, helps sixth grade student Emily Lawler at BMS. By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

For some, teaching is simply another job. To others it is an outlet through which lives can be changed and passions ignited. For Brush Middle School sixth grade language arts instructor Dorothy Dick,

education is this and more. For her, every day is an adventure. Like many teachers, Dorothy gives selflessly of her time, wrote fellow sixth grade teacher Brian Singley. What makes her special is the time she dedicates to building positive relationships with her students

while holding them to high standards for work and behavior. I try to encourage them to explore different types of reading and writing and to step out of their comfort zone, so they can see what they can do instead of always looking at what they cant do, said Dorothy.

See Dick page 8

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Marcia Petterson...Beaver Valley Elementary School

Team tactics and tenacity helps students soar

By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

A teacher is a lot like a coach, noted Beaver Valley fifth grade teacher Marcia Petterson. Youre just preparing them for tests and for life outside of school, and she should know. As the mother of three Beetdigger boys, most of this 26-year teaching veterans free time is spent chasing her own children to their sporting events. Marcia is the consummate team player, wrote nominators Jami Dewey, Lacey Hastings, Donna Lynch, Joyce Sperry and Theresa Schaffer. In the past three years, Marcia has taught three grade levels. She did not hesitate to change grades each year as that was what the school needed. Each year, in each grade, her students showed excellent academic growth and her caring, kind and understanding way with children and adults is remarkable. For Petterson, who grew up a Kansas native in Marysville before attending Emporia State University in her home state to earn a B.S. in Education, teaching not only runs in the family, but was something she had always saw herself enjoying. Yes, I had wanted to be a teacher since the time I was little, remi-

nisced Petterson, whose husband Bob Petterson serves as Superintendent for Weldon Valley Schools until he retires in 2013. Back in those days, at the end of the year we could take the school books back home and I would play school all summer long," she reminisced. Petterson first began her career teaching special education and sixth grade in Wamego, Kansas, before making the move to Wray where she spent 11 years as an instructor, teaching Title I reading and math as well as third grade. In 2002, when the couple moved to Brush, she continued teaching third grade but with a large class of nearly 130, was asked to move on with many of those students to both fourth and then fifth grades, making her 26-year-long career full of variety. I love my job most because it is always fresh and changing, never can't, said Petterson. You always have a fresh start and new class each year and at the root of that is the fact that I often have to evolve and change, and I enjoy that dynamic. When it comes to her class, there is one motto that Petterson has reiterated so often that students can finish the sentiment. I tell them all the time, Do the

Katie Collins/News-Tribune

Preparing students for test and life outside of school is what Petterson and the team at Beaver Valley Elementary School strive for.
right thing and they finish the latter half, Because its the right thing to do, noted Petterson. I follow that up with lessons in being honest and respectful. Although her three sons BJ, a former Marine working at the Brush Grocery Kart, Alec, a sophomore at BHS and Jeron, an eighth grader at BMS, all keep Petterson quite preoccupied, she does find time on rare occasions for hobbies such as sewing, quilting and hand crafts. Also, she spends a great deal of

See Petterson page 8

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Marci Sanders...Thomson Primary School

Thomson values exemplified in Code of Ethics

By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

In our second grade hallway, writes Thomson Primary School Principal Dave Uhrig, we have a framed document with the title, The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession. Within the Preamble of this code, he explained, it states, 'We affirm our responsibility to practice our profession according to the highest ethical standards'". It also states, 'We acknowledge the magnitude of this profession we have chosen'. I would argue, noted Uhrig, that the title should read, Codes Marci Sanders Lives By. Although her 20-year-long teaching career has taken Sanders from the tip of Texas, to Cheyenne Wells and then to Brush, and placed her before almost every grade level classroom from pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade (minus kindergarten and first grade), Thomson is more than just a building, its a family. I have amazing kids, said Sanders, and always have. I tell them on the first day of school that this is family. We depend on each other and care for each other. From the kids and their parents to the entire community, that connection is something special to me and here we call ourselves the Thomson family

for a reason, she continued. They are always there and have my back and I am a better teacher because of who I work with. Sanders also notes of her Thomson family surroundings, If you dont laugh here at least once in a day, youve missed out on something. When Marci and husband Rob Sanders, who currently serves as the Superintendent for Merino Schools, were first married they found themselves just nine miles north of the Mexican border, near the Texas-tip for two years before Marci became pregnant with the couple's first of two sons. It was then that the Burlington High School graduate and her husband decided to move closer to family and the journey took them to Cheyenne Wells. After earning her B.A. in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Early Childhood from UNC, and after 10-years of teaching elsewhere and two sons later, Sanders began a 10-year-long career teaching in Brush where she began teaching preschool before taking on the task of educating second graders. The career choice was natural for Sanders, who comes from a long line of teachers that include her grand-

See Sanders page 7

Katie Collins/News-Tribune

Thomson Primary School second grade teacher Marci Sanders utilizes the highest ethical standards when it comes to helping her students.

CRYSTAL APPLE BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Brenda Schilz...Classified Staff

Extra time and effort spark student success

By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

Dont judge a book by its cover, or so the adage goes and for Beaver Valley Librarian Brenda Schilz, looks can certainly be deceiving. Although from the outside the job of a librarian may seem simple, a great deal of duties and diligence are required. From dealing with budgets, checking kids in and out each day to ordering books and compiling inventory and purchase orders, maintaining a library is not for the faint of heart. For Schilz, however, who now has 12 years under her belt at Beaver Valley Elementary in Brush, spending a few extra hours each day with students in need of more oneon-one instruction in all aspects of life isnt just another duty but rather a mission. Through 12 years here at Beaver Valley Ive witnessed kids grow from third graders to seniors, noted Schilz, and its wonderful to see

Katie Collins/News-Tribune

Brenda Schilz may serve as the librarian at Beaver Valley, but she has taken on additional duties in her 12 years at Beaver Valley Elementary School including helping students after school.
what they turn out like and who they become. Developing close friendships with the kids and seeing them grow up around town has been the best part of the

job. For this Brush native it was the anticipation of being around children that compelled the BHS Class of 1987 graduate to become involved in education. I loved being around kids, watching my nieces and nephews grow up, and I wanted more time with my own kids, said Schilz who, after earning an Associate of Arts in General Business at NJC, thought school might make for an excellent place for her to nurture her passion and talents. Brenda has shown the ability to establish an excellent rapport with the other students in the class, wrote Beaver Valley Counselor Jennifer Schlatter in her nomination of Schilz. She is genuinely interested in helping others and provides service in a consistently positive and helpful manner in and out of the classroom and her willingness has carried over to before school and after school, finished Schlatter. She has stepped up and taken on extra duties that

See Schilz page 7

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Chuck Blackwelder...District Staff

Maintenance employee proves go-to guy for the district

By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

If something breaks, we fix it, explained Brush School District Maintenance employee Chuck Blackwelder after a recent snow-filled morning had crews up plowing as early as 3 a.m. Although the job description seems simple, there is a lot involved in keeping up the grounds of Brushs four schools. From plowing snow to maintaining and repairing sprinkler systems, watering in the summer, building repairs, HVAC and plumbing, Brush School District (BSD) maintenance workers are resourceful to say the least, but thats what 2013 Crystal Apple District Award winner Blackwelder likes most. I enjoy the versatility of the job, he said. Every day is a different day. You never know what will come up and you have to be able to juggle the schedule, because if an emergency comes up you may have to drop everything and take on a new task.

The can-do attitude that Blackwelder, an 11-year veteran employee with BSD, has exhibited has not gone unnoticed by staff though. Chuck is a get-it-done guy, wrote Thomson Primary teacher Tracey Singley in her nomination. He is at the beck-and-call of all of us that need it done right now, which usually requires him to set aside his current task to take care of an emergency. Yet, he remains courteous and friendly, she continued. Without this behind-thescenes Crystal Apple candidate, our district could not function. Most days, he has to get it done as he works around classrooms and playgrounds filled with students, she concluded. You have to have a love for kids, replied Blackwelder, and you have to have patience because they are all very curious and are always asking questions. Blackwelder grew up not far away in Limon, where he was born, raised and began a long career in farming and ranching after obtaining his Associate of

Katie Collins/News-Tribune

The duties bestowed upon Chuck Blackwelder are numerous and varied, but thats what Crystal Apple District Staff winner enjoys about the job.
Applied Science degree in Agri-Business from NJC. Ive always liked the Brush area, he noted and his many trips to Brush had the area feel much like home even before he made the move in 1999 and spent seven years in the area as an electrician. With one son and three daughters, Blackwelder spends what free time he can as a member of the St. Marys Catholic Church and is a member of the Knights of Columbus there. In the summer he also tries to take time for hobbies like gardening and doing his own canning. When asked how he felt about winning the Crystal Apple award for BSD, Blackwelder humbly remarked with a grin, Im a giver, not a receiver, but it is nice to be recognized and to know someone out there appreciates what you do.

CRYSTAL APPLE BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Schilz
she is not reimbursed for, Schlatter continued, adding, Before school, she meets with two students. This allows these students who need some more attention to receive that time with a safe and welcoming adult. She is taking the time to teach these girls how to properly do self care and will help the two students learn to do their own hair. She takes time to teach them how to properly brush their teeth and students learn how to take care of their bodies as a crucial part of their daily routine. Having a positive interaction with a safe adult enhances their learning environment, Schlatter continued. She is always energetic and has a positive attitude, which helps create a warm and caring environment for students. She can be strict and serious, noted Schlatter, but she can also laugh and joke with them. Sometimes kids look at the outside rather than the inner self, responded Schilz when asked about the extra time she devotes to these students. And helping them here with these issues seems to help improve self-confidence, which is a wonderful thing to witness. Schilz also notes that when a student loses his or her library book and she realizes it is quite beyond their control and fault, due to family experience, shell allow the student to read and work off the overdue fees. I tell my kids to live and learn, said Schilz whose extra efforts to help students in need has earned her the 2013 Crystal Apple Classified Staff award. Along with the two committees Brenda sits on, wrote Schlatter, she also

From Page 5
volunteers to do bus monitoring a few times per week and this takes a lot of patience. Besides spending time that she can with her daughters Sarah Padilla, a college student at Aims and Krista Padilla, who is graduating from UNC in the spring of 2013, and husband Jamie Schilz, Brenda enjoys walking and riding her bike during what free time she can muster.

Sanders
parents, parents, aunt and uncle. When I was little I would beg to go see my grandparents in Wichita, reminisced Sanders, so I could go to school with them. I vividly recall going into my dads classroom with all his critters. I love everything about the job, but most of all the kids and watching that spark when what they are learning clicks. I also love being able to impart knowledge and to see them soak it up. From rewarding effort and hard work for her students through a lunch bunch special, that has Sanders give out five tickets to each student at the beginning of each week and has her students attempt to keep at least one of those with positive behavior in order to eat lunch in the classroom, her motto of the harder you work, the better you get is imparted. I love it and it is really a reward for me, said Sanders, because it gives me a chance to connect with them other than on an academic level. I get to hear about their lives outside of school, their weekends, their families, and projects they are doing and more. In his nomination of Sanders, Principal Uhrig reiterated the codes that Marci exemplifies, starting with Principle I being commitment to the student. She knows each child, their needs and what makes them tick, wrote Uhrig. I have seen Marci working to plan for her students on the weekends, in the evenings and on vacation days and this is because she devotes her time to the students during the day. She meets her students for weekly lunch dates and the children love building this relationship with her. When it comes to commitment to the community,Thomson Primary School Principal, Uhrig noted of Sanders, Marci is a member of our school leadership team and is there helping to make the hard decisions to move the school forward. She is an academic leader in our school and has been integral in helping bring best practice back through training. She is also a member of our schools Positive Behavior Intervention System Committee, a team that helps direct the positive behaviors taught to our students and modeled by our staff.

From Page 4
As for commitment to the profession, Uhrig cited Sanders as another prime example, writing, She holds herself to a high level of professionalism. Every day she walks in the school, greets everyone with a big smile and hello. It is quiet strength that touches every person she meets, reassuring them that everything is going to be alright, no better said GREAT!. In her nomination, Traci Rudel also praised her sons second grade teacher, saying, Where do I even start, she is the most loving, caring, understanding teacher I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, but most of all she is amazing. She knows what it takes to get her students to learn but most importantly she makes them believe they can.

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Chacon
who didnt have a club that fit them well and she knew from a lot of her former students they didnt feel accepted. She strongly encourages anyone to join. The Latino Leadership Club is open to anyone, she proudly stated. They put on dances, do community servicethey read to Thomson Students and help serve at Eben Ezer. Chacon also is in charge of the International Travel Club where students raise money all year to take a trip to Europe and tour amazing places, including Spain and France. The students on the trip not only learn about culture but more importantly, they experience it as well. Along with these clubs you can find Chacon volunteering to supervise activities. According to Kim Pabst, Maria is an exemplary employee at Brush High School. Maria is always willing to go the extra mile to give assistance with any project or activity at the school. This year as well, she has taken on the responsibility of selling Beetdigger apparel at many of the athletic events. Over the past four years, the students have grown very close to Mrs. Chacon. Her positive attitude and genuine care for her students encourages them to learn. Dylan Ferguson mentioned, She is friendly to everyone and very fun to be around. She is not just a teacher - she is their friend too. She is always asking her students how they are, cheering for them at games, or attending events other clubs are putting on. Maria Chacon gives endless hours

From Page 1
to BHS and her students and is very grateful for her years of teaching as she gets to share her culture with her students every day. Teaching is her passion.

Dick
Beyond the classroom, students learn from Dorothy too, reiterated Uhrig in her nomination form. She is a student council advisor and she manages the Brush Municipal Pool. Dorothy spends much of her free time, when not with husband Ron, who works at Crop Production Services or with their children Cassidy (10) and Brody (7), helping the local City of Brush Recreation Department during events and by managing the pool. She has also served as a coach for various sports through the years, including coaching the fourth grade

From Page 2
girls traveling basketball squad and enjoys softball, watching her kids sporting events and gardening as hobbies. Inside the classroom and out, Uhrig concluded in her nomination, Dorothy exemplifies a work ethic that both students and fellow teachers desire to emulate. Im very, very honored, responded Dorothy when told she had received the 2013 Crystal Apple Award for BMS. I think there are a lot who deserve this award and I am extremely honored its very humbling.

Petterson
time on school committees, serving on both the Calendar committee and the Sunshine (a social) committee and even spent time in previous years with efforts to cross-reference standards to curriculum. She is an exceptionally pleasant person, noted this 2013 Beaver Valley Crystal Apple winners nominators, She goes out of her way to greet everyone she meets with a smile, is fair-minded and patient.

From Page 3
She exemplifies what teachers should strive to be and Brush is very lucky to have Marcia, they finished. For Petterson, the honor is humbling. There are so many more deserving people, she said with humility, and because teachers dont usually like the limelight, we dont often take time to recognize each other, but I am honored and humbled by the award.

CRYSTAL APPLE BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

2004 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Jeanette Dehning Beaver Valley - Gary Bloemker Brush Middle School - Amy Ely Brush High School - Laura Krob District Employee - Dave Madsen Classified Employee - Toby Padilla Community Choice - Kendra Anderson - Principal of Thomson Primary

2008 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Sheila Bostrom Beaver Valley Elementary - Crystal Rigel Brush Middle School - Monica Garcia Brush High School - Doree Thilmony District Employee - Virginia Foley Classified Employee - Cindy Perez Community Choice - Theresa Schaffer - Beaver Valley Elementary Fourth Grade Teacher

2005 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Bev Bever Beaver Valley - Karl Magnuson Brush Middle School - Joy Friehauf Brush High School - John Schaffer District Employee - Corina Sepulveda Classified Employee - Karen Leis Community Choice - Bret Miles - Brush Re-2(J) Superintendent

2009 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Tracey Singley Beaver Valley Elementary - Julie Toft Brush Middle School- Pauline Artery Brush High School - Danielle Odle District Employee - Ed Gagen Classified Employee - Penny Harbert Community Choice - The Late Jeff Mickey- Former Beaver Valley Elementary Teacher

2006 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Anne Budde Beaver Valley Elementary - Rob Sanders Brush Middle School - Dave Uhrig Brush High School - Curt Miller District Employee - Barry Quinlin Classified Employee - Diane Wheeler Community Choice - Becky Loften - Brush High School English Teacher

2010-11 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Shawn Loos Beaver Valley Elementary - Janie Churchwell Brush Middle School- Brooke Guccione Brush High School - Jennifer Taylor District Employee - Bruce Fyfe Classified Employee - Laura McConnell Community Choice - Jean Taylor - Brush Middle School Special Education Teacher

2007 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Kristi Dillehay Beaver Valley Elementary - Jean Taylor Brush Middle School - Connie Dreitz Brush High School - Barbara Bolinger District Employee - Hilary Hansen Classified Employee- Connie Heady Community Choice - John McDonald- Brush Middle School Music Instructor

2011-12 Crystal Apples

Thomson Primary - Mandy Brown Beaver Valley - Ann Bloemker Brush Middle School - Audra Unrein Brush High School - Jen Gudahl District Employee - Joe Mattorano Classified Employee - Esther Andersen Community Choice - Rose Reitz - District RE-J2 Bus Driver

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE CRYSTAL APPLE

Congratulates the 2012-13 Crystal Apple Award Winners!

CRYSTAL APPLE BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

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"Our mission is to be the premier school district in Colorado, ensuring that each student has solid roots and agile wings to attain any dream."
Mission statement of Brush School District Re-2(J)

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