October Employee of the Month

        Congratulations to Mrs. Montee!

Mandy Montee, one of our fabulous Kindergarten teachers, was selected by her co-workers as Thaxton Elementary School’s Employee of the Month in
October.  Mrs. Montee shows great compassion when working with children.  She is dedicated to Thaxton, as is demonstrated through her willingness to help us with all things.  We can always count on Mrs. Montee to handle change with grace.  Mrs. Montee is an extremely valuable part of our Thaxton family and we wish her all the best in the future.  We are so proud to have this special lady as our Employee of the Month!

September Employees of the Month

Congratulations to Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Houston, and Mrs. Jones!

Three of our very special employees were chosen by their co-workers as Thaxton Elementary School’s Employees of the Month in September.  Mrs. Stevens is recognized for her patience, understanding, and compassion.  She cares greatly for all of our students.  Mrs. Houston is noted for her technology skills, helpfulness, and commitment.  She assists everyone in need around the building.  Mrs. Jones is well respected for her flexibility, dedication, and resourcefulness.  She is a wonderful new addition to our faculty.  All of these ladies make Thaxton a great place to learn.
 We are so proud to have these wonderful ladies as our Employees of the Month!

************************2010-2011 Employees of the Month*************************

March Employee of the Month
Mrs. McIver

         Christy McIver, one of our fantastic paraprofessionals, was chosen by the faculty as Thaxton Elementary School Employee of the Month for March.  Christy is well known for her out-going personality and kindness to all.  She is always upbeat and ready to accept any challenge.  Christy works tirelessly to help our students succeed and fulfills multiple roles in the school, often simultaneously.  Thank you, Mrs. McIver, for helping us all function better and for being an invaluable member of our Thaxton family! We are so proud to have this amazing lady as our March Employee of the Month!
 

December Employees of the Month
Ms. Houston, Waicul, Ports (not pictured)

Congratulations to Karol Houston, Nikki Waicul, M.S. Ports (not pictured),!

         Three of our magnificent employees were selected by their co-workers as Thaxton Elementary School Employees of the Month for December.  Karol Houston, our amazing Paraprofessional, was recognized for her helpfulness and grace in unusual situations.  Karol is so appreciated for taking the initiative to get things accomplished.  Mrs. Ports, our superb Second/Third Grade Combination Teacher was nominated for her patience and tactfulness. She has an astounding ability to work well with diverse students and parents.  Nikki Waicul, our excellent Music Teacher, was complimented for her pleasantness to others.  Her hard work and dedication to programming greatly enrich our children.  Thank you ladies for helping to make Thaxton a great place!
           We are so proud to have these extraordinary ladies as our Employees of the Month!

November Employee of the Month
Ms. Wall

Cheryl Wall, our fabulous paraprofessional, was selected as Thaxton Elementary School’s Employee of the Month in November.  Mrs. Wall is recognized for her cheerful attitude and her willingness to do any and every task.  She shows a genuine interest in students and gets along well with them.  Mrs. Wall is always volunteering her time and goes above and beyond what is required in her efforts to do more for our students.   She recently began operating our RTI lab in the mornings and afternoons to give our children extra opportunities for success.  Mrs. Wall is truly an invaluable part of our Thaxton family.   We are so proud to have this fantastic lady as our Employee of the Month!
 

October Employee of the Month
Mrs. Nichols
            

Jean Nichols, our wonderful Secretary, was chosen by her co-workers as Thaxton Elementary School’s Employee of the Month in October.  Mrs. Nichols is always in a cheerful mood and has a very positive attitude.  She has a thorough knowledge of school policy and operations and is dedicated to the staff as is demonstrated through her willingness to help us with all things.  Mrs. Nichols shows kindness to everyone.  She is friendly, hardworking, and dependable.  The question the entire staff frequently asks is, “What would we do without her?”   The answer is simple-- She can never leave us!
We are so proud to have this special lady as our Employee of the Month!

September Employees of the Month
Mrs. Logwood, Mrs. Callahan, Mrs. Kennedy

Three of our very special employees were chosen by their co-workers as Thaxton Elementary School’s Employees of the Month in September.  Mrs. Logwood is recognized for her friendliness, cooperativeness, and caring.  She takes great care of our students and faculty in the cafeteria.  Mrs. Callahan is noted for her kindness, patience, and dedication.  She always wears a smile to go along with a great attitude as she assists everyone in need around the building.  Mrs. Kennedy is well respected for her optimism, kindness, and performance under pressure.  She always goes that extra mile to make Thaxton a great place to learn.  We are so proud to have these wonderful ladies as our Employees of the Month!

************************2009-2010 Employees of the Month*************************
 

April/May Employee of the Month
Mrs. CaDe Callahan

        Mrs. Callahan is recognized for her pro-active approach in structuring an educational environment for students. She is very smart and respectful, and has a wonderful way of talking to children. She is extremely patient and is complimented for her ability to remain calm under stressful circumstances. In addition to working so well with students, teachers appreciate that she is such a pleasant co-worker. Her laugh is contagious and we all love her along with her beautiful mannerisms. She is a hard worker who always keeps the best interest of students in mind in all that she does. Mrs. Callahan is a fabulous Educational Aide and colleague. Thaxton Elementary School is thrilled to name Mrs. KaDe Callahan as our April Employee of the Month!

March Employee of the Month
Mrs. Susan Blanding

Congratulations to Mrs. Susan Blanding!
      Mrs. Blanding is recognized for her courtesy and professionalism as she works diligently to help our children reach their full potential.  She brings much
joy to the lives of the students and faculty with whom she works.  Mrs. Blanding is very knowledgeable and helpful to staff and is willing to assist in any situation. 
She goes above and beyond what is required to make sure our students are successful on their Benchmark Testing.  Mrs. Blanding shows great compassion
and is always working for the children. She is an outstanding Guidance Counselor and colleague!  Thaxton Elementary School is delighted to name Susan Blanding as our Employee of the Month!

January/ February Employee of the Month
Mrs. Kathy Barton

Congratulations to Mrs. Barton!  Mrs. Barton is recognized for the hard work and dedication to the children she teaches. She has so much compassion for others and spends a lot of time listening to students. Mrs. Barton loves her job and continually works to enhance her skills. She does an excellent job using research-based strategies to teach math. Mrs. Barton displays outstanding skills, competence, promptness, organization, and responsibility. She is an excellent communicator, as well. Thaxton Elementary School is proud to name Mrs. Barton as Employee of the Month!

November/December Employee of the Month
Miss Tracey Clark

        Congratulations to Miss Clark! Miss Clark is being recognized for her professionalism.  She is very knowledgeable, creative, prompt and organized.  Miss Clark is very easy to work with and is always willing to help others.  She thinks of creative ways to motivate students and incorporates valuable outside resources.  Miss Clark is a great asset to our school and we are so proud to have her as our Employee of the Month!  The students really enjoy Miss Clark's AR parties and Spring AR Challenge!

 
October Employee of the Month
Mrs. Jean Nichols

 Congratulations to Mrs. Jean Nichols!
       Mrs. Nichols constantly shows faithful attention to detail and works great under the often intense pressure of the school office. She is kind to all and always has a great attitude. Mrs. Nichols is wonderfully patient and goes above and beyond the call of duty to be extra helpful. Thaxton Elementary School staff and students are extremely grateful for her dedication and are so proud to have Jean Nichols as our Employee of the Month!
 

September Employee of the Month
Mrs. Cheryl Wall
 

        Mrs. Wall is recognized for getting along so well with staff and students. She is always ready to work and she takes care of much of the VGLA information for our school. Mrs. Wall never complains and is always willing to go the extra mile to help our students succeed. She always does more than is required and, due to her efforts, Thaxton Elementary is a great place to learn. We are so proud to have Mrs. Wall as our September Employee of the Month!

************************2008-2009 Employees of the Month*************************
 

April Employee of the Month
Miss Tracey Clark

     Who is responsible for those wonderful AR parties and special AR trips here at Thaxton? Miss Clark! The students really enjoy those super incentives for reading! It is easy to see that Miss Clark puts in a tremendous effort in organizing her many reading rewards. Teachers also appreciate Miss Clark’s help with research, online assignments, and use of reference material SOLs for all grades. She is a great help during testing and SOL review, as well.
     It is very easy to see how dedicated Miss Clark is in doing her best for the teachers and students. One always sees a smile on Miss Clark’s face; she is kind to all.
     This is Miss Clark’s sixth year at Thaxton. She loves sharing with the children the fact that reading books can take them to many interesting places. So, of course, Miss Clark loves to read and travel and then share those experiences with her students! In her spare time, she enjoys volleyball, softball, and all water sports.  

March Employee of the Month
Mrs. Mary Beth Kennedy

     What makes Mrs. Kennedy such an excellent teacher?  She is very structured and organized in planning and carrying out her lessons. It is easy to see that she loves her students by the ways that she shows them compassion and always puts them first. Her peers appreciate that she is always on time and takes her job to heart.  Parents appreciate how loving and patient she is with their children.
     Mrs. Kennedy has taught here at TES for six years, three in 1^st grade, and the last three in Kindergarten. She thinks that Kindergarteners are the best and that there is no better place to be than at Thaxton Elementary!
     Outside of school, Mrs. Kennedy enjoys reading, shopping, painting pottery, and spending time with her “sweet hubby and loveable dog Chloe”.

   February Employee of the Month
Mrs. Lisa Stage

     Mrs. Stage is really enjoying her first year as Thaxton’s School Nurse. She does a wonderful job communicating with everyone and shows professionalism in all aspects of her job. She also works really well with the students and shows caring understanding of the whole person as well as health in general. She thinks of all the children as if they are her own. Mrs. Stage’s bubbly personality and good organization skills make her a successful and loved School Nurse.
     Mrs. Stage has two children here at Thaxton, Ashley in K and Jacob in 2^nd grade. Many of us know her husband as “The Picture Guy”—he works for Lifetouch.  Mrs. Stage loves the outdoors: hiking, swimming, and snow sports.  She also enjoys scrapbooking and being with family and friends.

January Employee of the Month
Mrs. Betty Ruff

       Mrs. Betty Ruff

    This picture is a perfect representation of Mrs. Ruff’s sunshiny personality. She always has a positive attitude, is always pleasant, and is always willing to help any way she can. Not only is she a hard worker, she is an excellent role model to all. Everyone could agree that she is also good with the children!
      Mrs. Ruff has been married for 38 years. Her husband is a preacher of a small church on the top of Taylors Mountain. She has 3 sons and 4 grandsons. She loves playing with her grandkids. Mrs. Ruff has been at Thaxton Elementary for 31 years and “loves working with all the wonderful people here.” She says with much conviction, “We have the best little school—the children are great!”

November Employee of the Month
Mr. Mike O'Brien

     It is quite easy to see why the children love Mr. O’Brien. He is super friendly and caring, and he respects differences in each student. He is excellent with the children because of his positive attitude, great sense of humor, and calm demeanor. The teachers also appreciate that he is hard working, well-organized, flexible, and accommodating. He can wear many hats! He is also fun to work with because of his great personality.
     Mr. O’Brien has been teaching for 19 years. He is married and has three children. He enjoys playing and coaching sports such as basketball, softball, and baseball.

October Employee of the Month
Ms. CaDe Callahan

     Mrs. Callahan’s soft-spoken, gentle demeanor and great patience have endeared her to her students. She is dedicated to giving her best and she shows kindness to all. She works well not only with the children, but also with the teachers and staff. Everyone appreciates her for her great, positive attitude.
     The teachers with whom she works believe that she provides a wonderful environment for the Kindergarteners. Ms. Callahan also works hard to help and support those teachers in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
    Ms. Callahan loves her job and thinks of herself as an encourager. She believes strongly that she is only as good as those who work around her. In her spare time, Ms. Callahan enjoys spending time with family. She is her church’s music director.

September Employee of the Month
Mrs. Cathy Logwood

Mrs. Logwood is our Cafeteria Manager and does a great job leading her cafeteria team in feeding the masses. She is very friendly and always in a good mood! Her peers believe that she has great communication skills and that she is good with children. The students are happy to see her every day because she is so patient and helpful.

************************2007-2008 Employees of the Month*************************

April Employees of the Month
 
 Mr. Jim Linkenhoker

     The students who ride Mr. Linkenhoker's bus feel quite lucky to have him as their bus driver because they can tell that he LOVES children. He works well with students and adults and has such an outgoing personality. He is a great volunteer, giving a significant amount of time to making the whole school community great. Mr. Linkenhoker is also trustworthy and dependable. He is proud of what he does for the children and enjoys his work. To quote a few of his bus riders, what they love about Mr. Linkenhoker is that  "he is cool and funny! He gives out candy on Fridays and sometimes buys us food." 
     Mr. Linkenhoker served in the Air Force for 20 years and then retired. He really enjoys working on and riding his Buell motorcycle. His wife teaches 6th grade at Montvale Elementary.
      Thank-you for your dedication and enthusiasm, Mr. Linkenhoker! The children have a wonderful role model in you!

Mrs. Kim Larsen

     Mrs. Larsen's peers believe that she is smart, creative, and resourceful. She puts in a tremendous amount of time to the school community. She is also friendly, loving, easy-going, patient, and kind to everyone. Mrs. Larsen really enjoys collaborating with the teachers to create fun and engaging lessons for the children.
     Mrs. Larsen was born in Vietnam and came to America as part of the massive refugee exodus in 1975 right after the war. She was six years old and did not know a word of English. Her parents instilled in her an appreciation for education. She graduated from VA Tech with a degree in French and taught for Roanoke Co. for 12 years from 1994-2006. She then took time off to be home with her little ones, and to help with the family reptile breeding business, Larsens' Lizards. She loves to read (her favorites are Jane Austen, Dan Brown, Harry Potter, Little House, Anne of Green Gables). She also enjoys traveling  with her family, eating, cooking, clearance shopping (it's the frugal Vietnamese refugee in her), and watching movies and Dancing With the Stars.

       March Employee of the Month
Ms. Becky Brown