At the August 16 staff convocation meeting, Chagrin Falls Schools surprised two staff members with one of the highest awards given by the District. Justin Wise, a first-grade teacher turned virtual kindergarten teacher last year and Shawn Carlson, head custodian of Gurney Elementary School were named the Teacher and Staff Member of the Year. Principal Rachel Jones presented both of these employees with the award.
Excerpts from Justin Wise’s nomination read… “Mr. Wise volunteered to teach kindergarten virtually for the entire school year. This was a feat – not exaggerating! First, Mr. Wise is a long-time first-grade teacher who was switching to teach kindergarten for one year because he needed an additional kindergarten teacher and one less first-grade teacher. He had to learn all of the kindergarten curriculum, adjust to teaching kindergartners and then figure out how to teach them virtually. These were five-year-olds who had/have never been inside Gurney Elementary School at all. They didn’t know how to navigate and use a Chromebook, organize their materials -they didn’t know how to read! Some were shy and some were overbearing. They all had some adult support at home which meant that Mr. Wise was doing all of this in front of parents, grandparents and sitters. He was in an unbelievably stressful situation. And in that situation, he taught his students to use the Chromebook, to participate in a zoom, to participate in break out rooms, to use school materials at home, to show their work on camera, to make friends and connections with others, to add, to subtract, to read and to write and more. Mr. Wise stepped up and showed incredible enthusiasm and care for these children all year long. He built rapport with students he had never met in person. When I told these parents that Mr. Wise would be teaching first grade next year, I was flooded with these parents requesting that their child loop with him because they had built such a strong relationship with him – through the computer. He spent one-on-one time with students when they needed it. He grouped students to share stories from their weekends and make friends. He praised them and used their work as models in lessons. Mr. Wise. He truly saved kindergarten for over 20 Gurney Elementary School students last school year.”
“Mr. Wise did an AMAZING job teaching our virtual Kindergartners this year. I am in awe at how engaging he is over a Chromebook. He truly made a connection with all the children in a year in which I didn’t think it would be possible, especially with our youngest learners. Personally, my daughter learned and grew so much, purely based on the instruction of Mr. Wise. Her first year of school ended up being a complete success! He is truly an exemplary teacher!”
Excerpts from Shawn Carlson’s nominations read…
“Mr. Carlson is so much more than the Gurney head custodian that it’s difficult to describe. Shawn is a critical pillar to the success of our school every day. The students and parents know him well because he’s personable, approachable and eager to know them and help them. He helps people even without being asked – just from overhearing someone talking about a need or quietly observing someone struggling with something in their room/office – they show up the next day to find an item fixed for them, an item built for them or an item replaced for them. He is always looking for how he can make life better for everyone at Gurney Elementary School.”
“There is no problem that Shawn Carlson cannot handle. During a very challenging year filled with uncertainty, he was always there ready to help and problem solve. He is really good at anticipating when people need his help. Shawn could be seen checking in and helping with car arrivals. He never hesitates to take care of something right away – whether it’s a water spill in the hall, a mess in the bathroom, or something heavy that needs to be moved. He could be found everyday at lunch to make sure we had the cleaning supplies needed, but also to help. He worked side by side with us to clean and disinfect for the next group. Even down to the final days of the school year, Shawn was out helping with various tasks to make Tiger Trek/Field Day a success. Perhaps the best part about him is that he does all this with a sense of calmness, confidence, a smile and good conversation.”
“Shawn never lets us down! He is quick to respond to requests and does so with such an amazing attitude. He helps, builds, assembles, takes things down, fixes everything, hauls heavy furniture, repairs whatever in your room needs a tune-up, and is obviously an incredibly hard-worker. The kids enjoy him and often ask to write thank yous to Mr. Carlson for his help! At the elementary level, he is understanding of young students’ mishaps and often helps students fix their messes – like mopping up spills and wiping handprints off walls of budding artists! This nomination is well-deserved!”
