Story by Cary Griffin; Photos by Judy Griffin, Forney Messenger

In celebration of a school year that Forney school board president David Walker called at one point the most successful he’s seen, Forney ISD honored its employees with numerous awards and recognitions during the district’s annual year-end assembly Friday morning, June 5.

The assembly began at approximately 8:30 a. m. in the Performing Arts Center at Forney High School. As school district employees and guests filed into the auditorium, Forney High School’s percussion unit provided exciting accompaniment. After everyone was seated, Larry Coker, Forney ISD’s Director of Communications, gave a general welcome and introduced school board members and other attending special guests.

Forney High School’s Air Force ROTC, under the direction of Jeff Willey, presented and posted the colors and led the audience in the pledges of allegiance to the U. S. and Texas flags.

Recently-seated school trustee Charles Treadway, an ordained minister at First Baptist Church of Forney, gave the invocation.

The opening speakers were Forney High School’s 2009 Salutatorian, Steven Skywka, and FHS’ 2009 Valedictorian, Kasey Morrison. Each of the two top graduates of the FHS Class of 2009 offered short remarks thanking teachers and other school district personnel for the contributions each made to their lives. In a humor-filled speech lasting about three minutes, Steven Slywka thanked the teachers he had known in elementary, middle and high school for what they had done for him and his classmates, describing the teachers at Forney High School as students’ “last chance” to get prepared for the real world. In a similar vein, Kasey Morrison pointed out that the members of the Class of 2009 are the products of Forney educators’ work. After mentioning some of the duties and challenges educators face, Kasey thanked Forney’s educators for putting up with students—including her classmates— year in and year out.

In an interlude separating the opening from the rest of the program, the Forney High School Choir, under the direction of FISD Director of Choirs Melissa McElhannon, performed the song I Believe I Can Fly.

Forney school board president David Walker continued the program with brief remarks in which he stated early on that he has been on the school board for 11 years and that school year 2008-2009 was the most successful school year he’s seen during that time. Among the year’s accomplishments, Walker said, were one of the smoothest starts of any school year to date, and the roll-out of laptops to replace most standard textbooks at Forney Middle School. He also pointed to the success of many of FISD’s athletic programs this year. The district sent the varsity football team to the playoffs for the first time since FISD entered 4-A; sent the varsity boys’ soccer team to the playoffs for the first time ever; and sent the varsity softball team to the playoffs this year and members of both the boys’ and girls’ track team to the State Track Meet in Austin for the second consecutive year.

The presentation of awards began immediately after David Walker spoke. Award presentations follow below:
SERVICE AWARDS:
(Presented by Donna Sweaney, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resourcesand Administrative Services)
5 Years of Service:
Meredith Absher, Don Archer, Brandy Armstrong, Kathey Bailey, Lisa Bailey, Robin Barela, Tracy Black, Patrice Boatright, Virginia Bobo, Valerie Brooks, Lesley Buntin, Cheryl Caldwell, Leslie Camp, Carol Caraway, Danielle Chaney, Danna Chaney, Elizabeth Chapman, Camille Chen, Stan Chen, Sherry Clemens, Calley Conner, Shavetta Dabney, Debbie Davis, Don Davis, Lola Davis, Susan Derrick, Torrie Deville, Cecilia Dilworth, Tysha Dollgener, Linda Dubois, Patricia Duncan; Susan England, Dudley Farmer, Scott Fisher, Filicia Foster, Rick Geer, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Nicole Guidry, Sharri Harris, Martha Hartwell, Sara Hastings, Donna Hatcher, Elizabeth Hershberger, Jill Huber, Rhonda Hubert; ?Ginger Hudson, Jeff Hutcheson, Kyle Hyder, Kendra Jackson, William Jackson, Sandy Jones, Teri Jones, Stephen Kunkel, Raye Etta Latham; Pam Losawyer, Sabrina Lovell, Minh Luong, Joshua Luttrall, Krista MacKay, Tommie Mankins, Mary Marks, Connie J. Martens, Penelope A. Mattson, Dennis McClelland-Sherman, Scott McKnight;Shannon Osborn, Jennifer Ozuna, Diana Parmer, Randa Paschall, Kristen Pearson, Susan Ponder, Marissa Ramirez, Christi Richards, Jennifer Ramsey, Merribess Skidmore, Nancy Sorrells, Walter Stewart, Faye Swearingen, Glenda Sweat, Deann Thompson, Mendi Thompson, Sandy Thompson, April Thurman, Melisa Townsend, Ludmila Villarreal, Linda Wafford, Jennifer Welch, Cheryl Wilcox, and Kelly Wiley.

10 Years of Service:
Robin Brogdon, John Dunker, Theresa Hale, Tamyla Hasbrouck, Loretta Jenkins, Brandy Laule, Barbara Melillo, Neil Melillo, Valerie Orr, Boidy Posey, Jeff Pruitt, LaVonda Roberts, Doris Shelley, DeAnn Smith, Theresa Smith, Dee Dee Vaughn, Trudy Watson, and Shirley Weatherford

15 Years of Service:
Tony Jackson, Holly Rush, Terri Simmons, and Kent Smith

20 Years of Service:
Jennifer Acker, Janet Jackson, and Mickey Vavra

25 Years of Service:
Linda Jacobs

30 Years of Service:
Christine Crow

Next, FISD Assistant Superintendent of Accountability and Learning Linda Jacobs recognized four employees who are retiring at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. They are:
Terrie Mullaine, Johnson Elementary—Retiring after 30 years in education, 2 years with Forney ISD
Charletta Densmore, Lewis Elementary—Retiring after 32 years in education, 3 years with Forney ISD
Jeanne Cotten, Claybon Elementary—Retiring after 29 years in education, 3 years with Forney ISD
Donna Sweaney, Administration—Retiring after 29 years in education, 17 years with Forney ISD
KELLY SERVICES AWARDS: (Presented by Diane Forlidas) FISD and State Substitute Teacherof the Year – Fall Semester: Rod Cushing, 4th grade
FISD and State Substitute Teacher of the Year – Spring Semester: Kathy Cunningham
FISD EMPLOYEE of the YEAR AWARDS: (Presented by Dr. Darrell Brown, Forney ISD Superintendent of Schools)
Food Services Worker of the Year:Sandra Brogdon,Lewis Elementary
Bus Driver of the Year: Ed Thomas
Support Staff of the Year: Gloria Sanders, Brown Middle School
Elementary Paraprofessional of the Year: Michelle Schoening, Johnson Elementary
Secondary Paraprofessional of the Year: Cassandra Turner, DAEP
District Paraprofessional of the Year:Kathy Kimbrough, Emily Purdue
Educator of the Year: Susan Nelson
(This award is presented to a non-teaching school district employee who has done an outstanding job of helping the district further the students’ education and development.)
Campus Administratoof the Year: Michelle Baird, Lewis Elementary; Dana Curry, Criswell Elementary
District Administrator of the Year: Mike Lamb
Elementary Teachers of the Year:
Jenny Emsoff – Blackburn
Amanda Emsoff – Claybon
Stacy Leigh – Criswell
Robin Foster – Crosby
Sherry Clemens – Henderson
Amber Belobraydic – Johnson
Melanie Acker – Lewis
Joanna Hood – Rhea
Erin Moore – Smith
Region 10 Elementary Teacher of the Year: Joanna Hood, Rhea Elementary
Secondary Teachers of the Year: Laura Washburn- Brown Middle School; Rachel Bowen- Warren Middle School; Connie Martens- Forney High School
Region 10 Secondary Teacher of the Year: Connie Martens
Forney High School 2009 Distinguished Service Award:
Donna Sweaney, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Administrative Services

The 2008-2009 year-end employee awards assembly program ended with a few closing remarks by Dr. Brown, followed by a student-produced video featuring most of the employees of the district. The video contained a few humorous clips and showed employees waving as if to say farewell for the summer.

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This story and any accompanying photo(s) were originally published in the Forney Messenger and are Copyright © 2009, Forney Messenger, Inc. and have been used by permission. The Forney Messenger is the publisher of Kaufman County’s oldest newspaper and may be found online at www.ForneyMessengerInc.com

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