With a surprise addition to an all-school assembly and a special interruption of a staff meeting, Platte County School District announced its Teacher and Service Person of the Year in May. This year's Teacher of the Year is Danille Collins, Special Education Teacher at Compass Elementary; and Service Person of the Year is Candi Rawlings, Student Services Specialist at Northland Career Center. Fellow staff members nominate their peers for consideration in both the Northland Chamber of Commerce's Excellence in Education honors, as well as the District's staff recognition program; then nomination forms are completed and finalists are interviewed.
From their nominations:
Danille Collins, Teacher of the Year
"Danille embodies grace and empathy and truly believes that all children can learn. Her kind and soft voice are the sound of reason and what a positive learning environment requires. Her attention to her students and making a great experience for them looks effortless because it comes from a true place of caring. Danielle also leads the team of vital people who encompass the school experience for each child. The team is
always in sync and their North Star is always student success."
"We are so grateful to have Danille as our daughter's teacher. She is a vital part of our family. She pushes our daughter to be her best self. Danille is also a master at managing me! I have a lot to deal with as a parent of a student - mountains of worry and a lot of things impacting my child’s well-being. I trust Danielle implicitly with all the details of our daughter's learning and progress, and for Danille, we are so grateful."
Candi Rawlings, Service Person of the Year
"What truly makes Candi stand out among the rest is her spirit, and vibrance for the work that she does in Student Services. Candi has the opportunity to work very closely with students taking exams, or needing extra assistance with assignments, so she gets to know our students on a very personal level. Candi is the kind of person that goes to watch student sporting events, or attends band concerts on the weekends because she knows how much it means to her students. Candi’s unwavering concern for students is like nothing I have ever seen. She is so genuine, and celebrates with students during their highest highs, and coaches them back up through their lowest lows. Candi has the ability to make bonds with kids that allow her to have difficult conversations with students, while still coaching them up and making them feel confident...all in the same conversation!"
"I tell her all the time that, 'When I grow up, I want to be just like Candi Rawlings!' She always laughs it off, and it has become a running joke, but I could not be more serious. I aspire to be more like Candi Rawlings each day because of her heart to help kids, and selfless aura that surrounds her."