Staff Spotlight Honorees: Giuliano & Prindle
Each month Lakewood City Schools selects two staff members to honor. These staff members are nominated by their peers for their outstanding work. This month's nominees are assistant custodian Tony Giuliano and Emerson Elementary kitchen manager Leanne Prindle. Congratulations to both!
TONY GIULIANO
Moving a file cabinet from one second story location to another, with no elevator, is not easy. Imagine moving 100 of those, fully loaded. That is what Lakewood Schools assistant custodian Tony Giuliano and his fellow moving crew members did over the course of 4-6 weeks to transition the Board of Education office on Warren Road over to the new Taft Center for Innovation. Add to the heavy file cabinets, moving hundreds of boxes, computers, furniture, and random miscellaneous items as well. It was a big job and Tony proved he was up to the task!
“Tony took complete ownership to make sure move went as smooth and complete as possible. He went over and above my expectations,” said Operations Assistant Manager Ed Deblock.
Tony’s nominators – most of his fellow moving crew members – not only praised his hard work and organization, but his positive attitude and sense of humor that made an exhausting, relentless job more enjoyable.
“Tony's crazy personality keeps his coworkers' mood up and makes tedious jobs fun,” says fellow utility custodian George Mihalek.
Tony joined the District in 2008 as a food handler and delivery driver. He became a jack of all trades when he moved into his current utility role, which includes delivering district mail. He loves the variety of the job where he never knows until he walks in the door each morning what his task will be for the day. He also loves working in the district where he went to school.
“I’ve gone from being a student to having keys to my former classroom,” Tony says. “I love how my life’s come full circle.”
LEANNE PRINDLE
When a group of Leanne Prindle’s Emerson Elementary colleagues submitted her name for Staff Spotlight, a common theme ran through the 11 nominations: kindness and caring. While this is only Leanne’s first year as the school’s kitchen manager, her impact already has been greatly felt on the school community.
Her colleagues say in a short time, Leanne has helped make the school cafeteria a welcoming and positive place for students. Always with a smile on her face, Leanne works to get to know each student and discovers what they like and dislike in order to better serve them at lunch or breakfast.
Leanne is always putting the students first, making sure they have what they need so that they can continue learning in the afternoon.
“She cares about their wellness and makes sure they are getting the healthy choices that are available even when it means extra work for her,” says school secretary Jenean Carlson.
When a student was unable to get a salad because the kitchen ran out, Leanne made a special trip to that student’s classroom to bring him fresh fruits and vegetables in order for him to get a healthy lunch. She now makes sure there are always extra salads on hand.
Her colleagues emphasize how Leanne always puts the children first and values her relationships with them. She even pops out to say hello and offer snacks to those students who don’t buy their lunch so that they feel included.
For her part, Leanne feels like what she does is nothing special, “I just do my job and love being around the kids.”
When a group of Leanne Prindle’s Emerson Elementary colleagues submitted her name for Staff Spotlight, a common theme ran through the 11 nominations: kindness and caring. While this is only Leanne’s first year as the school’s kitchen manager, her impact already has been greatly felt on the school community.
Her colleagues say in a short time, Leanne has helped make the school cafeteria a welcoming and positive place for students. Always with a smile on her face, Leanne works to get to know each student and discovers what they like and dislike in order to better serve them at lunch or breakfast.
Leanne is always putting the students first, making sure they have what they need so that they can continue learning in the afternoon.
“She cares about their wellness and makes sure they are getting the healthy choices that are available even when it means extra work for her,” says school secretary Jenean Carlson.
When a student was unable to get a salad because the kitchen ran out, Leanne made a special trip to that student’s classroom to bring him fresh fruits and vegetables in order for him to get a healthy lunch. She now makes sure there are always extra salads on hand.
Her colleagues emphasize how Leanne always puts the children first and values her relationships with them. She even pops out to say hello and offer snacks to those students who don’t buy their lunch so that they feel included.
For her part, Leanne feels like what she does is nothing special, “I just do my job and love being around the kids.”