The Top Banana

  Top Banana: Angie Martin     Angie Martin is our next Top Banana.     What sets the stage for our success on this campus each day is the attitude we bring with us—and an outstanding attitude has been a common characteristic among our Top Bananas.     Angie is another excellent example--she comes to work each day with an unflappable disposition of warmth and kindness and a wonderful sense of humor, no matter what challenges the day brings (if you catch her at the right moment, you may even find her dancing in the hallway).   Angie’s ongoing commitment to doing what’s best for her students, her colleagues, and the school, while remaining positive and resilient, is what helps drive our success. Thank you, Angie, for your exemplary work ethic and for making a critical difference in the Gaines program.  

  Top Banana: Sarah Horne-Rone     Sarah Horne-Rone is our next Top Banana.     As we all know, it’s been a tough year.   From dealing with COVID- 19 to being short-handed for several months, we have faced some significant challenges.   No matter how tired or frustrated we have been at times, however, we have always been able to count on Sarah to brighten our day with her cheerful, kind, and warm spirit, which can be contagious if you spend any time with her.   She has been such a blessing to our morale, and she of course does a wonderful job working with our students, with the same compassionate heart.   Thank you, Sarah, for continuing to brighten our campus each day.

  Top Banana: Matt Potak     Matt Potak is our next Top Banana.     This recognition is a little late in coming.   Matt Potak’s move to Pedro Menendez High School as their new head football coach is a tremendous gain for the Falcons.   He has a heart for children and a mind for football that will no doubt drive him to great success as he begins to transform the PMHS program (just go easy on the Jackets).   Unfortunately, this wonderful opportunity for Matt has come at a significant cost to Transition—our Mayor is irreplaceable, and the campus simply will not be the same without him.   Coach, we are so very proud of you, and we miss you already.   Your unwavering commitment to Transition was an example to all of us as you helped make our school a better place for our children.   Thank you, Matt, for your dedication to leading children forward.   Go Falcons!  

  Top Banana: Julie Conoscenti     Julie Conoscenti is our next Top Banana.   What on Earth would we do without Julie?!   With the wide variety of things she does every day to make our campus functional, she is irreplaceable.   From student arrival duties to managing the back office, to reports and assisting with PCM, to Blessings in a Backpack and managing our food donations, to Transportation and parent phone calls, to helping support a classroom as a para—the list goes on and on, and grows.   And, she does it all with a smile, a song to start the day, and a genuine heart for our students and our employees.   Every school needs a “Julie,” and we cherish ours.   Thank you, Julie.   We are so very grateful for the difference that you make every day.    

  Top Banana: Marie Santoriello     Marie Santoriello is our next Top Banana.   We have the only school cafeteria in the district that is staffed by only one person—and Marie does an outstanding job of running it all on her own.   From preparing breakfast and lunch to operating the register, to managing student accounts, to conducting inventory, to cleaning up, and everything else in between, she is the model of efficiency.   She does everything with a smile and a kind word, and she is always ready to help with a staff eating event, often volunteering to stay late to help with clean-up.   Her commitment to our students and us is exceptional, and her kindness is an essential part of our day.   Thank you, Marie.   We are so very grateful for you.    

  Top Banana: Amy Ceaser     Amy Ceaser is our next Top Banana.   We have needed a school counselor for the Gaines program for a long time.   So, when we received approval to hire one last spring, we were determined to find the right fit for our campus.   Amy has been just the person we were seeking.   She wasted no time in learning the program, the people, and the culture—and how she can best support our students and foster their success.   Although she especially enjoys coordinating state assessments, she excels at developing relationships with students while pushing them forward. This is National School Counseling Week , when we take time to acknowledge the invaluable role our counselors play in helping students to learn and grow.   Amy exemplifies all that we celebrate about our counselors during this week of appreciation.   Thank you, Amy.   We are grateful for the difference that you make.   ...

  Top Banana: Nancy Seyler     Nancy Seyler is our next Top Banana.   As we prepared for the challenges of opening the school in August, we were finally granted a nurse for our campus, and we are immensely grateful that Nancy agreed to take the job.   She has excelled at quickly establishing an efficient clinic and a supportive and caring presence, and her expertise has been essential to us as we manage today’s additional health concerns.   We have known that we have needed a nurse for years, but we didn’t realize just how much we needed one until Nancy arrived.   Our school feels whole now that she is here, caring for our children (and us).   I know that Mr. Diaz in particular is especially grateful for her support. Thank you, Nancy.   We don’t know what we would do without you!    

  Top Banana: Ervin Brown     Ervin Brown is our next Top Banana.   Ervin has been an invaluable addition to our team, daily helping us in a variety of ways, often on short notice.   Whether it has been managing buses, providing additional support in a classroom, or covering a class for a teacher for an extended period, he has done an outstanding job and with a can-do attitude that is so essential for our campus.   His remarkable versatility, work ethic, and relationship skills have quickly endeared him to the faculty and staff.   On any given day, Ervin is making a critical difference in our meeting student and staff needs—despite the handicap of being a Kentucky Wildcat.     Thank you, Ervin.   We appreciate what you do each day to help us get the job done.    

  Top Banana: Carrie Williams     Carrie Williams is our next Top Banana.   We recently transitioned a student to an adult program, and Carrie played a critical role in her success.   She developed a rapport with her after she arrived on our campus and continually coached her through each school day.   This process demanded model patience and determination from Carrie, who never failed to meet the challenge.   She has become an invaluable member of the Transition team as she demonstrates a tremendous heart for our children and her colleagues.   Her commitment to the success of our program is exceptional.   Thank you, Carrie.   We appreciate the kindness and compassion that you bring to our school each day.    

  Top Banana: Hannah Jensen     Hannah Jensen is our next Top Banana.   If I am feeling fatigued by the demands of the job, I can always visit Hannah’s room and feel rejuvenated by her infectious energy and positivity.   She has been managing our most challenging classroom this year, usually without enough paraprofessionals on hand.   She is rarely absent and never fails to exhibit a remarkable determination to embrace whatever the day presents.   Every day, she makes a critical difference in ensuring that we are meeting the needs of our most fragile and volatile students.   In short, Hannah is a model of grit—a quality that our profession has especially demanded of us during this school year.   Thank you, Hannah.   We are deeply grateful for your invaluable service to your students and colleagues.    

  Top Banana: Eric Bokowski     Eric Bokowski is our next Top Banana.   Recently, Eric volunteered to help me manage one of our most challenging students after school, when we were unable to locate his parent to pick him up.   He had already worked with this student all day, and his parent did not arrive at the campus until after 5:00 PM.   The student was agitated over the delay and kept us busy throughout our wait—yet Eric maintained a positive attitude, remained vigilant, and even kept his sharp, dry sense of humor.   He was not only essential to our getting through this; he was an excellent partner to have.   Thank you, Eric.   I could not have handled this situation without you.

  Top Banana: Ruby Mobley     Ruby Mobley is our next Top Banana.   Patient.   Warm.   Kind.   Compassionate.   Thoughtful.   These are the words that come to mind when I think of Ruby and how she works with some of our most fragile students and supports her colleagues.   Each day, she models the characteristics that are so critical to the work that we do—and I have never heard her complain, which would certainly be understandable, given the demands of her job.   Although we may be tempted to take her for granted because of her quiet determination, we would certainly feel her absence.   Thank you, Ruby.   We appreciate the difference that you make.    

Top Banana: Stephanie Green     Stephanie Green is our first Top Banana.   Although Stephanie is a fan of the South Carolina Gamecocks, she has otherwise distinguished herself as an outstanding member of our team.  We were once again impressed to see her in action on the playground on Monday.  She faced yet another impossible situation and solved it with the same determination that she demonstrates in the woods when hunting deer.  If there is one thing I've learned, it has been not to mess with Stephanie--no matter how much I think I know about the rules of the wilderness (and NASCAR).  She will just wait you out, and then . . . BOOM. Thank you, Stephanie.  You help make this a better place for all of us.