Connie Otto, Marion Mays, Kurtis Gale and Nina Whitcomb-Cantrell, Finn Hill Jr. High
Kudos to Connie Otto, Marion Mays, Kurtis Gale and Nina Whitcomb-Cantrell, Lake Washington School District’s “Staff Stars” for January 2012.
Connie Otto, Marion Mays, Kurtis Gale and Nina Whitcomb-Cantrell comprise the Special Education department at Finn Hill Junior High. Each is compassionate yet firm and holds students to high standards.
Connie has taught as a Special Education instructor for nearly 30 years at Finn Hill. She has a degree in English, a Masters in Special Education and her administrative credential. Before joining the staff at Finn Hill, Connie taught at a mental health hospital in Kansas City. What she enjoys most about her job are the families she works with and the climate of the staff. Here is how one of her colleagues describes her: “In working with struggling students, Connie holds them all accountable for working up to their capability and potential – never settling for less than a student’s best efforts.” She strongly believes in the district’s vision of “Every Student Future Ready” and has a poster in her classroom that reads, “The object of teaching a child is to enable the child to get along without the teacher.”
Marion has worked at Finn Hill since 2002 after working at a treatment facility with emotionally high needs patients. Marion likes Finn Hill because it’s a small school that provides a family environment where she gets to know not only the students in her class, but other students as well. This small family environment also allows for problem-solving with other teachers. In addition to interacting with the students and teachers, she enjoys watching how the students grow over three years as they transition to high school.
Kurtis is a product of the Lake Washington School District. He was a student at Finn Hill He enjoyed the culture so much, he decided to work there! He attended Seattle Pacific University, where he graduated in 2009 with a degree in Education. He student taught at nearby Woodinville High School. Kurtis says Finn Hill is like a family and is a fun environment in which to work. His favorite part of his job is working one on one with the students to allow them to reach their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals.
Nina has been at Finn Hill for the past seven years and is described as a “goddess of an instructional aide.” What she enjoys most about working at Finn Hill is the close staff and the kids. Nina’s goal is to help students be successful. Here is how one of Nina’s colleagues describes what she does. “Talk about going beyond what is expected. Nina works with all the children and they all LOVE her! They know she expects them to do 110% but with a smile and friendly words. She has to be told to go home when her shift is over.”
It is clear that these Staff Stars work well as a team and also enjoy working with their students, helping them to develop the skills that they need to be successful. The work that they do each day makes a difference in the lives of their students, and they truly leave their mark.