An annual employee celebration on May 14 will honor certain distinguishable members of the MTSD faculty and staff.  This includes employees in the district who have reached a “Years of Service” benchmark, who have retired or are retiring during the 2018-2019 school year, and who have won the Outstanding Educators Award or Charleen Perry Award.  

The event will take place at Shully’s in Thiensville.

“This recognition event is an opportunity to greet and express appreciation to those who have served the Mequon-Thiensville School District with distinction, have set the standard for high-quality teaching and learning, and helped champion what we do,” Sandy Tews, Human Capital Administrative Assistant of the district, said in an email to staff regarding the celebration.

Among the honorees is Sarah Rossman, Homestead Spanish teacher, and Kristin Hannah, Middle School Literacy Specialist, who both won the Outstanding Educators Award.  

“Receiving the MTSD Outstanding Educator Award is an incredible honor.  I admire the staff of MTSD very much and am humbled to have been recognized by our district as an educator that plays a positive role in the education and lives of HHS students,” Rossman said.  

The Charleen Perry Award, which recognizes “outstanding contributions of an Educational Support Personnel member,” has been awarded to Angie Wilson, paraprofessional at Donges Bay Elementary School.

The “benchmark years of service” include 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years.  There are 25 staff members being recognized for this achievement, including Molly Navarre, freshman counselor, who has reached the “Years of Service” benchmark of 15 years.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years at Homestead.  When you work with people you love, in a place that you love, doing something that you love, it doesn’t feel like work. I’m proud to work at Homestead and anticipate working here for another 15 years at least,” Navarre said.

The celebration will also honor this year’s retirees, who have provided the district with many years of service.  Among the retirees are Donald Eifler, custodian, Joseph Ordinans, math teacher, Paul Sivanich, physics teacher, and Robert Wells, English teacher.

“My past eight years teaching and coaching (cross country) at Homestead have been some of the most gratifying and happiest years of my life… I am excited for the next chapter of my life but at the same time will miss Homestead and especially my students who have always meant so much to me,” Sivanich said.  

After 27 years of service to the Mequon-Thiensville School District, Scott Nettesheim, computer science teacher, recently passed away, and there will be a moment to commemorate him.

This celebration is a time to recognize and appreciate all of the hard work and commitment of the MTSD staff over the years.