Lanham is selected as Support Staff Professional of the Year

High school principal Dr. Joe Dobrinic and assistant principal Mr. Gene Grimshaw give school nurse Ms. Heidi Lanham flowers on Tuesday, Feb. 27, after she was announced the High School Support Staff Professional of the Year winner.

High school nurse Ms. Heidi Lanham was selected as the Support Staff Professional of the Year. The award presentation was on Tuesday, Feb. 27, when Ms. Amy Schwendemann was also recognized for being named the High School Teacher of the Year.

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Lanham has been working as a nurse at the high school for 14 years, but has been working in the district for 18 years. She was very surprised and happy that she was selected, but yet embarrassed for all the pictures.

“It’s an honor, it truly is,” she said. “But [the pictures] make me nervous.”

Lanham and Ms. Valerie Guetschow, her partner in the nurse’s office, work together as a team, but only Lanham was nominated, mentioning that Valerie is “more background and I’m more frontman.”

Any student, staff member or parent/guardian can nominate a teacher and/or support staff employee for recognition. After nominations were made, building-level honorees will be selected by ballots customized to each building and voting on by the staff.

There were three support staff nominated: Ms. Heidi Lanham, iLearn teacher Mr. Travis Harder, and custodian Ms. Shirley Newman.

The building-level honorees, Lanham and Schwendemann, now become semifinalists for the district-level honor. From this pool of honorees, three finalists will be chosen for both district Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year, with the district honorees being announced at District Appreciation Night.