Washington Local Schools

"Mr. John at Shoreland is always looking for fun to be had - with students or staff! In this picture, he can be seen playing Simon Says with all of our bussers at the end of each day. They absolutely love him and giggle at his goofy antics. We so appreciate Mr. John stepping in to help and reminding us that a day is never wasted that includes laughter." FUN should be a part of every day and Mr. John gets it!

STAFF SHOUT: "I never knew how to give a hug until I met Tracy Gladieux. She holds on tight and makes you feel that, for that moment, nothing else matters. That is true friendship and kindness. Students at Hiawatha line up to see Mrs. Gladieux in the morning to start their day. Tracy remembers so many names and makes every student that comes to see her feels special. It's a pleasure to call her a friend and colleague!" Those are some LUCKY students and staff to have someone so kind and connective in their daily lives!

STAFF SHOUT: "What doesn't Will Weaver do? He saves so many of us DAILY, just with technology alone. He has to patiently work with frazzled and stressed teachers, calming their days magically just by a few clicks. He rarely doesn't have an answer and if he doesn't at the moment, he'll find one. We are so incredibly grateful for him - day in and day out!" Our tech crew might be 'behind-the-scenes,' but their work is VERY front-and-center! We are so grateful for the work of Will and the tech team!

STAFF SHOUTOUT: "Chelsea DePompei is an incredible teacher, a wonderful coworker, and one of the most organized people you will ever meet. She is compassionate and caring, and builds fantastic connections with her students. Chelsea takes great pride in the organization of her classroom, and teaches these skills to her students. Chelsea has been teaching third grade at Hiawatha for 5 years, and I've been lucky to have been a classroom aide twice. She runs a very well-rounded classroom, and the students love her. Chelsea is smart, beautiful, caring, and a great teacher. She truly deserves a staff shoutout." What a gift Ms. D is to her students and to WLS!

PARENT TO STAFF SHOUTOUT: "We would like to shoutout Mr. David Lenz! Last year, he stood by Christian on the field as his track coach and this year transitioned to the role of his honors Geometry teacher. Mr. Lenz sees the potential in each of his students and isn't afraid to be honest with them. Today, at the Whitmer track meet, his presence was felt once again as he cheered on Christian and the team with unwavering enthusiasm. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a phenomenal teacher and coach! Thank you, Mr. Lenz, for all that you do. Your passion, guidance, and support mean the world to us!"

STAFF SHOUT: "I would like to give a huge shout out to Greenwood's kindergarten crew. First of course, to 3 amazing kindergarten teachers, Brittany Biegajski, Kelly Cook & Carrie Shackelford. Second to an amazing KIA team: Sarah Sommers, Destiny Hester & Nicole Sturdevant. And last but NEVER least, Alyssa Hawes (aide), Jayden Solomon (IT), Katrina Gregory(aide), Hassan Moore(aide), Jon Pickens(OT), & Bridget Coulter (Speech).We could NOT survive kindergarten without you all!" We have such great teams in WLS and this crew is surely one of them!

They give so much to so many. Thank you WLS Nurses!

The incredible dedication and passion of WLS teachers illuminate the path to success - infusing their classrooms with creativity, compassion & a commitment to nurturing lifelong learners. They truly believe that EVERY student matters and every moment counts! Thank you, teachers!

Thank you Toledo Country Club, for hosting our highest-achieving Panthers, Olivia and Stephen, who represented Panther Nation well and brought their most influential teacher with them. Congrats to Ms. Wetzel and Mr. Albright for being asked to join!

​STAFF SHOUT: "Just want to take a moment to say thank you to Superintendent Kadee Anstadt. Thank you for putting students first, making sure their voices are heard, offering staff seats at tables full of opportunities to make our district better, for listening, for being present and active, and for giving up so much of your time for all of us in this community. You are inspiring and you are so appreciated." We aren't sure where her energy comes from with all that she does, but WLS is certainly better for it! Thank you Dr. A!

STAFF SHOUT: "Emily Schifko (McGregor) is one of the hardest working teachers I have ever met. She is passionate about her job and works very hard to meet the needs of her students. She's funny, organized, and loves to make learning FUN for her kiddos. Emily is also a Rock-Star Building Rep! If you have a problem, she will find an answer! We love you, Em! Keep up the good work!" Sounds like this is one Stallion Superstar! Way to go, Emily

​STAFF SHOUT: "Minya Bell (KIA Shoreland) has stepped in to lead when needed. She guides with kindness &grace, but still reminds kids of classroom expectations. Super happy to have her on her staff!" Our KIAs are an incredible support and Minya is the perfect example!

Staff-to-Student Shoutout! "I want to recognize a student who helped me when I fell last week. While a lot of students stopped to ask if I was ok, I wasn't ready to stand up yet as my left foot was hurt. This young man, Cam Burton just came right over and offered his hand and helped me up. That meant so much to me. He even offered to walk with me to make sure I was okay. I know a lot of adults are hard on young people, but there is so much good every day in the students at Whitmer. Thanks again Cam!" WE COULD NOT BE PROUDER OF THIS PANTHER WHO SHOWED EMPATHY AND INTEGRITY TO OUR STAFF MEMBER!

​STAFF SHOUT: "Marisa Crespo is a strong leader, always going the extra mile to make sure student and staff needs are being met and heard. She takes time to come down to the classrooms and create a rapport with students and staff daily. She will be an awesome permanent addition to the McGregor family! We love you Ms. Crespo!" Ms. Crespo has been an influential, caring staff member from the day she arrived in WLS and we are all better because she is here!

PARENT to STAFF SHOUTOUT: "Last Friday, Michael forgot to bring his iPad home from school. Shortly after he arrived home, I called the school office and spoke with Kim Huey (Jefferson secretary) to explain what had happened. Kim acknowledged how much of an impact not having the iPad all weekend would have on Michael and his disability. Without any hesitation, she offered to bring it to us when she was finished with her day. Kim’s willingness to help is an excellent display of the autism acceptance that has occurred this year at Jefferson Junior High. The staff has worked together to create an inclusive and supportive environment for Michael to learn in. We have all learned from each other and this has made us the best team to support Michael. Seeing his progress has been remarkable. I wanted to share how appreciative I am and how random acts of kindness like that of Kim make such a difference." What a thoughtful gesture in going above and beyond for a student family!

Drop by the location on Central Avenue (near Costco) and support the Whitmer Culinary program! Use CODE TQHD4C6 online or show the flyer in the restaurant!

STAFF SHOUT: "I want to send a Staff to Staff Shout Out to bus driver Art Winzenried. Last week he drove for us on two separate trips to Ottawa National Wildlife Sanctuary. Art was our scheduled driver for our first trip, but for the second trip he got a call at 6 am saying that our scheduled driver had to cancel because they were sick. Art agreed to pick us up at 8 am with VERY short notice and take us out again. Without his willingness to drop everything to pick us up, we would probably have had to cancel the trip. On both trips he was a joy to have as our driver. His interactions with both staff and students were wonderful and he seemed to enjoy participating with us on our tour of Ottawa as well as the electrofishing demonstration by University of Toledo and the ODNR Division of Wildlife. We have a lot of really great bus drivers and I just really appreciate all of their hard work and dedication getting us to the places we need to go." WLS Bus Drivers set the tone for so many student adventures; they are truly the best!

What better way to show your Toledo Pride than investing in the future? Happy Toledo Day, WLS friends!

STAFF SHOUT: "Deb Knight (Shoreland) is kind & leads a wonderful kitchen squad. They work like a well-oiled machine, for all of our students. We appreciate the hard work they put in behind the scenes - thank you Deb & team!" Our nutrition services teams are the best around!

PARENT SHOUT: "I just want to shout out Shoreland Custodian Kyle; he saw Ms. Dedo was busy with testing but didn't want Vash to miss out on a birthday song. Kyle had the whole grade help him sing happy birthday to my Vash! From what I've seen over the years, he's amazing and loves those kids, he's always so kind! ❤️" What a kind gesture from our own Kyle, as well as from this parent, who took the time to recognize him!