Crystal Apple 2011-12

8/2/2019 Crystal Apple 2011-12

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By Katie Collins

Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer

Thomson Primary SchoolNurse and LPN Mandy Brown

had known for quite sometime what she wanted to do

with her life.In fact, as early as age six,

Brown had written what shedescribes as a very small essay

on her future as a nurse.After 10 years of working in

the field of family practiceunder mentors Dr. Shaun

Thompson and his father Dr.

Pat Thompson at GenerationsHealth Care in Fort Morgan,Brown felt excited to make the

transition to school nursing.They were amazing men-

tors for me, Brown said of hermentors. After they closed the

practice there, I was actuallyexcited to get the position here

at Thomson.I felt like I had gotten a real-

ly strong foundation atGenerations, she continued,

and had the opportunity tosee people at all levels - from

infants to geriatrics, frombeginning of life to end of life

stages, and that was veryhumbling. I just knew that the

experiences I had there wouldcarry me over into this field,

help me be independent,assertive and would challenge

me in nursing.For her fellow co-workers,

that experience and willing-

ness to grow and learn andcontribute to the Thomsonteam has made Brown a wel-

come sight throughout thehalls and has earned Mandy

Brown the 2012 Crystal AppleAward for Thomson Primary

School.Mandy is a perfect example

of professionalism, notedThomson Primary School

Counselor Todd Jackson inhis nomination of Brown. She

is highly dedicated to the stu-dents, staff and parents. She

is very thorough in all that shedoes, builds great relation-

ships with everyone she meetsand is highly trusted.

For this Hoyt native whomoved to Brush with parents

Dan and Cheryl Becker just in

time to attend kindergarten,being a Class of 1994 BHSgraduate and earning her

nursing certificate at NJCwhile raising her first two chil-

dren had also earned Brownmuch life experience.

I played volleyball my firstyear at NJC, said Brown, who

loves staying active in her

spare time when she can findsome. I had earned the

Williams Scholarship whilethere which allowed me to also

take classes at MCC while Iraised my kids.

For Brown, building rela-

tionships is one of the perks ofthe job and one that she high-

ly values.In this field, what I really

enjoy is making connectionswith families, Brown said. I

feel I can be a resource in

many different areas of thehealthcare field. I can help

them get connected to thingsoutside the school that may

help families with health as

Mandy Brown...Thomson Primary School

Strong foundation aids in connecting with students, families

2011-12 Crystal AppleRecognizing Excellence In Education in the Brush School District...

Children are the world's most valuable resource and it's best hope for the future." John F. Kennedy

Katie Collinsr/News-Tribune

Thomson Primary School Nurse Mandy Brown helps student Ayvin Palser get ready for herdental exam on Wednesday, April 11 during the Big Smiles dentistry clinic held at the

school that day.

See Brown page 12


2/12

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE CRYSTAL APPLE2

By Katie Collins


Inspecting buses, straight-

ening bumpers, adjustingbrakes and changing tires

may be the majority of atransportation department

mechanics job description,but when it comes to molding

the minds of Brush students,Joe Mattorano offers so much

more.Besides dedicating much of

his time to the Brush TaeKwon Do Club that hes

directed since 1989,Mattorano has volunteered

numerous hours to makingsure young students in Brush

get a head start in readingthrough the Summer Reading

Program.For his thoughtfulness,

passion and can-do attitude,Mattorano has been awarded

the 2012 Crystal Apple Awardfor District Staff in Brush.

Joe has been an outstand-ing volunteer for the students

in our district, notedTransportation Director

Bruce Fyfe in his nomination

of Mattorano. He gives twonights a week teaching TaeKwon Do and doesnt charge

the students or their familiesfor the training.

Joe was also a key organiz-er for last summers Summer

Reading Camp for Thomsonstudents, Fyfe continued.

He spent countless hourshelping build the craft proj-

ect, lining up instructors andthen being at the camp for

three days. Joe is the person-ification of roll up your

sleeves and do something tohelp these kids.

For nearly three years now,Mattorano has graced the dis-

trict garage with his earnestattitude, but prior to that he

had enjoyed a 37-year career

as a clerk with Safeway.The Trinidad native began

his days with Safeway in

Boulder where he worked for15 years before moving to

Morgan County to work at theFort Morgan store. After retir-

ing from Safeway, Mattoranowent on to work for the Delta

Oil tank company where heworked as a mechanic for a

year on vac trucks, but hispassion for all things

mechanical actually began ata much younger age.

I always wanted to be amechanic, said Mattorano.

Its just something Ive

always loved to do. When Iwas a kid my uncle owned aservice station in Trinidad

and I worked for him in thesummers and after school.

At the age of 17 in 1975,Mattorano married his first

and only love, wife Bonnieand with four children in the

household, continuing hiseducation and training in col-

lege became a struggle.I kind of put that on hold

while my kids grew up forfinancial reasons, noted

Mattorano. There wasnt awhole lot of room for school-

ing so I tried to do a lot ofcourses through the mail

while raising four children.But when I got offered the job

here it was like a dream come

true.It was a day like any other

when the inspiration to take a

more hands-on approachwith individual students he

was meeting through his timeas a mechanic took hold.

As Mattorano explained, hewas driving the bus one day

when he asked a middleschool student to help him

read directions. When he sawthe students hard-fought

Joe Mattorano...District Transportation

District mechanic rolls up his sleeves to get things done

Katie Collins/News-Tribune

District Transportation Mechanic Joe Mattorano rolls up his sleeves to inspect and changethe air brakes on one of the Brush School District buses at the district garage.

See Mattorano page 10


3/12

By Katie Collins


Just as her mother and

grandmother both enjoyedthe fruits of their teaching

professions, so too doesBeaver Valley Title

I/Intervention Teacher AnnBloemker.

This third generationinstructor brings not only

the talents of her family genepool to her third through

fifth grade students, but alsonearly 40 years of teaching

experience to the schoolwhere she and husband

Gary, a fifth grade teacher,both work to better the lives

of each student they see.For her experience, enthu-

siasm and passion for edu-cation, Ann has been select-

ed by her peers to receive the

2012 Crystal Apple Awardfor Beaver Valley ElementarySchool.

As an Intervention teacher,Bloemker handles two class-

es each of third, fourth andfifth grade students who are

struggling in reading andmath. Bloemker, in effect,

intervenes into the minds ofthose students who need a

little extra help in keeping

up with or catching up to

their peers with their studies

in those subject areas.Ann accurately assessesthe strengths of her own stu-

dents and uses thosestrengths to help each indi-

vidual student reach theirfullest potential, noted

District Office receptionistHilary Hansen in her nomi-

nation of Bloemker. Annindividualizes as much as

possible to take each stu-dent from where they are to

get them where they need tobe in reading, she contin-

ued.She is a great team mem-

ber, willing to change andgrow with the changing staff,

administration and curricu-lum. Ann is an excellent role

model for her students aswell as other staff members.

I think the best thingabout teaching reading is

watching children get excit-ed about a book, said

Bloemker. They get reallyinvolved with it and want to

take it home. And I also lovewatching them go out of the

room with the book becausethey dont want to put it

down, she continued. Nowthat is an 'aha' moment for

me.The enthusiasm she has

for her students and theireducation resonates through

the halls of Beaver Valleyand has, by no means, gone

unnoticed. Even her fellowstaff members throughout

the district have seen the

results of Bloemkers zeal.Ann is such a positive,

caring, compassionate per-son, said Hansen. She

cares deeply for her stu-dents. She has a great rap-

port with not only her stu-dents but with their parents

as well.

For Bloemker, her careerin teaching obviously began

with the family spark thatignited in her a mission.

Growing up in WesternKansas, Bloemker felt there

werent a lot of choices when

Ann Bloemker...Beaver Valley Elementary School

Third generation teacher brings encouragement

CRYSTAL APPLE BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 3

See Bloemker page 7


Beaver Valley Intervention Teacher Ann Bloemker reads with some of her third grade stu-

dents during their intervention class.


4/12

By Katie Collins


A true test for a schoolcounselor is whether or not

students feel comfortablecoming in to speak to her,

wrote Brush Middle School(BMS) Principal Sherry Kyle.

Audra has a wonderfulworking relationship with

our students who not only

feel comfortable, but alsosafe and secure in speaking

with her. In fact, many stu-dents seek her out and

request to speak to her on aregular basis, continued

Kyle.

Nominated as an excep-tional counselor, educator

and even as a pillar of sup-

port for the school, BMSCounselor Audra Unreins

devotion and dedication toher students and fellow staff

have earned her the 2012Crystal Apple Award for the

Brush Middle School.As a Fort Morgan native

and FMHS graduate, Unreinbegan her college years in

pursuit of a career in correc-tions. After earning her

Associates degree at NJC,

Unrein transferred to MetroState in Denver where sheearned a Bachelor of Science

in Criminal Justice.I didnt always want to be

a counselor, she explained.Growing up I knew I wanted

to be in corrections from thevery start and when I got my

Criminal Justice degree Ifound that it was only kind

of what I was looking for.Unrein later took a posi-

tion as a child protectionworker at Fort Morgans

Department of HumanServices where her constant

work with families led her topursue a field where she

could work more with chil-dren.

As husband Chad Unrein

had already found his nicheas a Fort Morgan Middle

School PE and Health

teacher, as well as theMustangs varsity high

school basketball team headcoach, Audra began to think

of entering the world ofteaching too and earned her

Masters Degree inEducation Counseling from

Adams State College inAlamosa before finding her

own niche as a counselor atBMS.

I love being a counselor

because I love interactingwith the kids, noted Unrein.My days are never the same

and there is always some-thing different going on.

Also, this is a hard age and Ioften feel Im in crisis mode,

but then I realize that thatsokay, this is middle school,

she said with a smile.According to Unreins

nominator, Sherry Kyle, thecounselor is always very

positive and never fails tooffer her help and support to

students and staff alike. Nomatter the situation, Audra

is always the voice of reasonand understanding. She is

very knowledgeable andthorough as it relates to her

job responsibilities, and she

Audra Unrein...Brush Middle School

BMS quiet warrier provides student, staff support



Brush Middle School Counselor Audra Unrein introduces a college recruiting representa-tive from NJC to BMS students during a College Days presentation organized by Unrein and

hosted at BMS on Monday, April 9.

See Unrein page 9


5/12

By Katie Collins


She may have started outseeking a career in nursing

but Brush High SchoolPhysical Education teacher

Jen Gudahls decision to

pursue her love of sportsand teaching has made a

giant impact on the lives ofmany BHS students, not to

mention on the staff andschool itself.

Not only is Gudahl a PE

and Health teacher, but

takes on a variety of roles atBHS including as a CPR

instructor, weight trainingcoach, assistant track

coach, junior class sponsor,prom organizational guru

and dancing instructor

extraordinaire.

Through her 10 years of

teaching at BHS, Gudahlhas had the pleasure of

watching students growfrom freshman to senior year

and transform into adult-hood.

For her above-and-beyondattitude, her spirit and

adaptability, Jen Gudahlhas been named the 2012

Crystal Apple Award recipi-ent for Brush High School.

You dont get into teach-

ing for the money or for theglory, so to speak, shenoted. Its kind of like

coaching where the philoso-phy is that when the team is

doing bad then the coachtakes responsibility, but

when the team is good all therecognition should go to the

kids.Soon after, Gudahl made

sure to mention that 90 outof 105 students in her CPR

class received their certifica-tion in CPR/First Aid/AED.

The Yankton, SouthDakota, native admits she

began her college career as anursing major, but when she

ended up missing the cut forthe program by just two

spots, her instincts kicked in

and her love of all things

athletic took her career to

new heights.Ive always loved sports

and teaching, Gudahl remi-nisced, and I had always

gone with my college coach-es to help run camps and

such so going into physicaleducation wasnt a big tran-

sition.After graduating from her

hometown high school inYankton, Gudahl went on to

attend Mount Marty College,

a private Catholic College inYankton where her grand-mother and mother also

attended. The third genera-tion Mount Marty Lancer

found a veritable playgroundat the NAIA (National

Association of IntercollegiateAthletics) Division II School

which offered Gudahl theopportunity to play three

sports including volleyball,basketball and golf.

While there, she alsoearned a triple major degree

in health recreation andbusiness and went on to

receive her teaching degreethere with a bachelors

degree in physical educationand health.

Jen Gudahl...Brush High School

PE teacher goes the extra mile for students, staff



Brush High School Crystal Apple Award Winner Jen Gudahl takes time to instruct herstudents in the art of dancing before the 2012 prom.

See Gudahl page 8

6


6/12


By Katie Collins

Brush News-Tribune Staff

Writer

Although teaching wasnt her

first career choice, the past fouryears that Esther Andersen has

spent at Beaver Valley as aparaprofessional has reignited

a passion in her for the field ofeducation.

That passion has becomeinfectious to staff and students

alike at the school and hasearned her the 2012 Crystal

Apple Award for Classified Staffin Brush.

Esther has shown that she

truly likes what she does hereat Beaver Valley, said Beaver

Valley secretary TheresaGuzman in her nomination of

Andersen. Esther has a smilefor everyone.

As with many of the 2012teacher nominees, Andersen

was surprised to find out she

had won the Crystal Applehonor and immediately

thought of all the other teach-

ers who put in so much extraeffort every day.

For me to get the award is a

total surprise, Andersen said.So many teachers here go

above and beyond, beforeschool, after school, and do

whatever it takes to make itclick for that kid." However, for

Andersen, a career with theBrush School District was a

timely transition.I worked 21 years for Dr. Fox

who was the optometrist inBrush until he passed away

from cancer, she explained.Working for someone for that

long, even after a new personwho is great comes on board,

makes for dramatic changesand I left the optometric busi-

ness.

Andersen went on to work atBrushs Sunset Manor in book-keeping and HR for 10 years

where the nature of her workfound her at a career-cross-

roads.It was a tough place to work

in a roundabout way becauseyou do get so attached to the

people and it broke my heart. Iresigned and thought, gosh,

what am I going to do.One thing Andersen knew at

this juncture in her life wasthat helping children had

always made her happy.

Although her two children,Robert and Kendra had grown

by then, Andersen looked back

fondly on her time helpingthem out with homework andhad always enjoyed volunteer-

ing at their schools when workwould allow. With this in mind,

Andersen tried her hand atbeing a substitute teacher.

One of the employees here atBeaver Valley fell and broke her

leg four years ago and I endedup subbing for a long time, for

three months in fact, whichreally got my feet wet in the

Special Education area of thisbuilding," she said.

When another employee atthe school moved away with

her family, Andersen wasasked if she would like to apply

for the paraprofessional posi-tion.

I applied, interviewed,

andhere I am, she said withglee. It has worked out so wellfor me and there is such a great

rapport between all of us here.Its a great team with everyone

working together and thatswhy I stay. She continued, Its

not just the kids, its the staff.For Andersen, that welcome

feeling was also offered duringher time substituting at

Thomson as well, where shenotes that, As a sub you some-

times feel you dont know what

Esther Andersen...Classified Staff

Newly found love of teaching brings smiles to Beaver Valley


Beaver Valley Paraprofessional Esther Andersen devotes much of her time outside of work

to the Blue Horizons' Special Olympics students. Here she gets racer Iris Gonzalez off thestarting line in quick fashion during a Special Olympics track and field practice at BeaverValley.

See Andersen page 11

CRYSTAL APPLE BRUSH NEWS TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY MAY 2 2012 7


7/12


it came to womens careers then, butknew that she had always loved

working with children. And so, asBloemker herself relayed, I became

the teacher and my sister became

the nurse.After graduating from high school

at Wallace County High in Sharon

Springs, Kansas, Bloemkers par-ents moved to Fort Morgan and she

entered the University of NorthernColorado in Greeley where she

obtained her B.A. in ElementaryEducation in 1972.

Her teaching career began soonafter, in the small town of Genoa,

Colorado, where she taught thirdand fourth grade for two years before

the school there was closed.After marrying husband Gary, the

two made the move to Stonehamand Ann began teaching at the

Prairie School in New Raymer. She

taught third and fourth grade therefor six years before moving to Brush

in 1980 where she first served as athird grade teacher.

I took a number of years off to

raise my kids, said Bloemker. Andthen I taught one year of Head Startat the Brush United Methodist

Church and did a bit of subbing atboth the preschool and for the dis-

trict until I became the Title Iteacher here at Beaver Valley.

For 15 years now Bloemker hasengaged students through her

Intervention position at BeaverValley and for her, the best part is

that there is never a dull moment.Every day is a new adventure,

noted Bloemker. And any day isnever the same. That is one thing

thats really good about my job.In her classroom, Bloemker reiter-

ates mottos such as, Never settle for

less than your best and her favorite,Believe in the beauty of your

dreams.I really do believe you need to

think positively and encourage kids

to do their best because they allcould and should succeed,Bloemker said.

Besides spending extra time afterschool helping students in need and

being active in Beaver Valley literacynight programs, Bloemker also

enjoys biding her time with some ofher favorite hobbies, which, of

course, includes reading, as well asphotography, gardening and travel-

ing.The Crystal Apple recipient also

has taught catechism classes forseveral years, including for the past

30 some years at St. Marys CatholicChurch in Brush where she enjoyed

teaching first and second graders.

My husband and I decided not toteach those classes this year

because our kids and grandkidsdont live around here anymore, but

it was always fun," she explained.

All three of the Bloemker childrengraduated from BHS, including old-est daughter Teresa who now resides

in Florida, daughter Michelle wholives in Wyoming and son David who

is now a fourth-generation teacheron Anns side of the family. He

teaches elementary computer class-es in Wyoming. Ann and Gary also

have three grandchildren and areoverjoyed to announce another

grandchild on the way.When asked how it felt to be hon-

ored with the Crystal Apple Award,Bloemker said with all humility,

Well, I feel very honored becausethere are many, many dedicated

teachers who are deserving of it.

BloemkerFrom Page 3

WEDNESDAY MAY 2 2012 BRUSH NEWS TRIBUNE CRYSTAL APPLE8


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I love being active, said Gudahl, and I lovegetting everyone else around me active, so it

seemed like the right path to take." Right path,indeed, as Gudahl continues to succeed in that

exact mission throughout the halls of BHS.

She went on to earn her Masters Degree inquality in schools from Graceland University inIowa before making the move to Brush in the

summer of 2002.For her former students and current co-work-

ers, Gudahls compassion and dedication hasmeshed well in Brush, as described by BHS

Business teacher Danielle Odle, who happens tobe a former student of Gudahls as well.

Jen is constantly dedicated to not only thelearning of her students but to their overall well-

being, Odle said in her nomination of Gudahl.Her classroom lessons incorporate state stan-

dards and life lessons. She holds studentsaccountable for their actions which will eventual-

ly mold them into responsible adults, continuedOdle. As a student, I respected her compassion

for her subject matter and students. She trulywants them to understand the importance of

physical wellness while being well-rounded indi-viduals.

For Gudahl, one of the best parts of teachinghas been watching students like Odle mature

from their beginnings as freshman.Watching the growth of the kids from freshman

to senior year is something I do enjoy, she said.You watch them change and become different

people because their attitudes, mindsets andgoals change. Its interesting to see what they end

up doing from where they started.Seeing her students succumb to those eureka

moments also inspires Gudahl to continue thegood fight.

The best part is when you see that light clickand the kids get it, she stated. You have good

days and bad days as a teacher, but the gooddays usually outweigh the bad.

When it comes to giving a little extra for theschool, Gudahl is usually the first in line to vol-

unteer as she takes on duties as an assistant

track coach after school, working with Coach Albowith the sprint and relay teams and working withtriple and long jumpers as well.

The award recipient also is the Junior Classsponsor which has her very busy during prom

season as she organizes and sets up the promitself. This year, Jen is also teaching dancing les-

sons to the students to give them something otherthan bumping and grinding to utilize at the

dance. Her students have been schooled in thearts of swing and salsa dancing to mention but a

few styles.Gudahl also recently took spring sports athletes

from BHS to the grounds of Eben Ezer LutheranCare Center in Brush to do some volunteer clean-

up work at the facility on Good Friday.Jen is an outstanding co-worker, Odle contin-

ued in her nomination. She is always willing togo the extra mile to help her co-workers in any

endeavor. he is committed to making Brush HighSchool keep its reputation as an outstanding

school with outstanding sporting events and isconstantly there to ensure all events are set up in

the gym and met CHSAA standards. She wantsstudents to be able to compete in a fair and safe

environment.I do take some time to help with sporting

events, admitted Gudahl, especially with a newadministration here, but Jason Strauch is getting

his feet wet fast and its a hard job to do, shecontinued. He has done such a good job with the

discipline aspect and I feel so comfortable sendingkids to him and knowing he can deal with any

problem.She went on, We are all supposed to be a team.

We are down 26 teachers from 39 when I first gothere, so we are bare bones and part of that means

helping each other out.With a large area of the school to attend to,

including three gyms, locker rooms, the weight

room and Beetdigger Stadium and track just toname a few, the PE teacher has had to learn to beadaptable to any situation, which has helped her

fellow faculty out tremendously.If I have a plan and something happens, then I

have to change it. Just like with the weather, shesaid. If I have something planned but the weath-

er doesnt cooperate, then I have to come up witha contingency plan and such is life.

When it comes to family, Gudahls Germanshort-haired pointer dog Dakota, who turns four-

years-old on April 18, takes most of her free time.We pheasant hunt together and walk and run

most every day, noted Gudahl, and he meets thekids when we are around the streets and at track

practice.Gudahl also enjoys spending time with her sis-

ter Julie and her family who lives in Windsor. Hertwo-year-old niece Lilly brings a sparkle to Jens

eye and she cant wait for the arrival of her sec-ond niece who was due on April 24.

When she does find time to visit her parentsback in Yankton, Gudahl makes sure to spend

time at her favorite water destinations.I come from water so when I go back home

thats what I get to see, like the Missouri River, sowe go swimming a lot in the summer, she said.

When told she had received the Crystal Applehonor, the always humble teacher was admitted-

ly surprised. I was shocked and then I was veryhumbled, she said. I was not prepared for it at

all. To be nominated by my colleagues is a won-derful thing, but I always think of the core teach-

ers who administer things like the TCAPs when Ithink of these awards.

GudahlFrom Page 5



9/12

keeps herself very organized.According to BMS English Teacher

Dorothy Dick, who also nominatedUnrein for the Crystal Apple honor, She

is the best school counselor I have ever

worked with during my teaching career.Audra will always go the extra mile for anystudent or co-worker and puts in endless

hours working to make the school betterfor everyone.

Dick also notes Unreins organizationand efficiency, most especially as they go

along with Unreins duty to create studentschedules at BMS.

I do all of the scheduling for studentshere, said Unrein. I enter classes into

the computer system, create classes androsters for the teachers and it can get

complicated, especially with studentswanting to change electives so often.

Unrein also oversees all of the testing atthe middle school, including the new

TCAP tests which, as Unrein describes, issimply CSAP tests only under a new

name as the old and new standards that

were just put out by the state have recent-ly been blended together to form TCAPtesting.

Unrein is also a part of several commit-tees with the school, sitting on both the

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventionsand Supports) and RtI (Response to

Intervention) committees, as well as beinga part of the leadership committee and an

Inter-Agency committee.Through her work with the Child

Protection Team, Audra gets togetherwith many other entities county-wide

through the Department of HumanServices where members go over intake

cases and referrals that have been accept-ed. Unrein has also implemented a Girls

Group at BMS to help foster girls self-esteem issues.

For Unrein, the reward she gets from

her day-to-day job is all about the kidsand its talking with students each daythat she loves most about her position.

They each bring a unique backgroundand story and it's fun to listen to and be a

part of, she said. My job basically entailssupporting those students in a variety of

ways - emotionally, academically andtheres even a career component which

we hope to grow here at BMS in thefuture.

Audra is always friendly and happy tohelp staff and students whenever they

need her, Dorothy Dick noted in hernomination form. Your day goes much

better when you see Audra smiling!For principal Kyle, Unrein was a sure fit

for the Crystal Apple nod for her commit-ment and dedication to her profession as

well as to her students. Audra would

never admit this, Kyle said in her nomi-nation of Unrein, but she is a quiet war-rior for kids and is always advocating for

what is best for our school.When shes not spending time with her

husband and two dogs, Unrein also hasanother quiet passion for animals. One of

her favorite hobbies, besides her job,being outside, going to the lake and bak-

ing new recipes, is donating to the FortMorgan Humane Society animal shelter

and the local thrift store. I love donatingthings like animal food to the shelters,

Unrein said. Besides my job, that is mypassion.

UnreinFrom Page 4

, , 9



10/12

struggle with simple instructions, itdawned on Mattorano that something

more needed to be done, and it shouldstart at the beginning.

So when co-workers Bruce Fyfe and

Ed Gagen began talking about howmany children were getting in troubleon the bus and began kicking around

the idea of expanding their volunteerreading time in kindergarten classes,

Mattorano was completely on board.Children are hands-on, said

Mattorano. And I realize that frommy time instructing martial arts, as

most of my students learn from ahands-on approach, whereas lectur-

ing them ended up with me talking tomyself.

The good men of the transportationdepartment began to think of more

ways to interact with children andtheir idea of having kids build tool

boxes while forcing students to readand follow the instructions ignited the

spark that became the SummerReading Program.

We thought, what child doesnt likerunning power tools, Mattorano said.

And what kid doesnt like buildingthings, so we began with tool boxes.

We started with a prototype anddrilled the pre-holes, cut the materials

and went to kindergarten. We gaveeach student a screw to put it togeth-

er and let them paint it.After that, he continued, Bruce

said that that was really cool andwhat can we do next, and I thought,

oh no, Ive created a monster!For Mattorano, the time hes spent

with teachers in Brush and his time

volunteering at the summer readingcamp has given him a huge respect

for all his fellow staff in the BrushSchool District.

Teachers are phenomenal, he

said. Nobody realizes the effort thatteachers put into that one class. Allmost people think of is that they get

their summers and spring breaks off,but those teachers are never off. They

go home and plan and prepare forhours for just one class and grade

papers, and then they spend all sum-mer volunteering.

We have a ton of those great teach-ers in our school district, he contin-

ued, and even our retired teachers goall out for these kids and stay

involved. I believe teachers are under-appreciated here. There is nothing in

our job description that says we haveto care, but we do.

According to Thomson PrimarySchool second grade teacher and fel-

low Tae Kwon Do member TraceySingley, Mattoranos dedication to

children can be seen not just in thedistrict, but in the community.

In addition to making sure that ourbuses run, being on call in case there

is a problem and driving the bus onoccasion, Joe is the owner and opera-

tor of Brush Tae Kwon Do, saidSingley in her nomination of Joe. It is

through this organization that I firstcame into contact with Joe and both

of my daughters have also been par-ticipating in his martial arts classes

for a number of years. He treats thestudents with respect and truly cares

about them as individuals. During the

last year he has begun teaching TaeKwon Do to the kids in our communi-

ty for free and says he wants all thekids to have the opportunity to partic-

ipate regardless of money.

Mattorano first opened up a studiofor the study on Clayton Street, thenmoved to the Old Fire Hall in Brush

before the city decided to renovate thebuilding for office space.

I was going to quit instructingwhen we moved the club from Clayton

Street because I had been doing it fornearly 16 years at that time,

Mattorano said. But then I thoughtwait, Ive got 25 to 30 kids that have

been here diligently and I couldntturn my back on them. A month or

two before we had to move out of theFire Hall, I spoke with Tracey Singley

who wanted to start up a martial artsprogram at Thomson, he continued.

With the help of the City of Brushwho picked up the cost of insurance

and the Thomson school who decidednot to charge us for being there, I was

able to teach children without havingto put the burden on their parents to

pay fees, which makes it so much eas-ier. Its just like with the reading

camp, without the help of all the vol-unteers we have, those things and the

tae kwon do club, just wouldnt hap-pen.

For fellow co-workers such asSingley, Mattoranos presence as a

volunteer has been a godsend and asshe so purely states in her nomina-

tion, Needless to say, I was thrilledwhen Joe joined our district because

my family knew his Crystal Apple

caliber personality would serve ourstudents well. He has indeed touched

the lives of many of our students.When asked his thoughts on receiv-

ing the Crystal Apple Award,

Mattorano noted, Its an honor. Mykids are going nuts and my son tellsme that you dont just get handed

these awards, you have to earn them.But Im not big on awards, said

Mattorano. I dont do it for the recog-nition. My belief is that if I can get

through to just one child that is onemore child that wont go on the wrong

side of the fence. If I can reach onechild and keep them out of harms way

and keep them from doing the wrongthing and teach them to be smart,

then weve all succeeded in what weneed to do.

With a house full of children andgrandchildren living in Snyder with

him, Mattorano has certainly beenwell-trained in the art of handling

youngsters. With wife Bonnie, Joe hasbrought up four children including a

son, Wayne and three daughters,Diana, Jennifer and Lisa.

The couples five grandchildren alllive close to the Mattoranos and most

have even enjoyed taking tae kwon doclasses with their grandpa.

My granddaughter Kaylee had got-ten all the way up to a red/black belt

when she decided to pursue othersports in school, said Mattorano,

and my grandson Zach is involved inthe instructor program with tae kwon

do. My granddaughter Chloe juststarted back and she is a yellow belt

and just loves it.

S , 2, 20 2 US S U C S

MattoranoFrom Page 2



11/12

youre doing exactly or where you are togo, but everybody in each school is

always helpful and it was a great expe-rience, no matter where I bounced to.

Andersen has more than enjoyed thefruits of her new found success with

the Brush School District and for her,the everyday changes and challenges

are what keeps her coming back.I stayed in the optometric business

for so long because there was alwayssomething new and different, she

relayed. You always had to learn newways and, of course, the materials

always change, and its the same hereat the school, she continued. It never

stays the same. Your kids dont stay thesame, your material doesnt stay the

same and at times you have to askyourself, Am I smarter than a fifth

grader? Theres always a challengehere and thats why I love it.

From working one-on-one with stu-

dents in the Special Education depart-ment, to taking up group responsibili-

ties on top of her usual lunchroom,playground and circle duties, Andersen

simply notes that she goes wherevershes needed but her enthusiasm has

become contagious.Her care and concern for the stu-

dents goes above and beyond her jobdescription, noted Guzman. I am

around when she is doing her dutiesand I have seen her concern for the stu-

dents. Esther is always willing to helpwhen someone is in need of extra.

Extra help is exactly what Andersenprovides through her volunteer work

with the Blue Horizons SpecialOlympics program. As a coach and

mentor, Andersen has becomeattached to the cause and to her stu-

dents.Even if I was ever to leave the school,

I would continue helping with Special

Olympics because it is so much fun tosee those students come out of their

shell and want to participate,Andersen said. Its not easy for them to

do things like that. Some are attachedvery tightly to their set routines and

these activities can prove out of thenorm. However, the prospect of going to

practice can even help them work hard-er in school in order to participate.

Along with some of her hobbies suchas quilting, being outside and yard

work, Andersen also takes pride inhelping out the Prairie Biker Rally com-

mittee. Andersen is also infamous inher circle of friends and family for the

huge Fourth of July parties she throws.As my mother says, I love to give par-

ties, said Andersen. I have a CowboyBreakfast on the Fourth of July and the

party can last for days depending onwhich day of the week it falls on. Last

year we had 60 people gathered.

The Brush native and BHS graduatehas lived in the area throughout her life

and to Andersen, family comes first.She will enjoy her 40-year anniversary

with husband and City of Brushemployee Dwight Andersen this

August. Their son Robert works as amachinist in Aurora running a com-

puterized lathing machine and lovesmaking things from blueprints, accord-

ing to his proud mom. DaughterKendra Smith is currently a preschool

teacher in Brush at ThomsonElementary and along with husband

Michael, has given Esther and Dwightyet another reason to celebrate in their

first granddaughter, 15-month-oldBraelynn.

We are working on words together,Andersen said with a proud glow of her

granddaughter. Her mom is teachingher sign language and shes teaching

me, so Im learning with her.

AndersenFrom Page 6


12/12

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