Written by Leah Campano |
Photo courtesy of Allison Friday

On Thursday, May 29th, the Board of Education held the annual staff reception in the Morgan cafeteria. The reception serves as a way to honor district staff members for their hard work. The reception is also a time to say farewell to those retiring at the close of the school year. A number of noteworthy awards are given out to recognize a handful of teachers and staff members from Joel, Pierson, Eliot, and Morgan.

One award given out each year is the Classified Employee of the Year Award. The award was first awarded in 1989 to recognize an outstanding classified employee from the school district staff. The requirements to be nominated for the award include a staff member who has worked in the Clinton Public School system for at least three years, exudes a constant positive attitude, demonstrates good social skills with fellow colleagues, and shows cooperation and flexibility. The staff member also shows consistent dedication to the students of Clinton far beyond the job description.

Past recipients include Mrs. Karcich from the main office, Mrs. Brochu from the guidance office, and Mrs. Gill, whom many remember from the Eliot main office. This year, the recipient of the 2014 Classified Employee of the Year Award was Mrs. Sharon Leon. Students agree that Mrs. Leon is very deserving of the award. Junior Kelly Thompson said: “Mrs. Leon is very helpful, and I know that I can always go to her if I have any questions, and she’ll have the answer.”