Nevada honors Carson City Elementary teacher for national recognition
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 11/10/2020 - 9:45am
Mr. Victor Garcia-Mendez, an English Second Language paraprofessional at Mark Twain Elementary School in Carson City, was one of only two school employees nominated by Gov. Steve Sisolak to represent Nevada in the national selection process for the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award.
Each state was invited to nominate up to two outstanding employees for selection of a national honoree by the U.S. Department of Education.
Mr. Garcia-Mendez was nominated by Mrs. Christina Bourne as an outstanding member of the Mark Twain Elementary School community. He is currently one of four English Language Learning paraprofessionals and has a long list of accomplishments, including creating the iCan Initiative that focuses on supporting the parents and guardians of students learning English.
Mr. Garcia-Mendez also helps parents understand how to help their child succeed in school as well as supports them in becoming an integral part of the school community through connections with other stakeholders and resources, the nomination read.
“He is a light and a hope for those in the Latino community,” said Ruthlee Caloiaro, principal at Mark Twain Elementary. “He spreads a message that education can be a ticket for success.”
The RISE Award recognizes and promotes the commitment of excellence exhibited by classified school employees who provide exemplary service to students in pre-kindergarten through high school. In addition to Mr. Garcia-Mendez, Ms. Kim Ruiz, an instructional aide at Winnemucca Junior High School in Humboldt County School District, was also nominated.
Mr. Victor Garcia-Mendez and Ms. Kim Ruiz were chosen by the Governor to represent Nevada based on their unwavering dedication to Nevada’s students and school communities.
“I am pleased to recognize Mr. Garcia-Mendez and Ms. Ruiz for their unwavering dedication to our children and communities,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “They are just two representatives of the many outstanding school employees across our State and we can all be proud to have them represent Nevada on the national stage.”
Governor Sisolak chose Nevada’s nominees from a pool of five finalists selected by the Nevada Department of Education based upon nominations made by school communities across Nevada. Nominees must demonstrate excellence in the following areas: work performance; school and community involvement; leadership and commitment; local support (from co-workers, school administrators, community members, etc., who speak to the nominee’s exemplary work); and enhancement of classified school employees’ image in the community and schools.
“School staff like Mr. Garcia-Mendez, Ms. Ruiz, and all of our amazing finalists are the heart of our education system,” said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Classified employees create the safe, healthy and welcoming environments that all children need to succeed and grow. I want to thank Governor Sisolak and join him in recognizing the importance of our classified employees today and every day.”
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