April 2022 APS All Stars Announced

APS is excited to announce the April 2022 APS All Stars, selected out of over several hundred outstanding staff nominees! These individuals demonstrate excellence in collaboration, equity, inclusivity, integrity, innovation and stewardship. They are members of the APS team who are the first to pitch in, who bring a positive attitude to their work, and go above and beyond to serve students. Congratulations to these individuals!

Joyce Jordan, Extended Day, Randolph Elementary School

Words to Describe This APS All Star: Supportive, Kind, Great Listener, Understanding, Dedicated
About this APS All Star: Ms. Jordan has worked for Extended Day and served the community for 34 years. She is looked up to as a leader and a role model, and our teachers, parents, staff and the students feel her passion, her positive energy and the welcoming vibe when she greets them. She is a true leader who has a passion for helping her students and her colleagues, and she brings a caring, calm and joyful spirit to work. This means so much to our community and especially to the kids at Randoph who depend on her. During her career, Ms. Jordan has handled many challenging situations. She is a good listener and allows each person to tell their side in a calm, peaceful manner. In all these ways, Ms. Jordan has helped to build an incredibly supportive and caring culture among the staff and students in the Extended Day program at Randolph.

Chris Gillespie, Teacher, Wakefield High School

Words to Describe This APS All Star: Inclusion and kindness for all
About this APS All Star: Mr. Gillespie has gone above and beyond to make my daughter feel welcome and included in his theater class. She is struggling with school-based anxiety but when she attends theater, she transforms into a self-assured, confident person. His extremely kind, calm demeanor puts her at ease, and he makes concerted efforts to connect with her to ensure she is comfortable and can perform at her best. He has been a crucial link in her success at reintegrating into school. The psychosocial support he provides students is invaluable in ensuring student success and we have experienced this firsthand.  Mr. Gillespie, it is clear from this and the other nominations that you are a true hero and a great role model in this community. You go out of your way to inspire and empower your students to be their best. Thank you for all you do.

Juana Love, Instructional Assistant, Fleet Elementary School

Five Words to Describe This APS All Star: Committed, creative, compassionate, modest, perceptive
About this APS All Star: Ms. Love is impossible to fully encapsulate with words.  She is “love.”  She has dedicated nearly two decades to championing for the academic success of the deaf and hard of hearing students in Arlington’s DHH elementary program.  She is early to arrive, late to depart; she diligently documents student data, as well as reports relevant observations; she encourages and advises her co-workers with her gentle wisdom, and she creates trusting and empathetic relationships with each unique student. Ms. Love also speaks Spanish, so she acts as an unofficial liaison between the program and parents. When students struggle academically, she works to identify new approaches for instruction with the teacher and offers her own time.  I cannot imagine running the program without Ms. Love.  She is the truest All-Star I have ever met.

Ramona Harris, Administrative Assistant, Syphax Education Center

Five Words to Describe This APS All Star: Exemplary, dedicated, perfectionist, indispensable, helpful
About this APS All Star: In her tenure at APS, Ms. Harris has seen many Assistant Superintendents of HR come and go and she makes sure that every transition is smooth and seamless.  Ramona is a perfectionist in all aspects of her work, and she serves as a wonderful example of excellent service to others – always thorough, helpful to APS staff, and service-oriented in her work. Phones never go unanswered, calls are returned immediately, and the response to emails could not be better. Ramona often works weekends or during breaks. Even though she has constant interruptions, she stops what she is doing and pleasantly addresses the new issue that has been brought to her attention.  In all my years of knowing Ms. Harris, she is always dressed professionally and exudes a professional demeanor.  I have never seen her anything but calm, even though her job is very stressful.  I believe that she should be recognized as the “All-Star” she is.

Sara Daniel, Webmaster & Design Supervisor, Syphax Education Center

Five Words to Describe This APS All Star: Meticulous, strategic, responsive, analytical, reliable
About this APS All Star: Ms. Daniel is gifted in all that she does — she works quietly, quickly and diligently to produce great graphics and design work, ensure the website is accessible and up-to-date, format and design publications, and oversees our School Talk communications system. Ms. Daniel is analytical and solutions-oriented in her work, making her a go-to for other departments and school-based staff – they know that if they reach out to Sara for help, they will get honest advice and a high-quality work product. Sara has played an important role in establishing a great brand image for APS through the years, and she trains many staff across the division not just on the website, but on how to make their information accessible, clear and visual. She also helps staff and community members navigate and use School Talk and the Intranet. Speaking of the intranet, it never would have happened without Ms. Daniel! True star!