RUSD Retiree Recognition — May 16, 2024

Good evening. We're gonna get started in about, we're gonna give everybody about three or four more minutes. If you are a retiree that is being honored this afternoon, if you have not checked in. And you'll know you checked in if you have a card with your name on it that has your position and years of service. Please go ahead and check in right now. We're gonna give everybody a couple more minutes to get here before we get started so we don't miss anybody. So it's 4 31, we will start at 4 34. Okay, so be back in three minutes.

Adjustment on that retirement. It's going to be 30,000. It's going to be 30,000.

It just changes.

Okay, good evening everyone. I mean, good afternoon. It feels dark, no. Good afternoon, thank you so much for joining us. First of all, congratulations to all of our retirees. Let's give them a round of applause to get started. We have this school year over 170 total retirees. within our classified, certificated, and management staff. Huge number, and so we wanted to do something just a little bit different. Typically, we honor our retirees at a board meeting, but we wanted to do something that was unique and only for our retirees, and this is our ceremony. Our attempt is going to be to honor you, individually, and so we have set up a system for you to take a wonderful picture with some of our dignitaries that I will introduce in a bit. And the picture that we take, it will be a professional. Karen from our offices will take the picture. You'll get a copy of this picture. And then afterwards, when we are done with our ceremony, if you'd like to use our step and repeat and come up on stage and take pictures with your family or with groups or folks that are here with you, please take advantage of that. We also have some refreshments afterwards out in the foyer that we hope that you take advantage of also. It's sort of a precursor to the dinner that your family is going to buy you this evening. to celebrate, and I don't want to see anybody at McDonald's, okay? I mean, it's got to be a nice dinner. Okay, thank you so much. Let me start by introducing the folks that are joining us this evening with our Board of Education. Our Vice President, Michelle Rendler, is here this afternoon. Board Member Patty Hallahan is here. Board member Melissa Ayala Quintero. And we have one of our student trustees who is from Redlands High School, Thomas Herron. From Cabinet, we have Jason Hill, who is our chief business official or assistant superintendent of business. So a couple of facts before we actually start the ceremony. This evening, we have over 70 retirees that have confirmed attendance. Thank you so much for joining us. We have here this evening, 1890 years of service. Yes, that's quite a number, isn't it? Years of service of the folks that are not here, 2200, 79 years of service, so over 2,000. Grand total, you ready for this number? Grand total represented of our retirees is 4,169.5 years of service. 35 of our retirees, 35 have given us 30 years of service. That is amazing. So who has given us the most service? And this is gonna be a debate, because I'm gonna say the name, and then somebody's gonna say, no, I think I've been here longer. And so we'll see what kind of debate it causes, but Mr. Douglas Harding from our warehouse has served 38.75 years of service. Are you here with us tonight, Douglas? He's not, you know where he's at? He's at work. He probably has perfect attendance too. Okay, we are also live streaming this event and that means that you can go back and watch yourself walk across the stage and also watch some of your friends that are going to be joining us and your families that maybe couldn't make it tonight. You can send them the link later and they can watch you also. So that would be fun. Thank you so much to all the staff that are helping us with that. This event would not be possible without my assistant Carrie Ann. I'm going to say that up front. This is Carrie Ann, in case you don't know her. Also, Angie from my office. She was at the table when you checked in, and Katie from the business office. Thank you so much for your help. And then I've also introduced Karen. She's going to be taking our pictures this evening. Okay, so to get us going, we're going to have our dignitaries join us over here for the pictures, and we have our assistant superintendent of ed services, Dr. Ken Wagner, who's going to take us through the ceremony as the master of ceremonies. Dr. Wagner?

Thank you guys.

All right. Good evening, everybody. I think we're close enough to be considered evening tonight. We're happy to be here. We're excited for all of you to be here. A couple things before we get started. So we've all been here for a long time. We've been in education for a long time. So I'm going to give some directions, and everybody's going to follow those directions perfectly, right, because you guys make sure the kids follow directions as they're supposed to. So everybody got a little card when they came in, correct? Yes. Everybody take a look at your little card. Make sure it says what it's supposed to say on it. That's who you're supposed to be, where you're from, the amount of years of service are correct on there so that we make sure that we get it right. So what we're going to do is we're going to line you guys up here on the right side of my right side of the stage, your left, by alpha order. And then you're going to come bring me your little card. I'm going to read your card, and then you'll go take pictures with our distinguished individuals. You are the distinguished individuals, so we'll get pictures. If you want to take pictures from the crowd, that's fine, too. We have our photographers going to be taking excellent pictures here as well. So we're going to start with our As and Bs, but let's start with the As first. If you want to make your way on up here to the side of the stage, we will get started with our As. Bs go ahead and start lining up right after the As. Are you ready for this? Cs, when we finish with the As and we start to read the Bs, Cs go ahead and start to line up. That way we're, huh, you got me? Okay, everybody got it? All right, okay, we're, it's going to work perfectly, I'm sure of it. As soon as I read a name, I will let them go across to get their picture. The next person can come bring me their card, and we will get 70 people across this stage so we can get to the refreshments, right? Okay. Let's see how we're doing over here. We got A's lining up. It's a big practice in alpha order. Fortunately, I know Mr. Lexex first, so as soon as he's lined up, we can probably get going, right? Are you ready, Rick? Come on down, Rick. All right, with us tonight is principal from Bryn Mawr Elementary School, Rick Oleksak, with 11 years of experience. That's 11 years of service with Redlands Unified School District. Next up, we've got Sam Anderson. Sam is our Transportation Manager, and he has 10 years of service in Redlands Unified. Next up, a teacher from Beatty Middle School, Alicia Andreasen, with 32 years of service with Redlands Unified. Next up, we're going to have school clerk from Lagonia Elementary School, Carmen Arreola, with 23.75 years of service. All right, this is our first B last name. With us tonight from our academic case carrier program is Diane Baker with 21 years of service. Next up we have A counselor who was also a student services director at one time and probably a lot of other things in this district over the years is Mr. John Best, 21 years of service. Next up, Child Nutrition Services Assistant from Lagonia Elementary School, with 24 and a half years of service. Maria Esther Emperan Teacher from Citrus Valley High School, with 26 years of service. Teacher from Kimberly Elementary School with 25 years of service, Carolyn Bradshaw. From Lagonia Elementary School, teacher with 13 years of experience, Socorro Burns. With us from Bryn Mawr Elementary School, Instructional, Paraprofessional, with six and a half years of service, in residence, Maria Ceballos Medina. With us from Child Nutrition Services, Account Clerk, with 37 and a quarter years of service, Jolene Carlson. From Redlands East Valley, Child Nutrition Services lead with 25 and a half years of experience, Hilda Chen. Teacher from Smiley Elementary School with 32 and a half years of service, Stacy Cadell. From Judson and Brown Elementary School, teacher with 25 years of experience, Diane Carrillo. Teacher from Smiley Elementary School with 29 years of service, Jeffrey Cloutier. Teacher from Redlands High School with 30 years of experience and some space flight candidate stuff, Paul Devaux. Actually had experiments in space. Teacher Judson and Brown Elementary School, 35 years of experience. Maria Dienda. Teacher from Lagonia Elementary School, 17 years in Redlands, Scott Ferguson. Teacher of Redlands High School, with 17 years, Chris Farina. Service manager from the service center with 38 and a half years of experience, Phil Gastra. I know we're on the G's now. We haven't missed anybody yet, have we? Everybody with us so far? Looks like we're doing great. We're on the G's. We've got teacher from residence high school, 28 years of experience, Michael Gonzalez Jr. Teacher, Redlands High School, 37 years, Coy Glass, Jr. Our Enrollment Center Supervisor, 33 and three-quarters years of service, Anna Gonzalez. and taking some time in early retirement already. Yeah. Come back to see us again. This is our Physical Services Office Director of Accounting and Payroll, Physical Services, 10 years, Sherry Gross. In our service center, grounds maintenance, 32 and a quarter years of service, Joe Guzman. One of our school clerks at Mariposa Elementary School, with 25 and a half years at Mariposa Elementary School, From Orange Wood High School, attendance clerk with 27 and a quarter years of service. teacher, Citrus Valley High School, with 41 years of educational service, all in Redlands, all in Redlands, and was on stage at Inspire Choir last night. We got to sing with you a little bit. Redlands East Valley teacher, 28 years of service. Teacher from Citrus Valley High School, 34 years of service, Laura Dunn. Teacher, Redlands East Valley High School, 37 years of service, Susan Johnston. Teacher from Cram Elementary School, 36 years of service, Keely Keen. one of our instructional paraprofessionals at Totally Kids with 14 and a quarter years of service, Cassandra Kulik. Our Data Control Clerk from eAcademy with 20 and a quarter years of service, Melissa Jimenez. Teacher, Redlands East Valley High School, 26 years of service, Andrea Johnson. Teacher from Crafton Elementary School with 32 years of service, Leslie Canales. Special services teacher, 29 years of service, Karen Lesondek. Nailed it. Our Data Control Clerk in our Instructional IT and Accountability Department with five and a quarter years in Redland, Cynthia Learn. Currently, Educational Services Department, Assistant Principal, a lot of other things in residence as well, 26 years of service in residence, Dr. Peter Locke. Teacher in our Elementary Education Department with 31 years of service, Becky Long. Office manager, Smiley Elementary School, 23 and three-quarters years of service, Maria Lopez. And if that email got blocked, it's this guy, okay? Block them all. information services, director of our technology service, 20 and a half years of service in residence, David Massaro. Teacher at Mission Elementary School, 18 and a half years of service, Julie Mendoza. Runs the instructional IT and accountability department. Many think that's Jamie courts, but it's not. It's 37 and a half years of service. Curriculum technician Kimberly Moore. Teachers, Citrus Valley High School, 18 years of service, Ken McGrath. Healthy Start Clerk at Victoria Elementary School, 16 and a half years of service, Juventina Martinez. Teacher, Redlands High School, with 34 years of service. Teacher at Citrus Valley High School with 24 years of service, Patricia Pitts. Spanish teacher from Citrus Valley High School with 35 years of service, Trinidad Saldaña Platt. Teacher from Highland Grove Elementary School with 11 years of service, Holly Preston. Account Clerk at Child Nutrition Service, 25 1⁄4 years of service, Noemi Ramos. Teacher at Smiley Elementary School with 29 years of service, Gregory Rude. Teacher at Citrus Valley High School, 17 years of service in Redlands, Rob Rooney III. Instructional paraprofessional special education at Kimberly Elementary School, 21 and three-quarters years of service, Sylvia Ramirez. Teacher at Franklin Elementary School, 35 years of service, Nancy Rascone. In Reprographics, our Reprographic Service Technician, 18 and a quarter years of service, Joseph Ramos. a data control clerk, also an instructional IT and accountability department, 26 and three-quarters years of service, Jeanette Reyes. In our Service Center, Grounds Maintenance Foreman, 24 and a half years of service, Mario Reyes. In Transportation, school bus driver, 26 and a half years of service, Noreen Reagan. Teacher, Victoria Elementary School, 27 years of service, Cynthia Raul Grossman, or RG. RG, there you go. Teacher of Victoria Elementary School, 28 years of service. Josefina Roque Rivera Teacher at Cope Middle School, 34 years of service, Karen Skog. Teacher McKinley Elementary School, 41 years of service. John Smith. Our student over there was in Mr. Smith's kindergarten class. It's unbreakable. Instructional Paraprofessional Special Education at Cope Middle School, eight and three-quarters years, Ted Smith. In our educational services department, previously a principal and other things in residence, Director III, secondary education, 18 years of service, Julie Swan. P.E. Enrichment Teacher, 18 and a half years of service, Wendy Tisdale Teacher, Kimberly Elementary School, 34 years of service, Tracy Topleski teacher of Redlands East Valley High School, 27 years of service, Linda Uthoven, Mrs. U. And we're in the last group if you haven't caught that. So if you haven't been called yet and you still got a card in your hand, you better get on over there in that line. Next up we have teacher from Bryn Mawr Elementary School, 30 years of service, Susie White Gomez. Safety Officer, Citrus Valley High School, 12 and a quarter years of service, Aubrey Wagoner. From our Service Center, Maintenance Worker, 3, 27 and a quarter years of service, Martin West. Teacher, Redlands High School, 25 years of service. an instructional paraprofessional for our Mod Severe program from Redlands High School, 32 and a quarter years of service, Linda Wilshire. Last call out there. Anybody else have a card? Make your own up one if you want to be. Still time. There's still time. You guys did a great job, everybody. Excellent with directions. Wonderful.

Thank you, Dr. Wagner. That was great. What can we say to our retirees? So my favorite question to ask retirees is my favorite question because it's also my favorite answer of all time, which is, what are you going to do now? And the answer is, whatever I want. And I love that answer. I hope to one day be able to give that same answer in retirement with great health. And that's what we wish you as you move on to your next chapter. May you be healthy and may you spend time with loved ones and do exactly what you want. Thank you so much for joining us. A couple of things. In your programs at the very back is a QR code. All the pictures that Karen has wonderfully taken this evening are gonna be loaded up on that website. Probably give us a couple of days. If you're looking tonight, it probably won't be on there tonight, but give us a couple of days and all the pictures will be on there. You also will get a three by five, five by seven? Where did Carrie Anne go? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Two by three, no. It'll be a five by seven photo print of the picture that we took this evening. At this time, you're welcome to come up and use the step and repeat to take group pictures or with your families or with folks that you've worked with. And then in the foyer, we have refreshments. I think we have cookies that are sugar-free and calorie-free, so please enjoy. Oh wait, that was the water. The water is sugar-free and calorie-free. And then there's also cookies. Please help yourselves. We appreciate you very much joining us this evening. We congratulate you. We wish you the very best. For many of us, there's still about a month left in our time here, so we'll see you at work tomorrow. Thank you so much.