Carson City's Pioneer Academy announces certified, classified employees of the year
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Wed, 03/09/2022 - 4:55pm
Innovation spurs recognition for Pioneer Academy’s Rebecca Allen. Mrs. Allen is being honored by her peers as the 2022, Certified Employee of the Year from Pioneer Academy in Carson City.
Mrs. Allen is an example of the Pioneer spirit that is projected daily from the halls of the school. As a teacher with varied responsibilities, Mrs. Allen teaches English and Spanish, she oversees the Pioneer ELL/ESL department and this year she added the responsibility of being the GATE program coordinator to give support to our gifted and talented students.
Mrs. Allen has also helped us pioneer a new direction of dual credit partnership with colleges to offer our students a greater variety of courses that they normally would not have access to. Working with professors from Arizona State University and Western Nevada College, Mrs. Allen co-taught Poetry in America, Whitman to Hip Hop, and Novels into film.
The students have enjoyed the unique way of teaching English standards and this has helped create a rapport with the students to see how the study of English progresses beyond the standard curriculum, while at the same time realizing they are capable of taking a college level course. This has also sparked new energy for the staff to create other opportunities by partnering with WNC and including them into non dual credit courses.
Mrs. Allen’s commitment to education and her students is witnessed daily by her colleagues and the students themselves. Her smile and infectious attitude help create a warm and inviting environment where students feel comfortable to learn. In addition to her constant “positivity,” Mrs. Allen is also known for her willingness to not be afraid of a good challenge of dancing or singing in front of the students at dances, talent shows and many other after school activities.
We want to thank Mrs. Allen for her dedication and her willingness to branch out and try new things to get our students more interested in English and school. She is making a difference for our students and we look forward to many more years of continued service.
Kerri Finn has earned the award of Classified Employee of the year for Pioneer Academy and will be one of a number of finalists for the district employee of the year award. As a tireless representative of the classified members of the district, Ms. Finn has demonstrated her dedication and passion of working with students at the Pioneer Academy in the health office as the school’s EMT all the while being shared among other schools throughout the district.
This last year has been particularly challenging for her and other medical personnel having to navigate all the COVID issues along with performing the duties for the “normal” daily issues at a school. Ms. Finn has shown great professionalism, skill and care when working with her students to help manage the daily aches, pains, coughs and sniffles. Recognized by her peers and acknowledged by her students, Kerri is said to put her heart and soul into her work and add a bit of her wit and humor, you have a sure remedy for anyone she helps.
When Ms. Finn isn’t helping students feel better, she can often be found enjoying the outdoors around the greater Tahoe area. Kerri says she enjoys taking in the views and hiking along the many trails in the region, participating in 5K races, taking spontaneous road trips to historical points of interest, going night swimming in Lake Tahoe with her kids and watching her son play football on Friday nights for Carson High School.
We want to thank Ms. Finn for all the work she has dedicated to the students, staff and parents of Pioneer and we look forward to many more years of her heart felt service.
