North Kitsap School District honors retiring staff

By Nick Twietmeyer • May 31, 2018 1:30 am
North Kitsap School District honors retiring staff

POULSBO — With summer fast approaching, another class of seniors comes closer to the day when they will walk the halls of their respective high schools for the last time as students. It won’t only be the students saying goodbye, though — a number of teachers and staff will also be bidding farewell with the arrival of summer.

Retiring staff members were honored during a recent meeting of the North Kitsap School District Board of Directors.

North Kitsap High School

  • Celene Salo, secretary, 34 years in NKSD at North Kitsap High School;
  • Vicki Wright, secretary and special education paraeducator, 24 years in NKSD at North Kitsap High School, Kingston Junior High, Poulsbo Junior High and Poulsbo Elementary;
  • Doris Ahrens, secondary teacher, 18 years in NKSD at North Kitsap High School and 23 years in education;
  • John Davis, secondary teacher, 36 years in NKSD at North Kitsap High School and North Kitsap Middle School, and 40 years in education;
  • Steven Frease, secondary teacher, more than 36 years in education and with NKSD at North Kitsap High School; head football coach, head baseball coach and assistant coach in football, baseball and girl’s tennis.
  • Leah Titze, special education teacher, 33 years in education and with NKSD at North Kitsap High School, Poulsbo Junior High and Suquamish Elementary.

Kingston High School

  • Delores Stroud, special education teacher, 10 years in NKSD at Kingston High School and 16 years in education;
  • Barbara Portanova, special education paraeducator (retired December 2017), 22 years in NKSD at Kingston High School and Suquamish Elementary.

Parent-Assisted Learning

  • Ann Almond, secondary teacher, more than 34 years in NKSD at PAL, Kingston High School and North High School and 36 years in education.

Poulsbo Middle School

  • Nancy Bale, librarian, 27 years in NKSD at Poulsbo Middle School, Breidablik Elementary and Poulsbo Elementary and 40 years in education;
  • Judy Kellam, secondary teacher – 26 years in NKSD at Poulsbo Middle School and Kingston Junior High, and 40 years in education;
  • Alicia Barnes, instructional paraeducator, 15 years in NKSD at Poulsbo Middle School, Poulsbo Junior High, Gordon Elementary and Poulsbo Elementary;
  • Hazel Brown, office manager, 26 years in NKSD at Poulsbo Middle School and Poulsbo Junior High.

Suquamish Elementary

  • John Colbert, elementary teacher, three years in NKSD at Suquamish Elementary and Poulsbo Middle School and more than 30 years in education, including nine years overseas in Tokyo Japan.

Pearson Elementary

  • Carolyn Carlson, elementary special education teacher, more than 28 years in NKSD at Pearson Elementary and 29 years in education.

Wolfle Elementary

  • Patrick Byrne, counselor, 29 years in education and with NKSD at Wolfle Elementary;
  • Susan Huntington, elementary teacher, 25 years in education and with NKSD at Wolfle Elementary;
  • Kathryn McNeely-Mobley, librarian, 40 years in NKSD at Wolfle Elementary and 45 years in education;
  • DiAnn Taylor, office manager and paraeducator, 35 years in NKSD at Wolfle Elementary.

Gordon Elementary

  • Deborah Andersen, elementary teacher, 19 years in NKSD at Gordon Elementary and nearly 23 years in education;
  • Donna Butler, elementary teacher, special education, 13 years in NKSD at Gordon Elementary and Poulsbo Elementary and 31 years in education;
  • Patricia Bryan, paraeducator, 10 years in NKSD at Gordon Elementary;
  • Catherine McIsaac, elementary teacher, one year in NKSD at Gordon Elementary and 26 years in education;
  • Anne Beth Whited, elementary teacher, 37 years in education and with NKSD at Gordon Elementary, Pearson Elementary and North Kitsap Middle School;
  • Barbara Meredith, computer technician, 25 years in NKSD at Gordon Elementary and with centralized support;
  • Karen Tollefson, principal, four years in NKSD at Gordon Elementary and 32 years in education.

Vinland Elementary

  • Mark Kluth, assistant principal, 12 years in NKSD at Vinland Elementary, Poulsbo Elementary, Kingston High School and North Kitsap High School and nearly 28 years in education.

Maintenance

  • Mark Singleton, courier (retired February 2018), 21 years in NKSD with maintenance as a courier, plumber and in general maintenance;
  • John McVay, head custodian at Pearson Elementary, 19 years in NKSD at Pearson Elementary and Gordon Elementary;
  • James Smith, head custodian at Vinland Elementary (retired February 2018), 23 years in NKSD at Vinland Elementary, Breidablik Elementary, Pearson Elementary and maintenance.

Transportation

  • Joe Snyder, bus driver, 11 years in NKSD with Transportation.

Food Services

  • Sharon Watson, nutrition assistant, 18 years with NKSD at Pearson Elementary and Suquamish Elementary;
  • Susan Mutter, head cook at North Kitsap High School (retired January 2018), 22 years with NKSD at North Kitsap High School, Poulsbo Junior High and Poulsbo Elementary.

Student Support Center

  • Claire Godbolt, student records, 31 years in NKSD with Student Records;
  • Lucille Grout, special education speech therapy, more than 30 years in NKSD and nearly 40 years in education;
  • Gretchen Smith, support specialist, 29 years in NKSD at the copy center and Wolfle Elementary;
  • Chris Willits, assistant superintendent, 27 years in NKSD at Student Support Center, Pearson Elementary as principal, Kingston Junior High and North Kitsap Middle School as a teacher. 40 years in education.