Teacher Sendy Ortiz, custodian Melanie Walker, and volunteer Christian Barnes were recognized by the Lucerne Valley USD at the Board or Trustees meeting on Thursday, September 12th. From left, Superintendent Peter Livingston, school board members Tom Courtney and Jessica Risler, Christian Barnes, Melanie Walker, Sendy Ortiz, Board President Chelsea LaGrange, Vice-President Jason Hansen, and board member Jim Harvey. Photo by Olga Fisher
Teacher Sendy Ortiz, custodian Melanie Walker, and volunteer Christian Barnes were recognized by the Lucerne Valley USD at the Board or Trustees meeting on Thursday, September 12th.
Sendy and Melanie were named the certificated and classified Employees of the Month, respectively, while Christian received a special award for his volunteer work over the past few months. Superintendent Peter Livingston presented the awards, and board members congratulated the awardees.
Certificated - Sendy Ortiz
From Sendy Ortiz’s nominator:
“Sendy Ortiz, exemplifies dedication and compassion in her work with students. She goes above and beyond to create individualized learning plans, ensuring every child feels supported and valued. Her innovative teaching methods and unwavering patience help students achieve their full potential. She is a true leader and helps mentor new teachers in the special education department. I admire her collaborative spirit, and parents appreciate her open communication. Mrs. Ortiz’s commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive environment truly makes a difference. She goes above and beyond the call of duty not only for her students but for any task that needs to be completed. Mrs. Ortiz worked over the summer to ensure that all of the middle/high schools IEP’s were finalized.
“She does an amazing job coordinating our instructional aides and always takes time to help anyone in need. It is a pleasure having her on the Middle/High School team and we were excited to name Mrs. Ortiz as our certificated employee of the month.”
Classified - Melanie Walker
From Melanie Walker’s nominator:
“LVES would like to recognize Melanie Walker as our classified employee of the month for September. Melanie is our midday custodian and has become an important part of keeping our school clean, safe, and welcoming for our staff and students each day. We are grateful for all the hard work and care you put into your work each day.
“Here is what our day custodian, Samantha Kerestessy, had to say about Melanie: Mel started out as our nighttime custodian and, sometimes, managing all the night duties in the given time frame can be complicated. But by week two, Melanie found her groove. She always made sure she went above and beyond for her teachers and their students, ensuring they arrived to find their classrooms well-prepared for the school day.
“Once a mid-day position came available, Melanie jumped at the opportunity to interview for this new role. Needless to say, she became our midday custodian and my right hand person. Although, the teachers whose classes she worked on at night still miss her thoroughness and attention to detail.
“Melanie accepts every task and custodial need that is asked of her and she always exceeds expectations. I am thankful to have Melanie working alongside me each day and would like to congratulate her on this well-deserved honor. Keep up the great work”
LVES Volunteer Christian Barnes Recognized For Service
Lucerne Valley Elementary School honored volunteer Christian Barnes “for his amazing service to our school over the last several months” during the September 12th meeting of the Lucerne Valley USD Board of Trustees meeting.
“Christian came to administration and asked to complete some service hours and I placed him with our custodian, Sam Kerestessy, since we always need help with beautifying our campus,” said a member of the LVES administrator team.
“When Christian came in to volunteer I figured he would just tag along with me, but I soon realized he had a different mindset about volunteering and was definitely NOT going to just tag along,” said Sam. “Christian accepted every task and duty that we sent his way. He helped us with custodial duties, campus aid duties, and answered the call when the office needed assistance with deliveries, finding students, moving items, etc.”
Christian worked 10 hour days over summer, in the heat, alongside the custodial crew deep cleaning the classrooms. He has even stepped in and helped the maintenance team with some of their summer tasks. “Christian always gave 110% to every task and we are hoping that someday he will be able to join our elementary custodial team!”
The LVES administration would like to thank Christian Barnes for being an amazing team member over the last few months. He was everywhere on campus and always one of the first to answer a radio call. He came to work everyday with a smile and great attitude and it was a pleasure having him on campus each day. Congratulations, Christian, this is a well-earned honor.