‘Courage, Heart & Wisdom’
District One holds Employee Milestone Celebration
On Wednesday evening, Yuma Elementary School District One held its annual Employee Milestone Celebration to honor some of the district’s long-standing staff members.
Themed after The Wizard of Oz, the event celebrated employees who have been with District One for at least 10 years, though staff members like Gloria Tristan and Luz Orta were honored for their whopping 35 and 40 years of service, respectively.
As attendees settled in after mingling, the event kicked off with Luciano Munoz – Executive Director of Human Resources – taking the stage and tying in the event’s Wizard of Oz theme, telling employees that the occasion is dedicated to “celebrating the pathways you’ve created for our students with your courage, heart, and wisdom.”
Munoz then introduced a surprise performance by the Castle Dome Middle School Choir, who sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” An inspirational video followed this presentation before Superintendent Jamie Sheldahl addressed the audience.
“Organizations celebrate what we value, and at District One, we value our teammates,” Sheldahl said.
A total of 88 District One employees were honored for between 10 and 40 years of service, and they were called up in groups to receive a certificate and mug before the festivities carried over to the reception, where they had the chance to mingle, take photos, enjoy a tasty meal, and even win raffle prizes.
Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator Christine Mccoy, a member of District One’s Planning Committee, reflected on how the event has grown over time.
“I’ve been on the Planning Committee for almost as long as the Employee Milestone Ceremony has been going on, so I’ve watched it evolve as more and more staff attend every year,” she told the Yuma Sun. “I’m just so proud to be part of this committee. Everybody works so hard, and we start planning sometimes as early as December to really make this a special night for our employees.”
Mccoy also noted that local donations help support the event, with various organizations coming together to provide some of the raffle prizes. If you’re interested in learning how you can help support the initiative, contact District One at 928-502-4300.