Kingwood Elementary announces January Teacher and Service Person of the Month

The professional and service personnel of the month awards are reviewed and selected by the Kingwood Elementary Student Council, which recognizes one teacher and one service personnel member each month for going above and beyond, school officials said.

Student Council adviser Debra Zigray said the award gives third and fourth-grade student council members a chance to recognize those who make a difference at KES.

“The students take a lot of things into consideration,” Zigray said, adding that the award can go to faculty members who show kindness or go the extra mile for Kingwood Elementary.

Student Council member Eli Mauldin said DeWitt was recognized for his dedication to keeping Kingwood Elementary clean and assisting students during breakfast.

“He helps with breakfast duty. Every day he keeps the cafeteria clean and sanitized, and he is really nice to all students,” Mauldin said.

Council member Ava Kerstetter echoed those sentiments, saying that “Mr. Danny” goes out of his way to help students who may have trouble carrying their trays in the cafeteria.

“He shovels our sidewalks and mops the floor so children don’t fall and have an accident,” she said.

“One special treat... he gives us chocolate if he sees us doing a nice deed for others,” she added.

Mauldin was selected for her kindness and dedication to Kingwood Elementary, including her role as president of the KES Parent Teacher Association and her work with Saint Zeta Church, officials said.

Council member Faith Shaffer said “Mrs. Mykayla” was recognized for the kindness she shows to both students and teachers.

Kerstetter reflected on her own time in preschool, where Mauldin was her teacher.

“She is so nice and a great teacher. She takes her time to help those children who are having difficulty with a certain task,” she said.

Mauldin said she was touched when the student council arrived outside her classroom to present the award.

“It was nice to have somebody come to my door besides my pre-K students and just recognize that hard work is being done in pre-K,” she said, adding that her students were just as excited to see the flowers she received.

For Mauldin, the monthly recognition reflects the supportive nature of the KES faculty, where staff members and students uplift one another.

“We can always praise each other without feeling little praise ourselves,” she said.

Recognizing hard work, being able to talk about it, and acknowledging each other’s contributions creates a positive atmosphere at KES, she said.

Subtle gestures like the monthly recognition go a long way for teachers and service personnel, especially on difficult days, she said