Crystal Apple 2011-12

By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer
Thomson Primary School
Nurse and LPN Mandy Brown
had known for quite some
time what she wanted to do
with her life.
In fact, as early as age six,
Brown had written what she
describes as a very small essay
on her future as a nurse.
After 10 years of working in
the field of family practice
under mentors Dr. Shaun
Thompson and his father Dr.
Pat Thompson at Generations
Health Care in Fort Morgan,
Brown felt excited to make the
transition to school nursing.
“They were amazing men-
tors for me,” Brown said of her
mentors. “After they closed the
practice there, I was actually
excited to get the position here
at Thomson.”
“I felt like I had gotten a real-
ly strong foundation at
Generations,” she continued,
“and had the opportunity to
see people at all levels - from
infants to geriatrics, from
beginning of life to end of life
stages, and that was very
humbling. I just knew that the
experiences I had there would
carry me over into this field,
help me be independent,
assertive and would challenge
me in nursing.”
For her fellow co-workers,
that experience and willing-
ness to grow and learn and
contribute to the Thomson
team has made Brown a wel-
come sight throughout the
halls and has earned Mandy
Brown the 2012 Crystal Apple
Award for Thomson Primary
School.
“Mandy is a perfect example
of professionalism,” noted
Thomson Primary School
Counselor Todd Jackson in
his nomination of Brown. “She
is highly dedicated to the stu-
dents, staff and parents. She
is very thorough in all that she
does, builds great relation-
ships with everyone she meets
and is highly trusted.”
For this Hoyt native who
moved to Brush with parents
Dan and Cheryl Becker just in
time to attend kindergarten,
being a Class of 1994 BHS
graduate and earning her
nursing certificate at NJC
while raising her first two chil-
dren had also earned Brown
much life experience.
“I played volleyball my first
year at NJC,” said Brown, who
loves staying active in her
spare time when she can find
some. “I had earned the
Williams Scholarship while
there which allowed me to also
take classes at MCC while I
raised my kids.”
For Brown, building rela-
tionships is one of the perks of
the job and one that she high-
ly values.
“In this field, what I really
enjoy is making connections
with families,” Brown said. “I
feel I can be a resource in
many different areas of the
healthcare field. I can help
them get connected to things
outside the school that may
help families with health as
Mandy Brown...Thomson Primary School
Strong foundation aids in connecting with students, families
2011-12 Crystal Apple
Recognizing Excellence In Education in the Brush School District...
Chi l dren are the worl d' s most val uabl e resource and i t' s best hope for the future. " John F. Kennedy
Katie Collinsr/News-Tribune
Thomson Primary School Nurse Mandy Brown helps student Ayvin Palser get ready for her
dental exam on Wednesday, April 11 during the Big Smiles dentistry clinic held at the
school that day.
See Brown page 12
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • CRYSTAL APPLE 2
By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer
Inspecting buses, straight-
ening bumpers, adjusting
brakes and changing tires
may be the majority of a
transportation department
mechanic’s job description,
but when it comes to molding
the minds of Brush students,
Joe Mattorano offers so much
more.
Besides dedicating much of
his time to the Brush Tae
Kwon Do Club that he’s
directed since 1989,
Mattorano has volunteered
numerous hours to making
sure young students in Brush
get a head start in reading
through the Summer Reading
Program.
For his thoughtfulness,
passion and can-do attitude,
Mattorano has been awarded
the 2012 Crystal Apple Award
for District Staff in Brush.
“Joe has been an outstand-
ing volunteer for the students
in our district,” noted
Transportation Director
Bruce Fyfe in his nomination
of Mattorano. “He gives two
nights a week teaching Tae
Kwon Do and doesn’t charge
the students or their families
for the training.”
“Joe was also a key organiz-
er for last summer’s Summer
Reading Camp for Thomson
students,” Fyfe continued.
“He spent countless hours
helping build the craft proj-
ect, lining up instructors and
then being at the camp for
three days. Joe is the person-
ification of ‘roll up your
sleeves and do something to
help these kids.’”
For nearly three years now,
Mattorano has graced the dis-
trict garage with his earnest
attitude, but prior to that he
had enjoyed a 37-year career
as a clerk with Safeway.
The Trinidad native began
his days with Safeway in
Boulder where he worked for
15 years before moving to
Morgan County to work at the
Fort Morgan store. After retir-
ing from Safeway, Mattorano
went on to work for the Delta
Oil tank company where he
worked as a mechanic for a
year on vac trucks, but his
passion for all things
mechanical actually began at
a much younger age.
“I always wanted to be a
mechanic,” said Mattorano.
“It’s just something I’ve
always loved to do. When I
was a kid my uncle owned a
service station in Trinidad
and I worked for him in the
summers and after school.”
At the age of 17 in 1975,
Mattorano married his first
and only love, wife Bonnie
and with four children in the
household, continuing his
education and training in col-
lege became a struggle.
“I kind of put that on hold
while my kids grew up for
financial reasons,” noted
Mattorano. “There wasn’t a
whole lot of room for school-
ing so I tried to do a lot of
courses through the mail
while raising four children.
But when I got offered the job
here it was like a dream come
true.”
It was a day like any other
when the inspiration to take a
more hands-on approach
with individual students he
was meeting through his time
as a mechanic took hold.
As Mattorano explained, he
was driving the bus one day
when he asked a middle
school student to help him
read directions. When he saw
the student’s hard-fought
Joe Mattorano...District Transportation
District mechanic rolls up his sleeves to get things done
Katie Collins/News-Tribune
District Transportation Mechanic Joe Mattorano rolls up his sleeves to inspect and change
the air brakes on one of the Brush School District buses at the district garage.
See Mattorano page 10
By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer
Just as her mother and
grandmother both enjoyed
the fruits of their teaching
professions, so too does
Beaver Valley Title
I/Intervention Teacher Ann
Bloemker.
This third generation
instructor brings not only
the talents of her family gene
pool to her third through
fifth grade students, but also
nearly 40 years of teaching
experience to the school
where she and husband
Gary, a fifth grade teacher,
both work to better the lives
of each student they see.
For her experience, enthu-
siasm and passion for edu-
cation, Ann has been select-
ed by her peers to receive the
2012 Crystal Apple Award
for Beaver Valley Elementary
School.
As an Intervention teacher,
Bloemker handles two class-
es each of third, fourth and
fifth grade students who are
struggling in reading and
math. Bloemker, in effect,
‘intervenes’ into the minds of
those students who need a
little extra help in keeping
up with or catching up to
their peers with their studies
in those subject areas.
“Ann accurately assesses
the strengths of her own stu-
dents and uses those
strengths to help each indi-
vidual student reach their
fullest potential,” noted
District Office receptionist
Hilary Hansen in her nomi-
nation of Bloemker. “Ann
individualizes as much as
possible to take each stu-
dent from where they are to
get them where they need to
be in reading,” she contin-
ued.
“She is a great team mem-
ber, willing to change and
grow with the changing staff,
administration and curricu-
lum. Ann is an excellent role
model for her students as
well as other staff members.”
“I think the best thing
about teaching reading is
watching children get excit-
ed about a book,” said
Bloemker. “They get really
involved with it and want to
take it home. And I also love
watching them go out of the
room with the book because
they don’t want to put it
down,” she continued. “Now
that is an 'aha' moment for
me.”
The enthusiasm she has
for her students and their
education resonates through
the halls of Beaver Valley
and has, by no means, gone
unnoticed. Even her fellow
staff members throughout
the district have seen the
results of Bloemker’s zeal.
“Ann is such a positive,
caring, compassionate per-
son,” said Hansen. “She
cares deeply for her stu-
dents. She has a great rap-
port with not only her stu-
dents but with their parents
as well.”
For Bloemker, her career
in teaching obviously began
with the family spark that
ignited in her a mission.
Growing up in Western
Kansas, Bloemker felt there
weren’t a lot of choices when
Ann Bloemker...Beaver Valley Elementary School
Third generation teacher brings encouragement
CRYSTAL APPLE • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012
3
See Bloemker page 7
Katie Collins/News-Tribune
Beaver Valley Intervention Teacher Ann Bloemker reads with some of her third grade stu-
dents during their intervention class.
Northeast Colorado Broadcasting
220 State St. Ste 106 Fort Morgan * 867-7271
By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer
“A true test for a school
counselor is whether or not
students feel comfortable
coming in to speak to her,”
wrote Brush Middle School
(BMS) Principal Sherry Kyle.
“Audra has a wonderful
working relationship with
our students who not only
feel comfortable, but also
safe and secure in speaking
with her. In fact, many stu-
dents seek her out and
request to speak to her on a
regular basis,” continued
Kyle.
Nominated as an excep-
tional counselor, educator
and even as a ‘pillar of sup-
port’ for the school, BMS
Counselor Audra Unrein’s
devotion and dedication to
her students and fellow staff
have earned her the 2012
Crystal Apple Award for the
Brush Middle School.
As a Fort Morgan native
and FMHS graduate, Unrein
began her college years in
pursuit of a career in correc-
tions. After earning her
Associate’s degree at NJC,
Unrein transferred to Metro
State in Denver where she
earned a Bachelor of Science
in Criminal Justice.
“I didn’t always want to be
a counselor,” she explained.
“Growing up I knew I wanted
to be in corrections from the
very start and when I got my
Criminal Justice degree I
found that it was only kind
of what I was looking for.”
Unrein later took a posi-
tion as a child protection
worker at Fort Morgan’s
Department of Human
Services where her constant
work with families led her to
pursue a field where she
could work more with chil-
dren.
As husband Chad Unrein
had already found his niche
as a Fort Morgan Middle
School PE and Health
teacher, as well as the
Mustang’s varsity high
school basketball team head
coach, Audra began to think
of entering the world of
teaching too and earned her
Master’s Degree in
Education Counseling from
Adams State College in
Alamosa before finding her
own niche as a counselor at
BMS.
“I love being a counselor
because I love interacting
with the kids,” noted Unrein.
“My days are never the same
and there is always some-
thing different going on.
Also, this is a hard age and I
often feel I’m in crisis mode,
but then I realize that that’s
okay, this is middle school,”
she said with a smile.
According to Unrein’s
nominator, Sherry Kyle, the
counselor is “always very
positive and never fails to
offer her help and support to
students and staff alike. No
matter the situation, Audra
is always the voice of reason
and understanding. She is
very knowledgeable and
thorough as it relates to her
job responsibilities, and she
Audra Unrein...Brush Middle School
BMS’ quiet warrier provides student, staff support
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • CRYSTAL APPLE 4
Katie Collins/News-Tribune
Brush Middle School Counselor Audra Unrein introduces a college recruiting representa-
tive from NJC to BMS students during a College Days presentation organized by Unrein and
hosted at BMS on Monday, April 9.
See Unrein page 9
By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff Writer
She may have started out
seeking a career in nursing
but Brush High School
Physical Education teacher
Jen Gudahl’s decision to
pursue her love of sports
and teaching has made a
giant impact on the lives of
many BHS students, not to
mention on the staff and
school itself.
Not only is Gudahl a PE
and Health teacher, but
takes on a variety of roles at
BHS including as a CPR
instructor, weight training
coach, assistant track
coach, junior class sponsor,
prom organizational guru
and dancing instructor
extraordinaire.
Through her 10 years of
teaching at BHS, Gudahl
has had the pleasure of
watching students grow
from freshman to senior year
and transform into adult-
hood.
For her above-and-beyond
attitude, her spirit and
adaptability, Jen Gudahl
has been named the 2012
Crystal Apple Award recipi-
ent for Brush High School.
“You don’t get into teach-
ing for the money or for the
glory, so to speak,” she
noted. “It’s kind of like
coaching where the philoso-
phy is that when the team is
doing bad then the coach
takes responsibility, but
when the team is good all the
recognition should go to the
kids.”
Soon after, Gudahl made
sure to mention that 90 out
of 105 students in her CPR
class received their certifica-
tion in CPR/First Aid/AED.
The Yankton, South
Dakota, native admits she
began her college career as a
nursing major, but when she
ended up missing the cut for
the program by just two
spots, her instincts kicked in
and her love of all things
athletic took her career to
new heights.
“I’ve always loved sports
and teaching,” Gudahl remi-
nisced, “and I had always
gone with my college coach-
es to help run camps and
such so going into physical
education wasn’t a big tran-
sition.”
After graduating from her
hometown high school in
Yankton, Gudahl went on to
attend Mount Marty College,
a private Catholic College in
Yankton where her grand-
mother and mother also
attended. The third genera-
tion Mount Marty Lancer
found a veritable playground
at the NAIA (National
Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics) Division II School
which offered Gudahl the
opportunity to play three
sports including volleyball,
basketball and golf.
While there, she also
earned a triple major degree
in health recreation and
business and went on to
receive her teaching degree
there with a bachelor’s
degree in physical education
and health.
Jen Gudahl...Brush High School
PE teacher goes the extra mile for students, staff
CRYSTAL APPLE • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012
5
Katie Collins/News-Tribune
Brush High School Crystal Apple Award Winner Jen Gudahl takes time to instruct her
students in the art of dancing before the 2012 prom.
See Gudahl page 8
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • CRYSTAL APPLE 6
By Katie Collins
Brush News-Tribune Staff
Writer
Although teaching wasn’t her
first career choice, the past four
years that Esther Andersen has
spent at Beaver Valley as a
paraprofessional has reignited
a passion in her for the field of
education.
That passion has become
infectious to staff and students
alike at the school and has
earned her the 2012 Crystal
Apple Award for Classified Staff
in Brush.
“Esther has shown that she
truly likes what she does here
at Beaver Valley,” said Beaver
Valley secretary Theresa
Guzman in her nomination of
Andersen. “Esther has a smile
for everyone.”
As with many of the 2012
teacher nominees, Andersen
was surprised to find out she
had won the Crystal Apple
honor and immediately
thought of all the other teach-
ers who put in so much extra
effort every day.
“For me to get the award is a
total surprise,” Andersen said.
“So many teachers here go
above and beyond, before
school, after school, and do
whatever it takes to make it
click for that kid." However, for
Andersen, a career with the
Brush School District was a
timely transition.
“I worked 21 years for Dr. Fox
who was the optometrist in
Brush until he passed away
from cancer,” she explained.
“Working for someone for that
long, even after a new person
who is great comes on board,
makes for dramatic changes
and I left the optometric busi-
ness.”
Andersen went on to work at
Brush’s Sunset Manor in book-
keeping and HR for 10 years
where the nature of her work
found her at a career-cross-
roads.
“It was a tough place to work
in a roundabout way because
you do get so attached to the
people and it broke my heart. I
resigned and thought, gosh,
what am I going to do.”
One thing Andersen knew at
this juncture in her life was
that helping children had
always made her happy.
Although her two children,
Robert and Kendra had grown
by then, Andersen looked back
fondly on her time helping
them out with homework and
had always enjoyed volunteer-
ing at their schools when work
would allow. With this in mind,
Andersen tried her hand at
being a substitute teacher.
“One of the employees here at
Beaver Valley fell and broke her
leg four years ago and I ended
up subbing for a long time, for
three months in fact, which
really got my feet wet in the
Special Education area of this
building," she said.
When another employee at
the school moved away with
her family, Andersen was
asked if she would like to apply
for the paraprofessional posi-
tion.
“I applied, interviewed,
and…here I am,” she said with
glee. “It has worked out so well
for me and there is such a great
rapport between all of us here.
It’s a great team with everyone
working together and that’s
why I stay.” She continued, “It’s
not just the kids, it’s the staff.”
For Andersen, that welcome
feeling was also offered during
her time substituting at
Thomson as well, where she
notes that, “As a sub you some-
times feel you don’t know what
Esther Andersen...Classified Staff
Newly found love of teaching brings smiles to Beaver Valley
Katie Collins/News-Tribune
Beaver Valley Paraprofessional Esther Andersen devotes much of her time outside of work
to the Blue Horizons' Special Olympics students. Here she gets racer Iris Gonzalez off the
starting line in quick fashion during a Special Olympics track and field practice at Beaver
Valley.
See Andersen page 11
CONGPATULATION5 TO THE
2012 CPY5TAL APPLE WINNEP5.
CcIcbtoting
Out
20tIYcot
CRYSTAL APPLE • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012
7
it came to women’s careers then, but
knew that she had always loved
working with children. And so, as
Bloemker herself relayed, “I became
the teacher and my sister became
the nurse.”
After graduating from high school
at Wallace County High in Sharon
Springs, Kansas, Bloemker’s par-
ents moved to Fort Morgan and she
entered the University of Northern
Colorado in Greeley where she
obtained her B.A. in Elementary
Education in 1972.
Her teaching career began soon
after, in the small town of Genoa,
Colorado, where she taught third
and fourth grade for two years before
the school there was closed.
After marrying husband Gary, the
two made the move to Stoneham
and Ann began teaching at the
Prairie School in New Raymer. She
taught third and fourth grade there
for six years before moving to Brush
in 1980 where she first served as a
third grade teacher.
“I took a number of years off to
raise my kids,” said Bloemker. “And
then I taught one year of Head Start
at the Brush United Methodist
Church and did a bit of subbing at
both the preschool and for the dis-
trict until I became the Title I
teacher here at Beaver Valley.”
For 15 years now Bloemker has
engaged students through her
Intervention position at Beaver
Valley and for her, the best part is
that there is never a dull moment.
“Every day is a new adventure,”
noted Bloemker. “And any day is
never the same. That is one thing
that’s really good about my job.”
In her classroom, Bloemker reiter-
ates mottos such as, “Never settle for
less than your best” and her favorite,
“Believe in the beauty of your
dreams.”
“I really do believe you need to
think positively and encourage kids
to do their best because they all
could and should succeed,”
Bloemker said.
Besides spending extra time after
school helping students in need and
being active in Beaver Valley literacy
night programs, Bloemker also
enjoys biding her time with some of
her favorite hobbies, which, of
course, includes reading, as well as
photography, gardening and travel-
ing.
The Crystal Apple recipient also
has taught catechism classes for
several years, including for the past
30 some years at St. Mary’s Catholic
Church in Brush where she enjoyed
teaching first and second graders.
“My husband and I decided not to
teach those classes this year
because our kids and grandkids
don’t live around here anymore, but
it was always fun," she explained.
All three of the Bloemker children
graduated from BHS, including old-
est daughter Teresa who now resides
in Florida, daughter Michelle who
lives in Wyoming and son David who
is now a fourth-generation teacher
on Ann’s side of the family. He
teaches elementary computer class-
es in Wyoming. Ann and Gary also
have three grandchildren and are
overjoyed to announce another
grandchild on the way.
When asked how it felt to be hon-
ored with the Crystal Apple Award,
Bloemker said with all humility,
“Well, I feel very honored because
there are many, many dedicated
teachers who are deserving of it.”
Bloemker
From Page 3
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • CRYSTAL APPLE 8
“I love being active,” said Gudahl, “and I love
getting everyone else around me active, so it
seemed like the right path to take." Right path,
indeed, as Gudahl continues to succeed in that
exact mission throughout the halls of BHS.
She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in
quality in schools from Graceland University in
Iowa before making the move to Brush in the
summer of 2002.
For her former students and current co-work-
ers, Gudahl’s compassion and dedication has
meshed well in Brush, as described by BHS
Business teacher Danielle Odle, who happens to
be a former student of Gudahl’s as well.
“Jen is constantly dedicated to not only the
learning of her students but to their overall well-
being,” Odle said in her nomination of Gudahl.
“Her classroom lessons incorporate state stan-
dards and life lessons. She holds students
accountable for their actions which will eventual-
ly mold them into responsible adults,” continued
Odle. “As a student, I respected her compassion
for her subject matter and students. She truly
wants them to understand the importance of
physical wellness while being well-rounded indi-
viduals”.
For Gudahl, one of the best parts of teaching
has been watching students like Odle mature
from their beginnings as freshman.
“Watching the growth of the kids from freshman
to senior year is something I do enjoy,” she said.
“You watch them change and become different
people because their attitudes, mindsets and
goals change. It’s interesting to see what they end
up doing from where they started.”
Seeing her students succumb to those ‘eureka’
moments also inspires Gudahl to continue the
good fight.
“The best part is when you see that light click
and the kids get it,” she stated. “You have good
days and bad days as a teacher, but the good
days usually outweigh the bad.”
When it comes to giving a little extra for the
school, Gudahl is usually the first in line to vol-
unteer as she takes on duties as an assistant
track coach after school, working with Coach Albo
with the sprint and relay teams and working with
triple and long jumpers as well.
The award recipient also is the Junior Class
sponsor which has her very busy during prom
season as she organizes and sets up the prom
itself. This year, Jen is also teaching dancing les-
sons to the students to give them something other
than bumping and grinding to utilize at the
dance. Her students have been schooled in the
arts of swing and salsa dancing to mention but a
few styles.
Gudahl also recently took spring sports athletes
from BHS to the grounds of Eben Ezer Lutheran
Care Center in Brush to do some volunteer clean-
up work at the facility on Good Friday.
“Jen is an outstanding co-worker,” Odle contin-
ued in her nomination. “She is always willing to
go the extra mile to help her co-workers in any
endeavor. he is committed to making Brush High
School keep its reputation as an outstanding
school with outstanding sporting events and is
constantly there to ensure all events are set up in
the gym and met CHSAA standards. She wants
students to be able to compete in a fair and safe
environment.”
“I do take some time to help with sporting
events,” admitted Gudahl, “especially with a new
administration here, but Jason Strauch is getting
his feet wet fast and it’s a hard job to do,” she
continued. “He has done such a good job with the
discipline aspect and I feel so comfortable sending
kids to him and knowing he can deal with any
problem.”
She went on, “We are all supposed to be a team.
We are down 26 teachers from 39 when I first got
here, so we are bare bones and part of that means
helping each other out.”
With a large area of the school to attend to,
including three gyms, locker rooms, the weight
room and Beetdigger Stadium and track just to
name a few, the PE teacher has had to learn to be
adaptable to any situation, which has helped her
fellow faculty out tremendously.
“If I have a plan and something happens, then I
have to change it. Just like with the weather,” she
said. “If I have something planned but the weath-
er doesn’t cooperate, then I have to come up with
a contingency plan and such is life.”
When it comes to family, Gudahl’s German
short-haired pointer dog Dakota, who turns four-
years-old on April 18, takes most of her free time.
“We pheasant hunt together and walk and run
most every day,” noted Gudahl, “and he meets the
kids when we are around the streets and at track
practice.”
Gudahl also enjoys spending time with her sis-
ter Julie and her family who lives in Windsor. Her
two-year-old niece Lilly brings a sparkle to Jen’s
eye and she can’t wait for the arrival of her sec-
ond niece who was due on April 24.
When she does find time to visit her parents
back in Yankton, Gudahl makes sure to spend
time at her favorite water destinations.
“I come from water so when I go back home
that’s what I get to see, like the Missouri River, so
we go swimming a lot in the summer,” she said.
When told she had received the Crystal Apple
honor, the always humble teacher was admitted-
ly surprised. “I was shocked and then I was very
humbled,” she said. “I was not prepared for it at
all. To be nominated by my colleagues is a won-
derful thing, but I always think of the core teach-
ers who administer things like the TCAPs when I
think of these awards.”
Gudahl
From Page 5
keeps herself very organized.”
According to BMS English Teacher
Dorothy Dick, who also nominated
Unrein for the Crystal Apple honor, “She
is the best school counselor I have ever
worked with during my teaching career.
Audra will always go the extra mile for any
student or co-worker and puts in endless
hours working to make the school better
for everyone.”
Dick also notes Unrein’s organization
and efficiency, most especially as they go
along with Unrein’s duty to create student
schedules at BMS.
“I do all of the scheduling for students
here,” said Unrein. “I enter classes into
the computer system, create classes and
rosters for the teachers and it can get
complicated, especially with students
wanting to change electives so often.”
Unrein also oversees all of the testing at
the middle school, including the new
TCAP tests which, as Unrein describes, is
simply CSAP tests only under a new
name as the old and new standards that
were just put out by the state have recent-
ly been blended together to form TCAP
testing.
Unrein is also a part of several commit-
tees with the school, sitting on both the
PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions
and Supports) and RtI (Response to
Intervention) committees, as well as being
a part of the leadership committee and an
Inter-Agency committee.
Through her work with the Child
Protection Team, Audra gets together
with many other entities county-wide
through the Department of Human
Services where members go over intake
cases and referrals that have been accept-
ed. Unrein has also implemented a Girls
Group at BMS to help foster girls’ self-
esteem issues.
For Unrein, the reward she gets from
her day-to-day job is all about the kids
and it’s talking with students each day
that she loves most about her position.
“They each bring a unique background
and story and it's fun to listen to and be a
part of,” she said. “My job basically entails
supporting those students in a variety of
ways - emotionally, academically and
there’s even a career component which
we hope to grow here at BMS in the
future.”
“Audra is always friendly and happy to
help staff and students whenever they
need her,” Dorothy Dick noted in her
nomination form. “Your day goes much
better when you see Audra smiling!”
For principal Kyle, Unrein was a sure fit
for the Crystal Apple nod for her commit-
ment and dedication to her profession as
well as to her students. “Audra would
never admit this,” Kyle said in her nomi-
nation of Unrein, “but she is a ‘quiet war-
rior’ for kids and is always advocating for
what is best for our school.”
When she’s not spending time with her
husband and two dogs, Unrein also has
another quiet passion for animals. One of
her favorite hobbies, besides her job,
being outside, going to the lake and bak-
ing new recipes, is donating to the Fort
Morgan Humane Society animal shelter
and the local thrift store. “I love donating
things like animal food to the shelters,”
Unrein said. “Besides my job, that is my
passion”.
Unrein
From Page 4
CRYSTAL APPLE • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012
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struggle with simple instructions, it
dawned on Mattorano that something
more needed to be done, and it should
start at the beginning.
So when co-workers Bruce Fyfe and
Ed Gagen began talking about how
many children were getting in trouble
on the bus and began kicking around
the idea of expanding their volunteer
reading time in kindergarten classes,
Mattorano was completely on board.
“Children are hands-on,” said
Mattorano. “And I realize that from
my time instructing martial arts, as
most of my students learn from a
hands-on approach, whereas lectur-
ing them ended up with me talking to
myself.”
The good men of the transportation
department began to think of more
ways to interact with children and
their idea of having kids build tool
boxes while forcing students to read
and follow the instructions ignited the
spark that became the Summer
Reading Program.
“We thought, what child doesn’t like
running power tools,” Mattorano said.
“And what kid doesn’t like building
things, so we began with tool boxes.
We started with a prototype and
drilled the pre-holes, cut the materials
and went to kindergarten. We gave
each student a screw to put it togeth-
er and let them paint it.”
“After that,” he continued, “Bruce
said that that was really cool and
what can we do next, and I thought,
oh no, I’ve created a monster!”
For Mattorano, the time he’s spent
with teachers in Brush and his time
volunteering at the summer reading
camp has given him a huge respect
for all his fellow staff in the Brush
School District.
“Teachers are phenomenal,” he
said. “Nobody realizes the effort that
teachers put into that one class. All
most people think of is that they get
their summers and spring breaks off,
but those teachers are never off. They
go home and plan and prepare for
hours for just one class and grade
papers, and then they spend all sum-
mer volunteering.”
“We have a ton of those great teach-
ers in our school district,” he contin-
ued, “and even our retired teachers go
all out for these kids and stay
involved. I believe teachers are under-
appreciated here. There is nothing in
our job description that says we have
to care, but we do.”
According to Thomson Primary
School second grade teacher and fel-
low Tae Kwon Do member Tracey
Singley, Mattorano’s dedication to
children can be seen not just in the
district, but in the community.
“In addition to making sure that our
buses run, being on call in case there
is a problem and driving the bus on
occasion, Joe is the owner and opera-
tor of Brush Tae Kwon Do,” said
Singley in her nomination of Joe. “It is
through this organization that I first
came into contact with Joe and both
of my daughters have also been par-
ticipating in his martial arts classes
for a number of years. He treats the
students with respect and truly cares
about them as individuals. During the
last year he has begun teaching Tae
Kwon Do to the kids in our communi-
ty for free and says he wants all the
kids to have the opportunity to partic-
ipate regardless of money”.
Mattorano first opened up a studio
for the study on Clayton Street, then
moved to the Old Fire Hall in Brush
before the city decided to renovate the
building for office space.
“I was going to quit instructing
when we moved the club from Clayton
Street because I had been doing it for
nearly 16 years at that time,”
Mattorano said. “But then I thought
wait, I’ve got 25 to 30 kids that have
been here diligently and I couldn’t
turn my back on them. A month or
two before we had to move out of the
Fire Hall, I spoke with Tracey Singley
who wanted to start up a martial arts
program at Thomson,” he continued.
“With the help of the City of Brush
who picked up the cost of insurance
and the Thomson school who decided
not to charge us for being there, I was
able to teach children without having
to put the burden on their parents to
pay fees, which makes it so much eas-
ier. It’s just like with the reading
camp, without the help of all the vol-
unteers we have, those things and the
tae kwon do club, just wouldn’t hap-
pen.”
For fellow co-workers such as
Singley, Mattorano’s presence as a
volunteer has been a godsend and as
she so purely states in her nomina-
tion, “Needless to say, I was thrilled
when Joe joined our district because
my family knew his ‘Crystal Apple’
caliber personality would serve our
students well. He has indeed touched
the lives of many of our students.”
When asked his thoughts on receiv-
ing the Crystal Apple Award,
Mattorano noted, “It’s an honor. My
kids are going nuts and my son tells
me that you don’t just get handed
these awards, you have to earn them.”
“But I’m not big on awards,” said
Mattorano. “I don’t do it for the recog-
nition. My belief is that if I can get
through to just one child that is one
more child that won’t go on the wrong
side of the fence. If I can reach one
child and keep them out of harms way
and keep them from doing the wrong
thing and teach them to be smart,
then we’ve all succeeded in what we
need to do”.
With a house full of children and
grandchildren living in Snyder with
him, Mattorano has certainly been
well-trained in the art of handling
youngsters. With wife Bonnie, Joe has
brought up four children including a
son, Wayne and three daughters,
Diana, Jennifer and Lisa.
The couples’ five grandchildren all
live close to the Mattoranos and most
have even enjoyed taking tae kwon do
classes with their grandpa.
“My granddaughter Kaylee had got-
ten all the way up to a red/black belt
when she decided to pursue other
sports in school,” said Mattorano,
“and my grandson Zach is involved in
the instructor program with tae kwon
do. My granddaughter Chloe just
started back and she is a yellow belt
and just loves it.”
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • CRYSTAL APPLE 10
Mattorano
From Page 2
you’re doing exactly or where you are to
go, but everybody in each school is
always helpful and it was a great expe-
rience, no matter where I bounced to.”
Andersen has more than enjoyed the
fruits of her new found success with
the Brush School District and for her,
the everyday changes and challenges
are what keeps her coming back.
“I stayed in the optometric business
for so long because there was always
something new and different,” she
relayed. “You always had to learn new
ways and, of course, the materials
always change, and it’s the same here
at the school,” she continued. “It never
stays the same. Your kids don’t stay the
same, your material doesn’t stay the
same and at times you have to ask
yourself, ‘Am I smarter than a fifth
grader?’ There’s always a challenge
here and that’s why I love it.”
From working one-on-one with stu-
dents in the Special Education depart-
ment, to taking up group responsibili-
ties on top of her usual lunchroom,
playground and circle duties, Andersen
simply notes that she goes wherever
she’s needed but her enthusiasm has
become contagious.
“Her care and concern for the stu-
dents goes above and beyond her job
description,” noted Guzman. “I am
around when she is doing her duties
and I have seen her concern for the stu-
dents. Esther is always willing to help
when someone is in need of extra.”
Extra help is exactly what Andersen
provides through her volunteer work
with the Blue Horizons Special
Olympics program. As a coach and
mentor, Andersen has become
attached to the cause and to her stu-
dents.
“Even if I was ever to leave the school,
I would continue helping with Special
Olympics because it is so much fun to
see those students come out of their
shell and want to participate,”
Andersen said. “It’s not easy for them to
do things like that. Some are attached
very tightly to their set routines and
these activities can prove out of the
norm. However, the prospect of going to
practice can even help them work hard-
er in school in order to participate.”
Along with some of her hobbies such
as quilting, being outside and yard
work, Andersen also takes pride in
helping out the Prairie Biker Rally com-
mittee. Andersen is also infamous in
her circle of friends and family for the
huge Fourth of July parties she throws.
“As my mother says, I love to give par-
ties,” said Andersen. “I have a Cowboy
Breakfast on the Fourth of July and the
party can last for days depending on
which day of the week it falls on. Last
year we had 60 people gathered.”
The Brush native and BHS graduate
has lived in the area throughout her life
and to Andersen, family comes first.
She will enjoy her 40-year anniversary
with husband and City of Brush
employee Dwight Andersen this
August. Their son Robert works as a
machinist in Aurora running a com-
puterized lathing machine and loves
making things from blueprints, accord-
ing to his proud mom. Daughter
Kendra Smith is currently a preschool
teacher in Brush at Thomson
Elementary and along with husband
Michael, has given Esther and Dwight
yet another reason to celebrate in their
first granddaughter, 15-month-old
Braelynn.
“We are working on words together,”
Andersen said with a proud glow of her
granddaughter. “Her mom is teaching
her sign language and she’s teaching
me, so I’m learning with her.”
CRYSTAL APPLE • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012
11
Andersen
From Page 6
well as with social and emotional
issues.”
“Obviously the biggest job duty I
have is taking care of daily injuries and
sicknesses and assessing those,” she
explained. “I make sure kids are well
enough to be here, that they’re well
enough to continue to learn and I look
at what is preventing them from learn-
ing in some cases.”
She continued, “If I don’t see some-
thing physical then I need to investi-
gate to find out what is bothering the
student and figure out how I can be of
help in that process.”
“She does a lot more than just being
the nurse,” Jackson said of Brown.
“She helps out in crisis situations,
helps answer the phone when we are
short staffed and at times is also a
counselor to her frequent fliers.”
“I do feel that I want to help any-
where I can,” Brown admitted. “I want
to learn and in this sort of setting you
have to understand what teachers do
to understand how you can contribute
as a nurse and how the health part
contributes to the academic piece.”
“I feel so fortunate to work with a
group like this and I really do like
counseling and psychology,” she con-
tinued. “It’s kind of a second love for
me. I love that aspect and how that ties
in with relationships and how I can
help. I’ve had a lot of great mentors
along the way and I really feel that you
don’t ever earn or win something like
the Crystal Apple on your own.”
Watching students grow and learn
during their time at her school also
makes the hard work well-worth it for
Brown, who has a blast listening to
what primary school students have to
say each day.
“I think that they are all so very
innocent and they just have that play-
fulness that we all wish we had back,”
she said. “Even though they have wor-
ries and stress, they are fun to be
around and they are learning, but
challenging you at the same time. They
come up with stories that I think are
fun, even if they are not always true,”
she said. “But I appreciate their youth
and I really enjoy making a difference
and setting an example for young peo-
ple.”
Besides the usual duties and vision,
hearing and even dental screenings,
Brown enjoys being a part of the
Thomson PATS (Positive Assistance for
Teachers and Students) Team to help
make a difference at the school
through the RtI (Response to
Intervention) system within education
that makes sure everybody’s needs are
met at every level academically.
In the past, she has also enjoyed
being a part of a Health Advisory com-
mittee which helped districtwide with
health and wellness issues. Brown
hopes that program may see a reinvig-
orated start up once again with more
community involvement.
“Last year I also participated in the
Working Together Project,” said
Brown, “which was a pilot program
through Brush Middle School. It was
an exceptional project to work on and
assisted middle school students in
identifying a problem within the
school, whether it be bullying or sub-
stance abuse or nutrition, and helped
them work through the process of
finding a solution and putting an
action in place to address that con-
cern. It was coming from the kids so it
was very powerful, and I got to do that
with my son so it meant a lot.”
With husband Shane, who works as
an electrician at Colorado Energy
Management, Mandy has three chil-
dren including Jake, a sophomore at
BHS, Mariah, a freshman at BHS and
Ben, a sixth grader at BMS. In addition
to spending time with her family,
Brown also enjoys taking time for vol-
leyball, athletics, camping, fishing and
being outside to enjoy the ever-chang-
ing Colorado weather.
When told she had earned this year’s
Crystal Apple Award for Thomson
Primary, Brown was very humbled.
“I try to put others interests ahead of
my own and I feel like being in this
position has allowed me to be a
resource, build relationships and serve
a bigger purpose than just simply as a
nurse,” she said. “And obviously the
leadership here at Thomson and the
staff are an amazing group of people
that could trade places with this award
in a heartbeat,” she continued.
“They are always willing to help
when I need to make changes in plans
and I feel fortunate to work with them
all.”
Thanks to our Table 5ponsors...
AIso ihanks io Uniquc Em|roidcry & Engraving and Donna`s FIoraI & Gifis.
we couldn`t hace nade this project uork uithout all of your help!
970-542-3!00
lmagine...8elieve...Achieve
www.morgancc.edu
/…i >À“iÀà -Ì>Ìi
200 Claylon Sl º 8rush, CO 80723
(970) 842-5!0!
Brush School
District RE-2 (J)
Thomson Primary School
8eaver Valley Llemenlary
8rush Middle School
8rush High School
Pawncc Siaiion
30! Claylon Sl
8rush, Colorado
(970) 842-2844
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for their support of the 2011-2012 Crystal Apple Auard
Banquet and Recognition Project.
Northeast Colorado Broadcasting
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Brown
From Page 1
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 • BRUSH NEWS-TRIBUNE • CRYSTAL APPLE 12