By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Julie Zollinger, school psychologist, was honored with the Hays USD 489 Best of the Best staff award for March.
Zollinger was nominated by Hays Middle School Principal Craig Pallister. Zollinger has worked at both HMS and Wilson Elementary School, serving 19 years as a school psychologist in Hays.
“She is the bridge between special education and regular education, between administration and teachers, between families and our teachers. There are so many things that she does to make things right for kids,” Pallister said.
Although Zollinger does a lot of testing and has to keep up with mounds of paperwork, Pallister said Zollinger’s integral work is working with students and teachers and making a bridge so families are secure their children are getting what they need to be successful.
Zollinger also has served on the crisis safety committee at Hays Middle School, and now is on the district-wide safety committee. She recently received training in PREPaRE, a safety program that helps schools prepare for crises.
Zollinger thanked Pallister and the selection committee for the award.
“I have experienced great satisfaction facilitating change in our school district, whether it be at the individual, family, department, building or district level from behind the scenes,” she said. “Demonstrating integrity, enlightening and empowering others to be the best they can be have always been my professional goals.
“I have had administrators who have supported me in implementing evidence-based practices in my schools to promote safe, healthy development and academic achievement for students,” she said. “We have a great team of school psychologists who support our students academically, behaviorally and emotionally through prevention and intervention activities.”
She said school psychologists are also beneficial to the district by providing therapeutic services and resources to families and school staff.
“Through this work, school psychologists have enhanced the skills and others to be their best at home and at school. I have had the privilege of working next to phenomenal special education teachers who wholeheartedly commit themselves to meeting the needs of their students. Many of them go above and beyond to understand and help their students even when what they may discover is traumatic life experiences.”
She said she looks forward to continue to work to improve school safety through the PREPaRE model.
Finally, she thanked family members, who were present at the meeting, for supporting her in her in her work.
Kadalen Unrein, third grader a Lincoln Elementary School, was honored as the district’s student Best of the Best for March. She was nominated by Julie Mohi, Lincoln third-grade teacher.
“Kadalen is not only a bright student, she is also a very, very hard worker,” Mohi said. “She takes learning seriously and puts in the extra effort to get the job done and done well. She displays many qualities of a leader. She listens to others, demonstrates by example, she is open to suggestions and she focuses on the task that needs to be done while thinking outside the box to reach the end goal.
“She is someone who could be partnered with any other student to make them feel special and included. Kadalen’s hard work, determination and personality are essential to our classroom, and we are so lucky to have her as a Lincoln Leopard leader.”