Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Los Gatos Union School District named this year's distinguished employees, (from left) Dwight Martin, Jennifer Hammond and Alfred Panacy.

Distinguished Employees

By Shari Kaplan

Three Los Gatos Union School District workers--a secretary, teacher and yard duty supervisor--were recognized as Distinguished Employees May 8 by district trustees.

Interim Superintendent Steve Peck presented Jennifer Hammond, Dwight Martin and Alfred Panacy with flowers and framed certificates of appreciation for their outstanding contributions to the district. Nominees for the district's twice-yearly employee recognition program are considered upon receipt of nomination forms from teachers, teaching support staff, classified workers or part-time employees.

Jennifer Hammond

As secretary to the director of special education/projects for the past five years, Jennifer Hammond wears several hats each day at the district office, where her work involves both special education and gifted and talented education programs.

She handles the referral process for special ed and GATE students, manages student records, and does tracking, budgeting and, she says, "all the paper shuffle."

Hammond is also the support person for the district's special services staff, which includes resource specialists, speech teachers and special day class teachers as well as school nurses and psychologists.

Because she loves to make things and comes from a background in the computer industry, she designs much of the district's literature, including yearly GATE class brochures, newsletters, flyers and certificates. Coworkers also consult her regarding computer questions or concerns.

"I was able to bring those [computer] skills here. We have lots of different programs and I've become the central authority--the reputation got out there that I know this!" she said.

The most rewarding aspect of her job, Hammond adds, is helping district families. "I enjoy working with the parents of young children who just found out the children have special needs but aren't quite sure what to do," she explains. "Sometimes they feel so lost and concerned.

Dwight Martin

Before he joined Blossom Hill as a first-grade teacher 11 years ago, Dwight Martin taught second-, third- and fourth-graders at Louise Van Meter for 14 years. Although he loves working with all children, Martin says he likes first grade best.

"The reason first grade is so special is that they really grow so much that year. They read and write, and I enjoy teaching them that," he says. "First- grade kids are a kick to work with. You get a lot of affection from kids that age."

As one of his class projects, Martin takes students through the process of creating their own little book: With help from in-class computers, the children write simple stories, draw or illustrate their own pictures, decide on a layout and print out the final product.

When he's not using computers in his own classroom, Martin often finds himself assisting coworkers. As the school's lead technology teacher, he explains computer programs, troubleshoots software or hardware problems and knows who to call if he can't.

"I was very moved that my colleagues felt that what I've been doing was worthy of recognition," he says of his computer savvy and his readiness to bring it to others.

Alfred Panacy

With a grandson currently attending Lexington and alumni children, it was a fitting choice for Alfred Panacy to get involved about eight years ago with the small elementary school near his Santa Cruz mountain home. As yard-duty supervisor, Panacy arrives on campus at 7:30 every morning to meet and greet incoming students and day-care participants.

"I make sure I recognize all the cars and who's supposed to be in them when they come around the curve," Panacy says, explaining how he's gotten to know all 150 or so students. He greets them by name and often receives hugs in return. After the morning influx, Panacy drives about two miles to his home and has breakfast, usually by about 8:30 a.m.

He shows up again from 11:50 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. during lunch, where he supervises the playground, mediates student conflicts and alerts teachers to possible needs for intervention.

When dealing with a problem, Panacy teaches students about fairness and manners by giving each student a chance to speak his or her mind while the other remains silent. He also believes in having students shake hands when the conflict is over.

"I love kids, and I think I make them feel welcome and at ease. As the only male there, I'm kind of a father and grandfather figure," he says.