Ritenour School District Honors Teachers and Staff at Annual Event
The Ritenour School District honored special staff members at the annual Honors Dinner on April 24, 2025 in the Ritenour Auditorium.
The district honored Diamond Circle Award recipients, First-Class Teacher and Make a Difference Awards, as well as 25-year employees and 2024-2025 retirees.
View videos from the 2025 event:
Ritenour Blockbuster Movie Trailer
Diamond Circle Honorees
Teacher of the Year
Employee of the Year
First Class Teacher
Make a Difference Award
Staff Appreciation Video
The Final Countdown - Ritenour Retirees
Ritenour is proud to honor Elizabeth Harms, an English language learner teacher at Marvin Elementary, as the 2025 Diamond Circle Teacher of the Year. Alejandro Tagle, a district maintenance professional and wrestling coach, is the Diamond Circle Employee of the Year. The district also celebrated 10 other Diamond Circle teachers, an honor given to teachers who best exemplify the district’s commitment to quality education and service.
Tavonda Palmer Harvey, director of Husky Academy, was honored as the 2025 Make a Difference Award recipient for going above and beyond in meeting the needs of her students by removing barriers on their path to graduation. Julie Christopher, a second grade teacher at Iveland Elementary, is the district’s First Class Teacher for being an outstanding educator who is new to the profession.
Other 2025 Diamond Circle teachers are:
- Buder Elementary - Julie Lewis, English language learner teacher
- Iveland Elementary - Logan Felder, music teacher
- Kratz Elementary - Nicole Damaso, second grade
- Marion Elementary - Maria Gilmore, music teacher
- Marvin Elementary- Elizabeth Harms, English language learner teacher
- Wyland Elementary - Christina Hardie, library media teacher
- Hoech Middle School - Maria Fassett, sixth grade math teacher
- Ritenour Middle School - Dr. Carrie Brumm, sixth grade English language arts teacher
- Ritenour High School - Molly Dahlquist, English language arts teacher
- Husky Academy - Wilma Higgins, middle school math teacher
25-Year Employees are:
Kent Adams, School for Early Childhood Education
David Appelbaum, Ritenour High School
Stacey Bray, Wyland Elementary
Maggie Drummond, Hoech Middle School
Jennifer Espenschied, Buder Elementary
Louise Haar-Chapman, Ritenour High School
Drew Lohnes, Ritenour High School
Betty Satterley, Ritenour School District
50-Year Employee:
Glenn Taylor, Ritenour School District
2024-2025 Retirees are:
David Appelbaum, Ritenour High School
Brad Black, Hoech Middle School
Michelle Bouknecht, Ritenour Middle School
Stacy Brummet, Hoech Middle School
Donna Butler, Marvin Elementary
Marvin Collins, Ritenour Middle School
Joan Clarke, Hoech Middle School
Shelly Givens, Transportation
Laura Jones, Ritenour School District
Pamela Montgomery, Marion Elementary
Tara Murray, Ritenour Middle School
Christina Northrup-Thompson, Ritenour High School
Barbara Perales, Iveland Elementary
Karen Perry, Buder Elementary
Michelle Sagakhaneh, Marion Elementary
Stacy Shipman, Iveland Elementary
Catherine Wade, Ritenour Middle School
Becky Williams, Kratz Elementary
Bethany Williams, Wyland Elementary
Lisa Wirtz-Hampton, Ritenour High School
