During Tuesday’s Westfield Washington Schools (WWS) Board of Trustees meeting, the board, in partnership with the Westfield Education Foundation WEF, gave out Rock Service Awards to the Riverview Health nurses who staff all 10 of the district buildings.
This award is a new recognition that the school district gives to organizations and people who have gone above and beyond the call to support the mission of WWS, which is to provide rigorous and engaging experiences to prepare all children for their future.
Dr. Chase Stinson, director of special education and student services, said he has seen first-hand what the COVID-19 pandemic did to WWS nurses.
“Simply put, the last two school years would not have been possible without these amazing healthcare professionals,” Stinson said. “The nurses in Westfield schools have spent the last two years on the frontline of an unprecedented global pandemic, and that is on top of the already consequential job they do on a daily basis. So, the school district and the Westfield Education Foundation want our nurses to know that we value them and their hard work.”
School Board member Bill Anderson said it is important that the district highlight important community partners.
“As a school board, we have had to make some very tough decisions for the safety and wellbeing of all of the students, staff and families in our district,” Anderson said. “And it truly helped us to know that we had such a strong and dedicated group of nurses on our team. Seeing them navigate the ever-changing guidelines and never miss a beat, gave us the confidence to know that every student in our district would be under expert care when they walked through our doors.”