Wicomico County Public Schools is proud to announce this school year’s first recipients of the Extra Mile Award, the school system’s employee recognition program. Nominations are accepted each month of the school year for any of the school system’s nearly 3,000 full- and part-time employees who have gone the extra mile that month. Three honorees are chosen each month to receive the Extra Mile Award, given to employees who go above and beyond their normal job requirements to assist students and staff and to enhance the school system.
For their extraordinary work in the month of September, each of the following employees received an Extra Mile plaque and certificate at the Oct. 10 Board meeting:
Kimberly Nutter, Secondary Math Coach serving multiple schools (Instruction)
Farren Hilliard, Food Service Manager, Glen Avenue Elementary (Business & Operations)
Kory Lowe, School Counselor, Wicomico High (Student & Family Services)
September 2023 Extra Mile Award Winners Farren Hilliard, Food Service Manager of Glen Avenue Elementary; Kimberly Nutter, Secondary Math Coach serving multiple schools; and Kory Lowe, School Counselor at Wicomico High. They are pictured with Dr. Micah Stauffer, Superintendent of Schools; and Gene Malone, Chairman of the Board of Education, during their recognition at the Oct. 10 meeting of the Wicomico County Board of Education.
If you see these outstanding employees in your travels, please thank them for going the extra mile for Wicomico County Public Schools.
Kimberly Nutter is an outstanding educator who serves the school system as a secondary math coach. She has been assisting multiple schools, fielding emails, writing lesson plans, and completing a variety of tasks while Supervisor of Secondary Mathematics Lisa McKinnon has been out on maternity leave. She often has had to complete tasks or make decisions with a limited amount of time, and has done so expertly. Ms. Nutter has been working with other content supervisors in scheduling programs such as the Finance Park Junior Achievement activity. She has spent after-school hours completing many extra tasks for the secondary math department. She certainly went the extra mile to help secondary math teachers and guidance counselors, and to support the mathematics learning of secondary students.
Glen Avenue Elementary Food Service Manager Farren Hilliard goes above and beyond daily for the students at Glen Avenue. She smiles at students as they go through the lunch line. She is patient when students forget their lunch numbers. She was inventive in finding a way to get the school’s special needs students' lunch to them quickly and efficiently. Whenever a class was late or off routine, she’ll bring lunch to the classroom, which is certainly going the extra mile. In addition, Mrs. Hillard continues to update staff with any menu changes, which is very helpful for students who have dietary restrictions because of allergies and sensitivities. Glen Avenue is grateful for the many ways she truly goes above and beyond daily and serves as a leader at Glen Avenue.
Wicomico High School Counselor Kory Lowe is Department Chair of the school counseling department, which has four counselors, one student advisor and one career coach to serve 1,350 students. In addition to his role as school counselor, he coaches boys soccer, serves on the school’s Instructional Leadership Team, coordinates WiHi’s master schedule, serves in the Army National Guard, and does an exemplary job of coordinating the ASCA National Model standards to improve student achievement and support student development. It is hard to put into words the impact Mr. Lowe has on everyone he encounters daily. He has provided a student with a bike when he needed transportation to school, and jackets and coats to a student who had none. He even helped move two of his former soccer players to college. Mr. Lowe provided the transportation for the students, their grandmother and sister. He packed his own personal vehicle, drove them more than an hour away, and helped move the students into the dorm. He does everything with a smile, a positive attitude, and never a complaint. He is humble and caring, and Tribe students and staff know they can count on him. With Mr. Lowe’s leadership and the efforts of the school counseling staff and others at WiHi, the school’s applications to a 2-year or 4-year college increased by 50% from 2022-2023. Mr. Kory Lowe is an outstanding counselor, leader, and role model for our profession, and is truly deserving of the Extra Mile recognition.
Wicomico County Public Schools has many amazing employees, including these other September 2023 nominees for the Extra Mile:
Instruction: Alexa Bode (Salisbury Middle), Andromeda Massey (Early Learning Transitions), Sharon Rash (Pittsville Elementary & Middle), Don Brady (Central Office)
Business & Operations: Erika Davis (North Salisbury Elementary), Lisa Wertz (Wicomico High), Tekesha Morton (West Salisbury Elementary)
Student & Family Services: Crystal Brinson (Wicomico Middle), Heather Jackson (Program Specialist), Roberta Woodward (Westside Primary), Darah Pusey (West Salisbury Elementary)
Congratulations to all, and thanks for all that you do.