Lakeland School District employees receive honors

| October 4, 2016 9:00 PM

Two Lakeland School District employees have received state recognition.

Cassie Martines, a counselor at Garwood Elementary School, was named the 2016-2017 School Counselor of the Year by the Idaho School Counselor Association. She will go on to represent Idaho on the national level as a nominee for the American School Counseling Association (ASCA).

Martines has worked with the Lakeland Joint School District since 2012 and was nominated by Garwood Elementary Principal BJ DeAustin.

“[Martines] is an advocate for all children regardless of their needs or background and is highly effective at developing positive working relationships with students, as well as parents or guardians,” DeAustin said. “She sees it as important to support the whole child, while also finding ways to build bridges with families and support parents/guardians in fulfilling their very important roles.”

Tifani Young, the librarian at Lakeland High School, was selected as the 2016-17 Idaho School Librarian of the Year by the Idaho Librarian Association. She will be honored at the association’s annual conference in Idaho Falls on Thursday, Oct. 6.

“The Lakeland High School Library has been a labor of love for many people and I am honored to represent all of them,” Young said. “I am touched that others recognize the work we do to make the Lakeland High School Library a thriving, growing, and necessary part of Lakeland High School and its culture of achievement. I am extremely humbled to receive this award.”

Young has been with the Lakeland Joint School District for 11 years. Her co-worker, Kristin Gravatt, nominated her.

“Tifani has gone well above and beyond her position as a school librarian to vastly improve our educational and work environment and to build relationships between students, staff, and community members,” Gravatt said of Young.