During their May board meeting on Tuesday, Spring ISD trustees named two recent winners of the board’s Employee Excellence Award – Spring High School Lead Counselor Laura Goodwin and Lewis Elementary School Plant Operator James Gilbert.

“The Employee Excellence Award is given by the Spring ISD Board of Trustees each month during the school year,” Board President Rhonda Newhouse said during her remarks. “The award recognizes district employees who exemplify the district’s guiding principles and core values. One employee is selected for this prestigious award each month.”

Spring High School Lead Counselor Laura Goodwin is the February 2021 Employee Excellence Award winner.

Goodwin, the February winner, was singled out for her efforts this year to provide excellent academic counseling services for all students, even when the campus was short a counselor and Goodwin had to help manage the extra workload, supporting students, parents, staff and her counseling team members.

“It’s been a tough year for everybody – students, parents, everybody – and we have a lot of employees in Spring ISD that have worked very, very hard during all of this,” Goodwin said. “To be recognized in the midst of everyone else being so amazing is just so humbling to me.”

She said that her motivation, even in challenging times, came from a dedication to do what was best for students.

“Thank you for the opportunity to help the children of Spring,” Goodwin said. “I love it. I love my job and I love every single kid that walks through that door, so thank you so much.”

Lewis Elementary School Plant Operator James Gilbert is the March 2021 Employee Excellence Award winner.

Lewis Elementary School’s Gilbert, meanwhile, was the March award winner, and he was praised not only for keeping the campus clean and safe for students and staff during the pandemic, but also for building school community and being a trusted mentor on campus, always ready to lend an ear to students wanting to talk with him.

“This gentleman is respected by the school community and the community at large,” Newhouse said in introducing the award.

Those sentiments were echoed by Trustee Justine Durant, who joined in the presentation to tell the winners about the award certificate, Spring ISD recognition pin, and monetary check they would be receiving.

“You know, nobody knows how much you know until they know how much you care,” Durant told Gilbert during her remarks, “and we were able to just see the love and support and how much care you put back into our students and staff on your campus, and we truly appreciate you.”

Gilbert thanked the trustees, and went on to offer some of his own personal guiding philosophy.

“Like I was told when I first came to Spring, treat the kids like they’re your own,” he said. “The kids are number one, and I do everything in my heart for them. So thank you, thank you everyone. I really appreciate this.”

Goodwin and Gilbert were both nominated through the district’s “elevate” online submission form, where any employee, parent, or community member can enter a nomination for the award. To learn more, or to nominate a Spring ISD employee, visit www.springisd.org/employee-recognition.