A Model Employee | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

District honoree lauded for varied skills, devotion to school

Jennifer Rawski, Putnam County School District’s School-Related Employee of the Year, assists a Mellon Elementary School student Thursday.
Putnam County School District’s School-Related Employee of the Year, Jennifer Rawski, greets a student early Thursday morning at Mellon Elementary School.

On any given day, school paraprofessionals could be doing anything from corralling students for lunch, assisting the front office or filling in at a classroom.

Jennifer Rawski, who has spent four years at Mellon Elementary School in Palatka, is so good at her job that she was named Putnam County School District’s 2021 School-Related Employee of the Year.

She worked two years with the Leveled Literacy Intervention program and a year as a fifth-grade teacher’s aide.

This year, she has been teaching exceptional student education and undergoing a 10-week internship with a first-grade class to become a full-time teacher. Rawski is a part of Paras-to-Pros, a program for support employees to transition to teaching.

Rawski is a proponent of the Mellon Matters Mindset, she said, describing the people and atmosphere at Mellon as a family. Rawski said she’s either observed or taught in nearly every classroom at the school, and her award is a reflection on the faculty and staff.

“No matter what school I go to after this, that mindset of being here for everybody and everybody pitching in is what it is about,” Rawski said.

Principal Libby Weaver said there is a feeling among school employees that Rawski is the ideal representation of Mellon. Rawski is successful at fostering positive relationships with students and comfortable with the instructional side, Weaver said.

According to Weaver, Rawski is perfect for filling in the gaps. By participating in Paras-to-Pros Rawski has a realistic view of teaching, Weaver added.

“I’ve been in this business for 28 years and Jennifer is probably the best overall instructional assistant I’ve ever worked with,” Weaver said. “She’s just so well-rounded.”

Prior to education, Rawski worked at a hardware store, a pest control company and a call center. Mellon Elementary is smaller compared to nearby elementary schools, Rawski said, and she wants to be the person called on when something needs to be done.

“I felt like here, these kids needed love,” Rawski said.

Rawski said she was elated when she heard her name called for the award, though she doesn’t like being the center of attention.

“As far as being recognized and somebody saying, ‘Hey, you did this,’ I felt a sense of pride for Mellon and us rather than, ‘I did this,’” Rawski said. “We all did this.”

Rawski acknowledges she won’t be eligible for School-Related Employee of the Year next year because she will be a teacher, but she is excited to have a class of her own and see students grow.

“I told my kids I’ve looked at the little paper and nobody’s ever done both (awards). It might be my future goal,” Rawski said. “It might take me 10 years because these people who win Teacher of the Year are amazing.”