Kim Mattox, a school bus driver for the Auburn School District, was named the Outstanding Transportation Person of the Year from the Washington Association for Pupil Transportation for the ESD 121 Chapter.
Mattox, who was nominated by supervisor driver/trainer April Hurlbert, was recognized for responding to an emergency crisis this year while leaving for her morning bus route. As she pulled out of the bus barn and stopped at the first traffic light, Mattox observed a 68-year-old man in distress. She immediately ran to his aid, pulled the man from his vehicle and with no equipment, began administering CPR.
After three sets of breaths and compressions, a fellow employee arrived with an automated external defibrillator. The two of them tried to resuscitate the stranger; however, sadly, the rescue attempts were unsuccessful.
“It takes a great deal of courage and composure to get involved in situations like this,” said Captain Tim Day of the Valley Regional Fire Authority. “Mattox, like many others motorists, could have simply driven by. Instead, she put herself at risk to help another.”
Mattox will be recognized at the WAPT annual conference June 28-July 2 in Pasco.
Remarkable reader
Callie Rockey-Bartlett, a third-grade student at Evergreen Heights Elementary, completed much more than her required reading goal for the school-wide Accelerated Reader program. Callie reached 809 percent of her reading goal, which means Callie read 354 more points than the required 50 points to reach 100 percent.
Callie was the only third grader to reach beyond 300 percent and was recognized at an assembly to end the school year. She received a trophy.
Elsewhere
Auburn’s Margo Butcher was awarded a Jeffers Chertok Scholarship for $1,200 for the 2008-2009 academic year at Eastern Washington University. This is only awarded to three students each year, and is in honor of former Dean Jeffers Chertok of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. At EWU, Butcher has been active in model united nations and undergraduate research. She is the daughter of Mary and David Butcher, Jr. … Auburn’s Megan Tan received a $1,000 Lynden Memorial scholarship. Tan will attend Walla Walla University and major in biology this fall. Tan, daughter of Jeffrey and Lavinia Tan, was senior class president, Auburn Rotary’s Student of the Month and won many athletic awards in basketball. … Jason Kline, a freshman from Auburn, was named to the dean’s list at Gonzaga University for spring semester. …
The Auburn School District Board of Directors recognized Christine Anderson, language arts specialist at Washington Elementary School, for her outstanding service. She has worked in her position for 16 years. Her primary roles include: coordinating the reading and language arts program and Title I program for the building; ensuring district-adopted curriculum is implemented; and providing staff development. On any given day, an average of 110 students rotate through Anderson’s language arts classroom who are reading below grade level and need small group intensive instruction to reach standard. … The district recognized Joanna Morales, a fifth-grader at Dick Scobee Elementary School, for being an outstanding student. Joanna’s first language is Spanish, so she works diligently to achieve high grades. Her determination to continue to improve her grades and conscious effort to complete her work in a timely and complete fashion make her a wonderful role model. An academic highlight for Joanna this year was when she was selected as Dick Scobee’s “Author of the Month” for February. Her writing, which was about her love for her mother, was displayed on the author’s board for the month of February.
