The Excellence Award recognizes employees for creating a positive, caring and productive school environment through exceptional effort, dedication or performance in their areas of responsibility. For example, that person might have implemented a successful teaching strategy, provided extra support for fellow staff members or helped a student overcome extreme difficulties. Any colleague, student, parent or community member may submit a nomination.
All nominations will go through a review by the nominee’s supervisor and our human resources department. Approved nominations will be reviewed and selected by the Excellence Award committee which is made up of a group of staff members from across the district.
Nominations are considered for two months. Five employees are recognized between October and June of each school year.
Current Vancouver Public Schools employees and emergency replacement subs who:
- Are approved by their supervisors and the district’s HR department
- Have been employed by the district more than 1.5 years
- Have not received the award in the past 12 months
- Are currently working
- Are not retired and will not be retired at the time of their recognition
- Are not contracted or substitute employees
Persuasive nominations can go a long way toward securing an Excellence Award for an employee. Here are a few tips for crafting your nomination:
- Tell a story. Focus on a few compelling details, and make the nominee’s personality shine.
- Be specific. Give examples of notable things the employee has done.
- Ask others to nominate the employee, too. A group effort can sometimes make a good impression on the selection committee. However, one strong nomination also can clinch an award.
Nominees who pass the vetting process are sent to the selection committee for review. The selection committee assesses nominees’ positive and caring attributes, contributions to a productive work environment, exceptional effort, dedication and performance.
The committee votes monthly from October to June. The five individuals with the most votes receive the award.
In addition to awardees chosen by the peer nomination and Excellence Awards committee voting process, the Board of Directors may recognize recipients who have been nominated by the Superintendent’s Cabinet for demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication to VPS students and their families.
Please contact the VPS communications office at 360-313-1230 or recognitionaward@vansd.org.
Nomination schedule
Award month | Nomination deadline at noon | Recipients recognized at school board meeting |
---|---|---|
October 2024 | Sept. 3 | Oct. 8 |
November 2024 | Oct. 7 | Nov. 12 |
December 2024 | Nov. 6 | Dec. 10 |
January 2025 | Nov. 25 | Jan. 14 |
February 2025 | Dec. 11 | Feb. 11 |
March 2025 | Jan. 21 | Mar. 11 |
April 2025 | Feb. 12 | Apr. 8 |
May 2025 | Mar. 13 | May 13 |
June 2025 | Apr. 17 | June 3 |
Even if a deadline has passed, you can still submit a nomination. Nominations are accepted all year long!
Recent winners
Submission form
Please fill out the following form completely.