For the 16th year running, the Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) and the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region VII will partner to honor outstanding classified (non-supervisory) education employees in Stanislaus County.

Two Oakdale Joint Unified School District employees are among the honorees. They are Alma Ceniceros, a Lead Cafeteria Assistant at Magnolia Elementary School; and Shelly Crist, a Custodian III at Oakdale Junior High School.

The two, along with 27 other exceptional classified staff members from county school districts, will be honored at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m. at the Martin Petersen Event Center, 720 12th St., Modesto. Called “Employees Making a Difference,” school districts throughout the county selected their honorees and forwarded the nominations to SCOE.

Seven of the 29 honorees will be selected to represent Stanislaus County in the California Department of Education’s statewide recognition program. The names of the seven individuals will be announced at the event.

The Education Foundation of Stanislaus County will also present the Jane Johnston Civility Award to one of the 29 nominees who best exemplifies the principles of civility. The award is named in honor of former SCOE Assistant Superintendent Jane Johnston, who helped launch the countywide Choose Civility Initiative in 2010 and passed away unexpectedly in April 2012. Johnston co-chaired the Employees Making a Difference Program (2008–2012) and was active with the Education Foundation of Stanislaus County.

Each district was eligible to send in a certain number of nominees based on district ADA. Districts with up to 4,999 students had one nominee; 5,000 to 9,999 students, two nominees; 10,000 to 20,000 students, three nominees; and districts with 20,000+ students had four nominees.

Key corporate sponsors, Association of Stanislaus County School Boards; Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo Law Firm; and Mocse Credit Union, help make this event possible.