SPOTSD
Support Professionals of Tooele School District is your local Tooele County School District support employee association with local volunteer representatives. All SPOTSD dues are kept in-house and accounted for by SPOTSD board members. Our representatives work alongside you at Tooele County School District. We understand your needs and concerns and will continue to fight for what's important to you. Your local representatives are always here and always available to listen and support TCSD classified employees. Since all SPOTSD representatives work on a volunteer basis, we have minimized administrative costs and pass those savings on to our members in the form of lower dues. Our goal is to provide opportunities to help train, support, and create unity for the Tooele School District's support professionals.
Presidency
President | Mitzi Belverstone | mbelverstone@tooeleschools.org |
President Elect | Laura Burdine | lburdine@tooeleschools.org |
Secretary | Amy Magana | amagana@tooeleschools.org |
Treasurer | Shelley Snow | ssnow@tooeleschools.org |
Past President | Jennifer Adams | jadams@tooeleschools.org |
Scholarship Coordinator | Open |
Board Members: Brad Binkley, Raul Rivera, Bryan Hansen, Rashell Tracy, Mitzi Belverstone, Jennifer Adams, Shelley Snow, Laura Burdine
Insurance Committee: Bryan Hansen, Jennifer Adams
Building Representatives
Anna Smith\WHS\Ibapah- Randy Bateman
Copper Canyon- Ty Judd
Grantsville Elementary- Amy Wells
Middle Canyon- Shauna Bevan
Northlake Elementary- Erica Haycock
Old Mill- Karli Sternberg
Overlake Elementary- Leslie Frackrell
Rose Springs- Rochelle (Shelly) Tracy
Settlement Canyon- Bryan Hanson
Stansbury Park- Brad Binkley
Sterling Elementary- Donna Hainsworth
Vernon\Dugway- Stacy Wall
Willow Elementary- Denise Fawson \Lynn Pinkham
West Elementary- Stephanie Fenton
Twenty Wells- Joylynn Peterson
Grantsville Jr- Carl Herren
Tooele Jr- Sharmel Walker
Clarke N. Johnsen- Woody Woodruff
Blue Peak\CLC- Jennifer Adams
Grantsville High- Shelley Snow
Stansbury High- Amy Magana
Tooele High- Lowell Belnap
District Office- Kristen Evans
Facilities\Maintenance\Child Nutrition- Raul Rivera
Student Services- Laura Burdine
Transportation- Mitzi Belverstone
Membership
Newsletters
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- May 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
February 2025
Mass Meeting Time
Do you have concerns? Want to vote on new members? Join us on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 PM. 86 N Onyx Way (Transportation Dept.). Voting will take place for a President Elect and a Vice President Elect.
Classified Employee Spotlight
Karli Sternberg: Old Mill Elementary Head Custodian
Karli keeps her school so clean and in order. She addresses problems and finds solutions to create a safe, welcoming environment for all. She goes over and above often reporting to the school at odd times for snow removal and other situations. She is always willing to help and does so with a smile.
Alex Casillas: Northlake Elementary ML Para
Alex works with many students who need extra support in learning the English language. She is dedicated to making sure that they are successful, finding the best ways to support them, and collaborating with teachers and staff to ensure that our students are getting the best education. Alex is a team player and is always willing to jump in and do whatever she can to help the families at Northlake.
Josh Harrison: Field Tech
Josh consistently goes above and beyond to help anyone in need. Whether it's another technician or a school requiring assistance, he is always ready to lend a hand. He responds promptly to technical issues at his schools and frequently receives compliments on his outstanding work.
Kristi Amell: Rose Springs Elementary Literacy/Math Aide
Kristi consistently exceeds expectations in every aspect of her role. She is highly detail-oriented and demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the success of the students in her interventions groups. By tirelessly ensuring each student's progress, she fosters an environment where learning thrives. Kristi collaborates with the teaching staff to optimize the effectiveness of her intervention groups on a daily basis. She also plays a crucial role in collecting and tracking intervention and progress monitoring data, alleviating the workload of the teaching team. Always willing to go the extra mile, Kristi is a dependable and dedicated asset who readily takes on any task to support the success of our students and staff.
Treasure Hunt Time
Treasure chests full of fun prizes will soon be in your building. All classified employees are invited to complete the tasks to earn a fun prize. See your building rep for more details.
Scholarship Opportunities
Do you have a high school senior? If so, make sure they log into the TEF Scholarship page and apply for the SPOTSD scholarship. The scholarship is for $1000.
January 2025
Classified Employee Highlights:
Jared Zeller: Help Desk Tech- Jared does a phenomenal job on the help desk. I have received numerous compliments from other staff members about his ability to go above & beyond to assist anyone who needs help. Jared has all the characteristics of an outstanding employee!
Vandy Williams: GHS- Vandy is proactive & goes the extra mile to fix a small problems so they do not become large problems. She puts her heart & soul into keeping our building in good repair. She come in before the day begins to do work that cannot be completed while students are in the building. Vandy is a perfect example of an outstanding employee.
Michelle Williams: HR- Michelle is always positive. She is effective & efficient. She goes above & beyond & never expects anything in return. She is knowledgeable & always willing to share that knowledge to help others succeed. She is amazing!
Membership:
March Mass Meeting watch for the date!
We recently discovered a situation where an employee believed they were a member of SPOTSD, but their paystub reflected enrollment in a different employee association. To help prevent any similar mix-ups, we encourage all employees to review their paystubs to ensure they are enrolled in the employee association they intend to be part of. Thank you for taking the time to verify this—it’s important to us that you belong to the association of your choice.
December 2024
Gift Card Winners: Lucia Godoy, McKinley Benson, Teresa Reed, Ryan Snyder, Lori Aragon, Melanie Dixon
Classified Employee Highlights:
Brandi Collins goes above and beyond to take care of anyone who calls the Help Desk. Since she has been in this role she has elevated the position. She will do whatever she can to make sure the person on the end of the line is taken care of. I can count on her to get things done. She is an outstanding employee, and we couldn't operate without her.
Trisdana Colledge comes to work everyday with a positive attitude, she is very efficient and effective in her job. Many times she will go above and beyond to help her coworkers feel cared for and valuable even outside of normal work hours. There have been many instances during the evening and weekends that she has given a employee a ride to pick up medicine or to a doctors appointment. She is selfless and makes a huge positive impact on the the lives of many people.
Tavedoma Acevedo consistently embodies positivity, energy, and a strong sense of teamwork. His upbeat and friendly nature makes him a pleasure to work with, and his willingness to assist whenever needed is unmatched. Whether it's a teacher or the office in need, Tama is always quick to respond, eager to lend a hand, and dedicated to solving any challenge with a smile. His commitment to going above and beyond makes him an invaluable asset to our Rattlesnake team.
Jennifer Atherley, is a great employee. She works hard, is intelligent, and accepts assignments without complaint. She's just a good human being and is kind when dealing with others. She's very professional, and discreet with confidential information. She deserves to be recognized.
Lori Aragon is an absolute superstar at Settlement Canyon.! As a SPED Para, she goes above and beyond to help our students succeed in their classrooms. Lori is a breakfast hero, helping monitor the lunchroom with her positive vibes. Her dedication, kindness, and can-do attitude make her a true treasure, and we’re so lucky to have her!
May you all have a wonderful Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
SPOTSD appreciates each and everyone of you and your support!
We have open positions on our Spotsd board if your interested let us know!
November 2024
Thanksgiving gift card winners: Shelly Tiggins, Leah Rigby, Suzanne Fisher, Annette Smith, Bryan Earls
Kyrie Cavasos: If Kyrie could be a fairytale character, she said she would be The Fairy Godmother. This is exactly what Kyrie is like each day. Our students and staff love Kyrie. As the refocus mentor, she is firm, fair, and friendly. She exemplifies patience and fresh starts. She makes a positive impact on students by helping them understand why their behavior needs to change, then helping them practice the desired behavior by reteaching and reinforcing. She is passionate about celebrating growth and success, no matter how small they might be. I have learned so much by watching Kyrie in action. She brings the special sauce to work each day which helps OMES be the special school it is.
Misty Perkins: Misty greets each person who comes to the finance office with a smile and hello and is always so very helpful. Recently we hired anew Finance Secretary and Misty was willing to put in extra time to train and help them become acclimated to their new position. She is very knowledgeable and a great asset to our school with her friendly and helpful demeanor.
Leesa Jones: Leesa Jones stands out as an outstanding classified employee due to her unwavering patience with our students and her remarkable teamwork. She consistently goes above and beyond in her role as a Special Education aide, ensuring that each student receives the support they need. Her kindness fosters a positive and inclusive environment, which is essential for student growth
Heidi Giles: Heidi goes above and beyond in her duties as an instructional aide. She is in tune to students' needs and works to help them increase their understanding of words. Heidi's ability to assess students' needs and then tailor their instruction to meet their needs is beneficial to the classroom teacher and intervention team. We are so lucky to have Heidi at Copper Canyon and her love for students and their learning.
Please see your Building Rep for important Member information!
CARING FOR EMLOYEES IS WHAT WE DO.
Offering free, confidential, and brief counseling to employees and their family members.
Intermountain Health’s employee assistance program is your partner in living a life filled with energy, strength, and vitality. Taking care of your mental health is as essential to your well-being as taking care of your physical health.
Rewarding relationships at home and work, effective stress management skills, and learning to thrive with life changes are
all goals that EAP can assist employees to achieve.
Contact Intermountain Employee Assistance
Call 800.832.7733 from 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. (MST) to schedule an appointment.
A crisis counselor is available by phone 24/7 at the same numbers.
You can also e-mail us at eap@imail.org with non-urgent questions or feedback
October 2024
With the beautiful color of the leaves changing, Fall is upon us and the holidays will be here before we know it! Please don’t forget kids will be anxious and excited and we will be stressed and tired , please show patience and kindness not only to yourself but to each other. SPOTSD leadership has been busy these past couple of months, we have had 5 situations brought to our attention and we were able to rectify 3 of them and are continuing to make progress with district leadership on the others. We are happy to help when questions or concerns are brought forth and strive to have these matters resolved in a positive manner.
Our leadership team meets monthly with the Superintendent, attends leadership and insurance wellness meetings. Our building representatives are working hard within the buildings talking to prospective members, assisting current members, sitting in on interview committees and assisting where needed! Thank you! Please reach out to them if you have an issue or idea, we would love to hear it!
Our spotlight for October is Kelly Russell. Kelly is the YIC mentor for the district, she is fun loving and hard working being a bright light and an advocate for students in tough situations. Congratulations and thanks for making a difference in students’ lives, you matter! If you would like to nominate a fellow employee, please let your building rep or principal know who and why you are nominating them.
Elections for SPOTSD presidency will be coming up in February, think about nominating someone or becoming a board member yourself.
UPCOMING:
- Meet the candidate night is Oct. 14th at 7:00 p.m. please come and meet the people running for local and state school board. This will be a fun event. Check with your building rep for information
- Fall break – Oct. 17th – 18th.
- Thanksgiving and Christmas drawings
- National Support Professional day
- If you are interested in becoming a member of our employee led association dues are $10.00 a month for part time and $20.00 a month for full time payable Oct. 5th – June 5th. Thanks for everything! Have a great month.
SPOTSD Leadership: Mitzi Belverstone, Laura Berdine & Jennifer Adams
May 2024
CONGRAULATIONS TO TiiE GRADUATES OF 2024!
The following Graduates were awarded a $1000.00 scholarship from SPOTSD and
thank you to all that applied.
Megan Lloyd -Tooele High
Emily Adams - Gr.ultsville High
Carter Kelley - Grantsville High
Landen Madsen - Grantsville High
Madison Remley - Stansbury High
Spencer Shields - Stansbury High
As the school days end, we want to thank you all for your dedication to the
students!
SPOTSD members sincerely THANK YOU for your support!
We have not heard back on the raises or changes for next year and will keep you
posted as information becomes available_ Please check your emails throughout the
summer for important updates, and don"t forget to do your safe schools training.
Sincerely,
SPOTSD Presidency, Mitzi Belverstone, Laura Burdine, Jennifer Adams
SPOTSD Board Members: Raul Rivera, Brad Binkley, Amy Magana, Bryan
Hansen, Shelley Snow, Shelly Tracy
March 2024
We are doing a fill the board room with classified employees at the March school board meeting. We as an Association want the board to see the classified employees, rarely does this happen. The board hears about us, knows that we work to keep schools running but we would like them to SEE us and you to see how things work on their side. Please plan to attend. The association will make a statement at the public speaking time, and we encourage you to as well if you so desire. Remember Tuesday March 12th at 6:00 p.m. See you there!
Scholarships are now open and available to an Association’s family member. These scholarships are now available through TEF’s website. tooeleeducationfoundation.org. Spread the word.
We recently had several new sign-ups and want to welcome all those members to our Association. We enjoyed meeting a lot of you at the Summit and hope you were able to learn from all the breakout sessions and feel refreshed to finish out the year.
The building rep winner for new sign-ups is Linda Kirby.
Spring Break is from the 25th – 29th. Enjoy your time off!
Thanks for being part of a great Association and District.
SPOTSD Presidency – Mitzi Belverstone, Laura Burdine, Jennifer Adams
SPOTSD Board – Brian Hansen, Brad Binkley, Raul Rivera, Shelley Snow, Amy Magna, Shelly Tracy.
February 2024
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN SPOTSD!
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1. When joining SPOTSD, your voice matters. We hear you! All concerns will be addressed to administration and appropriate personnel.
2. SPOTSD board members, along with building representatives are available to you throughout the year to address concerns and problems should there be any.
3. By joining SPOTSD, you are provided extra support by the board on arbitrary,
unjust, or unfair treatment and grievances.
4. By joining SPOTSD, we have a stronger voice together and can show the Board
of Education that we are one unit, together and strong, wanting to stand together as a group so we have the right to negotiate.
5. SPOTSD prides itself on providing fair representation for all members and works diligently to support classified employees who are members of SPOTSD.
When choosing a career in education, you are choosing to make a difference in the
lives of children. You become a role model and mentor for students; before you know it, every student has a special place in your heart. We know that turnover for
classified positions are high and that one of the main reasons is due to salary. In
order for SPOTSD to have the right to negotiate salaries, we must have at least an
average of 50 plus 1% of all classified employees to become members by March 1st.
Currently we need around 170 more members to sign up for us to reach that goal.
Please consider signing up using the QR code listed at the bottom of the page. We
would love nothing more than for you to have the ability to maintain a long-term
career with reasonable pay and stay with the Tooele County School District.
Negotiating salaries is one way in which that can be achieved!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
THE SUMMIT-FEBRUARY 16TH, 2O24
The Summit will be held at Tooele High School on February 16th, 2024. Please stop by the
SPOTSD booth located in both the commons and the auditorium area to sign up and grab some swag! Gift cards will be available for those who sign up at the booth or with a building rep!
FILL THE BOARD ROOM-MARCH 12TH, 2O24
Please join us in our first annual fill the room board meeting! Our goal is to fill the board room with classified employees and show our Board of Education just how many lives are affected by policy change. We would also like to remind the Board just how many classified employees are making a difference in the lives of our students each day! Please note, you may address the Board during the public comment section of the agenda. Each person who signs up to speak is allowed a 3-minute slot. There are only 10 time slots available, so this is on a first come-first serve basis. If you would like to speak, plan on getting there EARLY!
YOU MATTERI
SPOTSD would like to thank every one of you, for all that you do. You are making a difference in so many lives! It is because of you and your dedication to children, that our school district is one of the best! SPOTSD understands and acknowledges how hard you work, how incredibly stressful your job can be, and how thankless it is at times. Just remember, when a child makes the comment 'you are the best', or you get a hug, or a small gift (like a dandelion from the lawn), or a note or drawing from a student; it is all worth it!
SIGN UP FOR SPOTSD TODAY
Part time Employee Dues are $10.00 a month, $5.00 a check. Full Time Employees $20.00 a month, $10.00 a check.
January 2024
WELCOME BACK!
NEW VEAR NEW BEGININGS * Hope you all enjoyed the break!
Mid-year budget cut updates - by now you have all received the news of the
budget cuts implemented by the State. Please help spread the truth on this
matter and contact your supervisor or our board for answers. We realize that
it is stressful not knowing what will happen in the next several months, we are
here for you and are happy to help you with any problems that you are having
or may arise from this. We will continue to advocate for you and work out the
best solutions with the district should the need arise. Thanks for your support
and positivity. We are all doing the best we can in this situation.
We have calculated our membership numbers, and we are at 41%. By Policy
we must be at 50% plus 1. So, as you can see, we have a challenge ahead of us
that is attainable, but we need you classified employees to unite and join our
association. This year especially is so important for us to be able to negotiate!
Please reach out to your Building reps or one of our Board members for the
enrollment form.
Here is the list of Building Reps:
- Anna Smith, WHS, lbapah: Randy Bateman
- Grantsville High: Shelly Snow
- Stansbury High: Amy Magaria
- Tooele High: Lowell Belnap
- Blue Peak /CLC: Jennifer Adams
- Operations: Raul Rivera
- Student Services: Laura Burdine
- CopperCanyon: Ty Judd
- Middle Canyon: John Graft
- Old Mill: Karli Sternberg
- Rose Springs: Rashell Tracy
- Stansbury Park: Brad Binkley
- Vernon/lbapah: Stacy Wall
- Grantsville Jr. High: Carl Hansen
- Transportation: Mitzi Belversttone
- Grantsville Elem: Lynn Pinkham
- Northlake: Erica Haycock
- Overtake: Leslie Fackrell
- Settlement: Bryan Hensen
- Sterling: Donna Hainsworth
- West: Linda Kirby
- Clarke N. Johnsen Jr High: Mindy Walters
- Tooele Jr. High School: Sharmel Walker
Thank you for all you do & give to the school district, students & each other!
Sincerely,
SPOTSD Presidency: Mitzi Belverstone, Laura Burdine & Jennifer Adams
December 2023
Happy Holidays from SPOTSD! We hope your Christmas season is bright and full of laughter. Don't forget to relax over the break and enjoy your family.
SPOTSD would like to congratulate the following winter drawing winners who will receive a $25 gift card to Macey's:
Alice Green- THS
Sabrina Beshore- BPHS
Corey Price- IT
Brittenay Garrard- RSES
Nannette Fash- CCES
We are currently working on Policy 4014 regarding equal pay employees and 5 days' leave. Please know that we are working collaboratively with the district while seeking solutions and options that better serve all.
If you or someone you know would like to join SPOTSD please click Membership above to sign up.
Monthly Dues:
Full Time: $20 per month/ $10 per paycheck
Part Time: $10 per month/$5 per paycheck
November 2023
Hello,
November is the month for giving thanks! One day a week every week this month stop and reflect on what you are thankful for.
We will be doing our annual Thanksgiving drawing again this year!
It is also National Support Professional Appreciation Month, and we appreciate you!
SPOTSD would like to welcome our new Building Reps
Copper Canyon: Ty Judd |
Stansbury Park: Brad Binkley |
Grantsville High: Shelley Snow |
Grantsville Elem: Lynn Pinkham |
Sterling: Donna Hainsworth |
Stansbury High: Amy Magana |
Middle Canyon: John Graft |
Vernon\Dugway: Stacy Wall |
Tooele High: Lowell Belnap |
Northlake Elem: Erica Haycock |
West Elem: Linda Kirby |
Blue Peak\CLC: Jennifer Adams |
Old Mill: Karli Sternberg |
Twenty Wells: Anna Miller |
Facilities/Maintenance: Raul Rivera |
Overlake Elem: Leslie Fackrell |
Grantsville Jr: Carl Hansen |
Student Services: Laura Burdine |
Rose Springs: Shelly Tracy |
Tooele Jr: Sharmel Walker |
Transportation: Mitzi Belverstone |
Settlement: Bryan Hansen |
Clarke-N-Johnsen: Mindy Walters |
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These members will be your 1st point of contact and will help you with any concerns and questions. Thank you to each one of them!
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
1. Don’t go into a disciplinary hearing without adequate representation
2. Don’t sign or quit before consulting a SPOTSD representative
3. Don’t say you are at fault
4. Do ask a SPOTSD board member to attend your disciplinary hearing
5. Do call your SPOTSD representative for advice concerning employment matters
Maybe it is time you give some thought to supporting the SPOTSD association that supports you in everything that affects your career! We need you!
The SPOTSD Board members appreciate each of you for your support and hard work!
Mitzi Belverstone, Laura Burdine, Shelley Snow, Amy Magaña, Jennifer Adams, Brad Binkley, Bryan Hansen, Raul Rivera, Shelly Tracy
October 2023
Happy Fall!
Hopefully things have settled down now that we are a couple of months into a new school year!
We are working hard to keep the Association up to date and involved in all aspects of employee needs. We are in need of building representatives at the following schools: Middle Canyon Overlake
Northlake Sterling
Grantsville Jr. Tooele Jr.
Clark N. Johnson Jr. Vernon- Dugway
By being a building rep, you will have the opportunity to become more involved in the Association and help to shape the future for the classified employees. We will help train you and give you all the resources needed to be successful, if you are interested, please reach out to a Board member.
If you haven’t signed up to be a member now is the time! We want to be able to sit at the bargaining table when wages, benefits, and policies that affect all of us are discussed and decided. THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS! We all can make a difference.
We will be having the Thanksgiving and Christmas drawings in the next couple of months so be on the lookout for that information.
Have a great month and reach out if we can help you in any way!
Sincerely, SPOTSD Presidency: Mitzi Belverstone, Laura Burdine, Jennifer Adams
SPOTSD Board: Brad Binkley, Shelley Snow, Bryan Hansen, Shelly Tracy, Raul Rivera