News Release  

For Immediate Release

May 23, 2023

Dewey, Soli Receive Employee of the Quarter Awards

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Christine Dewey and Mike Soli have been selected as the certified and classified employees of the 4th quarter at Grand Forks Public Schools.

Dewey (certified) and Soli (classified) received a plaque from the Grand Forks School Board during its meeting on May 22. In gratitude for their impact on the school system and students, they received a $200 monetary award from the Grand Forks Foundation for Education.

Created in 2019, the purpose of the award program is to recognize excellence as accomplished by certified and classified employees. To be considered for the award, the employee must be a valuable asset to the school community by completing their job duties to the highest standard and displaying a commitment to students/parents/guardians, as well as the school/program/school system.

Dewey is an English Language (EL) teacher at Winship Elementary School. In her nomination, colleague Jill Malone shared, “All of our students adore Mrs. Dewey. Although she is firm while teaching, she is so kind to everyone. Kids are always so happy to come to learn with her, and she is patient with everyone. She constantly finds fun ways to teach kids in ways they can understand, even with language barriers. She also takes an interest in each child and their likes and dislikes and encourages them to do things outside of school. Mrs. Dewey also goes above and beyond for our parents. She has close relationships with all our EL parents and makes them all feel like family. She calls parents to remind them that their children have programs or parent events and ensures they have a ride to an event or a parent-teacher conference. She also encourages parents to take free English classes and attend parenting classes when available. She understands that different cultures view parenting and education differently and is always learning more to help everyone understand those differences.”

Soli is the facility manager at Red River High School. In her nomination, colleague Dr. Betsy Thaden said, “Mike knows every inch of Red River and how each and everything works down to the tiniest detail. His abundant and vast knowledge regarding the functions of the school and all of its systems is beyond measure. He is responsible for budgeting, ordering, and maintaining an adequate amount of supplies. Mike is the first in the building daily, even on snow days when school has been canceled. He also has the knowledge to fix just about anything, including cleaning equipment. The cleanliness of the building is of the utmost importance to Mike and his staff, making Red River a safe environment for all who enter. Mike works hard during the school year and even harder during the summer months when projects are completed to ready the school for a new school year. I have the highest regard for him, his willingness to always lend a helping hand, and for all of his knowledge.”

The employee of the quarter program will re-open in the Fall of 2023.

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