Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

3/25/08

NEWS RELEASE
Auburn School District's Board of Directors Honors
Staff Member Deonna Steffy

The Auburn School District Board of Directors recognized Deonna Steffy, registrar at Mt. Baker Middle School, for her outstanding service on Monday, March 24, at 7 p.m. in the board room at the James P. Fugate Administration Building.

Deonna Steffy, in her sixth year as registrar at Mt. Baker Middle School, finds it easy to come to work every day with a positive attitude. According to Deonna, she and her co-worker in attendance, Paula Fox, make it a priority to stay positive with the students by finding students’ strengths and communicating them to every child. “When we tell students positive things, especially our truant students, it is great to see them beam and recognize their positive nature,” says Deonna.

In fact, Deonna, Paula and Vice Principal Isaiah Johnson started an awards program for truant students. “My passion is to see kids succeed and to discover what motivates them to come to school,” says Deonna. “If Paula and I see a struggling kid, we provide incentives to them if they come to class all week, or are not sent to the office all week.” Deonna wants students to know she cares about them and their current and future successes, which is one reason why she has attended truancy workshops. These workshops provide valuable information on how to communicate the benefits of staying in school to children.

Deonna can’t say enough about her co-workers. After she found out she was the recipient of the directors’ recognition award, she received a myriad of congratulatory e-mails complimenting her on her accomplishment. “When your co-workers say things like, ‘Great job, girl,’ and, ‘You deserve it,’ it really makes Mt. Baker a rewarding place to work,” smiles Deonna. The Mt. Baker staff is tight and always looks out for one another, whether it’s providing meals or donating sick leave to staff members in need. Deonna also remarks that staff goes bowling and golfing together, celebrates holidays together, and even annually attends a wreath-making class. 

Coupled with Deonna’s great attitude is her strong work ethic. Since Mt. Baker houses more than 900 students, Deonna is one busy registrar. She is responsible for enrolling new students, withdrawing students who leave the school, running overloads for staff with more than 30 students in their class, tracking waiver students, tracking attendance, collecting student grades and running report cards, and more. Her professional development primarily consists of on-the-job training. “I am fairly self-sufficient and learn things like ‘mail-merge’ and how to ‘data-mine’ reports during district inservice trainings.”

Outside of the registrar’s office, Deonna has coached gymnastics and fast pitch for Mt. Baker Middle School. She also coached gymnastics one year at Auburn Riverside High School, getting the chance to coach her daughter during her senior year. “Gymnastics was my sport from seventh grade to my first year in college,” remarks Deonna. Her enjoyment of the sport is contagious and rewarding. One year a parent told Deonna that her positive attitude made her daughter’s experience on the team one of her best ever.

Deonna’s time in the Auburn School District began nine-and-a-half years ago as an office paraeducator at Alpac Elementary School. She then transferred to Mt. Baker Middle School when the attendance secretary position opened. She worked in attendance for one-and-a-half years before she became registrar. Deonna lives with her wonderful husband in Lakeland Hills and has two adult children, who both attended Auburn schools, three stepdaughters and five grandbabies. In her spare time, Deonna enjoys gardening, bird-watching and interior decorating. She and her husband are actively involved at Lakeland Foursquare Church, where she leads the decorating and events committee, and is a regular participant in the church’s worship and music ministry on Sunday mornings—which is one reason why she always seems to find the bright side.

For more information contact Amy Spence, public information officer, at 253-931-4713.