Education

Byron recognizes Classified Employees of the Year

BYRON The Byron Union School District recently honored their Classified Employees of the Year. The employees named were Barbara Morgan, Barbara Gonzales and Angelene Kumar.

Barbara Morgan Discovery Bay Elementary

Morgan has worked in the district since 2007 and started her career at Timber Point Elementary School as a campus supervisor. She went on to become a reading aide and is now in her fifth year as an attendance clerk at Discovery Bay Elementary. Known for her kind and friendly demeanor, she loves interacting with students and their families and is fondly known as ‘Ms. Barb.’ Morgan and her husband Don have been married for 30 years. They have lived in Discovery Bay for 17 years and have two children: daughter Taylor, a Chico State graduate who works for Shasta County Public Health; and their son Connor who is currently attending Los Medanos College and works for Dutch Bros. Both Taylor and Connor attended their elementary and middle school years in the Byron Union School District. When she is not working at the school, Morgan loves to go shopping and spend time with her family and friends. Currently, she is excited about her daughter’s upcoming wedding in October. “Barb is an essential member of our Discovery Bay team,” said Principal Erika Parlog. “Barb is always here with a smile on her face and kind words for all who interact with her. She is willing to take on any task and everything she does is done with excellence. As our attendance clerk, Barb manages her responsibilities diligently, while still offering care and consideration for students and their families.”

Barbara Gonzales Excelsior Middle School

Gonzales has worked in the district since 2000, beginning her career as a campus supervisor at Excelsior Middle School (then known as Byron Middle School). For the past 14 years, she has worked as an aide for special needs students at all three school sites. She is currently at Excelsior.

A resident of Discovery Bay for 22 years, Gonzales has been married to her husband Art for 38 years and they have three sons; Chris, Alex and Michael and their 20-year-old furrbaby Oreo. All three sons are alumni of the Byron Union School District, and! Last but not least is their 20.

When not working, Gonzales loves spending time with her famil and enjoys long walks and hikes especially on the levee in Discovery Bay. Further, she enjoys theatre and attending plays.

Her favorite part of the job is when she has helped a student master a life skill or academic skill and they glow with pride at their own success

“Over these past 20-plus years, I have learned more from my students than they could ever learn from me,” said Gonzales. “My students fill my heart, and most importantly, they keep me young at heart.”

Her colleagues admire Gonzalez for her passion and dedication when working with students; she always puts forth tremendous effort in assuring her students’ needs are being met.

Angelene Kumar Timber Point Elementary School

Kumar began working for the school district in 2010 as a campus supervisor and a substitute aide. In 2013 she became a permanent aide, working with the special needs students at Timber Point. Kumar also works at a local senior living facility in Brentwood.

She and her family are originally Fiji and came to Discovery Bay in 2009. Since 1998, she has been happily married to her “better half,” Avikash, and they have two children together, daughter Thriya, a junior at San Francisco State and their son Trishall, a senior at Liberty High School. In her free time Kumar loves to travel with her family, watch movies, cook and dance.

Her students affectionately call her Ms. Angee.

She says her favorite part of the job is “the love, understanding and calmness I have for my students. This job teaches me to be calm and patient in any crisis. Each day, I go home learning something new from my students, and that’s what I love about my job.”

The staff could not be more proud of Kumar for being chosen as CSEA’s Employee of the Year for Timber Point Elementary School.

MORGAN GONZALES KUMAR

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