Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Occupational Therapist Assistant Amy Maxheimer is the February recipient of the EVSC’s Cause for Applause award. The award seeks to recognize individuals who go above and beyond their normal job responsibilities.
Maxheimer, who was nominated by two fellow coworkers, has worked for the EVSC for 23 years. According to fellow coworker Ruth Burris, Maxheimer “has a deep passion for her students and making sure that their needs are met.â€
Although not directly part of her job responsibilities or her training, Maxheimer has become the district’s “sensory guru,†and is continually asked to travel to schools throughout the corporation to make suggestions for implementing “sensory rooms†for special education students. These rooms include specific locations within a building, special equipment and even color schemes that help students that have sensory issues.
“She has introduced the masses of educators on the need, benefits and appropriate use of sensory rooms …. She does all this on top of maintaining her full caseload of occupational therapy students,†Burris said.
“Anyone who has met or been in the same room with Amy Maxheimer knows that she exudes a special energy and her personality is larger than life. Amy has taken those gifts and applied them directly to the support she provides to the students of the EVSC.†wrote another coworker Jeanne Goedde. “I can honestly saw that Amy finds a piece of her love to share with all of the students she encounters and she is well deserving as a Cause for Applause recipient.â€
Anyone can nominate an employee of the EVSC for the award. Deadline for nominations is the third Friday of each month. To nominate an EVSC employee, go to www.evscschools.com and click on About Us and see Cause for Applause under Community. Paper forms are available at the schools for those without access to the Internet.
