Riverview Superintendent, Dr. Susan Leach, with Bridge-Builder Award recipient Katie Hinchcliffe
Katie Hinchcliffe, a Special Education teacher with Carnation Elementary’s I-SET program, is the 227th recipient of the Riverview School District’s Bridge-Builder Award. Nominated by Superintendent, Dr. Susan Leach, Hinchcliffe received the award at the April 25, 2023, School Board Meeting.
The Bridge-Builder Award consists of a lapel pin and poem, given in memory of Donna Polacek, the district’s long-time Personnel Director who always went the extra mile to give much more than was expected to the staff and students of Riverview. Periodically, throughout a school year, Bridge-Builder Awards are given to those who help further the mission and goals in Riverview.
Each recipient’s pin is numbered and recorded commemoratively in a record book located in the Superintendent’s Office. Since the award’s inception in 1997, 227 individuals have been named Bridge-Builders by the Riverview School District.
Dr. Leach’s nomination reads as follows:
“I first met Katie during her orientation and during our first conversation, she was advocating for students with disabilities. She asked whether we had heard of utilizing adaptive bicycles for students with disabilities and asked whether we could set up a meeting to talk further about it. That meeting occurred after the start of the school year and, again, Katie advocated for her students. She lobbied for additional support for the I-SET program at Carnation. Parents whose children attend the program report significant positive changes in their children. Katie truly exemplifies a staff member who regularly goes the extra mile to help further the mission and goals of the Riverview School District.”
During the presentation, Dr. Leach read from a letter shared by a parent, Melissa Baska, who spoke of the impact Hinchcliffe has made on her two sons.
“Ms. Hinchliffe has reaffirmed to me that there are people who see the full potential in my sons, not just the limitations in their diagnosis, and she works incredibly hard to ensure that their best interests are at heart. She's given me a solace that I’ve never had when it comes to their education, and I could never express in words how much that has meant.”
Please join us in congratulating Katie Hinchcliffe on earning this prestigious recognition and for a “Bridge Builder” in our Riverview Community!