The PBIS Leadership Team is proud to announce our Mustang of the Month award recipients for the month of April. Congratulations to Jennifer Madden, Jacklyn Eck and Edward Schutz!
Our first Mustang of the Month is Jennifer Madden, a teacher at Mount Markham Elementary School.
Madden was born and raised on her family’s dairy farm in West Winfield and is an alumna of Mount Markham CSD. Jennifer Madden received her higher education at SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Cortland, and she has worked at Mount Markham CSD for over 26 years. Madden has two daughters who will be graduating from college in May.
Jennifer Madden’s favorite aspect of being part of the Mount Markham CSD community is being able to teach in the district where she was once a student. Some of her students have been the children of her former students, and she values the family-like atmosphere.
Madden credits her success with treating others with kindness, respect and patience, and enjoying the little things in life.
Jennifer Madden is well-respected by her fellow teachers, administrators, parents and students.
“Jen is a Kindergarten teacher who works wonders,” Mount Markham Elementary Principal Jennifer McDonald said.
When she is not at work, Jennifer Madden enjoys running, and has run several Boilermakers, a few half-marathons and a full marathon. Madden also has a love for reading, spending time outdoors, playing cards with her family and going to the beach.
Our next Mustang of the Month is Jacklyn Eck, a teacher at Mount Markham Middle School.
Jacklyn Eck is a local to the area, raised in and graduated from the Holland Patent Central School District. Eck received her higher education at Cazenovia College and SUNY Cortland, and she taught pre-Kindergarten at Head Start before coming to Mount Markham CSD. Eck taught at Mount Markham Elementary School for several years before teaching at the middle school, and her three children all attend school in the Mount Markham Central School District.
As part of the Mount Markham CSD community, Eck deeply values the people that she works with, the community members and her students, and feels that Mount Markham CSD is like a family.
Jacklyn Eck strongly believes in treating others with love, kindness and respect, and always tries to look at the positives of any situation. Eck values hard work and having a solid work ethic, and she encourages those qualities in her students.
Jacklyn Eck’s students have noted her kind and compassionate attitude.
“She's nice, amazing, and she can understand anyone,” one student said.
Outside of work, Eck likes to spend time with family and friends, do outdoor activities, attend her children’s athletic events, cook and bake, and do DIY projects and crafts.
Our final Mustang of the Month is Edward Schutz, a bus driver with the Mount Markham Central School District.
Edward Schutz is a native to the area and attended Mount Markham CSD and Utica College (now Utica University). Schutz is the president of the bus drivers’ union, and he has been a member of the West Edmeston Fire Department for 50 years, the chairman of fire commissioners for 30 years and served on the town board for 20 years. Edward Schutz is married to Pat Schutz and has one son.
Schutz’s favorite part about working at Mount Markham CSD is the interactions he is able to have with other employees.
As a worker and as an individual, Edward Schutz values helping wherever he can, and his helpful demeanor has been noted by many employees in the district.
“The French Club’s trip had a late flight cancellation after being dropped off at the
Albany Airport,” Mount Markham High School Principal Victor Zampetti said. “Ed jumped back in a bus, returned to Albany, picked up the students and chaperones and proceeded to drive to JFK Airport with the students, so they could make their flight to London. Most of the drive was through a storm. All the while, he stayed focused on the safety of our students and kept his pleasant and professional disposition.”
When he is not working for Mount Markham CSD, Edward Schutz enjoys golf and playing cards.