CSEA MEMBER KIP WINTERS, THIRD FROM RIGHT, IS PICTURED WITH HER CO-WORKERS AT WOODLAND ELEMENTARY. The Mariposa Chapter of Classified School Employees Association (CSEA) is honoring Woodland library/health clerk Kip Winters this month. Winters is an 11-year employee of Woodland.

Before she and her husband moved to Mariposa, she worked with the Palmdale School District for 11 years with elementary school children. She started as a volunteer PTA secretary, then became the cheerleader coach. She tested to be the physical education coach and eventually became the health clerk.

When her husband retired and the couple moved to Mariposa, Winters saw Woodland Elementary from Highway 49 South and decided to work there. She as first a library aide putting on a book fair. Since that time, she has put on 21 book fairs at Woodland.

“I love tending to the over 9,000 books in our collection, ordering new books, repairing much-loved and read books, keeping the books orderly on the shelve and maintaining a pleasing atmosphere for the students to read in,” Winters said. Students are currently involved in an accelerated reader program. They are up to 92 million words.

Winters is also the school’s health clerk. She works in the office during the busy lunch recess, tending to students that get the occasional bump or scrape. She also administers medication to the students who need it. She helps keep health records up to date, sends letters home to remind parents of immunizations and health exams that are due and recording information.

Outside of school, Winters is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, vice president of the CSEA chapter, and a decorating helper at Chocolate Soup in the spring and at Christmas. She donates her time to Woodland whenever asked with arts and crafts projects.

“Working at Woodland School has been a wonderful experience,” Winters said. “We are a family of workers that care for the education of our youth. There is no better place to work.”