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I hope everyone’s holiday week is restful and joyous. I could express my gratitude for so many things our community does to bring out the best in one another, but this is the message I turn over to our staff each year to share what they’re thankful for this year as Sequoians. It’s the annual Thanksgiving Sentinel message!
As you might expect, there’s a lot of gratitude to go around at The Place of Friends. Let’s go around the table before we carve the turkey:
Ms. Charles, Instructional Vice Principal, spotlights “our collaborative staff, parent volunteers, and amazing ASB and student leaders. I’m so proud and grateful to be a part of this community!”
Along those lines, Ms. Fenech is “thankful for the awesome staff and dynamic students I get to work with everyday!”
Fresh off her quest into the underworld, Ms. Cain is “very grateful for my colleagues and for all the families in our community who supported our fall production of The Lightning Thief!!!”
Mr. Wohl, English teacher, gives “a big shout out to Mr. Stalder and Mr. Bloom for really taking on a lot to support the dream club, especially filling the shoes of Jane Slater in her first year of retirement! They are awesome and inspiring colleagues!”
The Media Center’s Ms. Snow is grateful for Maria Cornelio, who “adds such great energy to our Media Center. She loves helping students take care of business!”
Ms. Baldaccini is “thankful for our amazing English Department, whose members continue to inspire and support my teaching!”
Ms. Ramroth in the Social Studies Department thanks her colleagues “for welcoming me into their crew!” giving special props to “the Ethnic Studies team for their continuous work in implementing a course that's still relatively new and being willing to problem solve and continue to find ways to make it a meaningful course for our students,” and “Ms. Banister and Mx. Nguyen who have been so, so helpful in welcoming me to the IB HOA team and who have been endlessly generous in sharing materials and supporting me in a new prep.”
Ms. O’Hern gives a “big thanks to Ms. Goodwin for helping proctor a test when I had to be away to take care of a family member.”
Ms. Coleman is grateful for many colleagues, starting with “Ms. Fong, my wonderful co-teacher, whose passion for Biology and Science—especially her recent work on Zombie Fires—inspires our students every day.” She is also grateful for “Brian Newell, Giselle Soto, Natalie Avina, Lesly Villagomez Ortega, Hana Lip, and Rees Kamp, whose compassion and ability to connect with students create a supportive, loving environment.”
She gives props to School Psychologists Ms. Etiz and Ms.Tang “for anticipating the needs of our students with grace and fidelity.” Lastly, Ms. Coleman shouts out to “our custodial team and tech staff whose helpfulness and dedication often go unseen, but who are truly essential to our school community.”
“Every time I see Mr. Byron Griffie in the hallway,” echoes English Teacher Mr. Bloom, “he calls me ‘chief’ and asks how I'm doing. That makes me feel good. I appreciate the hard work and positive energy he brings to Sequoia every day.”
More love for our custodial team from Ms. Wenzel, who is “grateful to Cristian Cac for his terrific work cleaning B-9,” along with “Sequoia Plant Manager Fine Lauese and the entire custodial team for their outstanding work keeping the campus beautiful.”
Ms. Wenzel also expresses thanks to ”Ms. Pamela Ehrlich and Ms. Wuendi Ochoa, the two compassionate, effective and wonderful instructional associates with whom I get to collaborate every day!” along with “the group of phenomenal volunteers who assist most Tuesdays with my two ELD 2 classes.”
“Ms. Grace Horton, Ms. Giulia Solari, Ms. Susie Bass, and Ms. Vanessa Oseguera,” she continues, “for their organization and warmth. And the entire campus aide team, the administrative team, and Aaron Susman, the new SRO, for keeping our campus as safe as possible.”
Finally, in a sentiment we all share, Ms. Wenzel is “grateful to the students I am fortunate to teach for their positive energy, collaborative spirit and hard work.”
We’ll give the last word to Spanish teacher Ms. Marchal, who is “grateful to be part of the charm of our Sequoia school. The smiles I pass in the hallways, the colleagues always willing to help, the happy faces of the students saying good morning. Sequoia is a place of smiles, of dedicated teachers and grateful students. I am happy and feel fortunate to work at the school of my life. I also give thanks to the PTSA and the community because they always show us their appreciation with all their affection. Thank you!”
Happy Thanksgiving, Sequoia!
Best,
Sean
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