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As I do every year for the message immediately preceding Thanksgiving week, I asked our incredible staff to share notes of gratitude with our wider community. The responses were inspiring—we’d need two more newsletters to fit them all in. Here’s a summary of what Sequoia staff are grateful for heading into the long holiday weekend and final stretch of semester one.
Emerging Multi-Lingual (EML) teacher, Matthew Wohl, gave a shout-out to Sequoia’s community of newcomer English Learners. “I’m inspired each and every day!” says Wohl.
His EML colleague, Stacy Schmidt-Wenzel, adds, “I am grateful for the opportunity to partner with two phenomenal, bilingual instructional associates, Stephanie Torres Camaal and Wuendi Ochoa, dedicated and effective parent and community volunteers who support ELD 2 students on most Tuesday mornings.”
Social Studies teacher, Armando Carbajal, is also thankful for his students. “Every day you bring so much joy, curiosity, and energy into our classroom. Each of you has a unique spark that makes our class special, and I am so proud of all your achievements, both big and small.”
Tenth grade ICAP English teacher, Megan Chatham, says she is “extremely lucky that I get to work alongside such an awesome team of teachers and students.” She goes on to shout out Sequoia 11th and 12th grade IB English students for their support. “Thanks to an idea from Renita Spears, I reached out to all of the current Y1 and Y2 English teachers to see if any of their students would want to swing by to help the sophomores and give feedback. Seeing the juniors and seniors stepping up, and quite literally being the teacher for a day, was easily one of the best experiences I've had teaching English at Sequoia so far.”
Chemistry teacher, Marsenne Kendall, spotlights “the extra effort that I saw my students put into their atomic pamphlets—they were wonderful!”
Grace Horton is “grateful for ALL STAFF that nourishes our SWD student population, most specifically the ILS group and their families. I SEE YOU and want to THANK YOU from the fullest of my heart!”
“Thank you to our counseling office support staff members (Mayra, Blanca, and Bernardo),” says Sequoia Head Counselor, Melissa Perez, “for supporting our entire school community including students, parents/guardians, and staff. Their hard work and dedication doesn't go unnoticed!”
Rebekah Howard in the Teen Resource Center shouts out to Melissa who she says, “relentlessly pursues a bigger vision for the students at SHS. She sets the bar high yet bends when compassion, empathy and creativity are required. She leads her team of school counselors in a respectable, attentive, and rational manner. I am so grateful to have worked alongside her leadership, tenacity, and brilliance, allowing students to believe they can attain more than the status quo. Just an incredible human and Head School Counselor! Deeply grateful!!”
Teacher Karol-Ann Coleman is “grateful to work with loving staff members who never give up on the hope they see in our students every day. May we all have a place to sit at the table, a place of friends, and embrace our lovely Rravens. Thank you, custodian staff, for caring for our campus with such detail and being another friendship on campus. Thank you, Security Team, for making us feel safe and seen, and thank you, Judy Romero, the TRC team, and the counseling department for tending to all of our hearts on campus.”
I am grateful for being in such an amazing school like Sequoia!” adds her colleague from the Spanish team, Juana Marchal. “It is the school of my dreams. Love and peace.”
“This year I’ve had the opportunity to experience how much our staff truly cares—and the calming effect of a well-timed warm hug,” writes Spanish teacher Edith Salvatore. “Thank you to you all for your support.”
From the Media Center, Betsy Snow is “grateful for my wonderful library assistant, Shannon Schadler, who supports students by always knowing where to find whatever it is they need!”
Therapist Nadia Peréz thanks the STARS team at Sequoia. “They show up every day to help some of our students with the highest needs. They create a safe and warm environment to help our students in STARS to learn and improve their overall wellbeing.”
“Thank you to Ms. Slater, the Dream Club faculty advisors/helpers, and the Dream Club student leaders for all of their efforts to change the tone towards inclusion for all members of our community,” writes Social Studies teacher and Health Academy Coordinator, Ashley Gray, adding a quote from President Obama: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
I hope our families are able to share what they’re grateful for with the people who make it so over this holiday weekend. I am grateful for your partnership and all the ways in which you elevate the Sequoia community. Enjoy the break!
Best,
Sean
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