Courtesy of the Hollister School District:
Read about the Hollister School District Employees and Students of the Week at Sunnyslope School:
Ann Pennington has been nominated by Sunnyslope School as the Administrator of the Week. There is not enough room in this article to write about all of the positive differences she has made in the Hollister School District. Throughout this roller coaster of a time period when COVID affected so many thousands of people in our district she never skipped a beat. Students and families were provided meals even when school was shut down. She ensured that every family that needed food received it. When she saw that pick up times needed to be expanded she did it. There is no problem too big to solve for Ms. Pennington and we all benefit because of this trait.
Polly Lange has been nominated for the Certificated Employee of the Week Award for Sunnyslope School. In a typical year Mrs. Lange consistently creates a classroom full of love and is the definition of empathy and kindness. The virtual classroom created obstacles and hurdles that were never seen before in the modern educational environment. Despite all of these obstacles Mrs. Lange never gave up and was determined to bring the same dedication to her virtual classroom. It is evident that she has succeeded in this goal. She has developed excellent relationships with all of her students in the virtual classroom and you can feel the love she has for her students even through the screen that is our 2020 classroom.
Christy Gorham has been nominated for the Classified Employee of the Week Award for Sunnyslope School. In a typical year Mrs. Gorham would be the first one to greet you upon entering the office with a warm smile and our typical “Welcome to Sunnyslope!”. Now that our world has changed she is one of the first ones to greet you on the phone or at the door with a warm smile (under her mask) and a “How can we help you today?” greeting. She has done what most of us have done and adapted to the needs of 2020. She has become our unofficial site tech and has learned so much regarding technology to help our students and families be successful in the Distance Learning age. She can “powerwash” Chromebooks, reset passwords, guide families on how to connect to almost any online format over the phone, and is patient every step of the way. She has genuinely gone above and beyond even the expectations of 2020. She has made this world an easier place to navigate for all of the stakeholders of Sunnyslope School!
Noah Castillo-Second Grade-Sunnyslope School has been nominated for our Student of the Week Award. Noah is an exceptional young student. He comes prepared each and every day ready to work and learn. He is a frequent participant in classroom discussion and does not hesitate to speak up and ask questions. What makes Noah stand out is his incredible enthusiasm. He always has a smile on his face. Noah, your teacher is very proud of you. Keep up the outstanding work.
Isabella Cuevas-Second Grade- Sunnyslope School has been nominated for our Student of the Week Award. Isabella is a wonderful student and is doing a great job with distance learning. Her attendance is great, her participation is great, but it is her motivation and enthusiasm that make her a student of the week! She is excited to read new stories in Language Arts and to learn new topics in Math. She likes to work independently to practice her new skills and learn on her own, and she is also responsible during off-screen time, completing all of her required work.
