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Newsmakers in the spotlight
NEWSMAKERS: Faculty and professional support staff
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M-A'S LANCE POWELL FINALIST IN EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR PROGRAM
In November, Lance Powell, biology and environmental chemistry teacher at Menlo-Atherton High School, was named to represent the Bay Area region in the Educator of the Year program sponsored by the California League of High Schools. He will be going before a panel of judges in Sacramento in February 2011 when the statewide award will be presented.
Link to Mr. Powell's remarks when he accepted the honor of representing the region encompassing Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Solano counties. |
{Lance Powell} |
DISTRICT'S UNSUNG HEROES NAMED In a new series in the Daily News, unsung heroes are featured for their deeds that touch lives in positive ways yet are seldom recognized. Link to Daily News article featuring staff, and a parent volunteer, nominated as unsung heroes.
DISTRICT NAMES CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR At the Sequoia district's annual convocation event, Certificated Staff/Teacher of the Year awards for 2010-11 were presented:
| {Rachel Andres} |
Rachel Andres, Mathematics Teacher, Menlo-Atherton High School Along with serving as a mathematics teacher, Ms. Andres is coordinator of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a proven, focused program that prepares students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility, including many who are the first in the families to go to college. Ms. Andres is renowned for her support of AVID, excellence in the classroom and advocacy for youth.
On Sept. 9, 2010, on the heels of the district award, Ms. Andres was named San Mateo County Teacher of the Year for 2010. Read more. |
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Terri Ignaitis, College and Career Guidance Advisor, Sequioa High School During Ms. Ignaitis' tenure in her current role, Sequoia High has experienced increasing numbers of students -- across the socioeconomic spectrum -- applying to four-year colleges. Beloved by students and staff alike, Ignaitis was nominated for the award because students know how much she cares and that she believes in them and their ability to go to college.
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{Terri Ignaitis}
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View past recipients of Certificated Employee/Teacher of the Year honors in the Sequoia Union High School District
DISTRICT NAMES EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR At the Sequoia district's annual convocation event, Classified Employee of the Year awards for 2009-2010 were presented:
| {Julio Calles} |
Julio Calles, Computer Technician, Sequoia High School Mr. Calles received the honor of Employee of the Year for his exemplary work as computer technician for the school as well as for his contributions as a positive role model and coach of the boys varsity soccer team. |
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Eddy Marroquin, Campus Aide, Woodside High School
Mr. Marroquin earned the honor of Employee of the Year for his ongoing accomplishments in ensuring a safe campus environment as well as for his admirable work ethic, positive attitude, grace under pressure and dynamic personality.
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{Eddy Marroquin}
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View past recipients of Employee of the Year honors in the Sequoia Union High School District
| {Barbara Hooper} |
Sequoia District Adult School Employee of the Year: Barbara Hooper, Teacher for English Learners and Coordinator of the English Learner Program, Sequoia District Adult School
Ms. Hooper was recognized as Sequoia District Adult School Employee of the Year for her many contributions as a teacher for English learners and as coordinator of the adult school's English learner program. Ms. Hooper has overseen significant improvements in student persistence and learning results during her tenure in her current role. |
NEWSMAKERS: Students
New "Whiz Kid" profiles of district students posted on the local patch.com sites:
Sarah Singh, Sequoia High School:
Xochiquetzal Parra, Menlo-Atherton High School:
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{Alison Logia} |
SEQUOIA HIGH STUDENTS INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
Two Sequoia High students are being inducted as "Young Women of Excellence" into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame: Jessica Esquivel and Alison Nicole Logia (pictured with President Rumley at the March 16, 2011 board meeting).
In making the announcement of the induction, Jessica was characterized as "an astonishing individual whose community involvement comes from a place of true compassion and leadership." Alison was described as "an incredible young woman who has had to overcome many obstacles but has continued to be involved in and give back to her community. She gives her full effort to every task put before her and never fails to amaze and inspire those who are touched by these efforts." |
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STUDENTS RECEIVE 2011 SEQUOIA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS
On March 17, 2011, seventeen students in the Sequoia district presented with Sequoia Awards scholarships totaling $95,000. The Sequoia Awards (http://www.sequoiaawards.org/) are scholarships presented to graduating seniors who live in the Redwood City area community and have been active volunteers.
For the first time this year, two $10,000 scholarships were presented -- both to Sequoia High students: Hannah Hamley (pictured on right with President Rumley at the March 16 board meeting) and Claire Tweedy (pictured below). Hannah was recognized for "bridging the gap between hardship and passionate energy into positive causes that we all aspire to as volunteers." |
{Hannah Hamley}
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{Claire Tweedy} |
Claire's volunteerism has been described as being "marked by her personal dedication to helping others without concern about what it will take from herself."
Other 2011 Sequoia Awards scholarship recipients include:
- Carlmont High: Alyson Lazzarotti and Ian Wikle
- Sequoia High: Palani Akana, Jackson Campbell, Julian Hiltbrand Consoli, Amy Parada, Sophie Schouboe, Elizabeth Schaffernoth, and Audrey Spickermann
- Woodside High: Antonia De La Torre, Breanne Esplana, Nicole Peter, Nora Whiting, Devin Wright and Gavin Wright
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Sequoia High School students are regularly profiled in the "Whiz Kid" feature posted on the new redwoodcity.patch.com site:
Matteo Porcceda, Sequoia High School:
Gabriel Ortiz, Sequoia High School:
Kaito Streets, Sequoia High School:
Christian Cruz, Sequoia High School:
Claire Tweedy, Sequoia High School:
Hannah Hamley, Sequoia High School:
Carlmont High's Richard Kaho and four of his fellow members in the Adobe Youth Voices Peapod Academy and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula traveled to Washington, D.C. in February 2011 to perform their original song -- "2020 Vision" -- at the U.S. Department of Education's National Youth Summit.
The teens originally created the song for last fall's National Youth Listening Tour in Oakland. Following that performance, they were invited to Washington, D.C. in late February to perform the song live before 500 teens from across the nation. In early March, the five teens also traveled to Orlando to perform "2020 Vision" in front of 1,500 teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Keystone Conference. Read more about Richard Kaho in the Mercury News (March 13, 2011).
WOODSIDE HIGH STUDENTS APPLY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA TO SPEAK AT GRADUATION In mid-March, students at Woodside High put the finishing touches on their video and essay for submission in the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge. Woodside and other high schools across the U.S. are competing to be selected for President Obama to speak at graduation ceremonies in June.
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{Joshua FFrisch} |
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR CANDIDATES NAMED
Carlmont High School's Joshua Frisch (pictured with board President Lorraine Rumley at the Feb. 16, 2011 board meeting) is one of three Sequoia district students to be named a United States Presidential Scholar candidate this year.
The Presidential Scholars Program annually identifies the most distinguished graduating high school seniors in the country. Other Sequoia district Presidential Scholar candidates include Lara Sichi, Carlmont High School, and Nikhil Viswanathan, Menlo-Atherton High School.
Nationally, approximately 141 Presidential Scholars will be selected and invited to Washington, DC in June to receive a Presidential Scholars medallion during a ceremony sponsored by the White House. |
The February 2011 cover story in Spectrum magazine features a profile of Woodside High junior Dylan Kappeler who's enjoying great success in dirt-bike racing and considering turning pro all the while earning a 3.7 GPA in school.
Congratulations to Carlmont High students whose artwork has been selected to advance in this year's national PTA Reflections Art Contest: Christian Collins' "Teamwork in Hackysack" film, Mark Fedronic's "Solidarity" musical composition, Nathan Lu's "Together We Can" visual arts submission, Sarah E. Schreck's "White Carnation" literature submission, and Haley Sorensen's "Don't Stop Believing" photograph.
Carlmont High School's Lauren Meier has been named a semi-finalist in the $3 million college scholarship program sponsored by Coca-Cola. Just 2,100 exceptional students across the U.S. were named semifinalists from an applicant pool of nearly 26,000.
Congratulations to self-taught guitar musician Erik Schmiett of Woodside High School who earned the Outstanding Musician Award at the recent jazz festival at the College of San Mateo.
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A TOP SCIENCE STAR NAMED IN NATION'S PREMIER SCIENCE COMPETITION
Congratulations to Carlmont's Zoe Dubrow who earned a spot as a semifinalist in the 2010-11 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation's premier science research competition for high school students.
As part of the competition, Zoe prepared a 20-page research report explaining her work -- "The Formation & Characterization of a Floating Self-Assemblying Superhydrophobic Nano-Particle Membrane" -- and answered a series of college-level essay questions about her research.
Zoe competeted with more than 2,000 other top high school students from throughout the U.S., and she was one of only 312 students named a semifinalist. |
NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS NAMED At a recent district board meeting, students from across the district were recognized for earning designation as a National Merit semifinalist -- an honor earned annually by less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The semifinalists are now eligible to move on in the competition and compete for more than $36 million in scholarships. Congratulations to Sequoia district students, including from Carlmont High: Joshua Frisch, Erik Iverson, Iris Lam, Pierce McKenzie, Chet Reyen and Lara Sichi; from Menlo-Atherton High: Even Amato, Francis Masuda, Mark Moritz-Rabson, Daniel O'Neel, Evan Weiner, Daniel Windham and Philip Witham; and Woodside High: Shani Taylor-Keeling.
The Daily Journal featured a story on Sept. 27, 2010 on Sequoia High senior Camilo Delay who devoted his summer to creating a 3-D model of the Cargill Saltworks development proposal. His creation is praised for providing "the public a visualization tool to begin to understand the enormity of the salt pond project and its impacts on the region."
Menlo-Atherton High junior Hallee Foster has received the Rensselaer Medal for distinguishing herself as one of the nation's most promising science & math students. The oldest prize of its kind in the U.S., the medal is awarded by the pre-eminent Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. The honor comes with a $60,000 scholarship to Rensselaer. Read more.
NEWSMAKERS: Parent volunteers
DISTRICT NAMES VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR At the Sequoia district's annual convocation event, Volunteer of the Year awards for 2010-11 were presented:
| {Tina Basler} |
Tina Basler, Parent Volunteer, Woodside High School
Ms. Basler is said to exemplify Plato's ideal of "Parent Volunteer." She is active in the Music Boosters, Athletic Boosters and the PTSA. She take copious notes at PTSA meetings, and she is a permanent fixture at all school events. The principal says she has been an integral component of school communications. Every weekend, she spends hours and hours compiling and designing the weekly bulletin, which is posted on the school's website. She also coordinates the PTSA e-mail communication, which has been invaluable in getting information to parents in an efficient and expedient manner. Her spirit and "can-do" attitude has infected others, and she has been a galvanizing agent in the parent community. |
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Lorene Lederer, Parent Volunteer, Carlmont High School
Ms. Lederer is said to exemplify commitment and dedication in truly amazing ways. In her first year as PTSA President, she has accomplished great feats, including enhancing communications, improving improving fund-raising success and merging of vital parent groups at Carlmont. Ms. Lederer has also enhanced the use of technology in the PTSA, and she has helped to improve overall communication between the principal and the PTSA. She has generously offered her exceptional technology skills in many ways that have enhanced communication. She also expanded the eScript program as a fund-raiser for the school.
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{Lorene Lederer} |
View past recipients of Volunteer of the Year honors in the Sequoia Union High School District
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