Quyana to Luis Maiquis, BPO at Spring Hill Elementary.
Mr. Louie, as everybody calls him, is an awsome example of someone who gives his all to his job. It doesn't matter if he is cleaning up a mess, plowing snow or sweeping my gym, Luis is doing his best. He (almost) always has a smile on his face and sweat on his brow. He is open and willing to help out and can be depended on to follow through with special requests. It is a pleasure to work with Luis. I really appreciate him and his efforts.
Thank you! -Kent Kuelper, co-worker
Quyana to Keith Harjehausen at Denali Montessori Elementary School.
Since I became Denali's school counselor last year, I have witnessed the many ways that Keith Harjehausen goes the extra mile for students at our school. When a boy from another class was reported numerous times for bullying children on the playground, Keith met with his own class and they came up with a plan to help this child. All of the students made personal invitations to the child to play with them and baked him muffins. These acts of kindness had a big impact on this child, who has shown improvement since he was welcomed by Keith's class.
Keith noticed that a family of children, including one of his former students, was having lots of trouble getting along. He invited them to go ice fishing with his son. The siblings laughed and got along for the whole day, which was such a gift to these children who typically fight much of the time.
Keith truly knows the value of social and emotional learning and practices these principles every day in his classroom. I experienced this firsthand when he taught my middle boy (in a class that was 3/4 boys!) with such enthusiasm, kindness and love of learning. But, it's clear to me now that Keith has improved the lives of many children. We're so very fortunate to have someone of his caliber working with our students. Thanks, Keith! -Janice Banta, Denali school counselor
Quyana to Penny Williams in the Math Department. Penny goes above and beyond on providing support and materials that enhance our teaching. We are so lucky to have access to a person that is so involved with the state's and district's assessment and standards development. I appreciate all the time spent on creating problems for all the GLEs and going over the A&E information with us and highlighting our focus area. Thank you Penny and the Math Department. -Julie Hargraves, teacher
Quyana to Nicole Ertischek at Eagle River Elementary School. Nicole Ertischek is the principal at Eagle River Elementary. More than that she is a role model, a leader, a disciplinarian and a friend. Parents and staff alike are impressed with her down-to-earth nature and her "get the students involved" attitude. She has initiated the first Micro Society Program in Alaska; a program which enables the students to take on new responsibilities, learn how to start a business, earn wages, pay taxes and much, much more. She has also brought back the Student Government Association whereas the students are directly involved in what happens at our school. With her guidance, she has brought the students, parents, staff and community together to support our great school. -Gail Patarini, secretary/registrar
Quyana to Elaine Lawson at Scenic Park Elementary. Mrs. Lawson is a wonderful teacher! She has taken time with my son and works hard to make sure he does his best! She also works very well with our family as a whole. Jesse is very much a "boy" and Mrs. Lawson has such a positive attitude. We have had a rough couple of years as a family with the death of our oldest two years ago who attended Scenic Park. Being back at school is wonderful and hard at the same time and Mrs. Lawson has worked so hard to help my son and our family!!! THANKS!!! -The Tatakis Family
Quyana to Larry Kittoe at Susitna Elementary.
Larry Kittoe, our BPO, deserves a Quyana for many things, but especially for keeping our sidewalks clean and safe after a snowfall. He moves so quickly that all walking surfaces are clear before the a.m. buses arrive, including the exit doors for every classroom. When he has the opportunity (I think he must get here at dark-thirty), he even makes a path across our playground so staff can walk to Carr's for a quick lunch, instead of driving.
The safety of clean sidewalks around the bus lanes has always been a high priority for me, and Larry makes it safe! I am delighted to be able to work with someone who takes such pride in our school. In addition to sidewalks, when there is a problem or repair that is needed, it is fixed instantly.
He works so efficiently in his job, that he occasionally has a few minutes to spare to chat, to talk about the Packers, and to share his wonderful sense of humor. Many thanks to Larry for his work during the day with our Susitna staff and students. -Carolyn Crosby, teacher with Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Quyana to Diane Klatt at Northern Lights ABC.
Ms. Diane Klatt teaches 4th graders at NLABC and my little girl is in her class. My daughter may have difficulty in one or more of the subjects they have and Dianne made her way to update me even after her work hours. We discuss problems and how to solve them to help my daughter. She reaches out to parents to help the child succeed with their studies, she offers recess time to help, and even after school too. She's working her way above and beyond with a positive goal to help her student's success. Thank you! Quyana and Salamat! for all your hard work, care and concern. -Jackie, parent
Quyana to Beth Kohler at Mears Middle School.
Mrs. Kohler is a wonderful teacher who has helped my special needs daughter grow in so many ways. She is always very in touch with student and parent needs, and is truly devoted to the education our children receive. Her exceptional commitment to our children (which frequently extends into her own personal time) is very much appreciated. Thank you, Mrs. Kohler! -Kimberly Welborn, parent
Quyana to Maria, a substitute at Chester Valley Elementary.
Maria has been such a wonderful person to work with at Chester Valley.
She is always pleasant and goes far beyond her normal duties to keep our school clean. She even wipes down my students desks!! Thanks Maria. -Mary Cordry, teacher
Quyana to Mrs. Blome at Airport Heights Elementary.
I wanted to thank Mrs. Blome for all the support that our son has needed this year. This was his first year at Airport Heights. I also wanted to let Mrs. Blome know that we appreciate and are very thankful for having her as Glenn Thompson's first grade teacher. Thank you so much! -Sincerely, Cristal and Monty Thompson, parents
Quyana to Cathy Miller and Chris Meyers at Bowman Elementary! A big thank you to Cathy Miller and Chris Meyers, who my students have the fortune of receiving Special Education Services from. I see them as truly the unsung heroes of education. They work tirelessly to provide amazing instruction to students in creative, effective and loving ways. They juggle mountains of paperwork, schedules and meetings and still manage to have a smile, laugh or word of encouragement for everyone they see. I have seen them produce amazing results with kids! After meeting with Cathy and some parents tonight, I had to take this opportunity to acknowledge her for her generous, creative and passionate dedication to education. Although I am lucky to work with her, the real lucky ones are the kids at Bowman, who have the chance to be around such a great person! -Lynn, peer
Quyana to Emily Blahous at Mirror Lake Middle School!
I want to thank her for showing me that there is more to music than random notes being put together. She's giving me the chance to go to some of the best operas I've ever seen. Because of her I have also done better in school and made some new friends in her oddball class. But most importantly for giving me and other students the confidence to do well in school and to feel like you are able to step out of our safety zones. -Tyrell Williams, student
Quyana to Janet Monsen at Williwaw Elementary! Janet donates her duty free lunch period every day in order to assist me in the lunch room. She makes incredible connections with students, is an excellent role model and cares deeply about her classroom students as well as the well-being of all our students at Williwaw. We are so very fortunate to have Janet as a member of our Williwaw school community. -Bonnie Goen, principal
Quyana to Mr. Joel at Homestead Elementary!
Today I received the phone call that no parent wants to ever receive. My 5th grader had choked on some food during lunch, passed out, hit his head, had a seizure and stopped breathing. At the time I got the call, he was fine but it was due to the quick reaction of the noon duties and Mr. Joel, as my children call him. He was able to perform the Heimlich Maneuver and dislodge the stuck food. My son doesn't remember anything after he began choking but he's heard what the entire noon duty crew did to save his life. I can't thank any of them enough. It was a scary call, one that I never want to receive again but I am so thankful that the school has such well trained personnel looking after my children. I will continue thanking the school staff for their quick actions but I can never thank Mr. Joel enough and I hope that by placing my thank you this way, the entire noon duty staff and Mr. Joel will understand just how thankful our family truly is. -Katrina Steddum, parent
Quyana to Principal Crystal Wrabetz, teachers and staff at Rilke Schule Charter School!
Truly these dedicated educators are pioneers of a wonderful new charter school in Anchorage. They have had to endure many obstacles since the beginning of the 2007-08 school year with not being able to be in their building, yet keeping a positive attitude with students and parents all the while. What a great job they all have done! Congratulations on finally getting into your new building and may Rilke Schule continue to meet with success! -Natalie Talbot, parent
Quyana to Mary Browner at Romig Middle School! I would like to thank Mary for all of the support she has given to the implementation of Social and Emotional Learning skills into her classroom! It has simply been amazing to watch Mary learn and more importantly take the Ripple Effect program to new levels within a few weeks. She is truly a Middle School Champion! -Jan Davis, Social & Emotional Learning Support teacher, middle level
Quyana to Laura Harvey at College Gate Elementary!
Laura recently presented a class on Creating and Using PowerPoint Presentations as part of her TTL5 commitment to a small but eager group of colleagues at College Gate. In a short time, she covered all the high points; shared some successful applications based upon her experiences in the classroom; and was able to make people feel confident that they could create attractive, child-centered and classroom specific PowerPoints that they could project in their classrooms.
Laura has a real gift for teaching coupled with an obvious broad-based knowledge of the educational applications of technology. She has learned a lot this year from the TTL5 experience and is always willing to share her knowledge. Thanks, Laura, for going that extra distance and sharing your expertise so graciously (and even providing your own treats). -Dona Helmer, peer
Quyana to Jake and Danny at the Carpentry Shop!
Jake and Danny built and installed a great set of shelves for the third grade teachers at Spring Hill to use for storing a variety of math and literacy activities. We really appreciate their fine craftsmanship, and their quick work of installing these shelves for us and our students. Thanks! -Ken Kampen and Jackie Morris, teachers
Quyana to Sandra Thompson at Creekside Park Elementary School!
As a classroom teacher, my schedule is packed trying to meet the varied needs of my students. I would not find it possible to do so without the amazing support Ms. Thompson provides to all of the teachers here at Creekside. I recently was awarded 2 grants to help fund field trips for our students, but Ms. Thompson was instrumental in helping to secure them. We had been on a waiting list for one trip, and a call came late in the day. Ms. Thompson noticed I hadn't been to my mailbox yet, so she hand carried the note to my room. I immediately called and was able to obtain the last grant available. If Ms. Thompson hadn't taken the time to bring me this message - we would have lost out on this opportunity. With the other grant - timing again was of the essence. I received notice I had to have a signature page (sign by our principal) faxed the next day in order to qualify for the grant. Ms. Thompson made it happen. She took it upon herself to get it signed and faxed it for me. I found out today that we got the $1,000 grant - once again thanks to Ms. Thompson's actions. Everyday, Ms. Thompson is there for our staff and students. From heading committees, the Santa Shop, to a myriad of paperwork, Ms. Thompson helps our school run smoothly. I am thankful to know her and grateful for her endless efforts on our behalf. Quyana Sandy!!! -Cindy Rosser, classroom teacher
Quyana to Arturo Ayala at Dimond High School! A huge, huge, huge Quyana goes to Arturo Ayala at Dimond. Arturo Ayala is the Senior Army Instructor for the JROTC program at Dimond. I am a 2 year cadet in Dimond JROTC and I think it is one of the best programs I have gotten into if not the top one. If I had to sum up the job that Arturo Ayala does and describe what he is like in one word, it would not be possible. He is that awesome. There are more than 100 words to describe who Arturo Ayala is and the job he does every single day. Arturo Ayala changed our program 13 years ago from not being enjoyable or fun to what the program now has to offer. When you walk into the Dimond JROTC classrooms you see cadets being taught material and skills that they will need after high school. You see cadets having fun. We as a program do numerous events and activities throughout the school year and into the summer, like summer camp, military ball, indoor triathlon, drill meets, leadership seminar, car wash, numerous community service activities, and many others. If it was not for Arturo Ayala some or all of those activities would not happen. Art Ayala always says over and over again that as a program we are one big family. That is what we are. Arturo Ayala is always there for us and not just us; he is there for the other staff members at Dimond High, for other students at Dimond High and people in the community. He ALWAYS has a smile on his face. I have learned so much just from being in JROTC. Arturo and the other instructors at Dimond have taught us how to be respectful to others and many more values. Thank-you Art Ayala for everything.
-Alexis Cobb, student
