Quyana to Tim Akin, physical education teacher and coach at Kincaid Elementary! I wanted to say quyana to coach Tim Akin for being such a great P.E. teacher, especially for being and an awesome coach. Thank you for volunteering to be a YMCA coach this year, and my daughter Leona has improved sooo much in basketball because of you. Keep up the good work Coach Akin, you are the best! God bless you
- Easter Houser, parent
Quyana to Charlie Polak at Abbott Loop Elementary! She always has time for students and staff. She is willing to pull theme related books and has a vast knowledge of literary information. She is willing to share anything she has and brings a great sense of humor to our building. She is willing to integrate our classroom themes into her lessons. She has helped the interns many, many times when they needed information to finish projects and gave them great ideas to work from. She also helps anyone on staff who is taking language arts classes with materials they need. She is amazing!
- The kindergarten teachers, interns and peers
Quyana to Shane Lowry at Abbott Loop Elementary! Shane is willing to work with us on any issue. He is all knowing and is our go-to guy for many things. He is willing to share his knowledge of technology, current affairs and any help he can give on students. He is a true friend who is always willing to listen and offer support where and when he can.
Shane is great with the students! He is gentle, kind and willing to listen to them. Students respect him and turn to him when they are in trouble or to share an accomplished deed. Our classroom is grateful to have Shane and our building is lucky to call him ours.
- The Gang in Frohlich's Room, peers
Quyana to Sandra Pesquira at Abbott Loop Elementary! Mrs. Lani is the teaching assistant in our classroom. We joke that she quietly runs our world, but seriously know it. The truth is she is the kindest, gentlest person I know. Our students are lucky to share their day with Mrs. Lani and the love they show and receive is a gift to watch. Mrs. Lani enters our room each day with a smile and a kind word for every child. She gentle redirects, does one-on-one practice with anyone who needs it and still has time to make sure the adults in the room are drinking their water, taking a break and the time to eat their lunch. Our school is a warmer place due to having Mrs. Lani in it and we are very thankful.
- Mrs. Frohlich, Miss Mojicia, Mrs. Lacher and the students of room 19, peers
Quyana to Cosme Pena at Audio Visual Services! Quyana to Cosme Pena for fixing my student's BrailleNote last night after he was off work and having it ready for use by 7 a.m. the next morning. His efforts to go the extra mile provided my high school student, who is completely blind, with the much needed Braille equipment technology to access print. Cosme’s skills in AV repair kept my student on schedule to continue doing all his assignments and tests in Braille, and then able to provide a print copies to all his high school teachers, along with the rest of his classmates. Most importantly, he saved the district around $7000 in replacement costs for this specialized computer used by students who access print via of Braille. Again, Quyana to Cosme my student, myself, and our Blind/Visually Impaired Program!
- Victoria L. Ackerman, teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired Program
Quyana to Ella Brown at Nunaka Valley Elementary! When my son was attending school she was very helpful. We recently had to move to Texas and I realized what a godsend she was. I really appreciate the extra efforts she put into helping my son.
- LaToya Galloway, parent
Quyana to Adrianne Grenier at Inlet View Elementary School! I have a child who is... DIFFERENT. Ms. Grenier and the entire Inlet View staff have accepted my kid and treated our whole family with kindness and respect that I never could have imagined. The fears I have carried for this child have lessened to a degree that they will never understand. When I tell friends about how well the school has dealt with my child their eyes well up with tears and they say things like, "That school gives me hope for humanity!" Pretty great! Thanks Ms. Grenier and Inlet View!
- Jackie Shepherd, parent
Quyana to Chelsea Johnson and Page Blair at Campbell Elementary! These two women run the front office. They do everything with grace and competence. They go out of their way for customer service. Teachers here are so lucky to have them.
- Sage Cohen, teacher
Quyana to Amy Hayes at Polaris K-12 School! I am a new employee of the Anchorage School District in the Polaris K-12 School library. I would like to recognize Amy Hayes, who is the assistant in the library, for her enthusiasm, her work ethic, her wonderful way with students, and the support she has shown me as we work to bring a great learning experience to the students at Polaris!
- Janice Grathen, librarian
Quyana to Jan Davis at Education Center! This is a big shout out to my friend and co-worker Jan Davis. She is one of the most caring people that I know and when I need her help she is always there. I appreciate her always! she is truly an bonus to the Anchorage School District.
- Nadine Price, peer
Quyana to Steve Magestro at Gladys Wood! I want to recognize Steve Magestro and everyone at Gladys Wood Elementary for putting on all the sports Jamborees that take place at Gladys Wood. Steve and his volunteers do a wonderful job and the jamborees help create memories that our students will have their entire lives.
- Jason Payne, P.E. teacher
Quyana to Beth Carlberg and her teaching assistants at Susitna Elementary! I would like to thank the Beth Carlberg and her wonderful teaching assistants at Susitna Elementary for welcoming me into their classroom. I have subbed with the district for four years and this is by far the best team I have worked with. They have the patience of angels coupled with grit and determination of winning football coaches. They provide a warm and caring environment where students can grow. Thank you for the fine example.
- Wayne (Mr. A.) Ashworth, substitute teacher
Quyana to Steve Magestro at Gladys Wood Elementary! As a parent I want to say thank you to Mr. Magestro for his unwavering dedication towards physical fitness. Steve provides his students with a tremendous amount of before- and after-school activities at Gladys Wood. We recently attended one of his many jamborees. There were a lot of students and parents attending and everyone was having a great time watching their child participate. Mr. Magestro's events are always organized and fun. I particularly appreciate his encouraging words for sportsmanship and working hard as well as his dedication and commitment towards keeping kids active.
- Sheila Sweetsir, parent
Quyana to Chane Zachary and Chris Austin at West High! Both Coach Z and Coach Austin have been a tremendous support in the classroom and working with individual students. They work one-on-one with some very challenging students and do it with patience, professionalism and high standards. Their work with young adults in the classroom as well as in sports motivates students to do their best. Thank you!
- Ann Hyde, teacher
Quyana to Cynthia Temple at Russian Jack Elementary! Cindy Temple is truly an amazing team member at Russian Jack. She cares about each child and goes above and beyond to meet their needs. She takes times to make individual behavior plans for children that really do make a difference in their lives! She works to promote family involvement and builds a great rapport with her parents. As a colleague, she values everyone's opinions, is always ready to help other staff members and welcomes colleagues into her classroom to observe.
Thank you to Cindy!
- Special Education Pre-K Team at Russian Jack, peer
Quyana to Tim Akin at Kincaid Elementary School! I wanted to say Fa'afetai (Samoan for “thank you”) to Mr. Tim Akin of Kincaid Elementary, for being such a wonderful, patient, supportive and awesome coach. He has exceeded my expectations of what a real coach truly should be. He volunteered as a coach for the YMCA recreational basketball league, and he has done an amazing job as the coach for several Kincaid Elementary teams and sports. That's why our kids at Kincaid Elementary have done such an awesome job at any school competitions they attend. Quyana to Tim Akin, he deserves it!! He's the best coach and P.E. teacher ever! God Bless!
- Easter Houser, parent
Quyana to Mrs. Ilene Jeffryes, Mrs. Janis Reynolds, and Mr. Joseph Kach at Kincaid Elementary School! I wanted to say quyana to Mrs. Jeffryes, Mrs. Reynolds and Mr. Kach, who are the sixth-grade teachers at Kincaid! For they have been very informative and supportive of everything that is going on in the daily lives of our sixth-graders. The daily updates of emails they send to parents have been most helpful, and that I am very thankful for. Because this way we can monitor our child's progress, and make sure they are turning in any work that is due. I am very pleased with their works, and very happy to have my children in Kincaid, because of teachers like them. They are the greatest sixth-grade teachers ever!
- Easter Houser, parent
Quyana to Dave Wilson at South Anchorage High School! Mr. Wilson is the heart of South Anchorage High School. He has been recognized before for his contributions to the school but his commitment was especially apparent recently. This semester my seniors in Digital Composition made short films about South Anchorage High School and on Friday we gathered with staff and parents in the auditeria to watch them and celebrate the accomplishments of the students. Mr. Wilson had taken the time to work with many of the groups on their films and was featured in about half of the movies that were made. He gave his opinion, he acted, he cheered kids on. I so appreciate that he took the time to work with the students as an educator and mentor; he made the films richer and it is apparent that his presence here is cherished.
- Larissa Wright-Elson, peer
Quyana to Mr. Tony Sparkman at Chugiak Elementary School! Mr. Sparkman is my son’s fourth-grade teacher. My son has had a difficult time with the loss of family members this year and dealing with my multiple surgeries as a Wounded Warrior. Mr. Sparkman realized that my son was having difficulty and that he was starting to fall behind. Instead of letting Michael accept lower grades and lose interest in school, Mr. Sparkman went above and beyond by finding me and meeting with both my son and myself for an hour after school on his own time.
During our meeting, Mr. Sparkman didn't just talk to me, but mainly focused on a one-on-one conversation with my sone letting him explain his difficulties and why he was having trouble. I was very surprised at the skills and knowledge that Mr. Sparkman had when working with young boys. His attention to detail helped spot behavior that normally would be passed off as not paying attention or even caring. Mr. Sparkman could tell Michael really cared about school and his grades thus coming up with a plan to keep Michael, my wife and myself more involved in Michael’s everyday school "life.” This plan has already raised Michael’s grades over one grade level and Michael has a sense of pride about not only catching up and understanding, but also that he can talk to Mr. Sparkman as not just a teacher but a friend who will listen.
Thank you Mr. Sparkman, your knowledge of children, teaching, special education, and, above all, caring make a big difference in my son’s life. We will be forever grateful.
-Sincerely, Michael and Karen Waszak, parents
Quyana to Ken Wooster and Allison Reed at Service High School! A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
There are a plethora of definitions to describe a catalyst but one of them is a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. This definition beautifully illustrates the kind selfless light your candles continue to provide each and every day. You are both such genuine individuals who work assiduously for the greater good of student and community.
Max Leon Forman said, “Teachers are people who start things they never see finished and for which they never get thanks until it’s too late.”
Well, Ken and Allison, thanks! You made my student teaching experience all it could be!
- David Riemer, student teacher
Quyana to Rachel Faulkner, president of Abbott Loop PTA! Rachel Faulkner is an invaluable asset to Abbott Loop Elementary. She goes above and beyond in her tireless efforts to support the staff and student body of our school. Mrs. Faulkner gives generously of her time and talents, both as PTA president and as a parent volunteer. Everyone in the school benefits from her creativity, organization, kindness, cheerfulness, and graciousness. Thank you, Rachel, for all you do for us!
- Mary Boots, kindergarten teacher
Quyana to Ms. Marty at Russian Jack Elementary! I would like to show the utmost respect and appreciation for a human being who is kind and compassionate. Ms. Marty is a professional who I have witnessed, is passionate about her job. She pulled together to make sure my five boys and I will not go without a wonderful holiday. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Ms. Marty and the people who made donations, may God bless you all.
- Yolanda Inga, parent
Quyana to Terry Bell at Student Records! I am a deployed service member in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I called Terry this morning asking for my records from my high school back in 2004. I explained to her the importance of me receiving these documents in a timely manner, and she personally walked me through the website. Telling me what to put in each block in order to get exactly what I was requesting. She also took my name to give to the person who will be receiving my request to ensure it is processed correctly. I was about to pay $50.00 to another company to look and see if I was in their records and I would have had to wait for the results to reach me by mail in Afghanistan. I thank you for your service to me ma’am. Her commitment to customer service should be addressed formally. I personally want you to know I greatly appreciate you helping me with my request.
– Sgt. Ring, Tyler L., former student requesting information
Quyana to Mrs. Ramona Rivers at Clark Middle School! Mrs. Rivers is a super teacher, delightful person to be around, good listener, thoughtful, caring, helpful, great co-worker, good role model, great baker and if you ask anybody who knows Mrs. Rivers they will say that is so true and the list would go on and on. I want to say a big “thank you.”
- Paulet Garrett, co-worker, parent and grandparent
Quyana to Mrs. Shannon Gallagher and staff at Kincaid Elementary! I just wanted to say Quyana to Mrs. Gallagher of Kincaid Elementary for doing an awesome and amazing job as principal. She is very hands-on, she is caring and helpful, she takes time to meet with parents who are having concerns about their child or the teachers. And most of all, she is intelligent and a very nice lady. I appreciate her, especially all the staff members at Kincaid Elementary School! You guys rock! Merry Christmas and happy New Years!
God's blessings upon all of you Kincaid staff and families! I am a lucky and blessed mom, to have my children attend Kincaid Elementary School.
- Easter Houser, parent
Quyana to Eric Loman, Tom Grenier and Don Bladow at Bartlett High School! Quyana for being so helpful any time I knocked on their doors while I was doing a long term sub at Bartlett. They were so good natured and willing to stop what they were doing to explain something or give me a pep talk, or to help me through Zangle, that it made my time at Bartlett very enjoyable. Happy holidays, all of you.
- Wendy Baker, substitute
Quyana to Miss Marty at Russian Jack Elementary! Miss Marty has helped our family for two years. She has a wonderful positive attitude and is so very helpful. She goes above and beyond her duties. She has been great with our family and our kids Amber and Gabrielle. Thank you Miss Marty!
- Stephanie Simon and Kimberly Garcia, parent, grandparent
Quyana to Lisa Wardle at Russian Jack Elementary! Ms. Wardle is a expectacular teacher. I love the fact that she makes it a priority to communicate with the parents. Bad news, good news I know I will hear about it. Thanks Ms. Wardle for all your dedication and the tools for success, you've provided for my children.
- Glennys Kidd, parent
Quyana to The Copper Team at Gruening Middle School: Kelly Knecht, Steve Bey, Kadra Peterson, Terri Semmler, Tonya Shakhov, John Cleveland, Michelle O'Leary and Kerry Sticka! As a new parent to the Anchorage School District, guidance counselor, Knecht and the Copper Team have made my family and me feel like part of the team. Through my son's attempt to become oriented and adjusted to a new school, they have fully supported having meetings with me and providing "honest" feedback concerning the status of my son. Their honesty, communication and ability to touch the lives of our youth have left a lasting impression on me and have been the core factor for my child's academic success. As quoted by Max Leon Forman, "Teachers are people who start things they never see finished, and for which they never get thanks until it is too late". Therefore, I would like to take this time to say "thank you"! You are awesome people!
- Charlea Allen, a proud and grateful parent
Quyana to Sara Miller at South Anchorage High School! My daughter is a junior at South, and Mrs. Miller is her school counselor. She is absolutely, without question, the BEST at what she does. She is genuinely concerned about my teen and I always feel like I am getting personalized service even though I know she has several hundred students as part of her case load. She's a true GEM, and I appreciate her!
- Debbie Young, parent
Quyana to Dan Merrigan at Transportation! He consistently provides outstanding customer service in a calm, positive manner, working to meet the needs of students and families within the school district's multi-faceted transportation network. We truly appreciate all you do.
- Shirley Greeninger, ELLP staff member
Quyana to Karen Wallace at Northern Lights ABC school! Karen Wallace is very supportive in every activity that her NLABC school is involved with. She is always present with every event i.e. science fair, field trips, helping with the traffic flows, IEP meetings and more. When the temperature is below zero, she is always in the drop zone making sure her students are quickly in the building. Thank you very much for being there always. Quyana! for making NLABC a GREAT school.
- Jacqueline Llaneza, parent
Quyana to Richard Ladner at Gruening Middle School! Quyana to our fabulous BPO at Gruening Middle School. Whenever asked to do anything, Richard responds with a friendly "can do!" He keeps our sidewalks completely snow free even with the constant snow falls we've been having lately. Thanks to Richard our school is a safe and warm place to visit.
- Molli Elton, office staff
Quyana to Sheri Eberlan at ASD Related Services! Quyana to ASD Speech Language Pathologist Sheri Eberlan for her willingness to provide services to our Cook Inlet Native Head Start children during our on-site SLP's recent maternity leave. Sheri's dedication and amazing work over the past few months with our kiddos receiving ASD special education SLP IEP services are appreciated tremendously. Our little ones have such a short time to learn and grow before kindergarten and we would like to thank Sheri straight from our hearts for stepping in to ensure service continuity for our CINHS children and their families.
- Kim Burnett, CINHS Special Services Manager
Quyana to Jeanne Hamilton at Spring Hill Elementary! Jeanne has been at Spring Hill for more than 20 years as a Special Education teaching assistant. The last few years she has been assigned to one of our extended resource classrooms. We frequently tease Jeanne about being an "Energizer Bunny" because she has so much energy and enthusiasm. She is very knowledgeable and proficient in her teaching skills. Some of the accomplishments she has made with some very challenging students is so impressive. She has been a role model for all of the staff in maintaining an active lifestyle, frequently organizing activities such as hiking, skiing, and biking. If there is a need for volunteers at school, you will see Jeanne's name at the top of the list. I am honored to work with her every day.
- Karen Dale, peer
Quyana to Marilyn Doore, K-12 Coach at Educational Technology!
Innovation! Creativity! Collaboration!
Where?
Rogers Park Elementary in Room #109!
"Zoo" critters and keeper are being coached in how to create simply sublime slide shows about their passions through project-based learning with Ed Tech Coach--- Marilyn Doore .
Want student engagement for 2.5 hours---few discipline problems---focused kids...
Who do ya call?
Marilyn Doore---21st Century Coach Extraordinaire
- Students and teacher From Room #109
Quyana to Yvette Tousignant at Bayshore Elementary! Ms. Tousignant showed such out-of-the-box kindness, understanding and patience to my daughter this fall when she dislocated and fractured her right elbow. Thank you Ms. Tousignant for cooking up fun and educational lessons, then serving them with a smile and candid kindness.
- Lisa Kelzenberg, parent
Quyana to Gretchen Mangrobang at East High School! I would like to thank my English teacher, Ms. Mangrobang, for being such an excellent teacher and always there to help out her students. It's great to know I always have Ms. Mangrobang there to help me with my English studies and talk to her about ways I can understand the concept better.
- Darby, student
Quyana to Glenn Mullings, building plant operator at North Star Elementary! Mr. Glenn is a wonderful person to know, work with and spend time with. He shows everyone he cares for the true beautiful side of him. He is always there when you need him. He makes sure all pathways are taken care of and he makes sure all the staff is always taking care of. You are a wonderful person to know, and to work with, and I thank you for all you do for North Star Elementary. We love you!
- April Robinson, peer
Quyana to Marcus Wilson at North Star Elementary! I would like to send a Quyana to Marcus Wilson for being the most caring, patient, loving, dedicated principal I've ever had the pleasure of interacting and working with. Marcus goes above and beyond for the kids as well as his staff here at North Star Elementary. The kids here at North Star Elementary really show Mr. Wilson how much they appreciate him by greeting him every morning with a handshake. Marcus, I would like to say as a parent and a peer, you are the best principal I have met in all 33 years of living. My children love you. Jada said, "You’re the best principal ever." And she is only in the kindergarten. Thanks Marcus for all you do for North Star. We love you!
- April Robinson, peer
Quyana to Michelle Smith, buyer at Purchasing! Her diligence and research resulted in a savings of more than $800 in our quest to buy a new kiln for our school. Well done, Michelle.
- Linda Jobe, administrative assistant
Quyana to Principal Brian Singleton at Government Hill Elementary! Quyana for all your efforts to celebrate Alaska Native and American Indian cultures at our school during Alaska Native and American Indian Heritage Month and throughout the year. Thank you for hosting two school assemblies to celebrate Alaska Native dance and the Native Youth Olympics Games of Alaska. Thank you for encouraging your teachers to host in-class presenters, of whom there were several this year. Thank you for your morning announcements celebrating these many cultures. And thank you for your strong support of our after-school Junior NYO program and our Junior NYO team. Quyana!
- Robin Wittrock, parent
Quyana to Tess Nott at Lake Otis Elementary! Our son's teacher Tess Nott was able to think out of the box when Mark was home recovering from surgery. Mark was able to participate in his reading group via ichat. He loved doing being with his friends.
- Maureen Tyskiewicz, parent
Quyana to Paige Blair at Campbell! Very smart lady, has been there for a long time. What a great role model to the children and co-workers.
- Christine Holi, parent
Quyana to Whaley School teacher assistants! The teacher assistants at Whaley School are the best anywhere! They are vital to our work. Students recognize them as solid, well-trained support and often share things with them that we may not hear as quickly. Our TAs have a combined service of more than 100 years! Michelle had to stop and count up her time (the kids love her funky headbands)! They are generous and kind; all add special touches to our everyday work, and we appreciate and love them.
- Bev, teacher
Quyana to Whaley School administration! Whaley School is blessed with an excellent administrative staff. Our staff rotation is low because our relationships are close, understanding, and rewarding. Ed, Denise, Vicki, Donna, and the rest of our vital support and professional staff - Zuly, Kent, Todd, Heather, Lyndsay, Elizabeth - all of you people Rock! Thanks for being part of such an incredible work family!
- Bev, teacher
Quyana to Whaley School Teachers! We have the greatest collection of teachers at our school! We love school so much that several are enrolled in master's degree programs for special education (for some it is a second graduate degree). Even when students are having a challenging period, they recognize that we care about them and for one another. We smile, share, and support each other. What a great staff - thanks, everyone!
- Bev, teacher
Quyana to Miracle, bus aide on Route 567 at MV Transportation! I would like to recognize and thank Miracle for his EXCEPTIONAL dedication and care of the children in his care - namely my daughter who rides the bus with him every afternoon. He is genuinely interested and committed to the kids in his care. He does not merely buckle and unbuckle his charges, but knows them and interacts with them as they ride home. We have had many bus crews convey our children, but Miracle and his partner Mr. T are by FAR the best on the roads. It will be a sad day when we no longer have them caring for our daughter's safe return each day. Quyana Miracle!
- George Meyer, parent
Quyana to Mr. T, bus driver on Route 567 at MV Transportation! I would like to recognize and thank Mr. T for his safe driving and care of the children under his care - namely my daughter who rides the bus with him every afternoon. He is someone that I wholly trust with my daughter's safety and NEVER worry about her getting home. He is always on time, pleasant and his concern is for his passengers foremost over the tick of the clock. A very patient man. We have had many bus crews convey our children, but Mr. T and his partner, bus aide Miracle are by FAR the best on the roads. It will be a sad day when we no longer have them caring for our daughter's safe return each day. Quyana Mr. T!
- George Meyer, parent
Quyana to Ella Brown at Nunaka Valley Elementary! I want to say “thank you” for being such a nice person to work with, I like the way you treat the staff, student or anyone who is in the building and your willingness to help out no matter what the job is. And when my daughter goes to school I wish her principal is just nice.
- Dante Vereen, parent, staff
Quyana to the Grounds Department at Operations! I would like to take the opportunity to thank the grounds department for effectively maintaining the staff and visitor parking lots of Birchwood ABC after this last weekend of freezing rain. When I pulled into our parking lot in the early hours of Monday morning, I noticed that sand/gravel had already been spread throughout both lots thus providing precautions against injury or accident. I really appreciate your concern for the safety of students, parents, and staff at our school. At Birchwood, we know we can always rely on grounds to look out for us!
- Tim Godfrey, principal
