Page 7 - Sanger Herald 8-16-18 E-edition

MOMENTS: "Our job is to find a way to create those kinds of extraordinary moments, those defining moments for every student and for each other."
Continued from page 1A
winner received a certificate and a $25 Amazon gift card:
• Video Contest, Wilson El- ementary librarian Janet Young, nominated by Damaris, Daniela and Zarahi Gambino and Camila Bernaga;
• Video Contest, Sanger High School music teacher Allan Moffett, nominated by Christian Palomares, Kevin Medrano, Kenneth Carleton and Jaden Aguilar;
• Video Contest, Community Day School teacher Mark Coffman, nominated by David Molina;
• Video Contest, Lone Star El- ementary principal Renae Cowings, nominated by Samuel Strickland;
• Poster Contest, WAMS custo- dian Daniel Gamez, nominated by Belinda Xiong;
• Poster Contest, John Wash Elementary 6th grade teacher David Russell, nominated by Kristy Keovilai;
• Poster Contest, Fairmont Elementary intervention/support teacher Anita Carrion, nominated by Jaiden Von Hurst;
• Poster Contest, Sanger High School activities director Ron Scott, nominated by Mary Jolly;
• Essay Contest, Hallmark Char- ter art teacher Robert Nidy, nommi- nated by Estrella Leal Martinez;
• Essay Contest, Reagan Elemen- tary kindergarten teacher Sharyl Riedelsheimer, nominated by Aleska Reyes;
• Essay Contest, WAMS activi- ties Heidi Betancourt, nominated by Amanda Cantu; and,
• Essay Contest, Jefferson Elementary principal Sam Polanco, nominted by Enrique Isidoro Ro-
sales.
Then, it was time for the su-
perintendent to take the stage and share her thoughts about why cer- tain brief experiences can jolt us and elevate us and change us—and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work.
An “aha!” moment obviously happened in the minds of the audi- ence in when Jones talked about an extraordinary moment in the life of the high school senior, Mason Fra- zier, who sang the National Anthem so beautifully at the beginning of the general session.
"Mason has trouble communicat- ing when talking because he stut- ters," said Jones.
Mason and his mother Yvonne sat in the audience to Jones's right as Jones recounted the extraordi- nary moment when Mason learned he could sing without stuttering.
He's been singing in the high school choir and the concert choir for two years. "He's found a way to be involved, to belong, to partici- pate, to be a part of a team," said
Jones.
"Our job is to find a way to cre-
ate those kinds of extraordinary moments, those defining moments for every student and for each other."
In the brief time it took Jones
to summarize her thoughts about
a concept and an action plan de- scribed in a best selling book, "The Power of Moments," by Chip and Dan Heath about how to create magical moments that transform life, it was obvious that was what this school year is going to be about in the Sanger Unified School Dis- trict.
That is, just as soon as every classroom and every work station isputinorder, everyhallwayis clean, every cafeteria menu is prepared and everything is ready for the rush of the 12,000 students returning to 21 schools on Thursday morning.
The reporter can be contacted by email at sangerherald@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
for another award winning year. Jones is very familiar with the district and its team building and
goal oriented concepts. She had been an associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction since 2015 and before that she was an elementary schools teacher, a vice principal and a principal in the district. So, when she said, "We're good, but not good enough," she spoke with an authority gained from knowledge and experience. And it was obvious she had the
full attention of everyone in the crowded gym.
It was the first time since the program began at 8 a.m. that the gym was quiet except for bursts of applause during Jones's comments.
The earlier decibel level may have exceeded any rock concert you've ever attended.
Employees, guests and VIPs en- tered the gym through an inflatable tunnel used by the Apache football team at Tom Flores Stadium.
They were followed in by the high school drumline, band and cheer team.
A video, accompanied by bone- rattling loud music with a rap beat, was displaying happy brief snippets of life in Sanger's 21 schools on a large screen at the south end of the gym.
Then the Apache band began to play and the smiling, dancing cheer team lined the floor and stairs up into the bleachers, waving to the cheering crowd.
The rest of the more subdued opening ceremonies included a presentation of colors by the high school NJROTC honor guard, Flag Salute by very poised student body president Rachel Pimentel, who also acted as emcee, and the Star Spangled Banner sung by high school senior Mason Frazier.
Pimentel introduced special guests and a couple of videos fea-
turing new and long time employ- ees and helped with games and raffle drawings before relinquish- ing the stage to associate superin- tendent Tim Lopez.
Special guests included: trustees Pete Filippi, Marcy Masumoto, Ismael (Mike) Hernandez, Ken Marcantonio, Brandon Vang, Jesse Vasquez and Tammy Wolfe; Sanger mayor Frank Gonzalez; district employees of the year Rocio Gur- rola, Carmen Garvis and Donna Silveira; Sanger Unified Teach-
ers Association president Christy Olson; California School Employees Association president Jennifer Herring; and SUSD associate super- intendents Eduardo Martinez and Tim Lopez.
When Lopez took the stage, he praised the Foundation for Sanger Schools and the "significant contri- bution" it receives each year from the Granville Home of Hope."
He pointed out how the Foun- dation supports district schools, employees, students and classroom programs through its "Make a Dif- ference" contest.
This year's Foundation class- room grant award recipients are: Samantha Cervantes, Sanger Acad- emy, Speak Up; Ken Stocks, Sanger High School, Speech Library; Craig Jones, WAMS, Rocket Lab; Nancy Keck, Reagan, Socio-Emo- tional Opportunities; Landin Mello, Sanger High School, Social Studies Showcase; Meghan Ward, Lone Star, Ozobot Project; and Stephanie Hetherington, Fairmont, Mento Texts for Writing TK-3.
School Site Grants went to: Madi- son, principal Stephanie Rodriguez, PBIS Incentive Room; and Kings River High School, principal Rick Church, Ag Woodworking.
A slide show presentation, nar- rated by Lopez, showcased the Make a Difference winners who were nominated by students. Each
Dick Sheppard/Sanger Herald
SANGER HERALD 7A THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2018
The school district's welcome back to school "general session" is really just a big motivational get together with all the features of an Apache Nation cheering section at a really, really big football game. After enjoying break- fast and an informal catch up on how everyone spent the summer while on the quad behind the cafeteria, the crowd headed into the Coach Dean Nicholson Gym for a little more than an hour before reporting to work sta- tions to get ready for the next day. (The Herald was assured those biscuits and gravy plates on the table above were all low cal.)