Itzala Bedolla at Cedar Lane

"Itzy is such a positive person. She is always asking if there is something that we need when we see her around campus. Thank you for all that you do for us at The Lane!"

-Nominated by Melissa Murray

Melissa White at Cordua

"My experience with Melissa has been so great, she takes her job so seriously here at Cordua and has a heart of gold. Melissa shows such dedication in whatever task that is given to her. I can truly say she cares about her students futures and makes it her top priority to help them in any way she can. Melissa has great class structure and beyond organized in her room. It makes for a very calm and peaceful environment. Asking her students to push in their chairs whenever they get up and among other things is a life lesson they will remember. That to me shows her dedication to her students. I'm very thankful that I get to work with Melissa, I get to learn so much from her and for that I will forever be grateful. She is an example of what a teacher should be."

-Nominated by Kashli Bechtel

Yvonne Smith at Marysville High

"Yvonne is an AMAZING teacher that always put the needs of her students first. She makes sure they are engaged in learning and are understanding the concepts. When it comes to English Learners, she always goes the extra mile to help and meet their needs that may differ from the rest of the students. She researches tools that will help make learning and understanding the concepts easier. For instance, finding tools that will translate the work for them, explaining in simpler terms, using visuals etc. She does not let kids fall through the cracks, as she is always checking their grades and letting them know what they need to do. Yvonne is a MARVELOUS teacher, but I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE ALL that she does for the English Learners and New Comers."

-Nominated by Rosa

Julie Teesdale at Kynoch

"HUGE SHOUT OUT to Julie Teesdale, aka “THE WIZARD”! I came into a Friday morning with a crashed computer system. With a quick text, she was here in A FLASH and the kids and I were back in business! What a Gem! What a jewel!

We are SO LUCKY to have such a great resource on our campus!"

-Anonymous Nomination

Jennifer Goucher - Kynoch

"I would like to give a huge shout out to Jennifer Goucher and the second grade team. Her ability to deliver quality instruction, classroom management, and overall performance has been amazing. She has navigated the year with grace and professionalism, which has allowed me to focus on healing without the stress of how my students are being cared for."

-Nominated by Dak Sisney

Diana Andersen at Cedar Lane

"Diana has been a great colleague and friend. She has been a tremendous help as I navigate being a first year mentor this school year."

-Nominated by Melissa Murray

Stacy Anthony at Kynoch

"I want to thank Stacy for being selfless and sharing her materials with others in need. It really made a new teacher's day to be able to get the materials they needed! Thank you for everything you do!"

-Anonymous Nomination

Mary Garrison - Bus Driver

"Mary is playful, caring and connects with her students and families. She would go out of her way to help anyone that needs her help, even if it’s just a smile, hug, or laugh that they need. Being a special needs bus driver is challenging. She does it with love and compassion for all."

-Nominated by Linda Duenas

Derek Morrison at Kynoch

"I just wanted to let you know that you are doing an amazing job as an admin! Thank you for taking our students and staff’s health seriously and for always being so understanding! You’re one of the best bosses I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with!"

-Nominated by Ali Shelton

Nomination Video

See all nominations received
May 1 - June 4, 2021

Abby Lopez at Ella

"I appreciate Abby's kind personality and her strong work ethic, she always strives to make the jobs of those around her as easy as possible. She is always friendly, professional and understanding."

-Nominated by Ang Hale

Russell Judkins - Technology

"Russell is always friendly and goes above and beyond to help, he is always quick to respond to my emails and calls. He is a great example of kindness and is a wonderful member of the MJUSD team."

Bonnie Cole at Cordua

"Some of our families say that Bonnie is the best part of their day!! Her hard work and her kind and cheerful way with our families has endeared her to our school community for eternity. The Nutrition Services department is lucky to have her. WE LOVE YOU BONNIE! "

-Nominated by Natalie Karnegas

Nomination Video

See all nominations received
April 1-30, 2021

Lisa Daniel at Browns Valley & Foothill

"Coming to pick up lunch at Browns Valley Elementary School is a wonderful experience because of Lisa. She knows the students and families by name, she greets them with a smile every day and just makes them all feel great. In times where consistency and routine can be lacking in our students' lives, Lisa brings that and so much more to our families and students. The Nutrition Services department employees have been rockstars throughout the last 12 months and Lisa is Browns Valley's personal NS Rockstar! !"

-Nominated by Kim Hutton

Jesus Hernandez at Cordua

"Our school has never looked better and it is all Jesus's fault! He is always working on a project that makes our school function better, look better, work easier. I am so grateful that he is a part of our staff. He works silently and never seeks recognition or acknowledgement for the extra things he does to help us all out. He is wonderful and I appreciate him so much! "

-Nominated by Natalie Karnegas

Karen Warner at Yuba Gardens

"Karen goes out of her way to help and support our students who many find difficult to work with. She finds ways to talk to them, connect with them, and make a difference in their lives. She cares and it shows!"

-Nominated by Nicholas Bressani

Nomination Video

See all nominations received
March 1-31, 2021

John Morton at Yuba Gardens

"John is the biggest, most passionate advocate for the students at Yuba Gardens. I'm pretty sure he's done 1,000 home visits this year to make sure that students can be as successful as possible in their current learning environments. When kids are on campus, he makes sure to acknowledge kids who are in the middle and make sure they feel special and seen. John is always the first one to help with ANYTHING that anyone on campus might need. John makes YG a special place!"

-Nominated by Becky Stewart

Maricela Luna at Ella

"Maricela has gone above and beyond to support staff and students during this pandemic. She taken on many different tasks and responsibilities without hesitation. Most recently, she supervised students in our learning lab to make sure these students could connect to distance learning from a safe place. Thank you for your dedication to our Ella Gators!"

-Nominated by Jen McAdam

Heather Strickland at Browns Valley Elementary

"Heather is always so positive and uplifting. She is encouraging to her staff and always sends out positive vibes and emails every Friday letting us know how much we are appreciated by her. She offers her assistance whenever we need it. She is personable and approachable. Just one example of her generosity: she even offered to give me a ride home, I live 40 minutes from the school and in the opposite direction of the school and her home."

-Nominated by Francesca Holcomb

Nomination Video

See all nominations received
February 1-28, 2021

Shana Munch at Cedar Lane

"Shana is awesome and helps our students so much. She is always wanting to learn new things and is also a shining light on campus."

-Nominated by Melissa Murray

Don Fry at Arboga

"I want to recognize Mr. Fry for being an amazing Bargaining Chair for MUTA. His hard work and dedication to our district is inspiring! "

-Nominated by Amanda Bowman

Kari Ylst at Covillaud

"Kari has been so supportive and helpful throughout this whole distance teaching and learning situation. She has been very transparent in communicating what she knows, without bombarding us with overwhelming amounts of information. She has offered to get us whatever we need, and has followed through on our requests. When we see her, she always genuinely asks how we are doing, and how our own children and families are doing, and it’s nice to feel cared about. And bonus, she’s a crafter and has gifted us with the cutest Christmas ornaments, Valentine’s earrings, and other random acts of kindness! I’m sure I speak for the rest of the staff when I say that we are very grateful that Kari has been our leader through all of this, with her competent and caring ways! "

-Nominated by Alicia Tindel

Nomination Video

See all nominations received December 18, 2020 - January 31, 2021

Jennifer Worm at Linda

"She came into her position in the 2nd trimester and hit the door running. She's Live Streaming, checking out books, meeting with kids before their classes, and so much more."

-Nominated by Roxanne Eggar

Heather Kelly at Arboga

"Heather is AMAZING! She is like a Chinese Acrobat spinning 50 dishes on 12 poles ALL AT THE SAME TIME! She is one of our Site Innovators, a 5/6 Combo Teacher, a Great Mother to 5 boys, and a Fearless Grade Level Partner. She never passes on an opportunity to serve or help another. WOW! She deserves some serious props for all of the heavy lifting she does around here! Thanks Heather."

-Nominated by Christy Ellyson-Cherry

Derek Morrison & Jordan Holmes at Kynoch

"Our admin team has been so supportive during everchanging time. They bring humor to staff meetings, they talk us off the ledge, and they remind us that we're all in this together. Thank you Derek and Jordan, you have been a fantastic team, and your support is surely appreciated. "

-Nominated by Heather Baker

Nomination Video

See all nominations received December 1-17, 2020

Tony Holt at Browns Valley

"It's the little things in life that make the difference. My classroom had been so cold and until the heater got fixed Tony would go into my classroom, before I'd get there, and turn on a small heater for me so I'd be warm. Each morning when I walked into the class the heater was already going. I appreciate him so much! Thank you Tony!! "

-Nominated by Frankee Holcomb

Autumn Fernandez at Arboga

"Autumn has been an amazing addition to our 3rd grade team at Arboga. She jumped into distance learning last year with loads of energy and information. She has created and shared some wonderful resources with our team. "

-Nominated by Debby Warner

Tyler Krieger at Yuba Gardens

"Tyler always finds ways to make the day fun and always has a positive attitude! I love that he's always so willing to help. "

-Nominated by Becky Stewart

Nomination Video

See all nominations received November 21 - 30, 2020

Keyla Saucedo at Johnson Park

"All I can say is WOW! This lady can do it all. She has been an invaluable addition to our team."

-Nominated by Karen McNay

Becky Stewart at Yuba Gardens

"Becky takes time to help us solve technological problems and give us ideas for teaching tools. Becky seems to know a lot about everything. I have tried many ideas from her in my classes and they certainly helped students’ learning."

-Nominated by Yuko McWhorter

Randy Swann & Jennifer Deslaurier at Linda Elementary

"Randy is a fantastic principal and great person! He has been initiated into this mind blowing school year as our new admin with a vengeance and he handles everything with grace and charm. He is a huge support to our families, staff, and our community."

"Jen is an amazing administrator and she is always willing to help anyway she can. She is a great fit to our school and I am so thankful for her."

-Nominated by Debbie Gingery

Nomination Video

See all nominations received October 27 - November 20, 2020

Shelly Stonebarger at Arboga

"Mrs. Stonebarger is an exemplary teacher who seamlessly transitioned her students into a well prepared, organized online classroom. Mrs Stonebarger is always exceptionally responsive, patient, knowledgeable and kind to both parents and students every day of the week."

-Nominated by Alyssa Cornell

Youa Chue at Ella

"Youa is always looking for the most efficient and effective virtual programs and platforms to use for teaching. She is always willing to share and very encouraging and helpful when it comes to technical frustrations. She is very creative at finding and fine-tuning the internet-based programs that are out there that can best serve our students in an engaging and productive way. She was quick to volunteer as an MJUSD innovator even with her overwhelming work load. You are the best!"

-Nominated by Pete Jeffrey

Nomination Video

See all nominations received October 13-26, 2020

Ryan Wallace

"Ryan has been a shining beacon of hope at our school. He continues to run our ASB/Leadership classes "from a distance" and is doing all he can to keep spirits high during these trying times. He's the best!"

-Nominated by Will Claggett

Tiffany Bautista

"Tiffany is an amazing educator, team member & person. I was a 1st year teacher last year and she was a big part of my support system . In regards to distant learning, she goes above and beyond to help others learn new technology . She is a natural problem solver which has been very beneficial during this online learning transition. I wouldn’t be the teacher that I am without her guidance."

-Nominated by Meagan Salas

Nomination Video

See all nominations received October 5-12, 2020

Laura Lowery at Kynoch

"I am soooooo blessed to have Laura as my aide this year in T-K! She brings a wealth of experience, but more important to me, she is always cheerful and more than willing to help in ANY way she is needed. She works her tail off every day and has made my job a living heaven!!! "

- Nominated by Molly McKay

Miranda Hartridge and Mindy Goodson at Edgewater

"As a long term substitute at a very challenging time in education, Miranda and Mindy have been immensely helpful and supportive to me. Not only are they great teachers, but incredible coworkers."

- Nominated by Jordan Gorman

Troy Hane at McKenney

"Troy has been helping me with many different technology based curriculums since March of last year."

- Nominated by Brandy Klopf