November 6 – RISE Nominations

“Alina was my son’s bus driver for 2 years starting when he was just 3 years old and a July birthday so a very young 3. She was the best bus driver I could have ever asked for. She was beyond kind and set me at ease that she was transporting my baby. Over the 2 years I could see how much my son lit up when she was there and whenever she had to have a sub he did fine but he grew to just love her. She cried when my son would no longer be on her bus for kindergarten and I did too, she really cares about all the kids and you can see it in the way she talks to our special needs kids!!“

Nominated by: Jody Thompson, parent

“Alina is such a good person and really cares about the kids. I know my daughter is safe on Alina’s bus. She is a great bus driver and she has a very kind heart.“

Nominated by: Amy Walker, parent

“Last year, my daughter was in Mr. Gallegos’s 5th grade class. As a parent to a shy 5th grade girl, I cannot thank Mr. Gallegos enough for how much he helped her, and how much he helps all his students! I’ve never heard her talk about how much she enjoys school and enjoys her teacher as I did while she was in Mr. Gallegos’s class. She excelled in math and reading, became more outgoing, and just became happier in general. Mr. Gallegos goes above and beyond to help his students learn and grow. I’m sure I speak for a lot of parents and students when I say, Mr. Gallegos is awesome!“

Nominated by: Anna Thornley, parent

“Our son has been having a somewhat difficult time with bladder control, having frequent accidents at school. Ms Griffey met with me (over the phone) to help strategize how we can support him at home and at school. She also completed the forms for our son to be evaluated for ADHD, and has been very hands on in making him feel comfortable and confident as he is learning.“

Nominated by: Stephanie Baggett, parent

“Lisa Govers makes each student feel like they are the smartest kid in school, calling them her “shining stars”. She is so warm, friendly, and calm ALL the time. Yet, I’ve never seen better classroom management skills. She helped my daughter feel loved and encouraged. She was a great way to introduce my daughter to school – I couldn’t have asked for a better kindergarten teacher.“

Nominated by: McKenna Morais, parent

“Mr. Stewart is the best principal an elementary school could have. He responds to concerns proactively and professionally, always making sure parents know what is going on at the school. I also appreciated a time my daughter left a note at school with money in it and he took the time to reach out to me directly to get that note back to me. All the kids think he is a lot of fun and he has done a great job establishing a great culture, including one of mentoring. I loved seeing the 5th graders help the Kindergarteners with lunch lines as well as 6th graders read to the 1st graders.“

Nominated by: McKenna Morais, parent

“Mrs. Hales is an outstanding teacher who really went above and beyond for her students. My daughter loved going to her class because she knew Mrs. Hales loved her. Not only did she help students reach academic excellence, but helped build resilience with students in her class. My daughter was sick on 6th grade graduation and Mrs. Hales sent a personal video and other items to help celebrate her. She went out of her way to make her feel special. She also sent her students letters during the summer to help them feel confident going into Jr. High. She deserves to be recognized for her excellence!“

Nominated by: Chelsea Hiatt, parent

“Andrea Moody puts her students first and recognizes their needs. She is mindful of what motivates her students to learn and what engagement strategies work best for her students. She is an outstanding teacher and is well deserving of this nomination!“

Nominated by: Emma Lee McCurry, parent

“I am nominating Miss Raddatz for her remarkable dedication and genuine care for her students. Her passion for teaching shines through in the way she engages with each child, fostering a love for learning in an encouraging and supportive environment. My son, Wesley, has been especially motivated by her thoughtful methods, including her use of rewards like stickers to keep students excited and focused. Miss Raddatz goes above and beyond to make her classroom a positive place where students feel valued and inspired. Her love for her students truly shows in everything she does.”

Nominated by: Haley Tuthill, parent

“Mrs. Templeton has made starting school for my kindergartner so easy! We were so worried our son would be a troublemaker and difficult to convince. The second we met Mrs. Templeton my son warmed up thanks to a little joke she made. We have been sold ever since! She always has a smile on her face and she always has a happy welcoming presence. We couldn’t have asked for a better first teacher ever for our son.“

Nominated by: Mya Ohm, parent

“The dedication by Brian Crosby to the musical instruction of his kids is nothing short of amazing. We have had two kids in his classes over the years, and he is always pushing the kids to better themselves, while putting in immense amounts of extra time before and after school to help his bands. His work is noted by the consistent awards his higher level bands win every year in state and regional competitions, and we have seen the improvements in our kids by having him as a music teacher. He deserves a nomination for RISE for his selfless dedication to his band kids and their improvement.“

Nominated by: Tim Randall, parent

“Jennifer is simply the best! She always has a smile on her face in the front office. She deeply cares about the students and wants to make a difference. Jennifer has been very kind, patient, and helpful with my children over the years. She recently took the time to speak with me about an issue I was having with my daughter. She was nonjudgmental and encouraging. Jennifer genuinely cares for the students at Pleasant Grove Elementary and wants them to succeed. No one handles junior high students and parents better than Jennifer!“

Nominated by: Angela Clow, parent

“The best teacher I’ve ever seen. Maquel Corbett took my son from a possible learning disability diagnosis to thriving and reading in preschool. She does so many small things that make her classroom not only a well oiled machine but an engaging, colorful, comforting machine that any child is lucky to spend time in.“

Nominated by: Hayley Haws, parent

“Ms. Maquel is the greatest teacher we could have asked for! My daughter is on her second year of having her as a teacher. Last year she broke her leg and was in a cast started preschool and Ms. Maquel (Corbett) went above and beyond to make sure she was comfortable, cared for, and loved. My daughter asked all summer when she could go back to Ms. Maquel’s class – she is the best!”

Nominated by: Brittany Molina Jensen, parent

“Mrs. Thompson always goes above and beyond in helping her students and planning engaging lessons. She has a great rapport with the students, they all really like her. She pushes her students to learn and is fair in hearing and make up work. She believes in her students and wants them to be successful.“

Nominated by: Lilet Gillen, parent

“Kelton’s consistent communication and attention provided to my student who came to us having experienced hardship and struggle last year has played a key role in helping them establish a trusting relationship with caring adults. I don’t know what we’d do without Kelton’s patience, understanding, and careful navigation of my student’s needs.“

Nominated by: Jessamyn Svensson, parent

“Mr. Harward is always pulling for our students. When any of them are struggling he always steps forward with supports and reassurances to help them get back on track. Kelton is a positive person and is great at caring for the individual. He’s a tremendous advocate at Orem Junior and keeps our programs on track.”

Nominated by: Kimberly Milne, district employee

“Mr. Felix is a great administrator. He helps students to feel comfortable in the school and he speaks Spanish! He will solve everything. He is my favorite person to go and talk to.“

Nominated by: Angie Perez, student

“I could write a book on all the reasons Mrs. Reynolds deserves every award there is! She is such a fantastic teacher. My daughter had her for kindergarten last year and she was so supportive and helped her rise to her potential and really set her up for success going into first grade. I take comfort knowing that my kid knows she has a safe adult friend if she ever needs help.“

Nominated by: Hannah Larsen, parent

“Although I write this as a parent, I feel I have more insight because I also work at North Point. I know Mr. Jones has an endless amount of patience with kids and has mastered communicating with his 2nd graders at their level. He teaches kindness and leads by example. We felt so lucky our daughter had him last year and that his classroom was a safe place both physically, and a safe place mentally for learning and growing. He will forever be remembered and loved in our family!“

Nominated by: Tawny Streeter, parent

“Mrs. Roberts has the most magical way of making a loving, warm learning environment, while also setting high expectations differentiated to each child’s needs. Students adore her and cannot wait to see her each day, and she’s also incredibly generous with her time and talent with parents. My kindergartner loves her so much (maybe more than me? lol), and is rapidly learning and growing in confidence. Teachers are the unsung heroes, and Mrs. Roberts is one of mine.“

Nominated by: Britany Barnes, parent

“Mrs. Wiliams is a pro at her craft and has made the first month of school a joy and so engaging that my son is thrilled to go to school every day for the first time. Being in her class has given him such a confidence boost and he feels safe and welcome in her positive learning environment. We’re so grateful for her!“

Nominated by: Britany & Ralf Barnes, parent

“Kathy Rockhill is more than a kindergarten teacher, she is an example of kindness and love in a high pressure and sometimes really tough situations. Because of her, these kindergartens can have a positive and fun start to their school career. With expectations and boundaries that help them thrive and grow! They are set up to be great learners while learning in fun and engaging ways. I’m forever grateful for her and her countless hours put into to teaching.“

Nominated by: Holly Jensen, parent

“Maestra Salas was my son’s teacher last year and she was always so kind and understanding and a fun teacher for the kids! They loved learning about her home country of Chile, and even though she’s no longer their teacher, she still loves those kids and always makes it a point to say hi to my little boy, his classmates, and me when I’m at the school.“

Nominated by: Alysse Crouchet, parent

“Ms. Smith is a dance teacher and she’s great at what she does. She always helps me with dance moves that I’m struggling with. She encourages me and gives me so much confidence on my dancing. She always believes in me in whatever I’m doing. She is my favorite middle school teacher!“

Nominated by: Lucy Johns, student

“Mrs. Hill is so involved and so much fun! She made last year so enjoyable for my son, that after having 3 years of hardship coming to school, he had nothing but good days! It put me so much at ease to send him off knowing he was cared about and in good hands!“

Nominated by: Alysse Crouchet, parent

“Angeline is so caring, she remembers the kids names on the bus. She especially made our son feel valued and comes to his school events to cheer him on. It takes a community and Angeline is a part of that community for our family.“

Nominated by: Aaron Goodrich, parent

“I was nervous before this school year but Sherri Madsen is kind, warm, and informative. She keeps me updated on how my son is doing and is open to talking to me about my concerns. I could not ask for a better teacher! Hidden Hollow is lucky to have Sherri around.“

Nominated by: Natalie Lewis, parent

“Mrs. Driggs truly cares for her students. She not only sincerely cares for their education but for their well-being. She loves those kids like they’re her own. She has made such an impact on my 7 yr old that he tears up whenever he talks about her. She has a special place in my two children’s (who had her for 1st) hearts. Never once did they ever question whether or not Mrs. Driggs cared about them. They always felt like the most special person to her. She genuinely deserves this award.“

Nominated by: Megan Heiner, parent

“Brooke is amazing. She is always super friendly which is great. What is really amazing is how hard she is willing to work for students even when the parents make a mistake. Our twins just started kindergarten this year. Our older kids already go to Sego Lilly in the ALL program so we wanted our twins to go there too. Unfortunily I messed up on the online registration and listed Traverse Mountain, which would have been oer local school before we moved as the school they were to attend on the enrollment forn. Brooke went out of her way to fix my error and the kids are at Sego Lily together.“

Nominated by: Todd Cunningham, parent

“Ms. Larsen is an absolutely outstanding teacher. She is so organized, loving, intelligent and is the most incredible teacher that any of my kids have ever had. My son loved going to school every day of the year, and I felt so comfortable knowing he was in such great hands with Ms. Larsen.“

Nominated by: Brianna Griffeth, parent

“Emily Wootton, along with her aides, truly love their students and it shows. She allows them time to get curious and creative without judgement and brings fun things into the classroom for them to explore. My son loves going to school because of her!“

Nominated by: Brianna Griffeth, parent

“Mrs. Losee is deserving of this award because she goes above and beyond to inspire and engage students, fostering a love for learning. She creates a positive, inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Her dedication to adapting lessons to meet individual needs, combined with her passion for education. My child is autistic with physical disabilities. Mrs. Losee loved and cared for him as her own, ensuring he had every support he needed to succeed- academically, and socially. She has encouraged him to continue his passion of coding and engineering.“

Nominated by: MarLie Lindsay, parent

“Mrs Sorensen is a miracle worker. She teaches 6th grade, yet she is the reason my little 3rd grader is willing to go to school. There isn’t a day my severely anxious Hazel doesn’t come home and tell me how Mrs Sorenson made her feel special and more importantly safe.“

Nominated by: Alicia Campbell, parent

“Ms. Millet is always helping, always concerned about students beyond their test scores. She is always communicating with parents and helping students beyond school.“

Nominated by: John Hutton, parent

“Mrs. Smith is incredible! With 32 students in class she was able to maintain discipline while challenging students on many different levels of abilities in math and reading. In all the states I have lived in, I have rarely seen a teacher so dedicated to going above and beyond the call of duty! She cares deeply about each child and his/her progress and was the perfect teacher for my son who struggles with dyslexia!“

Nominated by: Janna Smith, parent

November 6 – RISE Nominations

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