2016 HAYWARD HEROES

CHARLES SCOTT

Custodian

Bowman Elementary School

We, at Bowman School, are so pleased that Charles Scott has brought his positive energy and joyous spirit to Bowman this year. He has been a great addition to our Bobcat family and we appreciate the enthusiasm with which he keeps our school clean and safe. Charles is very involved in our school culture and PBIS implementation and goes above and beyond to interact with all students. He interacts with all staff and always offers a smile and a cheery disposition even in stressful situations. He always jumps in to support anyone in need. We are looking forward to working with this amazing colleague for many years to come.

THALIA MCNIEL-SMITH

English Teacher

Brenkwitz High School

Ms. Smith is a caring and dedicated teacher to our students. She goes above and beyond the normal everyday teaching duties by listening and talking with the students but always being professional. Ms. Smith is an excellent resource to her students; she provides them with valuable tools for not only their education but life skills too. We at Brenkwitz admire Ms. Smith and are proud to call her our Hero!

ABEL PEREZ

Custodian

Bret Harte Middle School

Abel has served students and faculty in HUSD for over 20 years. He is dedicated and consistent and upholds the highest standard for Bret Harte's campus. Abel is a team player, he is self-motivated, and he supports all of the students, parents, faculty, and after school programs at Bret Harte. He is always kind, thoughtful, and diligent in his work.  We truly appreciate him!

CONNIE NICKEL

Senior Kitchen Operator

Burbank Elementary School

Connie Nickel has worked for HUSD for 16 years, and at Burbank as our Serving Kitchen Operator for 14 years. From the first day that she stepped onto our campus she has been an asset to our school. Faculty, staff, parents and most importantly the students, all love her. Her upbeat personality, sparkling smile and overall positive disposition make her the go to person for advice, a shoulder to cry on or a hug. Burbank has 900+ students and Connie knows 99%-100% of them by name. She takes a genuine interest in our students. She attends their plays, concerts, after school activities and fundraisers; anything that our school puts on and our students are involved in. Connie truly loves the students here at Burbank, and they truly love her. It is obvious that Connie has a heart for children. She is irreplaceable here at Burbank and we love her. And that is why we have nominated Connie Nickel as our 2016 Hero of the Year.

SCOTT LURIE

H/H Teacher (Special Education)

Cesar Chavez Middle School

Mr. Lurie has been a long time Hard of Hearing teacher within HUSD. He has worked at Cesar Chavez for approximately 17 years. He goes above and beyond the call of duty by being department chair, district spearhead with Next Generation Science Standards, and an expert in the Hard of Hearing world. He is often a go-to person when things happen on campus.

ADRIANA GONZALEZ

Kindergarten Teacher / PTA

Cherryland Elementary School

Adriana has consistently gone above and beyond the call of her regular duties in her role with PTA. She has ensured that PTA is functional and alive at Cherryland.  Through her efforts and those of the parents she organizes with, Cherryland has raised a minimum of $20,000 per year to support teachers’ instruction and student achievement.

SHRADHA SINGH-MISTRY

SDC Certificated Teacher

East Avenue Elementary School

Shradha Singh-Mistry is a SDC Certificated Teacher for 1st-3rd grade severely autistic students.  Her dedication to a well-rounded educational experience cannot be matched.  Her students' growth, both academically and socially, is a testimony to her expertise in her field.  Mrs. Singh-Mistry has been granted funds to expand her classroom to the real world.  Her students love and benefit from being able to learn from the community outside the school grounds.  She has compassion for all students and has consistently gone out of her way to make all students a part of East Avenue.  It is with great pleasure that I nominate Mrs. Shradha Singh-Mistry for the Hayward Hero Award.

JENNIFER GARCIA

Volunteer/Parent/Noon Supervisor/Substitute Attendance Clerk

Eden Gardens Elementary School

Jennifer has been the consummate volunteer at Eden Gardens. She has been a member of the PTA, and a PTA Executive officer for 7 years. In addition to PTA, Jennifer has been involved every year with fundraisers, book fairs, school pictures, field trips, and as a classroom helper. Jennifer has also worked for the school as a noon-time yard and cafeteria supervisor for the last 5 years, helping to ensure student safety and orderly conduct. This year as if everything she does was not enough, Jennifer did a fantastic job filling in for our school's attendance clerk for the first 5 months of the school year. Jennifer Garcia - you are appreciated and valued. As a former student of Hayward schools, you are a "Made in Hayward" Hayward Hero!!

JULIANA RUBIA

Kindergarten Teacher

Eldridge Elementary School

Ms. Rubia is a dedicated employee with her heart in the right place. She always goes the extra mile to help the school move forward. She volunteers countless hours for different events at school, such as Carnival, Valentine's dance, See’s Candies fundraiser, SBDM, PTO, SSC and many others. Ms. Rubia loves her students and school. She is the heart of the school and is the person everyone goes to for advice. The students, staff and, community really appreciate her efforts to support the school.

APRIL KEY-LEE

PTA Secretary

Fairview Elementary

April is a superstar, rockstar parent for Fairview Elementary. She has a son in the Fairview Deaf and Hard of Hearing program and she has spent five years in volunteer work with children for special needs. For the past two years, she has dedicated countless hours to the re-formation of the Fairview Parent Teacher Association. She has led the organizing of school events such as the Fall Festival and the School Walk-A-Thon. She is calm, patient and determined in her work to make Fairview the best school it can be.

LIGIA GRUEL

Parent Volunteer

Faith Ringgold Elementary School

Ligia has been a dedicated parent volunteer at Faith Ringgold for over 10 years. During these years, she has assumed many leadership roles at our school, which include being DELAC representative (later the district DELAC president for many years), ELAC president, SSC chair, SBDM representative, and Parent Association President. She is selfless and goes above the call of duty to support Faith Ringgold students, staff and learning community. In addition, she has helped provide parent education to parents in Spanish, with the goal of informing her fellow parents to better understand how the school works so that they, in turn, can better support their children. She has helped the school translate information for parents. Ligia is a valuable member of our learning community. Her son is graduating soon from our school. We are in the process of persuading her to stay as a parent volunteer, even after her last child graduates from our school. She will be missed. Ligia, we are very grateful of your services to our school, our students, our parents and our staff. Thank you.

LAUREN RIVERA & JONATHAN RUFF

Teachers

Glassbrook Elementary School

Lauren and Jonathan are two wonderful teachers who have donated many hours to make sure that students at risk get an opportunity to learn the game of Golf. With the support of the First Tee of the East Bay, they organize, coach and teach 20 of our low-income students facing many challenges at home and at school. Critical life skills, such as concentration, responsibility, interpersonal skills, and positive attitude are skills students will carry over into all facets of life.

ZARLASHT BARAKZOY

English Learner Specialist/Program Resource Teacher

Harder Elementary School

Mrs. Barakzoy is committed to our school community. She is always thinking about our students, our staff, and our parents. Through her involvement in School Site Council, the English Language Action Committee and our Instructional Leadership Team, Mrs. Barakzoy has everyone’s best interest in mind. She looks for ways to provide Equity to our students and support our entire staff. Her reach extends to our parent community, empowering them to be the best advocates for their children and even working with parents after school teaching them English.

PATRICIA DENNIS

Adult School Teacher

Hayward Adult School for Education & Careers

During the 4 years of her employment at the adult school, Patricia exemplifies the characteristics of a model teacher by her dedication to the mission of the Adult School. Patricia is student-focused, which is clear when you are in her class during a lesson. Patricia is extremely knowledgeable about the adult ed program and always willing to provide clarity to students and faculty as needed. Patricia relates well with all students and their varying needs. She engages students by using different modalities to present curriculum. The thought and preparation of her lessons makes it virtually impossible not to learn something.

SOLEDAD PADILLA

EL Specialist 

Hayward High School

Ms. Padilla embodies all three of the criteria for this important recognition. Since her first day on our campus, her one goal has been to improve the education and opportunities for our English Language Learners. She has worked tirelessly with students, parents, and teachers to provide them with the ultimate level of support. Her level of success can be measured by our school's ever increasing percentage of EL students being reclassified as being proficient in English; in fact, we may have the highest percentage of reclassification in the entire district. She is always professional, and has a warm personality that makes everyone she interacts with feel comfortable and engaged.

MAHER TAMANA

Office Manager

KEY Academy 

Maher is the face of our school! She brings a sense of calm and structure to all the parents, teachers, and students that enter the front office. She is the first person to school in the morning and works tirelessly throughout the day wearing different hats to support everyone who needs her. Whether it's being a secretary, office manager, nurse, translator, or just supervising students, Maher is an essential part of our school community and is truly deserving of this award.

MASAKO LEU

Meal Assistant 

Leadership Public Schools - Hayward

Masako "Grandma" Leu has committed herself to our campus community while serving as our meal program assistant. She held this role since 2005 when LPS came into existence. To students and staff, she is warmly known as "Grandma". In the 11 years, she missed 6 days and recently retired after suffering a mild stroke--she even came to work the following two days after the stroke occurred. If this isn't dedication, then I don't know what is! Grandma is reliable, committed, generous and kind. She is someone you could set your clock by, because she never misses any details and has a heart the size of Texas. She is respected, endeared and loved by all and deserves to be honored and recognized in this fashion.

YOLI GONZALEZ

Attendance Clerk

Longwood Elementary School

Yoli has provided excellent service for the Longwood community for almost a decade. She inspires everyone with her work ethic and always greets you with a smile. She goes above and beyond her duties on a daily basis. Teachers and students love working with her, and parents see her as a confidant and a friend. She exemplifies what it means to have Longwood Lion Pride!

LIZ LONDRY

PTA President

Lorin Eden Elementary School

Liz Londry is the Lorin Eden PTA president. She has been the PTA president for 3 years and involved with our PTA for 7 years total. During her tenure Liz has been selfless in her drive to support and work toward the betterment of Lorin Eden. She gives her time and energy in every fundraiser, runs Student Store and is a driving force in making sure that every teacher has what is needed in the classroom. Liz Londry stands out with her calm strength of character, high energy and positive spirit. Her hard work and "can do" attitude is a gift to Loren Eden's students, staff and community.

DENNY RABINO

School Resource Officer 

Martin Luther King Jr., Middle School

Officer Rabino is an essential member of ML King's safety team. He is calm in even the most stressful situations. He is respectful of everyone he meets with, and he has the ability to relate to the young people he serves. Officer Rabino supports the administrative team in ensuring that the students at MLK have a safe learning environment.

DONNA BOSWELL

Front Office Receptionist

Moreau Catholic High School

For the past twenty years, Donna has been the face and voice of Moreau Catholic, serving as our receptionist in the main office; simply put, she is the glue that holds our daily operations of the school together! She is never without a smile on her face, and has selflessly given of her time and energy to support our students, parents, faculty, and staff. First as a Moreau parent, then volunteer, and now as an employee for more than two decades, Donna has left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who come in contact with her. As she prepares for retirement this spring, it is only fitting that she be honored for her heroic efforts and contributions to our community.

BRANDI BRETZ

School Business Assistant

Mt. Eden High School

Brandi's middle name should be "selfless." She gets to work by 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. and often stays until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. (way past her required workday.) During those hours, she's supervising students who are assigned to other teachers for a 0 period but whose teachers may be late or absent that day. She spends hours beautifying the school in a multitude of ways, be it decorating the counseling office or helping Leadership students during Spirit Week. Hungry students know that her office is the place to go when they haven't brought a breakfast or lunch because she always keeps food handy for these students and doesn't charge them a cent. She attends SBDM every month to provide the team with the school budget report even though she's not a voting or paid member. She is Co-Chair of our School Site Council because she cares so much about how our money is allocated for our English Language Learners and low income students. She attends more evening school events than anyone else on staff and often chaperones overnight and weekend field trips for our Choir program, even though her son is not a member of the Choir this year. Brandi is also the unofficial social director for Classified staff and plans many birthday parties for her fellow Classified colleagues throughout the school year.

JOSE TANADA

Puente Teacher

Ochoa Middle School

Mr. Tanada has gone above and beyond in establishing the Puente program on campus in its first year. He effectively teaches our Puente students for 3 periods each day and has done an outstanding job in building community and establishing strong relationships with our Puente students. He has worked seamlessly with our outstanding Puente counselor, Ms. Hernandez. This is best reflected in a Puente history event, in which Ochoa hosted Dr. Maria Ochoa, daughter of Anthony W. Ochoa - who the school was named after. Through historical photos and documents, Dr. Ochoa educated Puente students about the history of Hayward and her family. Mr. Tanada is well-deserving of this recognition and I am proud to honor him!

SANDY DALY

Teacher on Special Assignment

Palma Ceia Elementary School

Our Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Sandy Daly, goes above and beyond her official assignments every day and what she can't accomplish in a 10-12 hour workday, she comes in to complete on Saturday. When any project or problem needs an extra hand, we call on Sandy. At Palma Ceia, we all profit from her long and successful teaching career. She never says, “NO”. She works individually and with groups of students and teachers. She researches and presents information to the staff. She grades math facts for 570+ students every two weeks and includes the next tests in the classroom folder. She needs no direction, she knows when assignments are due and gets them in on time on the right form. She is supremely dedicated to our school, our students, our staff and our parents. We nominate our dedicated Teacher on Special Assignment, Sandy Daly as Palma Ceia’s Hayward Hero.

LORI SUYDAM

1st Grade Teacher

Park Elementary School

Mrs. Lori Suydam is a 1st grade teacher that is highly respected by her students, colleagues and the Park community. As a teacher she maintains a high level of rigor in her classroom, sets high expectations for all of her students and promotes a level of respect; nurturing a love for learning that will continue throughout the students' futures. Outside of the classroom Mrs. Suydam is an exemplary leader, providing professional support to her colleagues. Mrs. Suydam is a compassionate, generous and integral part of the Park community.  She is always willing to take the time to collaborate with parents. Mrs. Lori Suydam we thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in making Park school a better place to be...we are proud to have you as our HERO!!!

ASHIYANA RIAZ

Attendance Clerk

Ruus Elementary School

Ashiyana goes above and beyond her work duties. Sometimes she comes in on the weekends to complete her work because her priorities during the day are the students, families, and teachers. She is composed, courteous, and professional even when it is hectic and there are many demands in the office. Ashiyana provides a calm, caring, and nurturing environment for the Ruus community.

MADELEINE DE LA FONTAINE

Resource Coordinator

St. Bede Catholic School

Madeleine de la Fontaine is an incredible gift to St. Bede Catholic School and the Hayward community. From 1990-2000 she worked as the Principal and dedicated her life to serving the families of St. Bede Parish Church and beyond. Then in 2012 Madeleine chose to come out of retirement to return to St. Bede Catholic School as the Resource Coordinator. For the past several years, she has generously shared her time and expertise commuting from Brentwood to Hayward to help our students with special needs by providing one-on-one tutoring, small group instruction, and support to the classroom teachers and parents. Madeleine’s genuine love for children and her faithful commitment to their education are two of the most admiring qualities of this outstanding educator.

MARY McCRACKEN

Volunteer

St. Clement Catholic School

Mary McCracken is a true gift from God. She came in to our Saint Clement Catholic School (SCCS) office seven years ago in 2009 asking if she could volunteer her Thursday mornings at our school. At the time, she had no ties to SCCS. Her son started Kindergarten at SCCS in 2013 and is now in the second grade. Mary is willing to do anything and everything that is needed and no matter what tasks the school presents to her, she gives her all. Mary’s expertise, forte, and love is spreadsheets! She truly enjoys entering data and creating amazing spreadsheets for the school’s various projects and events; a significant contribution with a broad impact on the organization and efficiency in the school office. Saint Clement Catholic School is extremely fortunate to have Mary McCracken as a volunteer in the school office as well as a room parent!

MARIA MARTIN

Paraeducator

Schafer Park Elementary School

Maria Martin has been a para-educator for several years in our Mild to Moderate program.  She performs her duties to the best of her abilities creating long lasting relationships with students, teachers, and parents. Mrs. Martin always ensures that students are learning and interacting in positive ways. She works with students in small groups, one on one, and has even conducted portions of the day's lessons.  Through her years here she has worked with several groups including School Site Council, Site Based Decision Making, and our Parent Teacher Association.  Her support of the PTA fundraising efforts includes Movie Nights, Walk A Thon, and cultural events such as the Posada. During the summer months she came in almost every day to weed and water our school garden. In the fall she organized a group of parents to help with planting.  Maria continuous work has created a vibrant area for learning from a place left dormant for a couple of years!

SHARON STOUGH

Teacher

Southgate Elementary School

Sharon Stough is a true pillar in the community. A mother-figure to some; a mentor to others; an amazing teacher to hundreds of elementary school-age kids; and a friend to all in the community...Sharon Stough embodies everything that it means to be a Southgate Grizzly, and Made in Hayward. Her dedication to Hayward schools is unmatched; and her energy and enthusiasm can never be duplicated.

MARYANN LOBO

PTA Executive Vice President

Stonebrae Elementary School

Maryann Lobo has been actively involved in Stonebrae's PTA for the past seven years. She has volunteered on field trips, in classrooms, at various PTA and school activities, and has coordinated the school's volunteers. She tirelessly promotes our school with new parents as well as returning families. She responds to any request from the school in a positive manner. She is a true asset to Stonebrae School.

JILLIAN SAGI

Teacher

Strobridge Elementary School

Ms. Sagi is an outstanding teacher who goes above and beyond for all of her students. She works extremely hard to make sure the Social Studies and Science curriculum comes alive for her classes. The time and energy spent preparing and delivering quality instruction is second to none. Every student in her classes receives individual attention and assurance of success by any means necessary. She will arrive early in the morning, skip her lunch, or meet students after school. Whatever it takes to help students succeed she's all for it.

ANN LESTER

Art Teacher

Tennyson High School

Ann is not only an outstanding teacher, she has helped turn our campus into a work of art! She has helped us beautify our campus with over fifty trees, murals and mosaics. She participates in every school event, and works in the community to open art shows at the Hayward Historical Society for our students. She also helps our elementary teachers learn and implement quality art lessons in their classrooms. She is a true Hayward Hero!

LESLEY PERRY

Parent / Volunteer / PTA Treasurer / Book Fair Organizer

Treeview/Bidwell Elementary School

Lesley is selfless: she's committed to work for the sake of our students, teachers and schools. Not only does she volunteer her time in her children's classroom, but she is also PTA Treasurer and in charge of organizing the Book Fair at both Treeview and Bidwell school sites. She has pushed for our student's to have books for summer reading by having additional book fairs which give our student's free books at the end of the year. She gives her time to be part of PTA and School Site Council. She's an all-star!

HAYRIYE ISCAN

2nd Grade Teacher

Tyrrell Elementary School

Ms. Iscan demonstrates the qualities and attributes of a world class teacher. She is a very compassionate, patient, and understanding teacher. She works tirelessly to meet the needs of every student to ensure they meet their goals. Her calm spirit provides students with peace, feelings of safety, and builds their confidence as learners. Ms. Iscan is a true Hayward HERO.

GEROGE PEKNIK

Teacher

Winton Middle School

George Peknik is an integral part of the Winton Middle School community where he supports both students and staff selflessly. He has worked diligently at Winton for 13 years. Mr. Pekink is always student focused and enriches their lives through math and the after school clubs that he runs. He tutors for mathematics every Thursday after school, runs an American Sign Language Club every Friday after school, and he also leads the Winton Hiking Club. Mr. Peknik is the definition of a teacher who educates the whole student.