FEATURED COLUMNIST
Students to Celebrate By Scott J. Turnbull, Superintendent, Soquel Union Elementary School District
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nother fantastic year of learning is coming to a close for Soquel Union Elementary School District at the end of May. New Brighton Middle School’s eighth graders will participate in their promotion ceremony on Friday, May 27, at 3 p.m. We are pleased to be able to host that ceremony in-person at the school for the first time since 2019! This month, I wanted to use this space to recognize some of our outstanding students. I believe that reading about these students will reassure you that our future is in great hands! ••• Biri Diana Reynosa Gonzalez New Brighton Middle School rincipal Craig Broadhurst shared the following about Biri: “Biri has been in our district since kindergarten, attending Santa Cruz Gardens before coming to NBMS. She is a very positive student and she embodies the ‘NBMS Way’ of being kind, safe, respectful and responsible. She works hard in the
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classroom and has been on the Honor Roll every quarter here at NBMS. Her PE teacher reports that, ‘She is a ray of sunshine! Always willing and eager to participate in every planned activity in a positive way. An absolute joy to have in class!!’ Another teacher, Ms. Tomlin, Biri Gonzalez said, ‘Biri joined the spring yearbook class and quickly became a valuable asset to the staff ... She grasped the design concepts ... and was able to skillfully learn the technical aspects of layout and design. All of this was done cheerfully, with purpose and cooperation. I have come to rely on her.’ Biri is an outstanding representative of the NBMS student body!” William Hurford Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School rincipal Carissa Lemos shared the following about William: “When I think
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of The Santa Cruz Garden’s Way — acting kind, safe, and responsible — William immediately comes to my mind. His continuous and genuine efforts illuminate these characteristics and more! He has a powerful and uplifting influence in and out William Hurford of the classroom. He is a natural leader and selflessly encourages peers at this school. Unprompted and on countless occasions, I have seen William go out of his way to be a part of solving problems and creating proactive solutions. He interacts and navigates challenges with such kindness, grace, empathy, understanding, and respect. With a growth mindset, he truly is an enthusiastic learner and challenges himself to take personal leaps and make academic strides. He has a widespread and positive impact in my class, this school, and our community.
William is truly a bright light at Santa Cruz Gardens.”
Emily Ruiz Main Street Elementary School rincipal Ronnie Plat shared the following about Emily: “A third grade student at Main Street Elementary in Ms. Martin’s classroom, she is a very sensitive and compassionate student, always noticing when someone is feeling left Emily Ruiz out or blue and tries to be an upstander and friend to that person. She works very hard during class and embodies the Main Street Way of being Respectful, Responsible, Honest, and Caring every day. We are so happy that Emily and her family are a part of our Main Street community!”
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“Celebrate” page 22
Local & Organic Food, Beer, wine & more!
Whether you’re spending the day at the beach or need groceries for the whole week, New Leaf Community Markets has everything you need for the perfect day. Stop by your neighborhood New Leaf to stock up on local favorites.
10% of profits go back to the community
Half Moon Bay • Downtown Santa Cruz Westside Santa Cruz • Capitola • Aptos
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2022 / 19
