This CCA Student and Staff of the Month program recognizes one student and one staff member each month from an elementary school, the middle school, and the high school for demonstrating outstanding character, leadership, or achievement. 

Congratulations to our September CCA Students and Staff of the Month!

Elementary Student of The Month is Kylee Coffin, a second grade student from Clear Creek Elementary.

Kylee was nominated by Mrs. Rummelhart, Principal at Clear Creek Elementary

I would like to nominate Kylee Coffin for her kindness and the way she makes others feel included. Every morning, Kylee welcomes a classmate with excitement and joy. Through our peer-to-peer model, she includes him throughout the school day and helps him understand and model appropriate expectations. She always looks to make sure he's playing with others at recess or games in the classroom, and shows him how to be a kind second grader. 

Kylee goes out of her way to make sure he is included in activities, routines, and classroom experiences. She is patient, caring, and always willing to help. Kylee is a wonderful example of what it means to be a kind and caring friend. She shows us every day that small acts of kindness can make a big difference!

Middle School Student of the Month is Parker Huch, an eighth grade student.

Parker was nominated by Mr. Stone, Principal of Clear Creek Amana Middle School

Parker has been a strong student at CCA Middle School for the last two years. We are excited to watch her continue to evolve as a leader during her 8th grade year. 

During the initial weeks of school, we have observed many middle school students stepping up to help our new students as they join our building. Student leaders have helped students find their lockers, walked them through their schedule, and have provided a familiar face for new students to rely upon. Parker has gone above and beyond in this regard. Even before the school year began, Parker was helping new students get to know our building. She was also a tremendous help during our Zero Day and has continued to assist new students as the year has begun. Thank you for being a leader at CCA Middle School, Parker!

High School Student of The Month is Willem Nelson, a 9th grade student.

Willem was nominated by Riley Partridge, a science teacher at the high school.

The start of a new school year is a time full of emotions. Getting to work predominantly with Freshman I get to see all those emotions as every student is embarking on a new journey. As a teacher one of my favorite things is getting to know each student individually to know how I can best support each and everyone on our learning voyage. While most students are just trying to get there sea legs about them and navigate this journey for themselves; Willem has stood out over this first week of school as a role model in the classroom which is why I feel he is more than deserving of the recognition of student of the month. 

As a district we have been working hard to break some barriers of inclusion and thus this year I have the honor of getting to work with some students with higher level needs in my general education science classroom. As I have been trying to navigate this change with the help of our awesome special education team one of my main challenges is my ability to provide one-on-one instruction for these students that need it to keep them engaged in this lesson. 

From day one Willem chose a seat in my classroom next to one of these newer students and immediately started assisting them with the course work when I was working with other students. This “want to help others” is a character trait that as a parent I hope for in my own children and made me instantly know that Willem is a student that I will be able to count on to keep the ship sailing in the correct direction throughout the year. 

Our Elementary Staff of The Month is Jackie Baxter. Jackie is a PK-12 Curriculum Coordinator and works with Instructional coaches across all CCA schools.

Jackie was nominated by Avery Quinlan, a kindergarten teacher at Amana Elementary.

Jackie is always working no matter how many things she has going on. She always is willing to support teachers however she can and does so much behind the scenes. She truly makes Amana Elementary flow and we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs without her. 

Jackie is the most kind and positive person I know. Her patience for the kiddos and positivity is admirable. She always highlights how amazing the kids are doing and is the first one to point out the good behavior. Even when things aren’t going the way they are suppose to, she models such positivity and enthusiasm. 

The Middle School Staff of the Month is Harris Johnston, an associate at the middle school.

Harris was nominated by Kyle Forness, the Dean of Students at the Middle School.

Harris is someone we can count on every single day. He shows up, works hard, and takes on every task he is given without hesitation. He works with a wide range of students throughout our building, and his interactions with them are consistently positive, patient, and supportive.

Harris is a tremendous help in Ms. Longanecker’s room, but his impact goes well beyond one classroom. He is always willing to step in wherever he is needed and wears many different hats for our district.

Harris shows dependability and patience which are qualities he demonstrates daily exemplifying his good character.

Harris is the type of staff member who simply gets the job done and makes our building better in the process.

Our High School Staff of the Month is Sarah Dawson, a science teacher at the high school.

Sarah was nominated by Dawn Shannahan, a high school counselor. 

Sarah is a member of our ESSA team, ESSA stands for Every Student Succeeds Act, and leads by example.  She is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and doing the hard work. 

Sarah is incredibly patient and kind with all of her students.  However, I notice it most when she interacts with students that struggle with their emotions.  She is so understanding when a students needs a break or extra support.  She can be counted on to reach out to the counseling staff when she is worried about a student.  I think Sarah might be a bit unseen for her efforts and dedication to those struggling students.  For this, I believe Sarah is to be applauded!

Our District Wide English Language Learner or (ELL) Teaching Team is also recognized for September. 

• Rachel Allen
• Kevin Madden
• Jonna Paulson
• Sherika Ronk
• Karrigan Samuelson
• Hailey Seaba
• Karalee Smith
• Kelli Van Etten

Mr. Moody, Executive Director of Educational Services, nominated this fantastic team.

Our ELL staff is a phenomenal group of educators.  Everyday they work with students that have limited to no English language skills.  There are challenges daily that they address with their students through consistent and committed efforts.  They work regularly with content teachers to provide support to address the language barrier.  They must also be creative and utilize resources to be able to effectively communicate with some of our parents.  

Our ELL students had fantastic results in the annual spring testing.  Almost all grade levels tested above the state average.  Some grade levels doubled or even tripled the typical average state score. All told, due to their great work, we were able to exit almost 25% of our ELL students as now being proficient.  This is a result most schools can only dream for.  At CCA it’s a reality!