One Hart Awards

Community ~ Caring ~ Courage ~ Creativity

Each month the District will recognize staff, students, and community members who exemplify

the Hart District's core values

2022/23 One Hart Award Winners

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Amy Daniels Community

Amy Daniels serves as the Executive Director of the WiSH Education Foundation. Amy exemplifies many of the Hart District core values, but especially community. Amy serves and supports students of the Hart District, leading the fundraising efforts of the foundation to provide extra resources that help ensure every student has the tools and resources they need.

Bryan Martuscello Courage
Bryan has been a campus supervisor at Hart for the past 11 years, a football coach longer than that, and most recently has been our lead campus supervisor. He has assisted with multiple student safety situations, but most recently worked through a delicate situation when we lost a student on campus. It took courage, caring, community and being creative, all of the district’s four core values, to bring together students and keep things calm on campus in light of what was going on in the community. Bryan is a veteran, serving our country, but more importantly keeping Hart's campus safe and secure, and it takes courage to do that.

Ruben Del Real Community
Wellness Coordinator Ruben Del Real has co-facilitated two wellness forums covering a multitude of mental health/social emotional topics, discussions, and activities. He also co-leads our monthly wellness department parent forums, which has helped build community and connection between parents/guardians and mental-health professionals. He leads group counseling options and has conducted male and female empowerment workshops. His biggest accomplishment is that Canyon has the highest number of students joining our wellness center per month across the district. This indicates strong rapport-building with our students and more mental-health resources being offered. Ruben is looking forward to our first ever student athlete wellness forum which will include community partners co-presenting mental health topics addressing student athlete performance, nutrition, time management, and overall athletic fortitude.

Jean Kauffman Community
Jean represents the best of the best of the Hart District and builds a sense of community wherever she goes and with whomever she serves. As a PAR Consulting Teacher, she supports our new teachers in moving their practice forward, solving what seems like impossible problems, and infects them with her contagious positive attitude, love of students, commitment to education for all, and caring heart. Thank you for all that you do in supporting our teachers and students. Congratulations!

Araksia Kaladjian Caring

Araksia Kaladjian is a school psychologist who is caring, thorough, kind, and respectful to all. She makes families, students, and staff feel welcomed and heard throughout the IEP process. She takes the time to clearly explain the process, protocol, and results associated with the assessments and IEP. Araksia is a vital part of our Care Team and our school community. We are so grateful for her expertise and all she does for our students at Rancho Pico.

Alex Dunwoody Caring
Mr. Dunwoody shows daily how he cares for his students. As a La Mesa alum, he relates to each student that he comes in contact with and consistently looks to build relationships with his students. Students look to him for guidance and the respect is given and received through their interactions. He is a valuable member of the La Mesa community and we are lucky to have him!

Broden Weeks Community
Broden was given the One Hart award for community due to his unique ability to bring students together and to promote the video production program at Castaic High School. While at the STN convention in Long Beach last month, Broden worked on a number of contests and was always there to support his peers and to support the chaperones to create such a positive experience for everyone.

Dean Acevedo Caring
Coach Dean shows a great deal of caring and support for the boys on the frosh volleyball team at Saugus. It is evident that Coach Dean has taught the boys not just the rules of the game but also how to cheer their teammates on and how to be there for each other when playing games.

Kasey Watanabe Courage
Kasey Watanabe is being selected for the One Hart Award for her courage as the new librarian. Kasey has done a great job supporting students and staff and has had the courage to lead difficult conversations to support the needs of all. We appreciate all that Kasey has done to set up the upcoming AP exams.

Penni Kern Caring
Penni worked in food service at Arroyo Seco for six years before recently accepting a promotion to Rio Norte. While at Seco, she always gave 110%, making strong connections with our students and watching out for those kids with special diets. She was also always seen outside after lunch, helping the custodians pick up trash. Thank you Penni!

Jessica Meraz Community
As ASB director, Jessica always goes above and beyond to support our Arroyo Seco community. She works with her student leaders to create many memorable experiences for students and seek out ways to recognize the efforts of those who are making positive choices. Enlisting the support of parents, Jessica has also put in countless hours to acknowledge the hard work of all of our staff members, both during Staff Appreciation Week and throughout the school year. Thank you for all of your contributions to our school community!

March 2023

March

Leticia Hernandez Community

Dr. Hernandez’s life and professional story exemplify the power of community. As a child of immigrant parents, she was encouraged by a teacher at Saugus High School to dream big for her future. Through hard work, an exceptional professional resume, and the support of many in the community, she has returned to Santa Clarita to help open the doors of opportunity to a new generation of students as the Superintendent of the Newhall School District.

David Gillum Community

David Gillum has been instrumental in sponsorship partnership with Golden Valley HS. Since 2016 his organizations have donated over $50,000 to our athletic department. The City of Santa Clarita just recognized David for his outstanding volunteering for youth sports, coaching boys and girls basketball for six years. He has also coached Canyon Country Little League for 10 years. David exemplifies someone who gives back to his community with available resources and his personal time. He's an incredible human being.

Sophia Maybin Courage

Sophia Maybin has been a member of ROTC and is a natural leader at Canyon. Her hard work has earned her a scholarship funded by the Air Force in which she will be able to receive her private pilot certification this summer. She is the proud recipient of one of the J-100 AFJROTC100 scholarships, which covers 100% tuition to a university of her choice. Congratulations, Sophia!

Sue Cahill Caring

Sue Cahill always leads with what she knows and believes is best for all students. She is fair and kind. She treats others with respect. Even on challenging days, Sue remains calm and collected. She leads by example at all times, and she is proactive. Sue goes above and beyond her job description and always thinks about ways to make good better. She is reflective, open to feedback, and genuinely cares about the students and their wellbeing.

Jeff and Jennifer Press Community

Jeff and Jennifer Press are the owners of Santa Clarita's Firehouse Subs. The Press family is always giving back, which is why we wanted to present them with our March One Hart award for community and give back to them. Whether it's a Heart of Hart luncheon (like we had when we presented this coin), or for staff events, extracurricular programs, or to the community at large, the Presses are true community partners. Many Hart students work at their sandwich shop, and they obviously care for our first responders. We can't be more thankful for the services Firehouse and the Presses provide!

Munnu Sudan Community

Munnu Sudan is being recognized for community for her involvement in supporting our boys and girls basketball teams. Mrs. Sudan has been an amazing supporter of both of our programs and goes above and beyond. As a parent of two West Ranch students, Mrs. Sudan is a great advocate for all students and has dedicated many hours to help support all students at our school. We appreciate all that Mrs. Sudan has done and continues to do for our community.

Aaron Kirkland Community

Aaron is a staple at La Mesa Junior High and his sense of community is unparalleled. He embraces being a mentor to new teachers and follows through with the professional learning community as he facilitates unifying his department, and school, so that students feel the cohesiveness of the campus where all teachers are focused on student growth. This focus on student growth is not only in academics, but on young people growing into young adults.

Eve Itaya Caring

Eve Itaya was awarded a One Hart Award for caring because of her immense dedication to our students and community. Eve exhibits, encourages and lives by a "growth mindset" in every decision, always student centered. After 34 years of teaching, she inspires all who know her. We are so proud to have her on our Coyote staff as not only an exceptional teacher but also an inspirational leader who is continually taking on tasks to grow our school.

February 2023

February

Erin McCleary Creativity

Erin McCleary is a librarian PLUS. Erin is kind, creative, nurturing, and innovative. Her library is a maker space, a game room, a reading room, a craft space, and a safe space where all students are welcome before school, brunch, lunch, and after school for enrichment. Erin is our Robotics and Science Olympiad Coach and serves on our PBIS Team. Erin is constantly looking for ways to fund and bring new opportunities to our diverse student population through the library.

Adriana De Fazio Caring

Adriana De Fazio has held down the position of AP secretary at Hart HS for nearly 30 years. I first encountered Adriana as a substitute teacher in 2001. She always showed so much care for Hart and those who came into the AP office. She continues that care today, constantly staying on top of teachers who are out and finding coverage. She is amazing. We are presenting this One Hart coin to her for the amount of care that she has given Hart HS. Thank you Adriana, you are the best!

Jim Ventress Community

Jim Ventress has impacted the lives of countless children, keeping them safe and teaching them respect for themselves and others. Even though Jim has retired from directing the SCV Boys and Girls Clubs, you will still often see him at the clubs helping children.

Kathy Hunter Caring

Kathy Hunter supports programs and initiatives that are in the best interest of students. She always puts student needs first. She is ready to help whenever needed and she takes time to explain the issues. She meets needs creatively and in any way she can.

Andy Perez-Benitez Creativity

Between lessons for English Learners and our Sierra Vista Life news channel, Andy exudes creativity.

Caren Cummins Creativity

Caren uses multiple methods in her kitchen to teach students life skills they can build upon creatively.

Kristiana Molina Community

Kristiana has worked with intention to build bridges, team build, and be inclusive with all staff in the Human Resources department. We are deeply appreciative and want to recognize her efforts in the core value of community.

Jan Daisher Creativity

Jan Daisher could be recognized for her work that promotes community, collaboration and courage, but the core value that is most recognizable is creativity. Jan has a way of using ingenuity in complex situations to complete the needed work to support ALL students. She is an integral part of the Ed Services team because of her heart for students, her "team" attitude, and her tireless work to create environments for which both students and staff can thrive. For these reasons, and many more, Jan was given the One Hart Award for creativity.

Pat Modugno, Frank Chavez, Javier Padilla

Community

These gentlemen work diligently each day to assure that the learning and work environments are ready for students to learn. During COVID, they upgraded filters across the district. In the fall, when we experienced a prolonged heat wave, they were working days, nights, and weekends to keep up with the extreme challenges, much of that time up on roofs in 100 plus degree weather. They are unsung heroes who go about their work without fanfare or recognition.

Rob Kayne, Ben Kayne Caring

Attorney and AOC father, Mr. Rob Kayne, and his son, AOC 10th grader, Ben Kayne received a One Hart Award for community. They began our AOC Mock Trial tea, and practice hours each week with our students to ensure they are prepared for their Mock Trial competitions. For our first year, they have been competitive with the private school teams and have placed. We are so proud of the work of our Mock Trial team. Thank you Ben and Mr. Kayne for bringing our AOC students together for this team.

Scot Mahotz Community

Scot has served as Canyon Country Little League President since 2011. He has given countless hours of service, including building a new field at the complex with his son, Matthew, in 2017. He also serves four other offices for the CCLL. Scot has volunteered over 250 hours on our baseball field in the last four years along with donations of seed, soil and fertilizer. His contributions and time served volunteering are amongst the most generous in Golden Valley’s 19 years.

April Rios Community

April is an amazing Golden Valley and community volunteer. She has served as a Football Booster member since 2014

and the President since 2016. She has served the Little Grizzlies since 2015. April has given countless hours and fundraisers to benefit our football program and the GVHS community. She is one of the biggest GV supporters of all time. (Her husband Henry was by her side in all of her contributions.)

Kevin Fulleman Creativity

Mr. Fulleman is being recognized for Creativity. He is a popular and engaging teacher who has done a great job of developing young musicians and building our instrumental music program, which now includes Orchestra. His recruitment videos are very creative and students love being in his classes. Thank you, Mr. Fulleman!

Justine Hooper Community

Justine Hooper is being recognized for community. She is an experienced teacher who joined Arroyo Seco in the 2022-23 school year. Not only has she contributed in her role as a special education teacher, she has made contributions to our school community as a whole. Ms. Hooper took on the challenge of leading a group of students to the Math Counts competition (for the first time in approximately 20 years at Arroyo Seco). Thank you Ms. Hooper!

Steve Paterson Community

Steve is the embodiment of community at La Mesa. As a Special Education Counselor, Steve is always accessible for his students and teachers and is always willing to jump in as needed. He also gives up his time before school, brunch, lunch and after school to help supervise the campus and guide students in helping them H.O.W.L. while on campus and helping them continue that behavior while at home as they mature through junior high! He is a valued asset to the La Mesa team and the District!

Lizzy Ng Courage

Lizzy is a phenomenal English teacher and ASB advisor. She works hard to ensure students are getting her best day in and day out. She loves her students and challenges them to learn and grow from their experiences. Lizzy showed courage in her decision to step down from ASB to pursue her National Board Certification in English. While we will miss her impact on our ASB, we fully support her in this major, courageous decision!

Valerie Bradford Community

Valerie Bradford recognizes how our community, including our school community, is changing and courageously advocates for all children and holds us accountable for doing the same.

Sal Frias Community

Mr. Frias brings in the community to increase access, awareness and opportunities for Golden Valley students. When presented with this award, he received a standing ovation from his staff.

January 2023

Martina Hasek	Caring	Martina exemplifies the attribute of caring. She is filling in as our office manager and everyday she cares for our staff. She always has a smile on her face and is willing to do anything to make sure our students and staff have what they need. Our school runs smoothly because of all she does.
Dave Russell George Lopata	Community	These two gentlemen are teachers and athletic directors. They are committed to creating community in their classrooms. And they also spend countless hours creating community among our coaches, athletes, and staff. This includes coaches that are full-time teachers and our walk-on coaches. These two work tirelessly to make sure our community of athletes are successful and supported. And their hard work ensures that the tight-knit community of Saugus High School is maintained.
Heidi Sternberg	Courage	Life is full of ups and downs. Heidi continues to show courage in her professional life and her personal life. She courageously advocates for her students and courageously navigates the difficult issues that life throws her way.
Kyanna Isaacson	Community	Kyanna Isaacson has been a true community partner in the Santa Clarita Valley for many years now. Kyanna is also a product of the Hart District. But what sets Kyanna apart is her opening of true community stores for many of our schools. Most recently the Newhall Jersey Mike's opened up and we couldn't be more proud of the support and generosity that Kyanna and her staff have shown to Hart High School. Kyanna was awarded the One Hart Award for community.
Greg Myers	Community	Greg is a true example of community. He is not just a groundskeeper, but you will see Greg going above and beyond his responsibilities to help La Mesa be a great place for learning. He engages with students and is proactive in getting involved when needed and at a moments notice.
Erika Garcia	Community	Erika embodies the sense of community that all teachers aspire to. She is a leader on campus and looks for ways to connect with each of her students. Every student feels welcome, as she differentiates lessons to connect with each student in her class. Also, at the beginning of the school year, she stepped in and assisted a long-term substitute so that the sub and students were in lock step with the pacing of the Science Department. Congratulations Erika - you deserve it!
Jon Carrino	Community	Jon Carrino goes well above and beyond the call of duty. In addition to his excellent work as the Director of Technology Services, he has assumed the position of District Office Activities Director to help make everyone smile. Jon is one of the big reasons why people continue to love to come to work in the Hart District Office. Thank you Jon!
Chris Siegwart	Caring	Chris Siegwart often works with people who are facing some of their worst times. She exemplifies our core value of caring. She works with every person who comes her way, pairing that person up with the correct leave and resources, and answering all of their questions.
Amy Gaines	Creativity	Amy supports the special education staff at the school sites by providing creative solutions to ongoing academic and behavior issues. She is a true team player and exemplifies the core value of Creativity.
Stephanie Yoshida	Community	Stephanie has been proactive in improving the level of service and support for staff at the Admin Center and school sites. She actively seeks opportunities to provide hands-on training and support with regular site visits to work with ASB staff. Her work has been instrumental in assisting the sites to meet the needs of their students, improve systems and processes, and break down barriers.
Carolyn Hoffman	Caring	Dr. Carolyn Hoffman was recognized for caring because of her dedication and tireless work to support our students and staff. Carolyn was recognized for caring because of her sincere care in all that she does for students and staff. She is the ultimate team player, she works all hours, and her work touches all facets of the District, well outside of Career and College Readiness where she has led our exemplary program. She has a true heart for education and in fact suggested the phrase, Every Student Opportunity Ready.
Jacy Kasheena Patt	Community	Bowman choses Jacy Kasheena Patt as our One Hart award recipient for community and caring. Jacy is dedicated to our Bowman students and works diligently to help them grow as individuals. Her caring nature is what makes her such an asset to our school community.
Jeff Holen Beth Holen	Caring	Jeff and Beth Holen were awarded the One Hart award for caring. Jeff and Beth are both extremely dedicated teachers who give so much to West Ranch. Jeff and Beth care for their own students, but go above and beyond to help all students. Jeff and Beth both work after school intervention, athletics games, and dances. They can be seen at all WR events supporting our school in so many ways.
Fatin Sako	Caring	Fatin Sako is Academy of the Canyons' ROOTS PTA President and she was awarded a One Hart award for caring and community. Fatin has given countless hours to the AOC community, always caring, showing respect and including everyone in all her projects. She spearheads many events for AOC teachers, staff and students. Fatin and her husband, Dr. Patrus are so committed to AOC's success that they generously donated funding to create the very first student wellness room in the District at AOC. Fatin has also participated in the Strategic Plan community input committee, spent countless hours on the PCC representing AOC, and participated in a WASC committee parent panel. Fatin will always go above and beyond for the AOC community to show how much the parents care about this school. We are so appreciative of the way she cares for AOC and how she brings our community together. Thank you, Fatin!

December 2022

Christine Colton	Caring	Christine Colton is the EL Coordinator at Hart and has shown a tremendous amount of care for the English Learner population, the largest EL population at any of our District schools. As an English teacher for the past eight years, Christine goes above and beyond in terms of being caring. She cares about each of the EL students and about the EL program being successful. She leads the ELAC meetings and tries her hardest to connect each faculty member at Hart with our EL students. Christine Colton is caring and deserving of the One Hart Award.	Click here to watch the presentation.
Jenni Frias	Caring	Mrs. Frias is receiving the One Hart Award from La Mesa Junior High in the area of caring. The moment you step into her classroom, you can see the connection she has with her students and as the school's EL Coordinator, she is constantly looking for how to make each kid feel connected and successful. She is a huge asset to the campus and to all of her students that have the privilege of being in her classroom.
April Rego	Community	April Rego was announced as this month's One Hart recipient at Golden Valley. April demonstrates such commitment to community. Her ability to establish relationships with business, churches, and partners helps us provide resources for not only Golden Valley, but also for other Hart District schools and school districts supporting our valley.
Justin Diez	Community	Captain Diez exemplifies the four Hart District core values of community, caring, courage and creativity in his work and his personal life. AND he keeps our community safe! Thank you Captain Diez for all you do for the students and staff of the Hart District and the community of Santa Clarita!
Mike O’Connor	Community	Mike O’Connor has graciously provided a myriad of photography services to the Hart District for MANY years including Board member portraits, the yearly Board photo for yearbooks, and Certificated and Classified Employee of the year photos. Mr. O’Connor embodies our District’s commitment to community and we really appreciate working with him. Thank you Mr. O’Connor!
Jeff Regez	Community	Jeff Regez is our amazing PAC president and Canyon dad. He is an integral part of making sure our staff members feel appreciated, and he works tirelessly to help support the families of Canyon High School. He is a Cowboy through and through and we are very lucky to have him as part of our Canyon family. For community - I would like to thank Jeff Regez for all his hard work.
Kim Goller	Caring	Kim is the department chair for our counseling team. We have had some significant changes this year to our counseling staff and Kim has done an amazing job of creating a kind, supportive, and highly effective working environment. Kim's heart and non-stop working mind are always focused on our students. She continuously goes above and beyond to ensure our students feel loved, supported, and successful. For caring - I would like to recognize Kim Goller for all her hard work.
Sandy Kuhn	Caring	Sandy serves all people - staff, students, and families - with supreme care. She welcomes people with a warm smile, listens carefully to them, and regularly does everything in her power to provide for people and show them love
Peggi Stoffel	Creativity	Peggi Stoffel is an extraordinary teacher and leader in music education. Peggi leads our superior-ranked orchestra and band and is getting her CTE credential in careers in the music industry. Peggi mentors teachers and is a master of a master teacher, by coaching her student teachers and modeling exemplary practice. Peggi’s gifts to the profession are known throughout the state of California. She was just awarded the 2022-2023 CMEA (Cal Music Ed Association) Middle School Music Specialist Award.
Jesika Marikta	Community	Jesika is a true example of community. She effortlessly builds community on our campus on a daily basis. She is seen as a true leader for all she does for our wonderful staff and community. We are so lucky to have her as a member of the Castaic community.
Leland Velasquez	Caring	Leland represents the core value of caring. Leland is compassionate, loving, and considerate of all students on the Viking campus. Leland is always willing to support staff and his peers at any time. He is service oriented and wants to make our campus a better place. The Viking community is grateful for Leland!
Julie Harris	Community	Julie is caring toward everyone, she is creative in resolving student issues, and she shows courage in how she conducts herself daily. But most importantly, Julie embodies what the Rio Norte Community is about. She has been a part of Rio since the beginning and she is the essence of River Hawk Spirit!
Greg Hayes Tammy Werth	Caring Creativity	Greg Hayes is a teacher at Learning Post Academy, online independent alternative school of choice. He received a One Hart award for being a caring individual. He fosters a culture of respect, kindness, and inclusivity for all LPA students, families, and staff. Greg cares greatly about the individual journeys that our students share with him - their challenges and successes. Many of our students have unique stories and backgrounds and Greg takes the time to celebrate our outstanding athletes, career-oriented students, and artists. Tammy Werth is a science teacher at Learning Post Academy and she is a very creative and solutions-oriented teacher and teammate. No matter what challenges a student may face, she is always willing to think out of the box to find a way to help any student be successful. Without a traditional lab setting, she helps students understand physics and chemistry. Creative and caring, Tammy has earned a One Hart Award.
Jason Wilhelm	Caring	Jason Wilhelm is the Social-Emotional Wellness Liaison for Academy of the Canyons. He has been in this position for two years and has led our school through a staff-wide adoption of Yale University's RULER program. He spent several weeks with team members from AOC being trained by Yale's Center for Emotional Intelligence to ensure that our school has the ability to recognize, understand, label, express and regulate feelings and emotions. Mr. Wilhelm has taught his SEL students how to lead trainings for our 9th and 10th grade students. For example, the seniors and juniors host a ROOTED day where freshmen learn about the AOC and College of the Canyons school-wide culture. He hosts "sidewalk talks" with his students to help them open up and discuss their lives. He is also leading the school in professional development in RULER training and is piloting the curriculum with his colleagues. His focus on wellness has greatly impacted our school in a positive way. His care for our students' mental health and his collaboration with our wellness department at AOC has transformed the mental health of our students. He has positively influenced our school culture and has received the One Hart award for being a caring community member.
Anthony Acosta	Caring	Mr. Anthony Acosta is a caring community member at Academy of the Canyons. Mr. Acosta has generously donated food, drinks, and paper goods to several of our school-wide events. Before final exams, our ROOTS PTA hosts a table to provide hot cocoa with whipped cream and cookie treats for our students to help them stay warm and enjoy a sweet treat before taking exams. Thank you Mr. Acosta for supporting our AOC students and bringing them together with food for these special events. You care greatly for your nephew and the students at AOC and you demonstrate this with your acts of giving.
Hannah Mistry	Caring	Hannah Mistry has spent countless hours building Castaic High School's theater program, but more importantly, she has been instrumental in helping build the inclusive and warm culture that exists at Castaic High School. We wish Hannah the best as she embarks on a new adventure- returning home to England. Hannah's presence will be felt for years to come.

November 2022

Natalie Spivey	*Creativity*	After working on elected positions that didn’t come to fruition, Natalie Spivey took charge as the ASB Spirit Commission Lead, planning all student section themes and spirit weeks on campus. She’s always trying to find ways to bring Hart together with spirit and originality. Natalie co-leads as a Hart student section spirit leader as well. She also co-hosted the black light rally we recently held. Natalie has gone above and beyond with Creativity this year and we are awarding her this coin for it.
Hope Hepburn	*Community*	This month we are recognizing West Ranch senior Hope Hepburn for representing the core values of Community and Caring. Hope is an amazing example of both of these core values. She always has a smile on her face and a positive energy that cares for all. In addition, Hope brings together the Wildcat community through her involvement in many groups on campus. One example of her dedication to the community was evident on Friday November 4th. That night, Hope did an amazing job performing as Alice in our school play, Alice in Wonderland. After the show was over, she drove over to VHS to support the football team as they played in their CIF football game. Her dedication to our school community is greatly appreciated.
Adhitya Ram	*Creativity*	Adhitya Ram is a West Ranch student who helped set up Rancho Pico’s enrichment program. He teaches the after-school coding class, Code For Kids, and coaches the Rancho Pico robotics team, Probots, who placed 2nd in their first competition. Adhitya is a natural teacher allowing students to explore, create and learn.
Matt Nelson	*Community*	Boys and Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Matt Nelson is a caring, visionary leader. The Santa Clarita Club has expanded under his leadership, opening three new locations and currently serving 1600 children and teens. Thank you for your service to our community!
Manny Cortez	*Caring*	Manny is our lead campus supervisor who truly understands and does a phenomenal job of keeping Bowman safe. He is extremely knowledgeable about our school, our students, and his role on our campus. He is a welcoming face each day for students as they enter and he is a positive role model. Manny is an essential component to our amazing school.
Ron Ippolito	*Creativity*	Ron Ippolito was Rio's One Hart Award winner for November for Creativity. Ron is a person that embodies every quality of our One Hart Award, but I specifically selected Creativity for Ron because he brings his creativity into everything he does. From teaching in the classroom to Professional Development and work with his colleagues, to the leadership he provides his RioTV students, there is a creativity I envy in everything he does! Ron leads with his heart for students and is always there for his colleagues, bringing his own spin along the way as he strives to serve others.
Cristal Arriaga	*Caring*	Cristal has a huge heart and the level of care she gives to our students and our families is great. Cristal is helpful and has the capacity to love people exactly where they are.
Janice Dennington Helio Gudino	*Creativity* *Community*	Janice Dennington is the Office Manager at Placerita as well as the CSEA Chapter 349 President. Janice is constantly working for our staff and all the classified staff in the District. She is very creative in all the ways she supports everyone and makes our days better. Helio Gudino is the Plant Manager at Placerita. He makes our school run efficiently every day. From fixing the big things down to the smallest need, he is always there for all our staff when needed. Helio is an integral part of making our school operate efficiently.
Paula Davidson	*Caring*	Paula Davidson cares greatly about the Learning Post Academy students, families and staff. She is passionate about the Hart District's alternative school of choice. Whenever a family calls and has a story to share about their child, Mrs. Davidson listens with an empathetic ear and does everything she can to help a student. She has been with LPA for many years and supported the LPA staff through many transitions. She wants everyone in the community to feel included and supported. Paula Davidson has earned a One Hart Caring award.
Kelly Abbott	*Caring*	Kelly Abbott cares greatly about the Learning Post Academy community. She is our new counselor and has worked at LPA for many years. She is deeply passionate about creating a culture of inclusivity for students. She reviews every student applicant applying to LPA and takes the time to get to know individual student stories to ensure that their academic programming is given the care and attention they deserve. Kelly has earned the One Hart Caring Award.
Sharon Garvar	*Community*	Sharon Garvar is a teacher and Project Linus mentor at the Academy of the Canyons. As the Project Linus club advisor, she oversees the program from Antelope Valley and all of Santa Clarita Valley. Sharon exemplifies what we want all of our students at AOC to be able to do - to find a passion outside of themselves to serve the greater good of the community. At a recent Make a Blanket Drive, Project Linus students were able to collect over 600 blankets to give to children and babies in need. Under the direction of Sharon Garvar, and through her Non-Profit Ventures class at AOC, students learn through project-based learning and attain skills in public relations, project management, community outreach and maintaining a non-profit organization. She has inspired students to work to serve the community and be of service to others. Sharon has earned the One Hart Award of Community and Caring as she encourages collaboration amongst students, staff and community members AND cares greatly about providing blankets to children in need.

October 2022

Vince Ferry	Courage	Vince Ferry embodies the core value of courage through his commitment to students as a leader. He not only led a staff through an experience that no educator should endure, but he also took the initiative and drive to work with a school to have it opened for the fall in just two short weeks. Mr. Ferry is a true symbol of courage and strength for the Hart District.
Tina Hepp	Courage	Tina Hepp perseveres through challenges and honors those who show integrity. Tina is our district nurse who has an office at Rancho Pico and cares for our students as if they were part of her family. We are incredibly blessed to have Tina on our campus and part of our RP team. Her expertise and help with medical situations are greatly appreciated.
June Shin	Caring	June Shin represents Inclusivity, kindness, and respect. She is Rancho Pico's classified employee of the year and is the most spirited staff member on campus, according to the students. June is kind, fun, competent, and willing to help everyone with everything!
Aaron Quevedo	Community	Aaron is only a junior, but he has done so much for Hart High School that I want to give him this coin for community. Aaron was involved at Placerita with Kidflix and started the Miner Details podcast. I invited Aaron to take over the Hart to Hart podcast and he took it to levels I couldn’t have imagined. Now Aaron runs tech and lighting for stagecraft, and, as part of a team, basically runs almost all productions here at Hart. Without Aaron’s help we couldn’t have pulled off the Larry Fiscus memorial, nor back to school night, and the list goes on and on. Aaron reflects a sense of community at Hart.
Arian Wilson	Caring	As the District's ELD Program Specialist, Arian Wilson personifies caring as she works with English learners individually at every school site. She cares deeply about their personal stories, goals, interests, successes, and challenges. She creates personalized learning paths to help them each access their education with language support to meet their needs. Arian has completely rewritten the District's EL program for Newcomers, and continues to increase and improve all the services we provide. It is truly because Arian cares so much that our EL students are able to succeed in unlimited ways.
Dennis Yong	Community	We celebrate this cowboy today who is an outstanding teacher and advocate for change in our world. He is not only an outstanding teacher but an amazing coach. His kindness and consideration for others is unparalleled and his sense of community outshines us all. Dennis receives the One Hart Award for community and as an incredible humanitarian.
Irma Virgen	Caring	This cowboy is dedicated to serving our EL Newcomers, and she puts her heart into her connections with the students. She is a collaborative and valued member of our Achieve team. Irma proactively looks out for our students as they learn how to navigate themselves at Canyon High School.
Liberty Floyd	Courage	This Cowboy is a model student and person. She is dedicated, a leader in words and in action, and is one of the most dependable students I have ever met. She has been preparing to be ASB president for years and is exemplary. She has the courage to take on anything and always finds time to balance all of her activities on and off campus. She is AMAZING. Liberty Floyd has the COURAGE to reach for her dreams.
Deputy Tarek Salah	Community	Deputy Salah plays an important part in our community by helping us supervise the campus. He also provides us with resources and services that ensure that our campus is a safe place. He is always willing to meet with students and their families.
Ira Rounsaville	Community	Mr. R is an integral part of our Centurion community. He works tirelessly to help students, staff, and families increase their mental health and thrive on campus. On a daily basis, he seeks out opportunities to build people up and spread genuine positivity on campus. Mr. R regularly looks for the good in those around him.
Sergeant Mike Marino	Community	Sergeant Marino is a hardworking individual, not looking for a pat on the back while working in service to the community. He oversees the District school resource officers, does an exceptional job to keep our campuses safe, and is unbelievably responsive to the needs of our community. We are thankful for our collaborative working relationship with him and the Sheriff's Department.
Chris Varner	Community	Coach Varner was awarded the One Hart Award in the category of community. Coach Varner has done a lot to bring together the West Ranch community in many ways, specifically through the football program. His efforts in our community have been highlighted this year with the success of the football program. Coach Varner's team went 10-0 and won the Foothill League Championship for the first time in school history. To make this year even more special, two of Coach Varner's sons are on our varsity football team. We are very proud of Coach Varner's effort to bring together the West Ranch community.
Richard Haring	Caring	Richard Haring received our One Hart award for caring and creativity. He works with our students and families to support students in being successful on a daily basis. The intramural soccer tournament that he organized and refereed was a huge success with enormous student participation.
Lizbeth Benavides	Caring	Lizbeth Benavides received our One Hart award for caring. She is a dedicated counselor who supports all students. She is a welcoming face and such a wonderful addition to our team and school community.
Kelly Soto	Caring	Kelly has been caring about students in a creative way for many years at Placerita. She is one who works behind the scenes, always doing her job in an excellent way. She is regularly developing creative ways to teach her content so that all students have an opportunity to succeed.
Lynn Lien	Caring	Lynn Lien is one of the founding staff members at Golden Valley - 19 years! She has cared about every staff member and community member while managing the main office. Her ability to listen to staff and support all needs is amazing. She is retiring soon and is so very deserving of this award for all she has done for GV and how she has served our community.
Roy Loper	Courage	Roy Loper is our Lead Campus Supervisor at Academy of the Canyons. He demonstrates the Hart core value of courage. He perseveres through challenges everyday in his line of work. We appreciate his commitment to our students' safety and wellness. Roy knows all of our students' names and supports their well being by caring for each individual student, staff, and community member. We value his courage!
Justine Bush	Caring	Justine is a great example of caring and she shows it daily in her work with the SDCLS program. She organizes the students and facilitates real life special projects for them, most recently being the selling of "pumpkins" and having the students deliver them to the La Mesa staff member. She has also volunteered to be a department mentor to new teachers and jumps in whenever needed to make every student matter!
Michelle Rubenstein	Community	The One Heart Award was given to Michelle Rubenstein for community. Michelle embodies everything we want to promote in our Rio Norte community. As PTSA President she has shown a true passion for not only expanding active parent membership in PTSA, but specifically to expand the diversity of the PTSA parent base to show a true representation of our Rio Norte community. She has been instrumental to me, as a new principal, learning and understanding the needs of our families and she exemplifies collaborative partnership that seeks inclusivity and shows a love of everything Rio!
Dr. Robert Karzel	Community	The VHS medical science program and football team recognized the support of Dr. Ronald Karzel. Dr. Karzel has supported the VHS community for more than 30 years.
Josh Benham	Courage	Josh shows courage daily in his role as ASB director and math instructor at Valencia High School.

September 2022

		September 2022
Nicole Jolicoeur	*Courage*	Nicole Jolicoeur stood by the SDCLS class last spring and was the constant for the students and staff in the program. She persevered through the challenges of adding a second class and showed up every time we interviewed teachers or instructional assistants. We appreciate your grit, perseverance, and courage to take on this new challenge.
Jenny Guzman	*Community*	Jennifer Guzman led our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team to take ideas that the team had previously developed on paper into a collaborative effort to launch PBIS to the entire school community during the first week of school. We have DASH posters and DASH tickets to recognize students who do the right things, act responsibly, show respect and have respect. She has set up a DASH ticket redemption system in our student store.
Josh Nowak	*Courage*	For over ten years at Hart, Josh has been a courageous counselor and has recently led the counseling department to new heights. The number of counselors in his department has expanded tremendously. This year, Josh even created his own counselor retreat and that takes courage. Balancing classes and assisting with schedules is not the easiest in August, but Josh doesn’t shy away from these hard tasks. Over distance learning, Mr. Nowak courageously created a newsletter to send out to his caseload to keep his students and their families informed. Over and over again, Josh exudes the District's slogan, making "every student, opportunity ready." Thank you Josh for your courage and contributions to Hart High School.
Vince Wheeler Carmelo Flores	*Creativity*	Vince and Carmelo represent ASB and Athletics, which through the last three years has had to be very creative to keep students engaged and involved. They have demonstrated courage and creativity while allowing our community to enjoy athletics and school activities for over 10 years each. The amount of pride they take in GV and our community is incredible. Congratulations!
Mia Tretta	*Courage*	Mia is an amazing student who has found a way to turn her pain into passion. She consistently looks for ways to improve the community around her and she is a positive force on campus.
Lisa Soares	*Courage*	Lisa demonstrates thoughtful courage. She is able to get us to look at what we are doing well, while also asking us to be reflective and identify how we can be better.
Mark Funk	*Community*	Mark continuously plays into the well being of the Sierra Vista campus, not just through his responsibilities as Plant Manager but also interacting with staff, students and all coming onto campus.
Angela Knolls	*Caring*	Angela is a team player. She goes above and beyond to assist students, parents, and teachers. Angela jumps in at anytime to provide the best service. Angela is well deserved of this award.
Cary Quashen	*Community*	Cary Quashen, founder of Action Drug Rehab, has dedicated his life to reaching troubled teens. He is a local hometown hero and an important voice in the community regarding the dangers of drugs. He embodies all four Hart District core values of community, caring, creativity and courage. Thank you Cary!
Diana Grijalva	*Caring*	Diana Grijalva is the academic counselor at AOC. Everyday, she cares deeply for each of our students and supports their individual academic and career oriented goals by creating individual education plans with every student on our campus. Diana will stop everything she is doing when a student is need of emotional support. She spends countless hours taking care of our students academic and emotional needs. She truly demonstrates CARING for AOC.
Don Musella	*Community*	Don exemplifies our core value of community. Don is a teacher in our intervention program at Learning Post Academy and he helps every student reach their goal of earning a high school diploma. He encourages collaboration and embraces the strengths of our students to help motivate and encourage them to reach their academic goals.
Tim Cotti Tracie Priske	*Community*	Tim Cotti, ASB Tech, and Tracie Priske, ASB Director, were both given the One Hart award for all they do to bring together the West Ranch community. Tim and Tracie were recognized for all of their hard work putting together our Homecoming Rally, football game activities and Homecoming Dance. They both work tirelessly to bring together the students, staff and parents to create a positive learning environment.
Joanne Sparks	*Courage*	Anyone who has seen Joanne Sparks in action would no doubt look at the Hart District core values and immediately think of Caring, because she exemplifies that value. However, Joanne was selected for Rio's first One Hart Award because of the Courage she displays inside her classroom and out, every day, no matter what challenge comes her way. She would not tell you it's always easy, but she shows up, radiating positivity and gives her all to her students and her colleagues each day she is here at Rio Norte. Joanne displays Courage not because she shows up, but because of how she shows up for everyone around her, even on her most difficult days.
Paul Kass	*Community*	Paul exemplifies the core value of Community. Paul is a math teacher at Placerita and has been the advisor for our Kid Flix Productions that produces our Miner Morning TV for over 25 years. He is continually involved in multiple programs that help our entire school community throughout the year.
Rosa Bartolovich	*Caring*	Rosa exemplifies the core value of Caring. Rosa is our head counselor and has been caring for students at Placerita for many years. She is always guiding, supporting and helping all her students walk through the stressful parts of junior high school. She is always thinking of creative ways to support all her students throughout the year.

August 2022

August 2022			Picture/Video
Steve Lindberg	*Caring*	Steve has taught at Hart for 36 years and is also the boys and girls golf coach. Mr. Lindberg is also part of our Equity and Diversity Collaborative and led students, before our District’s Strategic Plan motto was created, to have the same ‘One Hart’ mentality here on the campus of Hart High School because he cares so much about Hart, the staff, and students.
Kelly Seidenkranz	*Courage*	Kelly was honored with Canyon's first One Hart commemorative coin for Courage because of her determination, perseverance, respect and integrity.
Will Hornstein	*Creativity*	As Special Education teacher and co-department chair, Will Hornstein is being recognized for his Creativity in supporting all students at Arroyo Seco and for always striving to meet the needs of our diverse student population. Thank you for all that you do, Will!
Amanda Stieff	*Community*	Amanda Stieff is being recognized for her commitment and contributions to the Community of Arroyo Seco. Her efforts with the Professional Development team in guiding staff through the process of clarifying expectations and teaching them to our students have helped to ensure a positive start to the new school year. Thank you Amanda!
Rachel Villa	*Caring*	Rachel Villa, Office Manager, is the epitome of Caring. For more than 30 years, she has demonstrated patience and a sense of calm in supporting the staff, parents, and students of Arroyo Seco. Her positivity and willingness to help are greatly appreciated. Thank you Rachel!
Jan Ondra	*Courage*	Jan Ondra exemplifies Courage as plant manager at West Ranch High School. Jan has been working overtime for the last 6 months or more as a result of our custodial staff being understaffed. Jan has led his team by example by getting our campus ready for this school year for our students and staff.
Mirna Herrera Kellen Atkins	*Community* *Creativity*	Mirna has been a great example of being a servant to the community. Her efforts to welcome a new principal and office staff have tremendously helped with the transition and start to the school year. She always has a positive attitude and is always willing to jump in and offer assistance at any moment. As a veteran counselor at La Mesa, Kellen is getting the One Hart Award for Creativity as he is always looking for ways to connect with students as individuals in a diverse student population. He has proven to be a vital asset to the team at La Mesa as he consistently looks at each student as individuals that are full of potential.
Debbie Dunn	*Creativity*	Debbie Dunn is an exceptional example of an individual whose creative drive is making the Hart District a better place for students, staff and parents. She is responsible for branding the District with new logos that celebrate our core values and our fundamental purpose: “Every Student – Opportunity Ready”. Based on the input of parents, she is working with a team to update our website and is responsible for sharing daily content about the District on our social media accounts. We present her with the One Hart award and celebrate her outstanding CREATIVITY.