Flowery Elementary School names its Students of the Year

Fifth grader Sasha Jamison, daughter of Sam and Kirin Jamison, has been named one of Flowery Elementary School’s students of the year.

Sasha was chosen for her academic excellence, commitment to her education and outstanding citizenship. Sasha’s second grade teacher shared that she was an outstanding student in all academic areas, particularly her ability to quickly learn new concepts in her second language. Sasha’s third grade teacher spoke fondly about how earnest she was as both a student and a person – always open to suggestions and a joy to teach. Sasha is described by Flowery staff as a curious, disciplined, reflective and exacting student who is always open to a challenge, and never takes the easy way out. She is known for being respectful, caring and thoughtful in class, sensitive to others and always full of good ideas about how to solve problems in class or at recess. Academically, her teachers say that Sasha is an amazing reader and writer in both English and Spanish.

Sasha has served as a Safe School Ambassador since fourth grade and takes the position very seriously. She has been named to the school’s honor roll every trimester since the beginning of fourth grade and consistently receives the Bilingual Reader Award for achieving her reading goals in both languages. She is described as an excellent example of what a Dual Immersion student can be, someone who can communicate and learn effectively and comfortably in two languages.

Outside of school, Sasha plays on a competitive soccer team called the Quakes. She also loves to read fiction and poetry. She says that her favorite subjects are social studies, math and art. As an adult, she says she would like to either work for Pixar or follow in the footsteps of her parents and become an engineer.

Fifth grader Joaquin Garrison, son of Ryan Garrison and Kristina Reguero Garrison, is Flowery’s other Student of the Year. Joaquin was honored for his outstanding academic performance, commitment to learning and overall genuine character.

Flowery staff recount that from the moment Joaquin entered kindergarten, he demonstrated a love for learning and a natural curiosity for inquiry and problem solving. His third grade teacher, Mr. Pope, remembers Joaquin being passionate about reading and finding joy from reading every single day. He is described by his fifth grade teacher as eager to learn anything new in class and enjoys collaborating with his peers.

Staff says that he can always be counted on to support his peers and be a constructive member of Flowery’s learning environment. He is reading above grade level in both Spanish and English, and has been on the honor roll every trimester since the start of fourth grade. In addition, Joaquin has earned the Bilingual Reader Award each trimester for excellence in achieving his reading goals in Spanish and English. Staff describe him as “a great ambassador for our dual immersion program as he is a student that works hard to be successful in both languages.”

Joaquin plays the drums in Flowery’s fifth grade band and is a frequent guest with the Flowery Sing-Along team.

Joaquin says that his favorite subjects are math and social studies and that he likes to be challenged through programs like Khan Academy because they are “fun” and also push his thinking.

Outside of school, Joaquin enjoys playing baseball and tennis. He also enjoys playing the drums and piano. He has a dream of becoming a professional baseball player when he grows up.