Congratulations to the El Dorado School District Honorees of the Month from Yocum Elementary.
Yocum Elementary Student of the Month: Bryan Ibarra.
The Yocum Elementary Student of the month is Bryan Ibarra. Son of Juan and Sarai Ibarra. Bryan is a 4th-grade student and his teachers are Ms. Rivas and Ms. Lamoroeux.
Bryan is an extremely hard-working student. He is quick and extremely bright and inquisitive. He enjoys learning and is always enthusiastic about his schoolwork. He is a leader among his classmates and an absolute pleasure to have in the classroom! -Ms. Lamoreux
Bryan is a hard-working student. He is sweet and kind to others. He makes everyone smile even when days are tough. He is a natural leader and has a heart of gold! It's been a pleasure to have Bryan as one of my own. -Ms. Rivas
Mrs. Moore said that Bryan is a joy to have at Yocum. You never see Bryan without a big smile on his face. He is dependable and can be trusted to make the right choice, even when no one is looking. He has a great work ethic and puts his best effort into every task asked of him. He is respectful, mannerly, and friendly. He always has a great attitude. Bryan has earned over $600 in BEAR Bucks for his outstanding behavior, kindness, and hard work!
Bryan wants to be a famous soccer player when he grows up because his dad taught him to play. Of course, P.E. is his favorite activity at Yocum, especially when they get to play soccer and he can show off his skills. We are delighted that Bryan Ibarra is a Yocum Bear! We are proud to have him represent Yocum as the Student of the Month. Congratulations, Bryan!
Yocum Elementary Classified Employee of the Month: Melinda King.
The Yocum Classified Employee of the month is Melinda King. She is a Paraprofessional with 38 years of experience as a preschool teacher, and 2 years of experience as a paraprofessional.
“Melinda always has a smile on her face! She truly loves the kids and works daily to see them succeed. Mrs. King is an encouragement to our kids and teachers. She not only is active in their school lives, but she attends extracurricular activities too to support the students and let them know they are valued and loved!”
“Mrs. King literally keeps our school running. She wears many hats and you very rarely even see her sitting down. She works with our kids all throughout the day doing interventions. She does lunch and recess duty without complaint. She even does car duty and works in the office every afternoon. Mrs. King is always asking if there is anything she can do to help. She ALWAYS has a smile on her face and our kids absolutely adore her. I’m lucky to work with her every day!”
“Mrs. King is a devoted staff member. I have a friend in my room who doesn't talk much and doesn't have any friends. She has made a point since the first week of school to talk with her every day and at first, the student wouldn't talk back and now they have long conversations. She is invested in our kids and I am so happy she is part of the Yocum family.”
Assistant Principal, Kristen Thomas said Mrs. King is one of the hardest working people I know. She is kind, professional, loyal, dependable, and fun. She is the first to say, “I can do it”, even if it means another recess duty in the blazing sun. She will also do it with no complaint and a smile. Like many of our colleagues have said, Mrs. King truly cares about Yocum and our students.
I have experienced firsthand how Mrs. King has encouraged and motivated the students she works with daily. She provides interventions in math and reading and wastes no time ensuring every instructional minute counts. She is their biggest cheerleader and her face lights up when they master a skill. She has even purchased motivational rewards with her own money just to see how far she can push our students. Every single child at the primary knows Mrs. King by name and she knows their name too. Developing mutual respect and rapport with students comes naturally to Mrs. King, as she always displays a calm demeanor and a good sense of humor on a daily basis.
I recently asked Mrs. King if she had a good weekend and she told me she went to the ballet to watch two of our students dance. As my eyes filled with tears, she told me that their grandmother approached her and asked who she was there to see and Melinda responded with the students' names. The grandmother said “you came to watch the ballet just to see my two girls” and she happily said “yes”. That is the type of person Melinda is and I am very thankful to work alongside her. She truly goes above and beyond for Yocum and we love her for it!
Yocum Elementary Teacher of the Month: Stacy Gulick
Yocum’s Teacher of the Month is Stacy Gulick. She is a second-grade teacher with 34 years of experience in the El Dorado School District. First-year SPED at Watson 6th Grade, 16 years at Hugh Goodwin- 8 in SPED, 8 in Kindergarten, 17 years at Yocum-8 years as Focus Coordinator, and 9 years in 2nd grade.
“Mrs. Gulick is an absolute joy to work with and have on the second-grade team at Yocum! She is hard-working, encouraging, and absolutely loves all of her students! She has been a mentor for me over the last six years. We have laughed together, cried together, and even argued together, but she has always had my back and I’ve always had hers! My child is a student in her classroom this year and she absolutely LOVES Mrs. Gulick! I am blessed to not only know and work with Mrs. Gulick but also cherish her friendship.”
“Mrs. Gulick is always working to come up with engaging lessons for her students. She knows that every student is different and she creates lessons that reach all kinds of learners. Mrs. Gulick truly believes each child can reach their potential and works hard to help them get there.”
Principal Jessica Moore said So much can be said about Mrs. Stacy Gulick. The first word that comes to mind is loyal. She has been with the District for 34 years and Yocum for the past 17. She loves our school, students, and staff and is our biggest cheerleader! She is always looking for ways to celebrate Yocum’s success.
She is very genuine and establishes long-lasting relationships with colleagues and students. This can be seen at Senior Breakfast when students seek Mrs. Gulick out to give her a hug and reminisce about their years in second grade or ex-lab. Another example of this is her dinner dates with past and present co-workers.
She is truly thoughtful. You might get matching team earrings, chocolate from her Nashville vacation, or a handwritten card on a tough day. Everyone wants to work on the 2nd-grade team because of the bond they have and part of that is because of Ms. Gulick.
Mrs. Gulick’s students always leave her classroom with a new love for science because of her hands-on, engaging, and fun lessons! Her club “Wacky Science” is always a top pick for students even when they get to 4th grade! Mrs. Gulick’s impact reaches far beyond the walls of her classroom or even the school building. She has made a difference for so many and we are grateful she is a YOCUM BEAR!
