Congrats to the PTA Award Winners for 2025-2026

Congratulations to our PTA Award Nominees and Winners! At Sacajawea, we are fortunate to have so many dedicated and amazing individuals who contribute their time and energy to make our school community thrive.

This year, we are thrilled to recognize seven exceptional people whose efforts have made a significant impact. We truly appreciate each and every one of you for your unwavering commitment and hard work. Let's celebrate their achievements and dedication to making Sacajawea a better place for all our children.

Our 2025-2026 PTA Award Winners (from left: Meghan, Ashley, Seth, Chrissy, Cheryl, Jennifer, Simone)

Golden Acorn Awards

Our Golden Acorn Awards recognize exemplary and outstanding volunteerism and service to our PTA, school and community.

Cheryl Davis (Lexa’s Mom)

Cheryl is a valued member of the PTA exec board, and she has done an amazing job as Treasurer for two solid years! Her commitment to excellence is apparent. She has updated the receipt process, streamlined the way money is handled, keeps the budget on track and well organized, and does a fantastic job of stewarding PTA resources. Cheryl’s clear and thoughtful updates at the PTA meetings are appreciated. She highlights the important lines in the budget, communicates clearly, and is mindful of time. She is always patient, helpful, and friendly. When people work with Cheryl or see her at events, they always leave smiling and feeling good about the community!

Cheryl’s leadership and collaboration have been deeply appreciated. There were many conversations and situations to navigate, and there was truly nothing Cheryl was not able to tackle.

Cheryl, you are an asset to Sacajawea, and we thank you! Your ability to get things done with grace and excellence inspires so many others to do the same. The community is so grateful for your hard work, positive energy, and lasting contributions!

Jennifer Sunami  (Cora and Matsuo’s Mom)

Jennifer has spent nine years dedicated to the Sacajawea community! She is passionate about equity and brings a valuable perspective, lived experience, and intention to her volunteering. Over the years, she has advocated for families and has been an integral part of the Parent Racial Equity Team, both as a co-chair and as a team member. She was there in the early days, at some of the first Heritage Potlucks. Jennifer is super crafty, and many can picture her and little Cora teaching a swarm of kids how to make cool paper flowers and lanterns inspired by the Continental Focus of the year.

She is passionate about Equity in Seattle, and even when her family was in Switzerland for a year, she continued to contribute to the weekly newsletter with local equity events.

Jennifer has also been a dedicated member of the Packs for Kids team for many years. She has devoted her time to supporting families with food insecurity. During COVID, she was one of the essential volunteers who ran the Sacajawea Food Bank — packing grocery boxes and delivering them for two years!

With all of this, she has still found time to volunteer at events, be a Room Parent, help in the classroom, chaperone field trips, and use her graphic design talents to make flyers and posters!

Thank you, Jennifer, for the years you’ve spent helping the families in the Sacajawea community. The community is so grateful for your loyalty and dedication to Sac! You have made a positive impact here, and you will be missed!

Meghan Palmer (Ella and Jamie’s Mom)

Parent Racial Equity Team co-chair and Move-a-Thon organizer extraordinaire! Meghan brings thoughtfulness to these roles and can bring fun ideas to life! She has helped organize the Move-a-Thon for the last two years and, together with Stephanie and Lori Beth, they have energized the event with the rainbow colors and classroom spirit!

As Equity Team co-lead, Meghan is passionate about meeting the needs of students and families. She is willing to say yes and is great at creating space so the equity team can think about how to engage the whole community in meaningful ways at Sacajawea. The Team has done an extraordinary job connecting families by hosting author events, the Heritage Potluck, and monthly meet-ups at local parks. When Meghan first arrived at Sac, she saw a need for new families to understand what to expect at Sac, so she helped create a welcome flyer that lists events, PTA info, and all the extras!

Thank you, Meghan, for the many gifts you share with the community! Your efforts, energy, and ideas are appreciated.

Outstanding Educator Award

This award recognizes a member of the staff who has made exceptional contributions at Sacajawea to enhance the educational outcomes of our students.

Chrissy Jackson (Kindergarten Teacher)

Chrissy has been teaching at Sac for twenty years. She is a wealth of knowledge, a leader, and an exemplary teacher. She has an organized, safe, loving classroom where all her students feel important and thrive. Experience has taught her what works for Kindergarten students, and she provides the tools and systems to be successful.

One nomination writes: “Everyone, students and adults, feels seen in Room 1. Ms. Jackson makes each day special through her detailed and creative planning. Her space and her demeanor are warm and predictable.”

Chrissy is passionate about Sacajawea! Both her sons went here, and her students, past and present, LOVE her! She has taught half of the kids in this school, and Ms. Jackson always gets the most hugs in the hallways and on the playgrounds!

On staff, Chrissy is a lead teacher, a member of the Building Leadership Team, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Team, and the Safety Committee. She runs the NEST program and Shining Stars for the Arts. She is a mentor for new teachers and student teachers. She leads Jump Start in the summer for incoming Kindergarten students. She is a collaborative coworker who is thoughtful and caring. She is the go-to person if someone has a question. She is passionate about Sacajawea, and this school would not be as well run without her!

Thank you so much, Chrissy! You are a Shining STAR at Sacajawea, and everyone is so thankful!

SHINE Award

The Roy Norman SHINE Award is given in honor of Ms. Norman’s (our Admin Secretary of many years) late husband. Roy was an amazing man who fully embodied the SHINE principles at Sacajawea of being Safe, Helpful, Inclusive, Neighborly, and Engaged!  Roy was an amazing man and the type of person who would jump in to help anyone, anywhere. He fully embodied the SHINE principles at Sacajawea of being Safe, Helpful, Inclusive, Neighborly, and Engaged!

Simone Hanson (Instructional Assistant)

Ms. Simone is an Instructional Assistant in the Extended Resource department who consistently goes above and beyond for all members of the community. She is creative in her ways of connecting with and motivating students. She works hard to set boundaries to help students navigate classroom expectations. The kids respect and like her. She brings a sense of humor and caring wherever she goes. The dance party on the upper playground in the mornings is all Simone — the day starts off in a good mood thanks to her!

Simone also goes above and beyond to build community among the staff. She has created the class bulletin boards in the hallway, and hung photo displays and artwork in the office. She speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English, so she is often called upon to be a translator. She helps co-lead the staff Equity Team, has served as a union rep, organizes monthly happy hours, and is always willing to pitch in where needed. Her dry wit and sarcasm bring comic relief, and she is wonderful to work with.

Thank you, Simone, for SHINING so brightly and bringing the fun to school! Your investment in the Sacajawea “family” is inspiring and encouraging!

Ashley Carlson (Bradley’s Mom)

Ashley is a wonder!! She is always encouraging, patient, and friendly. She has been volunteering in the lunchroom and classroom almost every Thursday for over two years! For the past two years, she has also served as the Room Parent for both Rooms 104 and 105. In addition, she changes the Reader Board messages out front. So, people may not have met Ashley in person, but they have been reading her words for years!

Her kindness, empathy, and caring are evident in her interactions with students. To see Bradley’s smile and how he lights up when he realizes that Mom is helping today would melt even the Grinch’s heart!

Ashley has boundless energy to volunteer while working a full-time job and taking care of a family full of young kids who attend different schools… and then throw in some pets for fun!

Thank you, Ashley, we appreciate you. You truly SHINE, and Sacajawea is lucky to have you!

Seth Bridges (Arthur’s Dad)

Seth was a Golden Acorn recipient four years ago, but there have been so many nominations since then for the continued work he does that he had to be acknowledged for the SHINE award! Seth’s long commitment to Sacajawea goes back nine years with the older Bridges boys — Parker and Will!

He has seen and done so much for the school and community. One nomination called him “The Wise One,” and that tracks! Seth has been a PTA Co-chair, he redesigned and maintains the PTA website, online stores, and email campaigns. He is also planning for the future, and is searching for someone to train on the PTA communications with him next year.

This past year, in particular, Seth filled many crucial roles in the PTA. As Fundraising Lead, the honest and transparent approach he took helped to surpass fundraising goals! He continues to help put together the PTA newsletter. He’s part of the Arts and Science Fair team who BBQ and coordinate the delicious lunch everyone got to eat for FREE! Seth is easy to work with, funny, and responsive. He is a gem!

Thank you, Seth! Your engagement, generosity, and dedication to the Sacajawea community is outstanding. You truly SHINE.

Congratulations to Cheryl, Jennifer, Meghan, Simone, Ashley, Seth, and Chrissy! Sacajawea is a better place because of all your efforts. Thank you all!

PTA to Pre-Purchase School Supplies for the 2026-27 School Year

We are pleased to announce that our PTA will pre-purchase all homeroom supplies for students for the 2026-27 school year. This means families will no longer need to worry about supply lists over the summer. Instead, parents only need to provide their child with a backpack and a water bottle. This program aims to reduce supply costs by purchasing in bulk, ensuring all students have the necessary supplies.

While we are pre-purchasing the supplies this year, we will need families to help cover the costs. We will share more information about contributing for the supplies in the fall when school starts. Scholarships will be available to cover any family who asks.

Questions? Please contact Emily Kimble (supplies@sacpta.org).

2026 Sacajawea PTA Award Nominations

Submitting Nominations

It’s fast and easy to make nominations for any (or all) of the awards. Just use the button below to get started!

Awards Details

Each spring, Sacajawea PTA seeks nominations for our Golden Acorn, Outstanding Educator and the Roy Norman S.H.I.N.E. Award.  These awards celebrate the people in our community who have gone above and beyond to make Sacajawea a wonderful place for our students and families.  Please submit your nomination by Tuesday, May 26th.  Awardees will be announced at the Ice Cream Social on June 11th.

Golden Acorn Awards
Every year three deserving volunteers receive a Golden Acorn Award.  The Golden Acorn is a Washington State PTA award given by local PTAs recognizing exemplary and outstanding volunteerism and service to the PTA. Golden Acorn nominees should be active volunteers in PTA, our school and/or our Sacajawea community.

Outstanding Educator
This award is given to an individual (teacher, instructional assistant, staff member, administrator -- anyone on staff at school!) who has made significant contributions to our school and community and has helped to enhance the educational, social-emotional outcomes and well-being of our students.

Roy Norman SHINE Award
We are proud to continue the tradition of presenting the Roy Norman SHINE Award. Roy Norman is the late husband of Doreen Norman, Sacajawea’s Admin Secretary for over 20 years who retired in 2022. Roy was a fixture at Sacajawea Events and exemplified the SHINE values that are at the heart of our Sacajawea community (Safe, Helpful, Inclusive, Neighborly, Engaged). Nominees for this award will also have demonstrated SHINE values in how they have supported our school and community.

Please Submit your nomination online by Friday, May 22nd.

Thank you!

Sacajawea PTA Awards Committee
(Tiffany Elliott, Amalia Poquiz Mayor & Charlene Shanahan)

Thank You, Sacajawea Community

Our Annual Giving Campaign is officially complete, and we’re thrilled to share that together we raised $36,000 toward our $50,000 goal. Your generosity puts us within close reach of the finish line—and we’re optimistic that employer matching will carry us the rest of the way. Historically, employer matches have generated 25–40% in gifts, and those contributions make an enormous difference.

These funds play a vital role in keeping Sacajawea strong. This year, our PTA is raising $70,000 to support more than $100,000 worth of programs that directly benefit every student—from additional reading specialist hours and family support services to tutors, teacher stipends, community events, and more. Your gifts ensure these essential programs continue, especially as district and state budgets shrink.

If you haven’t yet given or would like to contribute before year’s end, you can still do so through our Annual Giving Campaign page. And if your employer offers matching, please take a moment to submit your match—it truly amplifies your impact.

Thank you for showing up for our students, our teachers, and our community. We’re excited to see how far matching will take us and look forward to updating you soon!

Welcome to 2025-2026

Hello Sacajaweans!

It is our pleasure to welcome new and returning families to another year at Sacajawea Elementary on behalf of the PTA. We are excited to be back to school, and we look forward to connecting with you and your families. 

The Sacajawea Elementary School PTA is a small-yet-mighty organization that works to help support our school, educators, administration, and most importantly, our students. Throughout the year, we host community events, work to promote equity, and raise money to support our school. We also send a weekly newsletter with school news, Principal's note from Mr. Fisk, school calendar, and more. 

One of the great strengths of Sacajawea is the broad participation and involvement of our parent community. As kids return to school, we, as your PTA, will work to support you and your families as much as possible with consistent communication and community-building events. We are planning fun events this year, and can always use an extra hand. Please let us know if you are able to get involved.  

If you’re looking for an easy way to meet fellow parents and see all that we do, please attend our monthly PTA board meetings. They are a welcoming, productive, and fun way to get involved. We meet monthly, and our first meeting is Thursday, September 11th, at 7:00 pm on Zoom. This year, we will be meeting in person once in the fall and once in the spring, and on Zoom for the other months. 

Please be in touch with us as the school year gets underway. We’re here to help, and you’ll find contact details below. And, to ensure you receive all of our PTA updates throughout the year, please subscribe to our email list: sacpta.org/subscribe. You can also visit our website (sacpta.org) throughout the year for up-to-date info on school and PTA events. Lastly, join our Facebook group (sacpta.org/facebook) for more discussion on life at Sacajawea. 

Thank you all for making this school such a special place! At Sacajawea, we truly do all SHINE.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Elliott PTA Co-Chair
Amalia Poquiz-Mayor PTA Co-Chair
chair@sacpta.org