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.