Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) officials are proud to announce that a number of individuals in the district community have received awards recently.
To start, four AUSD high school seniors were named finalists for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship this year: Emilia Arneson (Encinal Junior & Senior High School); Myles Handler and Jacob Song (Alameda High); and Edison Meals (Alameda Science and Technology Institute). Winners will be announced later this spring and in the summer.
Four AUSD eighth-grade students received Hope of America Awards from the Kiwanis Club of Alameda (KCA) earlier this month. Teachers and administrators nominate the students for the awardS, which honor students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, moral character and community service.
Among this year’s nine award recipients were Leiloa Lyons (Encinal Junior & Senior High); Thyago Guerra (Wood Middle); Sara Smith (Bay Farm School); and Lucas Williamson (Lincoln Middle). The awards ceremony — the KCA’s 27th — was held at the Elks Lodge.
Karen Ringewald, the principal at Maya Lin School, received the “Mentor of the Year” award from GeoVisions, with whom the AUSD partners to hire educators from the Philippines. GeoVisions also named the AUSD their “Host Company of the Year.”
“Ms. Karen, school staff, personnel and the rest of the team as one have transformed Maya Lin School into more than just an institution — it is a community,” says Jovany Docusin, the Filipino paraeducator who nominated Ms. Ringewald.
“From hosting different events and fundraising activities, family engagement to organizing cultural heritage celebrations, Ms. Karen has ensured that every student and family feels seen and valued,” Docusin continued.
“Ms. Karen’s dedication and vision have left an indelible mark on the lives of students, families and staff. It is not only for recognizing her remarkable contributions and encouragements but moreover her continued excellence in educational leadership.
“I am a living testimony that you can be more, you can do more and you can grow to where you are planted if the people that surround you are on the same boat.”
Memorial bench: Finally, in a different kind of honoring, we wanted to encourage community members to visit a new bench installed in memory of former AUSD teacher Andrew LaBarre at Alameda’s Chochenyo Park (the former Jackson Park at the city’s corner of Park and Encinal avenues).
Mr. LaBarre, who was the husband of Franklin kindergarten teacher Danielle LaBarre, taught at the former Washington Elementary School (now Maya Lin School) and Ruby Bridges Elementary until he passed away in June 2022. The memorial plaque includes Mr. LaBarre’s picture and mentions his teaching on the West End and strong advocacy for social-emotional learning.
“His students gained so much beyond academics, and he took the time to get to know each student so that he could support them in their interests,” his wife notes.
Mr. LaBarre was born in Philadelphia, but after his family moved to Alameda he attended Edison Elementary, Lincoln Middle and Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd high schools. Many Alamedans may remember that his mother, Madame (Denise) LaBarre taught French at Alameda High for about 25 years.
Reach Susan Davis, the Alameda Unified School District’s senior manager for community affairs, at 510-337-7175 or SDavis@alamedaunified.org.
