Sheila Russell of Washington Middle School is this month's Wildcat Impact in El Dorado (WILD) Award recipient. The WILD Award is given to someone who makes an impact in our schools and community, someone who strives to live our mission of "every student deserves." Mrs. Russell definitely does just that!
Mrs. Russell has been teaching for over 20 years and currently teaches 6th-grade math and drives a bus for the district. She has been making an impact in lives in and out of the classroom for years.
One parent said, "Mrs. Russell is the best bus driver in the world! She cares about the students on her bus and goes above and beyond to ensure their safety. She checks in with the parents on her route if there are any changes to pick-up times or if their students missed the bus to ensure they are okay. If my daughter leaves something on the bus, she confirms it is returned. I was nervous about my daughter riding the bus, but Mrs. Russell has always answered my questions, and she is just one call or text away. The peace of mind I have knowing my daughter is safe, cared for, and will arrive at school on time daily is worth its weight in gold. We love Mrs. Russell!"
A student commented on how kind and helpful Mrs. Russell is, "she helps her students understand what she teaches and gives good advice."
Her principal, Bethanie Hale, said, "Sheila goes above and beyond. The love she has for her students is incredible. She makes math class enjoyable for students, and she encourages her students continuously. When they don’t believe in themselves, they know she believes in them! WMS wouldn’t be the same without her! She is amazing!"
Thank you, Mrs. Russell, for going the extra step! As a small token of our appreciation, we have a gift basket full of goodies from Topanga Scents, who is our local business sponsor this month. Topanga Scents is not just a company that sells laundry detergent, they are a family-owned and operated business that was founded right here in Union County. In honor of the spirit of the WILD Award and October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Topanga Scents elected to give away a basket full of their "Team Corrie" scent, Calabasas Breeze. In June 2021, Topanga Scents announced that $1 of each bottle of Calabasas Breeze multi-purpose cleaning solution sold would be donated to the Team Corrie Cancer Foundation. Soon, the detergent joined the list, and within a year, they were able to donate over $20,000 to the foundation. We are thankful for their support in our town and in our school district!
