Ridgefield names March employee, students of the month

Ridgefield — The Ridgefield school board honored the district’s employee and students of the month at its March 12 meeting. Susan Hayley-Gates, a STEM paraprofessional at View Ridge Middle School, was named Employee of the Month for her support of students, particularly this year with another teacher on maternity leave. South Ridge Elementary School second-grader America Lozano Perez was honored for showing that she can keep trying even when things get hard and because her joy of learning is evident every day. Union Ridge Elementary School’s student honoree was first-grader Jake Sorensen, who was selected for having a calming and peaceful demeanor with a quietness that soothes others around him. Lily Taylor, a fifth-grader, was named Student of the Month at Sunset Ridge Intermediate School for her work ethic and for being an advocate for herself and her peers while demonstrating empathy and compassion. View Ridge Middle School’s Student of the month was seventh-grader Hyrum Bennett, who was honored for his infectiously positive and hard-working attitude. Senior Brock Harrison was picked as Student of the Month at Ridgefield High School, where he spent four years playing football and baseball and recently signed a college letter of intent to play football at Eastern Washington University.