Hickory PTA Roundup
April 2024
Thursday, April 11, 2024: PTA Board Meeting
April 15-19, 2024: Heroes' Week
Wednesday April 17, 2024: Bike Rodeo (3rd-5th grades)
April 22-26, 2024: Teacher Appreciation Week at Hickory
Thursday April 25, 2024, 5-7pm: Math Family Night (school sponsored event)
Calling all third, fourth, and fifth graders! The Hickory PTA will be hosting the Hickory Elementary School Annual Bike Rodeo on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 3pm-4:30pm. This event is a citywide bicycle safety program that includes a scored written bike safety test and a series of six skill tests. Scores will determine the top finishers who will participate in the Torrance Firefighters Association sponsored District-wide finals at Victor Elementary School on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 9-11am.
If your student wants to participate, please pick up a Permission Slip from the front office or download and print one from our webpage and return it to the front office by Monday, April 15, 2024.
Thank you to our returning Bike Rodeo Chair, Brittany Resendez, for all her planning.
If you would like to volunteer for the Bike Rodeo, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44A5A72FA6FFC61-48977105-volunteers#/
Attention 5th grade families: your deadline for turning in this completed form and dedications online is extended to 4/19. Don't miss out!
Everyone can still purchase a yearbook! Visit https://link.entourageyearbooks.com/my/HickoryYearbook2024 to purchase a book and also to upload photos for the yearbook.
The Hickory PTA is proud to have presented the following awards to special members of our community for outstanding service to our Hickory Hounds:
Nicole Carlson, Very Special Person Award
Mrs. Nicole Carlson has been part of the Hickory community since 2020 and this year she graciously stepped up when Hickory needed more Adventures in Art docents and Room Reps to ensure that all of the classes had a parent volunteer. She’s a ready and willing volunteer for both of her sons’ classrooms and around school, but where she shines is in transforming the school into a magical place for our students and families. As a member of the 2022 Book Fair Committee she helped turn the library into Hogwarts. In 2023 she became Co-Chair of the Book Fair Committee and put together a very successful Grinch themed event. Every person that walks through one of her events is always in awe of how a school can become a door to a new world with the right materials and some will power. Her vision, attention to detail, and hard work makes every event she participates in special for our students and their families.
Yelli Ramos, Very Special Person Award
Mrs. Yelli Ramos is an exceptional volunteer that consistently goes above and beyond for the students, school, and PTA. She is an Adventures in Art docent, Room Rep, Library volunteer, Chair of Hospitality and Membership, plus she serves on multiple committees. She is dedicated to the school and it shows in everything she does for Hickory. When the PTA needs a volunteer, she’s there. When the school needs a last minute noon aide, she’s there. When her daughter’s teachers need an extra classroom helper, she’s there. Yelli is also a recurring member of Hickory’s various event committees and helps with transforming the school into a magical space for the students and their families. As a member of the 2022 Book Fair Committee she helped turn the library into Hogwarts, complete with a whomping willow! In 2023 she became Co-Chair of the Book Fair Committee and put together a very successful Grinch themed event. Yelli also helped to coordinate the two school dances in 2023 when the cafeteria went from an under the sea dance floor to a glowy space party in one week! She is always ready for the next volunteer opportunity and Hickory is lucky to have her.
Sawa Funai, Honorary Service Award
Mrs. Sawa Funai has become an integral member of the Hickory community in the two short years that her sons have attended the school. Not only is Sawa a diligent volunteer in the classroom and for the PTA, she is also an Adventures in Art docent, Library helper, and Copy Center volunteer. This year she is serving on the PTA as the Co-Chair of the Spiritwear Committee and handles all of the logistics of deliveries and sales. Additionally, Sawa has taken on renewing the position of Japanese Language Ambassador. In this role she has helped to bridge the language gap between the Hickory PTA and the school’s growing population of Japanese speaking families. Because of her efforts, the Hickory Japanese community feels more empowered to volunteer on campus and have taken on more active roles in the Hickory Library, Teacher Copy Center, and in the classroom. She is an asset to the PTA, the Hickory Japanese Community, and the school.
Keri Kaba-Dien, Honorary Service Award
Keri is the epitome of a super volunteer. She has been a volunteer since 2019 when her oldest son started at Hickory and in that time has been an Adventures in Art docent, Room Rep for both of her sons’ classes, PTA Historian, and Chair of both Teacher Appreciation Week and the Teacher Back to School Luncheon. This year, in addition to all of her other volunteer positions, she is serving as the PTA’s 3rd Vice President and Chair of Communications. In this role she has helped to organize the Hickory PTA Board digitally and streamlined communications. Keri is also an incredibly talented and creative artist and in this aspect she quietly helps all of our Program Chairs with posters, fliers, and social media posts. But that’s not all! When the Hickory teachers needed a full sized Barbie box for Halloween, they asked our most creative parent and Keri made it happen. Her Teacher Appreciation Week program is also a favorite event for our teachers. For 2023 the theme of the week was “Hickoryland” complete with theme park snacks, a hidden Mickey game around school, and trading pins for all the teachers and staff. Without a doubt Keri contributes her time, expertise, and talents to more events than any other member of the Hickory PTA. She is hard working, tireless, and the most genuinely service oriented volunteer.
Mrs. Dori Yamamoto, Outstanding Teacher Award
Mrs. Dori Yamamoto has been a first grade teacher at Hickory Elementary for 25 years. She is a lifelong Torrance resident and former Hickory Hound committed to the continued success of the school, her students, and fellow teachers. Mrs. Yamamoto is a consistent supporter of the Hickory PTA and ensures that her students and their families know about all events at the school through her weekly emails. She encourages parents to volunteer on campus and in her classroom. Families appreciate how welcoming she is with her parent helpers. Mrs. Yamamoto makes time for other teachers to offer mentorship and share materials. She is also open to learning and willing to try new ideas. This has made her well respected among her peers. Her students reflect a confidence in themselves because of the patience and encouragement they encounter in Mrs. Yamamoto’s classroom. While the classroom experience has changed since she started at Hickory, she has maintained beloved traditions in her classroom like her annual Thanksgiving lunch where the students prepare and cook a Thanksgiving feast. Hickory Elementary is lucky to have a teacher as dedicated as Mrs. Yamamoto.
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the nominating period by submitting their recommendations for the Honorary Service Awards. Thank you to Lina Awshee, Amy Brownstone, Xindy Holliday, Melissa Para, and Kathy Schwartz for serving on the Honorary Service Award Committee.
Note: This newsletter does not replace official Hickory or district news. Please make sure you're signed up for email notifications in PowerSchool so you don't miss out on TUSD emails or messages from our Principal, Mrs. Leach.