Canby School District leaders joined Ninety-One School staff and students to surprise Claudia Perez with this month’s Canby Area Recognition of Excellence (CARE) Award.
Perez is a bilingual instructional assistant at Ninety-One who works with Spanish-speaking students and families. Fellow staff member Heidi Wilson nominated Perez for the honor.
“Claudia is the most humble, hard-working, dedicated staff member I know,” Wilson said. “She continuously works with our Spanish-speaking families even after hours to make sure that their students’ needs are being met.”
Wilson also noted in the nomination that Perez listens to school parents with a “compassionate heart.”
“When a family has a need, she is the first to do something about it,” Wilson said, “whether it’s buying shoes for a child out of her own pocket or providing a jacket for a child who may not have one.”
Perez is also known for brightening the day for her peers.
Canby Kiwanis established the CARE Award to provide opportunities like this to recognize individual teachers, counselors, coaches and other school staff who make a difference in the lives of others and in the community. The prospective recipients must be nominated, and the honoree, or sometimes honorees, are then decided by a CARE committee made up of members from Kiwanis and the community.
Typically, Canby Kiwanis and Canby School District honor a district staff member with the award each month.
As this month’s winner, Perez will receive a plaque and gift basket from local businesses in recognition of her work. Local sponsors of the CARE Award include Backstop Bar & Grill, Wayward Sandwiches, Swan Island Dahlias, Puddin’ River Chocolates, Matt Olsen State Farm Insurance, RiceTime Canby, The Book Nook, Odd Moe’s Pizza, The Wild Hare Saloon and DirectLink.
To nominate someone you believe is deserving of the CARE Award, a form and more information can be found on the district’s website.
