LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Up first is a report on our effort to show appreciation for those who take care of us.

Brianna Legg took responsibility for making three beautiful mugs to thank the ladies who run the Be Fresh program at our school.

Graduating senior Jasmine Heckard made a mug welcoming maintenance person Gary Oakes back to our staff at the school.

Our student council elected our new officers. They are Breanna Legg, president; Kayla Doyle, vice president; Andrew Astorga, secretary; Jason Conatser, treasurer. There are two more advisory reps on the council as well, Candice Safreno and Destiny Parlet.

Here is a list of all seniors who have already given their portfolio presentations: Gage Beck, Jose Beadana, Erik Fielden, Jasmine Heckard, Stevie Jones, Samuel Martinez, Robert McGraw, Nicholas McKay, Christopher Nuzzo, Maria Pineda, Alexus Stickel, Isis Terrell and Kelonie Vandiver. Congratulations! All your hard work paid off.

All of these students and more will be walking at the end of May at Carlé's unique graduation. All will be receiving plaques made by other students with titles given by the staff.

Carlé would like to give Jason Conatser and graduate Chris Nuzzo a big thanks for helping set up the silver level movie reward day on the last day of our grading period.

Those who have earned this movie privilege include Andrew Astorga, Anna Barnard, Kacy Barron, Jose Bendana, Destiny Blevins, Alica Burgos, Martin Ceja, Jason Conatser, Jasmine Heckerd, Zack Humphrey, Breanna Legg, Sam Martinez, Elliott McKay, Kristin Melcher, Chris Nuzzo, Cynthia Oakley, Ryan O’Bryan, Maria Pineda, Diana Reyes, Candice Safreno, Alexus Stickel and Isis Terell.

Most of you know we have six six-week grading periods and our fourth grading period ended last Friday, Feb. 19. We are now two-thirds of the way through the school year.

Finally, for the 10th year in a row our teacher Alan Siegel was selected by State Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson to be on the State Teacher of the Year Selection Committee.

Siegel traveled to Sacramento to help celebrate and host the gala that officially named the top 19 teachers chosen.

The top five were named State Teachers of the Year. The next five were called finalists and the final nine titled semi-finalists. Siegel was chosen as a mentor for one of the finalists and ran all the audio-visual presentations for the gala itself.

“It has been an honor to serve and work with some of the greatest teachers in California,” he said. “I am so proud of our committee in that we have selected a teacher of the year who has gone on to be a national finalist in six of the last nine years including Daniel Jocz, who is currently in the top four nationally.”

Kristin Melcher is a student at Carlé Continuation High School in Lower Lake, Calif.