The Sunnyvale School District wants to congratulate Cherry Chase Elementary Principal Anita Lee for winning three awards this year from the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), Acknowledge Alliance, and Playworks.
Each year ACSA recognizes a select group of individuals for their significant contributions to education. This year, Anita Lee received the Administrator of the Year in the category for Elementary Principal.
“Mrs. Lee is beloved in her various roles by students, parents, and staff members for her instructional practice, organizational skills, and as a warm demander, always encouraging the best of her students,” said Superintendent Benjamin Picard. “In my 45 years in education, I can say without a doubt that Anita Lee is one of the finest school administrators with whom I have had the pleasure to work.”
Acknowledge Alliance recognized Anita as an outstanding educator and honored her for her dedication to Sunnyvale Youth at its 11th annual Forget-Me-Not awards dinner May 17.
“In whatever community she has served, Anita has maintained the value that learning needs to happen within the context of caring,” wrote Resilience Consultant Jean Hamilton. “Children thrive when they are surrounded by adults who care, and those adults can thrive when they know that they are similarly supported by colleagues who care.”
The Association of California School Administrators is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the United States, serving more than 17,000 California educators.
Acknowledge Alliance serves K-12 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, integrating resilience into all levels of learning by mentoring educators, counseling at-risk youth and teaching social-emotional learning lessons for the whole classroom.
Acknowledge Alliance and SSD have been partners for six years.
Playworks recognized Anita as this year’s Most Valuable Principal on the basis of her “incredible and exemplary leadership.”
Playworks is a national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform children’s social and emotional health. Playworks currently serves more than 1,300 schools in 23 U.S. cities, and reaches more than 700,000 students directly and through professional training services. Playworks partners with schools, districts, and after-school programs to provide on-site coaches, professional training for school staff who support recess, and consultative partnerships. Playworks mission is to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.
Mrs. Lee is currently in her fifth year as the principal at Cherry Chase Elementary School. Prior to that, she taught primary grades for 10 years at San Miguel Elementary School and then coached there for another six years.
