Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

12/12/07

NEWS RELEASE
Auburn School District's Board of Directors
Honors Jackie Bruya

The Auburn School District Board of Directors recognized Jackie Bruya, a fifth grader at Washington Elementary School, for being an outstanding student on Monday, December 10, at 7 p.m. in the board room at the James P. Fugate Administration Building.

Jackie Bruya, a fifth grade student at Washington Elementary School, has excelled both academically and socially this year in Ms. Merklin’s class. “Jackie has really blossomed this year,” says Ms. Merklin. “She is smiling and happy and making friends, and she is academically strong.”

Academically Jackie is reading above grade level and is achieving high marks in her other subjects. Jackie also sets a positive tone in class and at recess for her classmates. She is a positive role model by keeping her group on task in group learning settings, and by turning in her assignments on time and complete.

Jackie is a member of Washington’s school patrol. She is responsible for arriving to school early when she has crossing duty. According to Mr. Markwell, Jackie’s patrol captain, “Jackie is always prepared and ready to go; she will fill in for others who are not here, and if she is sick or not at school, she always remembers to call in for a substitute,” remarks Mr. Markwell. “She is very responsible.”

Jackie’s younger brother, Alex, is a fourth grader at Washington, and he and Jackie have a close relationship—as well as a natural sense of humor between each other. Jackie and Alex’s classrooms have adjoining doors, so on occasion during free time, Jackie and Alex pop in to say hi to each other. “I think that Jackie’s proximity to her brother in school has helped her this year. She and her brother really complement each other,” remarks Ms. Merklin. Jackie also has an older sister, Meghan, who is a sophomore at Auburn Mountainview High School.

In addition to Jackie’s commitment to school, she also is committed to serving the less fortunate in the Auburn community. Every third Monday of the month, Jackie serves food to needy families at an area church. She also delivers food once a month to families who cannot leave their homes. Over Thanksgiving she helped set up Thanksgiving food baskets at the Auburn Food Bank, and every year she participates in the City of Auburn’s giving tree program.

“Jackie is one of those individuals who does things because they are the right thing to do, not because of the recognition,” says Mr. Markwell. “She would stick up for the underdog any day.”

For more information contact Amy Spence, public information officer, at 253-931-4713.