Third-Grade Teacher Gets the Surprise of a Lifetime by Kayla Sheldon - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events

Third-Grade Teacher Gets the Surprise of a Lifetime

By Kayla Sheldon, Staff Writer
May 12, 2016 at 09:22am. Views: 203

The Helpful SoCal Honda Dealers celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week in the Inland Empire as they made a stop at South Tamarind Elementary School in Fontana to surprise a well-deserving teacher with a myriad of school supplies and a stage makeover worth $5,000 on Tuesday, May 3. Third-grade teacher Mrs. Shelley Coakley “goes above and beyond to help her students,” Principal Joel Aviña shared. Mrs. Coakley’s class is a mixture of English as Second Language (ESL) students, special needs students, shy students, etc. “Specifically what she does, is she puts together these plays,” Aviña explained. He is most proud of Mrs. Coakley’s ability to encourage and motivate her students through performance art. “By the end of the year, they’re up on the stage reciting their lines and it’s just so beautiful to see,” he explained. “It’s amazing; the parents and I are in awe…we think ‘how’d she do that?’ These are really shy kids, it’s hard for an adult to speak in front of a lot of people.” The surprise took place in the auditorium where Mrs. Coakley and her students rehearse and perform their plays. According to Principal Aviña, Mrs. Coakley believed that Fontana’s Superintendent of Schools Leslie Boozer had been invited to watch their play. Which was technically the truth since Boozer joined in on the event to help surprise Mrs. Coakley and then stayed to watch her talented students perform their historic play. Aviña said with a chuckle, “she [was] a little mad at me because she wanted to use the auditorium in the morning to rehearse but I wouldn’t let her.” Which is where the Honda Guys were, busy giving her stage a makeover and setting up all of the new school supplies for her. Various classes filled the auditorium; audience members included Superintendent Leslie Boozer and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, as well. “This is just so exciting…I might just cry during the surprise moment,” Mayor Warren said. As Mrs. Coakley and her third-grades, dressed in costume, entered the auditorium, the stage curtains remained closed. However, as Mrs. Coakley approached the front of the stage, Principal Aviña welcomed everyone and briefly shared and thanked Mrs. Coakley for her dedication to her students. The curtains opened and revealed the Helpful Honda Guys standing on her upgraded stage as it was filled with brand new school supplies including new stage risers, a library of entertaining grade-level books, crayons, paper, and more. Overall, she brings out the very best of her students by teaching them important skills through educational performances and plays. “It’s just amazing what she does…she really motivates them,” Principal Aviña added.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 1059

One of the most visible projects Navarro wants to advance is the city’s planned sports complex. He lists its development among his major accomplishments and says residents should evaluate another term partly by whether the city breaks ground and completes project phases. Read more about Mayor Frank Navarro...

Photo Courtesy of: Grand Terrace City Council

By Doug Wilson, Councilmember, Contributing Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:05am. Views: 923

Councilman Doug Wilson, serving Grand Terrace since 2014 Speaks out about why he feels Grand Terrace residents deserve to know the facts about Measure “N,” the proposed one-percent sales tax initiative on the ballot this November 3rd.

Photo Courtesy of: The CARE Project inc.

By Carl M. Dameron, Contributing Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:09pm. Views: 1030

Photo caption: The CARE Project’s Vice President, Diana Jaurigue, with President & Founder Carrie Madrid, who is wearing the LympheDIVAS compression sleeve on her left arm. Donated compression garments help manage swelling and are essential to daily care for many breast cancer survivors.

Photo Courtesy of: Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino

By Rachel Bonilla, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:37pm. Views: 475

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) has once again partnered with ALDI for their annual volunteer event, where team members packed over 1,300 food boxes with various shelf-stable items to be distributed for disaster relief as needed.

Photo Courtesy of: CIty News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 2271

An October 2026 study from Loma Linda University suggests a simple dietary change may influence inflammation-related measures in older adults. A bowl of walnuts sits alongside a nutritious breakfast, illustrating the everyday dietary choice examined in Loma Linda University research.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 962

Families enjoy a Halloween trunk-or-treat gathering with decorated vehicles, pumpkins and festive costumes. Grand Terrace has scheduled its 2026 Trunk or Treat celebration for October 31

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 1153

Colton councilmember John Echevarria wants to expand his outreach to residents throughout the city, strengthen partnerships with county, state and federal officials, and build upon what he describes as a record of employee advocacy, neighborhood improvements and community involvement.Learn more about John Echevarria...

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Hattie Strong, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 482

Loma Linda University Children's Health Specialty Clinics, a new five-story, 105,000-square-foot facility designed to bring more than 21 pediatric specialties together. The facility is expected to begin serving patients in early 2027.This is an AI-generated illustration, not a verified photograph of the actual building.

Photo Courtesy of: https://wellri.com

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 429

An October City announcement draws attention to an everyday household practice with benefits for food budgets, kitchen safety and the environment. A basket of fresh produce can represent a week's worth of meals, the results of a successful backyard harvest or an unexpected bargain at the grocery store. Yet without proper storage, even the freshest fruits and vegetables can spoil before a family has an opportunity to use them.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 712

An October announcement highlights how investigative technology and cooperation among law enforcement agencies can help solve crimes affecting Grand Terrace neighborhoods. For residents of Grand Terrace, home is more than an address. It is where families gather, children grow up and neighbors build relationships over many years. When a residential burglary occurs, the effects can extend beyond the property taken or damage caused. A crime inside someone's home can undermine the sense of security that makes a neighborhood feel safe.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 424

The rumble of a commercial truck passing through a city can represent two very different things. For a business awaiting a delivery, it may signal the arrival of essential supplies. For residents living near a busy roadway, it may raise concerns about traffic, noise and safety. In Grand Terrace, finding a reasonable balance between those interests is at the center of an ongoing transportation planning effort.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:49pm. Views: 886

Secure drop box is located outside the Grand Terrace Library, on the west end of the Civic Center building at 22795 Barton Road. According to the City, it will remain accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters is responsible for operating the box, collecting ballots and transporting them for election processing.

--> -->