With three new inductees for the Escalon Unified School District Hall of Fame – and three current employees recognized – it was a night full of honors on Friday, March 21.

The dinner and ceremony staged in the Escalon High School Performing Arts Center featured a catered meal, performances by the Escalon High School band and choir, the induction and the employee recognition awards.

District Superintendent Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Chavez welcomed the crowd to the evening of celebration, giving way to the musical portion of the program, with the choir led by Joel Adams and the band led by Ashley Crow.

This year’s Hall of Fame recipients were Janet Karr Sutton (posthumously), Jeanette Souza-Maduena and Grant Thompson.

John Largent, school board member, introduced Jeanette Souza-Maduena and offered some details about her educational career, which started as a fourth/fifth grade teacher at Farmington Elementary School. She served the district for 42 years, teaching second through fifth grades, including over 20 years as a third grade teacher. She retired in 2016. She also served as Farmington’s Teaching Principal for 10 years, from 1984 to 1994.

“I’m honored and grateful to receive this recognition,” Souza-Maduena said in accepting her plaque. “Escalon Unified School District has always made me feel at home and welcome; I have always been proud teaching in such a caring and thoughtful district as well as community.”

School board member Nick Caton offered remarks on Janet Karr Sutton, who began with the district as a teacher’s aide at Dent Elementary in the 1970s.

“If it was broken, she could fix it or find a way to make it work,” Caton said.

Among the many positions she filled at EUSD, she was a custodian and bus driver at Dent Elementary, El Portal Middle School, as well as Collegeville and Farmington elementary schools. She retired in 2007 as head custodian and bus driver at Farmington and passed away in 2022.

“It’s pretty special, I had no idea that the Hall of Fame has been around this long and there’s this few inductees,” son Dave said following the ceremony. “It’s an honor … she would be humbled and honored to receive it even though she wouldn’t want the spotlight.”

Providing some background on new inductee Grant Thompson was school board member Sal Reyes.

He said Thompson was instrumental in getting Collegeville School reopened after running for and winning a seat on the school board in 1985.

“The kids of the community were his main drive in running,” Reyes said. “He served a term as EUSD Trustee president as well as all of the other positions.”

Thompson served a total of 17 years on the school board.

“I feel like I’ve been blessed all my life and I think God has just guided me through my life,” Thompson said as he took the podium. “My love for my community is great and I think the strongest thing about Escalon Unified over the years has been its staff, the people that work here.”

The three new inductees join 13 others already in the district’s Hall of Fame.

Employee Recognition Awards were also presented on Friday night; in the past they have been done at graduation ceremonies at the end of the year but Chavez said adding them to the Hall of Fame program gives an opportunity for more of their family members and friends to attend.

Outstanding Teacher Awards went to Tina Harper and Heather Oliveira and the Classified Employee Award of Excellence went to Linda Johnston. School board president Kate Powell presented the award to Johnston; school board member Martha Coelho presented to Harper and Assistant District Superintendent Mark Vos made the presentation to Oliveira.

Harper is a third grade teacher at Van Allen Elementary and has spent 35 years teaching, most of that time in Escalon, including stints at Farmington and Van Allen.

“She values making connections with students and helping them overcome challenges,” said Coelho.

Taking the podium, Harper issued thanks to “some amazing educators that have helped me with my own teaching.”

She also said while the recognition is nice, she finds fulfillment in the classroom.

“I’m very thankful for my students, past and present,” Harper said. “They make me laugh, inspire me and they’re the best part of this job.”

Heather Oliveira is an English teacher at El Portal Middle School, with over 25 years in education and 12 years with the Escalon district.

Vos said Oliveira brings a “dynamic and animated approach” to her teaching, drawing her students in.

“My husband would like it noted that you chose the right household but the wrong Oliveira,” she quipped as she took the podium; husband Chris is also a teacher with the Escalon Unified School District.

On a more serious note, Oliveira said it was an honor to be “recognized by other hardworking peers” and her friends and colleagues at El Portal.

“I have certainly worked with many talented and dedicated teachers,” she said, adding that the Outstanding Teacher award is “one that I don’t take lightly.”

Finally, school board president Kate Powell highlighted honoree Linda Johnston, with the Classified Employee Award of Excellence.

“She is known for her strong organizational and time management skills, enjoys adapting to different personalities, and values patience, building relationships and continuous learning,” Powell said.

Johnston is a Secretary 1 at Van Allen Elementary and has been with the district 10 years, after spending more than 23 years in law enforcement.

Stepping to the podium to accept her award, Johnston thanked her husband for “tolerating me for 32 years” and said her son “always says you either love my mom or hate my mom, there’s no in between. So, I think I’m loved.”

She said 23 years in law enforcement allowed her to grow professionally, but working with the EUSD has brought much greater growth.

“I want to say thank you very much; this is an honor and I didn’t expect it,” Johnston said. “I really do love this job.”

Along with family, friends and many community members in attendance, student school board representative Carolina Sandoval, an Escalon High School senior, was also able to be there for the Friday night festivities.

“I’m glad I got to witness this because I’ve never seen anything like this as a family member or anything, so coming as a board member was super fun, I really enjoyed it,” Sandoval noted. “I’m glad to see familiar faces, like teachers I used to have, and I’m glad they got recognized because I do know, personally, how amazing they are.”