Hanna Ranch Elementary-2013 Winner

Sarah Creeley teaches third grade at Hanna Elementary School in Hercules, California.  She has been teaching for 24 years.

Ms. Creeley moved to Hercules to be part of the community in which she teaches and has been very involved in the community ever since.  She is a member of the Hercules Community Library Foundation Board. She participates in the annual Relay 4 Life. She is a founding member of the Friends of Franklin Canyon, a group that stopped a proposed development in that rural part of town. She co-founded “March 4 Education”, a grassroots organization of parents, students, teachers and community members who advocate for equity in educational funding.  She was named the 2012 Hercules Woman of the Year as well as the 2012 Hercules Educator of the Year.

Ms. Creeley offers tutoring  after school for any student who needs it and is interested.  Her successes are legendary.  A second grade boy had one of his feet amputated. Sarah helped provide home instruction while the boy recovered. He eventually received a prosthetic leg and returned to class. Sarah arranged to have a dance troupe perform at the school. The dancers all had physical challenges, including a woman with a prosthetic leg. That seemed to be an inspiration. The next year, Sarah’s young student was jumping rope during the “Jump for Heart!” event.  He later received a proclamation from the Hercules City Council honoring his musical abilities as well as his academic achievement of receiving straight A’s for four straight years.