Granite School District picked Bonnie Seastrand as its November "Go the Extra Mile" honoree, recognizing the principal's secretary at Truman Elementary for what her principal called a dedication that "goes far beyond the responsibilities of her position."
The district announced the award Nov. 2 through its Granite Association of Educational Office Professionals (GAEOP) employee recognition program. The monthly GEM award highlights office professionals across the district's 62 elementary schools, 15 junior high schools and nine high schools.
Seastrand's principal, whose name was not listed in the announcement, praised her in a written statement published by the district.
"Bonnie Seastrand is truly the heart and soul of Truman Elementary," the principal wrote. "She is the person who sees a need and simply steps in to help without being asked and without expecting recognition."
The principal noted that Seastrand trains new secretaries across the district, teaching them the details of the role and helping them feel confident. Staff members seek her out when problems arise, the principal wrote, "because they know Bonnie will listen, help find a solution, and treat them with kindness and respect."
Seastrand lives near Truman Elementary, which sits at 4639 South 3200 West in West Valley City. That connection extends past school hours. Her principal wrote that she watches over the school property on evenings and weekends and reaches out when something needs attention.
"Her reliability and willingness to handle the countless day-to-day details of running a school allow me to spend more time focused on our most important work of teaching and learning," the principal wrote.
Truman Elementary is one of dozens of schools in Granite School District, which serves about 67,000 students across central Salt Lake County, including Millcreek, West Valley City, Taylorsville, Holladay and several other communities. GAEOP has represented the district's office professionals since 1974, when the school board first recognized the group as a separate employee organization.
The October GEM award went to Gwen Coulson, an administrative secretary in the district's Teacher Onboarding and Instructional Coaching department.
