YAY STEVIE GRAY! Stevie Gray, a P.E. teacher at Short Pump Elementary School, is today's Yay of the Day honoree! Superintendent Amy Cashwell honored him recently at Short Pump!

YAYWORTHY:

Nominator Lisa Buchanan said,

"Everything he does is truly above and beyond! While most students already love P.E., Mr. Gray takes it to an entirely different level. He brings excitement, creativity and energy into every class — whether it’s through themed games that connect to body parts and exercises or his unforgettable call-backs that have somehow spilled over into the entire school and even our neighborhoods! I can yell 'POPCORN, POPCORN!' in my neighborhood and hear 'POP, POP, POP!' echoing back. Stevie does everything with incredible pride and enthusiasm. He has been a huge creator and champion of our Hive house system, even writing fables for each house. During teacher work week, he went above and beyond by choreographing, filming and editing house lip-sync videos — all while also preparing his own curriculum and getting the gym ready for the new school year. Mr. Gray also leads Dance Factor for both 4th and 5th grades on separate afternoons after school. He choreographs the dances, practices with students and leads them through multiple performances at school and throughout the county. He gives students opportunities to perform, build confidence, work as a team and have an absolute blast doing it.

"Mr. Gray is nothing short of amazing. Every person who leaves his gym walks away with a 'sweat trophy' — and yes, that includes the teachers! There are MANY, MANY more things Mr. Gray does that I could list, but these examples are just a little glimpse of who he is. He brings energy, creativity, joy and a whole lot of heart to our school every single day. He truly makes our Hive a better place, and he absolutely deserves to be our Yay of the Day!"

Thank you for all you do, Stevie, to make a positive difference and move HCPS forward!

• No. 4 in a series. Nominate a standout staff member for a "Yay of the Day" at https://www.henricoschools.us/yay-of-the-day.