Gayle Capsel, who has cared for children of teen parents for 16 years in Aberdeen as director of Snug Harbor, was recently named the region’s classified school employee of the year. The award comes from the Capital Region Educational Service District in Tumwater, which covers the five-county area of Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties.

The selection committee chose Capsel for the award because of the strong connection between her daily work and student success, according to the announcement from the educational service district. She’s now one of nine candidates who will be considered for the state’s classified school employee of the year, who will be announced later this spring.

“This job was just right, I love what I do,” said Capsel. “I get the best of babies from four weeks, and work with children up to 21.”

Superintendent Alicia Henderson described Capsel as “a treasure in our district and on the Harbor.”

“She brings experience and passion to her work and genuinely cares about our young parents and their children,” said Henderson.

Capsel has spent many years working with children, including time as a kindergarten teacher and daycare director in Ohio, where she lived with her husband before he got a job transfer to Washington.

In addition to Snug Harbor, Capsel has held a variety of leadership roles in the Public School Employees of Washington, including 10 years as president of the local chapter.

Snug Harbor, a daycare housed in the same building as Harbor High School, allows teen parents to send their kids to the daycare while they attend classes. Capsel, along with three staff members and volunteer students — both parents and non-parents — spend the day watching the kids, who are usually up to 3 years old.

“We basically try to be role models for these kids,” Capsel said.

The parent students are all required to take a parenting class with the Snug Harbor staff and are asked to assist with running fundraising events.

The two rooms are equipped with everything from a diaper-changing table, to baby cribs, to play areas with books and games. There are even showers and laundry machines, which some homeless students take advantage of, Capsel said.

There are currently 11 children at Snug Harbor, almost all of whom are watched by someone attending Harbor High. There’s no cost to use the program.

Harbor High Principal Derek Cook said Capsel’s impact “isn’t difficult to measure,” and that “she simply makes our school and district a better place to be.”