To read Parening OC’s Top 25 Teacher of Orange County 2016, click here!
Amanda Hassine
Woodbury Elementary, Irvine
Miss Hassine is truly the most amazing and outstanding teacher..she goes above and beyond for each and every one of her students past and present..Whether it be going to Disneyland on her school break, to going on her Friday night to a movie with her class..or to attending different children’s event throughout the year..soccer games, recitals you name it..and that is just some of what she does outside of her classroom. Inside her classroom it is a true blessing where kids learn and are absolutely loved..she is always going out of her way to help each child individually whether it be a personal, social or educational struggle..I have witnessed this so many times and I am always moved by the time and thought she spends being and thinking about each child to truly make sure they are enjoying every day and are giving them a love of learning for a lifetime..I have never experienced or seen such an amazing teacher that just gives and gives..truly beautiful. My daughter looks forward to seeing her everyday and she is truly a light in my daughter’s day. She has given so much..many children that have had her previous years still come by just to see her and spend time with her giving her notes to let her know how much she has meant to them and how much they miss her..I hope you pick Miss Hassine..you will fall in love with her too..Sincerely KimberlyPalmer
Lisa Rudi
Hephatha Lutheran Church and School, Anaheim Hills
One of Hephatha’s shining lights is Mrs. Lisa Rudi, our Early Childhood through 8th grade Director of School Music. She has grown The Arts our Music Department by leaps and bounds, bringing over a third of the school to the world of instrumental and vocal music. This extra-ordinary teacher leads our students not only in music, but as leaders, service-minded citizens and self-motivators. Through a clear vision, and collaboration with our Director of Church Music and Choral Director, she leads beginning, intermediate and advanced band and strings programs, and oversees our choral music program, private lessons and Praise Band. Hephatha’s K-2nd Strings Program, “Ready, Set, Bow!” has a wait list each year! She has succeeded in the difficult task of preparing students for public performances, and in the course of doing so, she builds confidence and a great work ethic in her students. Through her guidance, many of Mrs. Rudi’s students are able to balance athletics, music and other academic programs; this is also due to the relationships and support she has garnered with the Staff and Faculty at Hephatha. Most of Mrs. Rudi’s students go on to play in High School and College. Hephatha’s parents actively support our music programs. They are eager to serve Mrs. Rudi in her commitment to The Arts, and its positive impact on students’ academic achievement and the community. She never ceases to amaze her peers, her students and Hephatha’s parent community with the sheer awesome-ness of her students’ performances! Mrs. Rudi is an accomplished musician and an outstanding flutist, and truly understands the role of mentoring aspiring young musicians. She directs school concerts all year, and the crowned jewel of these performances is Hephatha’s annual “Concert on the Green”, which showcases the emphasis of music in the Hephatha community. Our students gain invaluable growth experience through Mrs. Rudi’s leadership and teaching. Mrs. Rudi is simply amazing, and to watch her in action is a truly a sight to behold. We are so blessed that she is a part of the Hephatha family!
Theresa Estrada
Grace Harbor , Tustin
Theresa Estrada is a first grade teacher that has been heralded by parents as a miracle worker. She takes students beginning their educational journey and ensures they not only excel as first graders, often a difficult task, but also sets them up to be successful throughout their elementary years and beyond. Students are taught in her class not only the basics of reading and math, but also the foundations of study habits . Mrs. Estrada teaches the whole student going beyond academics to concepts like respect and how to conduct yourself. She is a true treasure to the school, her students and their parents.
Donald Easter
Capistrano Valley Christian School, San Juan Capistrano
Mr. Easter has been teaching at CVCS for almost 40 years. He teaches Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and AP Calculus. One area that stands out with Mr. Easter is no matter what types of students he has from class to class or year to year, he dedicates himself figuring out a way to teach each student to meet the way they learn so they really understand the material. He continually makes adjustments, updates his teaching methods, and stays ahead of the learning curve of “how students learn these days”. Not only does he make adjustments from year to year, but literally chapter to chapter. His AP Students in both AP Chemistry and AP Calculus consistently pass the AP Exam with not just minimal passing scores but 4’s and 5’s each year. At one stretch of 5 years running, 100% of ALL his AP students in his classes passed the AP exam in those 2 subject areas. Mr. Easter uses the most current and updated technology to teach and use in his labs. He is ALWAYS ahead of the teaching curve in keeping up with the latest methods to enhance student learning. He is not afraid to change in order to provide for the best in current student learning. Mr. Easter will ALWAYS help a student before school, after school, and at lunch. Not only does Mr. Don Easter prepare students with high standards and course rigor to get the most out of them, he also is involved almost every day in student extra curricular activities. Mr. Easter also coaches cross country, and operates our scoreboard for varsity football, BOTH girls and boys volleyball, and BOTH girls and boys basketball games. He’s been doing ALL of these for 30+ years. Mr. Easter almost never misses a day of work. He has demonstrated to be the most dedicated person to not only the best in student learning but also to student support we have on staff and has been for almost 40 years at CVCS. At this time, let it be known, that it is quite a blessing to have Mr. Easter part of our teaching staff and I highly recommend him as a Top Teacher in Orange County. Because he is!
Carol Thompson
Capistrano Valley Christian School, San Juan Capistrano
Mrs. Carol Thompson has been teaching Fine Art (Drawing, Painting, Etc.) for more than 20 years at Capistrano Valley Christian School. In all those years, I can’t think of one student in any class in any year who didn’t connect with Mrs. Thompson. She is and has been the student favorite in all those years. Why is that?,… She is extraordinarily patient and compassionate with and for her students and providing them with proper learning. Mrs. Thompson will never use a phrase such as “good enough”, or “close enough”, “that will be ok as is”. NO,… she will be sure each and every student knows how to do each detail correctly or they start over. The students absolutely know she cares for not only them as people but that they learn properly. Mrs. Thompson starts each and every class period with a 3-5 minute “life-lesson/devotion”. She shares with them that they should never settle for mediocrity in art nor in any part of life. ALWAYS do the right thing. Over the last few years, Mrs. Thompson has had double-knee replacement and more recently had bouts with an aggressive cancer. However, she has beat it and she looks better than ever. Mrs. Carol Thompson is the utmost dedicated teacher to her students. You see, she intentionally made her knee surgery for the recovery period during the summer so she could be ready by the 1st day of school. Mrs. Thompson intentionally made her doctors appointments for cancer treatments to miss as little school as possible. She did need to go on extended leave. However, even being past retirement age, actually wanted to and did come back to teach full-time. The only way we thought that “may” happen, is her love for what she does and her students. Very few people would have come back full-time after what she went through – and past retirement age. She ALWAYS wants to and knows she “needs to” (according to her) be there for her students every day she can. A few years ago, the City of San Juan Capistrano displayed 20 large banners of art from students/school within the city. Fourteen of those pieces of art came from Mrs. Thompson’s class. They hanged on large banners in and around the city for 18 months. Merchants in the City have asked Mrs. Thompson if they can borrow her students art work to display in their business. Many students have won art contests in and around Orange County including the Laguna Art Festival. Through many, many tough health issues, Mrs. Thompson’s dedication to her students and properly learning of techniques of most art mediums, it is any wonder that her students constantly and consistently return as alumni to see her. Personally, I see many alumni come on to our campus each year. EVERY ONE of them ask to and want to see Mrs. Thompson more than any other teacher on campus. It is evident she has a life long impact on each of those that go through her classes. She is by far the most loved and respected teacher on our campus. Mrs. Thompson is one who has not only endured, but continues to have the most positive impact on student lives. Thank you very much for considering Mrs. Carol Thompson for a Top Teacher in Orange County.
Denise Prouty
Capistrano Valley Christian Schools, San Juan Capistrano
Mrs. Prouty is an amazing teacher with a heart for education. She loves her students and greets them daily with a smile. She works very hard to individualize instruction for each student who walks through her door. She meets regularly with parents to share joys and concerns. She is often found late into the evening working on lesson plans, creating student activities or displaying student work in her room. Her love for God shines through in her daily interactions with students, families and colleagues. She is always ready for a new challenge and tackles it with confidence, professionalism and a Godly spirit. Mrs. Prouty is a veteran teacher who is not afraid to try new things. Her innovative methods help first grade students here at CVCS to continually exceed both state and national testing averages. Mrs. Prouty makes learning fun for students and her knowledge of teaching strategies and curriculum help her to prepare students for local and national testing. Her strength and dedication to the love and care for children sets a tone for educators here at CVCS and all around Orange County.
Kim Kihm
Capistrano Elementary , San Juan Capistrano
Here at Capistrano Valley Christian Schools we make it our mission to provide students and families with educational excellence in a Christ-centered environment. One teacher that helps set that standard early on in the formative years of our students is Mrs. Kihm Kim. Mrs. Kihm is a second grade teacher at Capistrano Valley Christian Schools and an exemplar educator. Mrs. Kihm has an energy and love for education that shines through in everything she says and does. She takes the time to get to know each of her students and their families and she finds a special place for each in her heart. Her love for education shows up in her instruction. She engages her students with excitement and laughter. Her tests scores are among the best in the nation and her students learn through fun. She plans each lesson in a manner that incorporates student interests and energy, all the while, being mindful to cover each standard and aim for mastery. She has high expectations for students in the area of academics, but also she expects kindness, compassion and good manners. She works very hard to grow and prepare students to be well rounded in all areas of development. Mrs. Kihm is not only a leader in her classroom, but also in our school. She sets an example of Godliness for her students and colleagues and is one of the best teachers in Orange County.
Aaron Debow
Saint Johns Lutheran Orange , Orange
Mr. Aaron Debow is an excellent 4th grade teacher. He helps the students succeed in the current grade and prepares them for the next grade. Weekly Mr. Debow emails the parents to let them know what the week looks like on paper so parents can also be one step ahead to have the students prepared for the upcoming weeks. With such a busy schedule for parents in todays society that helps us stay on track. He is also in the process of completing his master’s degree. What an exceptional person to look up too. In Mr. Debow’s spare time he is the school’s basketball coach. What a blessing to have such a wonderful male role model for my 4th grade son.
Patricia Van Deudekom
New Horizon School, Irvine, Irvine
Submitted on behalf of the Parents’ Association: “To really inspire the love of learning and to be compassionate to one another.” This is the mission statement that Mrs. Patricia Van Deudekom came up with to guide her through her teaching. Her bright smile and wonderful heart is what first greets you when you meet her. Over the past 14 years of teaching kindergarten at New Horizon School, Irvine, Mrs. Van Deudekom has touched the lives of hundreds of our children including those alumni who are now in college. They walk into her classroom the first day with only the basics of knowledge and lots of concerns; but then she does her magic and every child transforms into a young yet knowledgeable future leader who is ready to embark on to their next steps. By incorporating the Leader In Me program into her daily class life, she manages to inspire her kids to become the proud leaders of the future. “Kindergarten is the year where everything blossoms”, Mrs. Van Deudekom said as she describes why she loves teaching that grade. “I love to see the excitement of the kids when they are learning. When they are excited, I’m excited and it always makes my day”. Through hands on learning and Positive Discipline, she manages to engage every student in her classroom. She also nurtures the students beyond academics, making sure they are all healthy eaters, feeling well, and socially happy. Her passion is getting kids to love school, making they feel safe enough to continue to try – all the while assuring them that they “can do it”. Mrs. Van Deudekom dedicates her time and energy to each child in her care so that everyone one feels special. As parents, we know that our kids’ first teacher always sets the tone for the future, and with Mrs. Van Deudekom, we find it very difficult to say goodbye at the end of the year because she not only teaches our kids, but she also teaches us how to bring out the best in our own children. With mixed emotions of joy and sadness, she honors each one of her students upon graduation. She is our superhero and teaching is her super power. “It awes me and humbles me, too….I’m honored and I feel so appreciated to be the one nominated, I am so excited, thank you so much”. Mrs. Van Deudekom….we thank YOU.
Laura Wolfe
Oakridge Private School, Orange
There is a special feeling you get when you walk into Mrs. Wolfe’s 3rd grade room. Right away, you feel the warmth, love, and respect she has for her students. You also see the same reciprocated by her students. She has the tenderness of a mother, and the academics to motivate and push her students to new heights in learning. Beyond the classroom, she has made a significant impact on all of the students at Oakridge Private School. If you ask any older student on campus who’s class they remember, Mrs. Wolfe will always come up. Mrs. Wolfe grew up in Orange, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from California State University, Fullerton. She graduated with honors, and continued at Cal State Fullerton to complete her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She yearned to return to teaching, and began at Oakridge in March of 2010, teaching Kindergarten. In the fall of 2010, Mrs. Wolfe began teaching third grade, and has stayed in third grade, loving it, ever since. Mrs. Wolfe established a Character Education Program at Oakridge in 2013. This school-wide program helped create a new curriculum and language for character, using six attributes that each child recognizes, acknowledges, and is held accountable for. In addition, the “Big Buddies” program was developed, which pairs older elementary and Middle School classes with the younger (Pre-Kindergarten through second grade) classes. Classes meet with their buddies each week. Big Buddies help their Little Buddies with reading, writing, math, and art projects. Mrs. Wolfe also created the Peer Mentoring Program, which pairs up Middle School students with elementary students to create friendships and relationships. This one-on-one mentoring program has proven to be very successful with both the younger and older students. Mentors meet with their mentees approximately 1-5 times per month. If you ask Mrs. Wolfe what her goals are, it is simple. She strives to provide a safe, warm learning environment, and she challenges her students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners. These goals show daily in the work she does in the classroom. Her favorite subject to teach is writing, and motivates to students to be creative, confident writers, a skill that will be used throughout their lives. Mrs. Wolfe is currently working on her Masters Degree in Education, with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction, at Concordia University. She will complete the program in 2016.
Daniel Leonidas
Oakridge Private School, Orange
“ He always says Good Morning, and when he reviews my writing, he gives the most encouraging and detailed feedback to help me grow as a writer.” Those are the words of 8th grade Honors English student Carolina Harrison. It is not common to see a former college composition and creative-writing writing professor find a niche in a middle school classroom. Mr. Leonidas quickly becomes one of the teachers, parents and students quickly gravitate to, as his personality, humor, and compassion for teaching students the art of writing, is established. Middle School at Oakridge Private School starts in 5th grade, as students are working through a grade level above in curriculum. Mr. Leonidas grew up in northern New York, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in creative writing, from St. Lawrence University, where he also majored in psychology, in 2005. He graduated summa cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the prestigious national honor society. He is also a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, and Psi Chi, the international psychology honor society. In 2009, Mr. Leonidas earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Ohio State University; during his three years at Ohio State, he taught composition and creative-writing courses to undergraduates and discovered his passion for teaching. In 2011, Mr. Leonidas found Oakridge Private School, and discovered his passion for teaching middle school creative writing and English. Mr. Leonidas (Mr. L is what the children call him), also sits on the Character building committee and works with the Peer Mentor students on campus, with Mrs. Wolfe. His involvement on campus outside of the classroom revolves around the students. Mr. Leonidas believes that the reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills that students develop in middle school English, play an important role throughout the rest of their academic careers and beyond. He strives to foster a lifelong love of language in his students, whether that love takes the form of penning bestselling novels or simply becoming a thoughtful reader and a creative, confident writer and speaker. Many of his students return to thank him, for the amazing writing education they received through him. In high school and college, they have thrived. This, for him, is the highest compliment.
Patricia Van Deudekom
New Horizon School, Irvine, Irvine
*Note: Please disregard previous submission* Patricia Van Deudekom is one of the best regarded teachers at New Horizon School, Irvine – a testament to her 14 years of dedicated service to the students and families entrusted in her care as a kindergarten teacher! Kindergarten is the perfect grade level to have a talented and kind teacher because, as the very first structured educational experience for students, kindergarten success sets the tone for many years to come. Mrs. Van Deudekom is such a teacher who is equipped to work in partnership with parents to get the very most out of the students and for the students to get the most out of their kindergarten experience. Students enter her class with barely the basics of the alphabet and numbers, and they leave at the end of the year reading and doing mathematics – often above grade-level. She not only cares about the students’ academic achievements, but she also wants them to have good values and care for one another. Mrs. Van Deudekom often considers community service projects to involve the students in taking responsibility for others and practicing their leadership skills. Her students have initiated drives and collecting change to support a variety of causes. Moreover, Mrs. Van Deudekom’s work-ethic and dedication are exceptional. She is very often one of the first ones to arrive on campus and one of the last ones to leave each day. New Horizon has an end of year kindergarten graduation ceremony where Mrs. Van Deudekom and her partner in kindergarten read off the exceptional traits of each student and project into the future what each child’s career may be ‘when they grow up’ based upon those traits. This part of the ceremony has become a valued tradition that every parent looks forward to, and is a demonstration of how well Mrs. Van Deudekom knows her students. Mrs. Van Deudekom has become an institutional icon with students from her early years of teaching at New Horizon now entering universities throughout the nation. During alumni reunions, Mrs. Van Deudekom is the teacher that all the students remember and look forward to seeing! When the opportunity was presented to nominate a top teacher to OC Parenting, the Parents’ Association chose Mrs. Van Deudekom – an incredible honor considering the exceptional team of teachers at New Horizon. For this reason and more, I whole-heartedly nominate Patricia Van Deudekom as a 2016 OC Parenting Top Teacher!
Sheryll Grogan
St. John’s Episcopal School, Rancho Santa Margarita
Sheryll Grogan has been an integral part of St. John’s Episcopal School community for 18 years. She began as a long-term substitute for 7th grade science, transitioned into full time faculty and has remained dedicated and loyal to St. John’s ever since. Mrs. Grogan teaches our most advanced math students and completes a high school equivalent algebra program for 7th and 8th grade students. Mrs. Grogan has also served as the Science Department chair for the past 12 years and has been instrumental in helping the School research and establish a science program that provides hands-on laboratory experiences while developing St. John’s STEAM approach to teaching and learning. Most recently, Mrs. Grogan planned and implemented a Rocketry unit sparking creative collaboration amongst the teachers allowing for a comprehensive, challenging and exciting unit of study. The unit culminated with the blasting of rockets on the St. John’s athletic field, compete with a Go Pro attached to the rockets. Afterwards the students were able to calculate the thrust, acceleration, and altitude of the rockets – they had a real blast! Mrs. Grogan is also vital to St. John’s Field Studies program. Each year, she plans and coordinates the 6th grade trip to Catalina Island while still making time to travel to Williamsburg and Washington D.C. with our 8th grade students. Perhaps most importantly, Mrs. Grogan is always the first teacher to volunteer to cover classes or other duties when a fellow teacher needs a hand and she eagerly participates in other extracurricular events when called upon. In her spare time, Mrs. Grogan acts as the Vacation Bible School Director for St. John’s Episcopal Church and spends countless hours running one of the most popular vacation bible school programs in the area.
Meredith Moody
Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Rancho Santa Margarita
Meredith Moody has been a teacher at Santa Margarita Catholic High School since 1989 and is one of only a handful of current teachers who have been with the school for over twenty-five years. As the long time Visual Arts Department Chair, the yearbook advisor for twenty-four years and a mother of three SMCHS alumni, there is no denying that Meredith is a staple in the Santa Margarita community. As a department chair, Meredith commands the visual arts department with a very compassionate voice, a collaborative vision, and is always very supportive of every teacher, confidently supporting them in all situations. Her coworkers describe her as a caring, patient and empathetic teacher and feel fortunate to have her as a mentor, department chair and friend. Meredith’s door is always open. She is a teacher who truly cares about her students and the teachers that work under her supervision. Meredith is the ideal educator, one who encourages her students to achieve at a high level, teaching them the ‘how and why’ of learning, and doing it all with a humble demeanor based in her strong Catholic faith. Her enthusiasm for teaching photography and advising the yearbook class is easily “caught” by her students. Meredith strives to create a nurturing learning environment in which every student can discover their artistic talents and exercise their imagination. The numerous Santa Margarita alumni who have kept in touch with Meredith since graduating are a true testament to the lasting impression she leaves on every student who walks into her classroom. Meredith’s dedication to teaching and caring for her students cannot be duplicated. Retiring in June 2016, her legacy will long be imprinted onto the pages of Santa Margarita’s history. She truly epitomizes the school’s charism, Caritas Christi or ‘the love of Christ.’
Cobi Luciani
Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana, Costa Mesa
Luciani, is the reason students wake up in the morning to come to school. This teacher inspires children’s hearts and supports everyone around her. I’ve never met a teacher that was more in love with what they do. She makes a difference everyday and never expects anything in return. I know that she would never expect this recognition and would truly remind her how very special she is!
Theresa Yurkovich
Stoneybrooke Christian School , San Juan Capistrano
She wears wears costumes, sings, laughs, mimes, acts, reads aloud, dances, makes jokes and acts silly every day. No, this is not a star in a Broadway musical. This is a Stoneybrooke star. Her name is Theresa Yurkovich, first grade teacher extraordinaire. Mrs. Yurkovich invests each minute of her day wisely, with her students. She won’t even check emails until all of her students are excused for the day with a hug and personal goodbye. She spends her recess breaks helping kids one on one, her weekends researching the most current educational practices. Parents are consistently well-informed and very much appreciate the effective tools given by Mrs. Yurkovich in order to reach their sons and daughters with areas of difficulty at home. Stoneybrooke staff members come to Mrs. Yurkovich as a trusted friend, and although she is younger than some, an experienced and helpful mentor. Her students have extremely high standardized test scores, proven by her part in helping the school achieve its National Blue Ribbon status. Mrs. Yurkovich certainly knows her stuff. But more importantly it’s what her students know. They know how joyful learning can be. They know the value in loving literature. They know how to think critically and solve problems with others. They know the importance of treating other with kindness. And most of all, the children in Mrs. Yurkovich’s classroom know that their teacher love, support, respect and admire them. The loyalty of her students and families, devotion and commitment to her craft and humble service to her colleagues and staff make Mrs. Yurkovich a true star.
Joesph Scott
The Islamic Education School, Anaheim
Mr. Scott has been an example of the dedicated teacher who cared about his students as well as the school he works at. His preparation for the class and lesson planning is second to none. He is well liked by his students as well as the parents. In addition, he has taken on more responsibilities and projects. such as upgrading the report card program used by the school and training the other staff members on using it. Mr. Scott is willing to do what it takes to make sure the job gets done, and that the children get the quality education they deserve.
LeeAnn Holt
Grace Classical Academy, Laguna Niguel
It is said that teachers who love teaching teach kids to love learning. Mrs. Holt is the embodiment of this ideal. Mrs. Holt exemplifies a master teacher by being a role model for each of her students. She lives her life in such a way that every parent wants their child to emulate her. Primarily, she is a woman with a thought-life. Mrs. Holt is always reading a book, always thinking through something new. Because she is so fascinated with the world she finds herself in, she can easily pass her unquenchable knowledge onto her students creating an engaging and inspiring learning environment. Because her thought-life is so full, she is constantly refining her teaching skills by reflecting on her teaching content and methods. She is happy to learn and seeks out ways to improve her teaching. Mrs. Holt sees herself as a teacher who is there to serve her students. She knows each of her students individually, understanding their personal needs. She takes time to work with each one of her students, ensuring their success. Mrs. Holt sees the learning that takes place in her classroom as a process, not a result to be judged by one test score. With these teaching techniques, her classroom is student focused. Through all of this she maintains high expectations for all of her students and they are happy to work to their highest potential for her. Mrs. Holt begins and ends her year organized, prepared, and purposeful. She has a goal for the year that is broken down each day. She not only knows what she is teaching, but why she is teaching it. Everything she does in her classroom, she does with purpose. Mrs. Holt creates a beautiful aroma in her classroom. Her classroom is the most efficient and beautifully stimulating environment for her students, teaching her students to find beauty in what they are learning. She is encouraging and positive to her students, always highlighting where they have succeeded, thus, producing eager students. Most importantly, Mrs. Holt’s greatest desire for her kids is to see the learning that happens in her classroom have a profound effect on their souls. She cares more about the people they become than the success they have academically.
Deidra Stewart
Horace Mann Elementary, Anaheim
Incredible, dependable, marvelous, hardworking, intelligent, passionate. These are just a few words that describe the caliber of educator that is Mrs. Stewart. Her passion to teach and to learn from her students and colleagues inspires everyone that meets her. She has created a culture of collaboration that has lead to an increase in the academic achievement of our students. Mrs. Stewart understands her community and works hard to provide her students that best education possible. She does not allow excuses to be used. I am proud to call Mrs. Stewart a colleague.
Stacy Eldred
Esperanza Special Education School, Mission Viejo
Mrs. Eldred exemplifies outstanding teaching on a daily basis. She utilizes creativity and thoughtfulness in her classroom every day and has developed two new classes to meet the needs of her students: M.A.G.I.C. (Movement Activity Gone Interactive Class), and a specialized Transition class. In her Transition class, Mrs. Eldred has created an opportunity for students to practice vocational skills by developing the C.U.T.I.E. P.I.E. Cafe (Creating Unique Transition Inspired Experiences Promoting Independence Everyday). Mrs. Eldred started The CUTIE PIE Cafe one day a week through fund-raising and donations. Transition students in her class take orders from staff, brew coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, manage the money, and do simple accounting for the cafe. This has increased independence and self-esteem, along with skills that may be translated into the workplace. Our school is a Special Education school for students with moderate to severe disabilities, and Mrs. Eldred works tirelessly to give our students opportunities to shine. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of recognition.
Vivian Hanson
Pio Pico Elementary School, Santa Ana
Our nominee, is an outstanding educator. The educational program that she provides for her students reflects a student-centered, standards-based learning environment. Two years ago, she experienced another grade level (intermediate school) but returned to the elementary level where she felt she was needed most and her impact would be reflected by student achievement and overall happy, healthy and intelligent students. She is also an integral member of the Pio Pico Elementary School staff where she is highly respected by staff, students, parents and members of the community. Due to the fact that our students come from high poverty, she goes beyond expectations and spends personal funds to meet their needs that include medical, dental, clothing, shelter and nutrition. She has also provided after schooling to her students on a volunteer basis and never complains of what needs to be done to increase her students’ academic achievement. She continues to be instrumental in promoting our schoolwide efforts to promote literacy through a variety of activities including but not limited to our Accelerated Reader Program. She was instrumental in developing, maintaining and promoting Pio Pico’s Mentor Program that has and continues to bring community members to our school to serve as mentors for many of our students; promoting literacy and collaboration. In addition, she has worked collaboratively with PTA and our parent community to promote our annual end-of-year fun fair to invite families and community members to enjoy our schoolwide end-of-year activity Our nominee is a truly dedicated Pio Pico Paloma (member of the Pio Pico School Community). In addition to her commitment toward increasing student achievement per State and District developed LCAP Goals, she has also been involved in PTA, Jog-a-Thon, Annual School Fiesta, Instructional Steering Committee, Staff Advisory and School Site Council. She also recruits other colleagues and parents to become actively involved in schoolwide activities. She is indeed the optimum of what a professional educator should be and “Pio Pico is the place to be” because of staff members like her. It is without reservation that she is being nominated for this recognition.
Angela Reling
Early College High School, Costa Mesa
Ms. Reling is a dynamic, well-respected staff member on our campus who assumes many different responsibilities on our campus. She is our lone P.E. teacher who also serves as our ASB advisor. She possesses a passion and energy in her profession that our students feed off of as this is her disposition daily. She is part of the school’s Admin Team and member of the Superintendent’s Certificated Advisory Committee. She was also selected this past summer to be on the Principal’s Interview Panel as the school was looking for a new principal in July/August 2015. She is professional in every sense with the responsibilities she holds on our campus. Within her classes, she teaches Physical Education and hits on the state standards. It is truly an instructional learning environment for our students as they receive an enriched educational experience in this discipline. I very much consider her a model high school P.E. teacher and teacher leader on our campus.
Michelle Martinez
Thurston Middle School, Laguna Beach
Michelle goes above and beyond each and every day to ensure that all students have the opportunity to be successful. Her rigorurs, challenging, innovative lessons maximize the 21st century learning experience. She has an innate ability to connect and develop relationships with her students while her enthusiasm for her subject (social studies) is contagious. The only problem with Michelle Martinez is that there is only one of her!!!
Amy Molstad
Kaiser Elementary School, Costa Mesa
Amy Molstad is AMAZING! In addition to creating a happy learning environment in which her students excel, Mrs. Molstad is a leader at our school and in our district. She has served for over four years on a district curriculum design team and has been essential to the high quality resources that are provided to the third grade teachers at all the elementary schools in our district. Even when she is not serving as a grade-level chair, Mrs. Molstad is a highly respected and beloved leader. Amy ensures that everyone succeeds. You’ve got to see her in action!
Kristin Heeschen
Kaiser Elementary School, Costa Mesa
Above and beyond every single day – this describes Kristin Heeschen. This phenomenal teacher is repeatedly entrusted with the development of teachers-to-be because of her inspirational instruction and commitment to student achievement. Mrs. Heeschen’s classroom is filled with paper chains reflecting the books students read along with strings of beads to mark the math goals her students have attained. Students get their wiggles out while learning as they balance on yoga balls and actively help each other learn. Kristin creates an incredible sense of personal responsibility, love of reading, and desire to support classmates among the students in her class. Then, she’s off running the gardening club, writing grant proposals, volunteering for every committee, and offering recess and after school reading clubs…and that’s just the beginning! Every Friday, the whole staff at Kaiser Elementary School eagerly awaits Mrs. Heeschen’s Friday Cake – she finds a way to make school meaningful for her students and her colleagues every day.
Heather Grethe
James A. Whitaker School, Buena Park
In the words of John Ruskin, “Education…is painful, continual and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning,… by praise, but above all — by example.” Heather Grethe understands these words and definitely works to educate students by being an exemplary role model. Mrs. Grethe is an outstanding teacher at James A. Whitaker School and has been in the Buena Park School District for 19 years. She is currently working as a Literacy Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) supporting Kindergarten through 2nd grade teachers and students at our site. Her responsibilities include providing interventions for at-risk students in the area of early literacy, conducting demonstration lessons to support teachers to improve instruction, serving as a resource in identifying appropriate instructional strategies and interventions to improve student achievement, participating in collaborative grade level meetings and/or staff meetings to assist in the analysis and utilization of assessment data, ensuring the successful delivery of our district benchmarks, and providing parent workshops. She also works closely with the district team of TOSAs to create an efficacious program in all regards. As a classroom teacher, Mrs. Grethe works tirelessly to provide an excellent education for her students and strives to have them meet grade level standards. Her classroom environment is very student-centered, and she understands how to differentiate for students of all levels. She consistently uses data to guide instruction and incorporates technology into her daily lessons. Mrs. Grethe has a great rapport with students, which contributes to her strength in classroom management. Her knowledge and understanding of lesson design and use of instructional strategies contributed to her being selected as an intervention teacher. As a professional educator and leader, Mrs. Grethe is very conscientious about completing tasks in a timely manner and being an active participant in school activities. Her organizational skills, ability to problem-solve, and overall competence, make her a natural leader. In addition to her TOSA responsibilities, Mrs. Grethe is a member of our school Leadership Team. She is an instrumental participant that is spear-heading instructional rounds and colleague observations. She is well-respected by her peers and the staff as a whole. Mrs. Grethe is truly an asset to our entire school community. She is always willing to assist in making any school the best place for students to learn. Her efforts, knowledge and abilities are invaluable. She is a true professional and a pleasure to work with.
Violet Bender
Sycamore Elementary , Orange
Mrs. Bender is one of the most caring teachers I have encountered in my entire career in education. She is well respected by students, parents, and colleagues because of her friendly, caring personality and commitment to students. She is an instructional role model driven by a passion to positively impact each student she encounters. She is reflective of her practice and constantly looking for ways to improve and differentiate so that each child’s needs are met to the fullest. Because of her excellent instructional techniques and innovative ways of making learning relevant, students make outstanding growth during the year in her classroom. Mrs. Bender takes the time to understand the strengths and needs of each child in her class. She carefully plans relevant, engaging learning experiences and has a special way of activating a passion for learning within each student. Every child in her class experiences success in many ways. She sees each child for his/her potential and the possibilities within them and never judges or places limits on their capabilities despite any obstacles they may face. She empowers each student to believe in him/herself. Nearly all of the students at Sycamore Elementary are from low-income households so Mrs. Bender finds creative ways to level the playing field for her students so that they have access to the many of the same opportunities available to students from more affluent households. Mrs. Bender has found creative ways to get technology for her students, recognizing that many of them don’t have access to computers at home. She did this by writing grants, organizing fundraisers, and participating in programs outside of her workday to earn additional devices for her students. Mrs. Bender goes above and beyond the typical classroom duties, not just for the good of her own students but also for the greater good of the whole school and community. Mrs. Bender generously volunteers her own time to run our afterschool robotics teams. She has 4 robotics teams, serving students in Kindergarten -6th grade. She developed her vision for this program and organized fundraisers all on her own to raise money for the robotics materials and supplies. Additionally, she has spent her own time writing grants which have earned her BeeBots, Legobots, and VEX Robots for her program. She has also received a 3D printer for her classroom and is helping her students learn how to produce items through 3D printing.
Helen Dowser
Orangewood Academy, Garden Grove
Helen Dowser has been a teacher for 43 years, 33 of those here at Orangewood Academy. Helen teaches high school biology, AP biology, anatomy and physiology, and junior high science. I have never met anyone with her enthusiasm, energy and dedication after 43 years of teaching. She is the first one to school in the morning and one of the last to leave. Her love for science and bringing it to life for her students is amazing. Helen’s classes and labs are interactive, lively and creative. She likes to challenge her students to think critically and research things themselves while using laptops and an interactive white board. She has her students journal regularly so they are not only learning science but writing and research skills. Helen was using differentiated instruction before the term was coined. I want to tell you, in more depth, some specific examples of Helen’s creative and effective teaching strategies. In AP Biology, the labs include things from dissecting a cat to taking a field trip to compare the dissolved oxygen between parts of the Santa Ana River and the mouth of the Pacific Ocean. In Anatomy and Physiology class there in bone and brain dissections and then the students design and create informational brochures of the diseases of the muscular skeletal system. She has taken students to the Body Works exhibits several times. In Biology, the students go for a week-long field trip to Zion National Park in Utah to do “Quad Studies” comparing ecosystems by in-depth comparison of biotic and abiotic factors. At the beginning of the school year it is fun to see students running around with old-fashioned butterfly nets catching bugs of every size and description for their insect project. Or later view the beautiful scrapbooks of flowers identifying them by their Latin and common names. Helen’s classroom is always open. Students love to stop by for extra tutoring help, to see what’s happening in her labs, or just to talk about life. Helen is patient and nurturing and always lifts students’ self-esteem. OA students know how much she cares for them. Her expectations are high and they try very hard not to disappoint her.
Ernest Arias
Weaver Elementary School , Los Alamitos
Dr. E. Joseph Arias is a 5th grade teacher who has embraced the inquiry based approach to learning. In addition to his passion for teaching and learning, Joseph is remarkably student centered and every lesson comes from a place of what is best for each individual child. This year he is working with a cohort of students who have been placed together for a large part of their elementary years from Kindergarten through grade 5. What is unique about Joseph’s teaching is his inquiry based approach. Each lesson begins with a question posed that will launch students into an investigative journey toward new, authentic learning. This instills within his students a natural excitement, curiosity, and thirst for knowledge acquisition. Additionally, Joseph ensures that each students possess skills and strategies to ensure efficiency in reading comprehension, math efficiency skills, etc…. Another exceptional quality that Joseph possesses is his natural care and concern for each student and his/her family. He takes a genuine interest and personal concern for the well being of each student. In a reply to a recent email to a parent who had lost her mother, Joseph replied, “Mother’s are special and irreplaceable. Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Be safe in your commuting and kind to yourself.” This illustrates the kind of personal service and support that Joseph truly encompasses for each of his students and their families. Weaver is a demonstration school for the Cotsen Foundation for the Art of Teaching. We host numerous teacher walk throughs on a yearly basis for teachers who are pushing to become experts in signature elementary instructional practices. The facilitators of Cotsen always request Joseph’s classroom as one of the destination classrooms when they visit. This is due to his expertise, passion, high expectations, passion, personal accountability, and humility. I am personally inspired by Joseph daily, and recommend him as a Top Teacher
Dan Ybarra
Hilton D. Bell Intermediate, Garden Grove
Mr. Ybarra is an inspiring teacher who perpetuates student learning and achievement in unique and varying ways. As an English teacher, he ensures students’ reading, writing and language abilities all increase well beyond the level students enter his class. In addition, he concurrently equips them with skills to be competitive in a 21st Century marketplace. Through integrating instructional strategies and daily use of Google Classroom, he embeds differentiated instruction to support all students. By tailoring the layer of online instruction and assignments, he continuously adds rigor to lessons to generate a greater depth of thinking. Mr. Ybarra’s students not only progress in their reading and writing, but also in their understanding of how to access and evaluate digital text and sources. He effectively leverages in-class instructional time and academic skills to empower students with tools to access rigorous texts from a variety of sources. Everything from his Instructional Objective, to daily assignments and homework are embedded in this online format. Students know and understand how to use these tools to access their daily curriculum seamlessly. Students have access to their assignments and curriculum anywhere there is internet access. In addition to preparing students to academically interact in a digital environment, his students have FUN! Mr. Ybarra is also a leader and innovator at Bell Intermediate. Just as he has been instrumental in supporting his students in building 21st Century skills, he has also worked with the Bell teaching staff in implementing technology and utilizing tech tools to support the rigors of the new standards. As a member of our Instructional Leadership Team, Mr. Ybarra has led professional development supporting our school foci. He continues to support colleagues with both instructional and technical expertise. It is his knowledge and ability to bridge both areas that truly sets him apart as a model and leader among his peers. Mr Ybarra truly believes in his students and their ability to learn. He is available for students everyday at lunch and when they need a little extra time to master the learning objectives. He is an inspiration to his students and both engages and motivates them through his teaching and his classroom presence. I know that each of his students feel valued and cared for – not an easy thing to do at the intermediate level when an individual teacher serves over 150 students every day. He is the type of teacher I hope my own daughters get to experience through their schooling. Mr. Ybarra is a phenomenal teacher, and his students perform well because of his innovative instructional routines and how much he truly cares for them.
Frances Kramer
John Muir Fundamental School, Santa Ana
Principals often talk about their “lighthouse” teachers. These “lighthouse” teachers are so highly skilled and so well regarded in their profession that other educators look to them for guidance. Fran Kramer, a Kindergarten teacher at John Muir Fundamental School in Santa Ana, is one of those teachers. Fran has been teaching kindergarten for over 25 years and has a California Teaching Credential as well as a Special Education Credential. She is a nationally recognized instructional leader whose teacher blog “Kindergarten Crayons” is followed by hundreds of kindergarten teachers. She also provides many of her instructional materials on the website “Teachers pay Teachers.” As a Certificated Learning and Achievement Specialist, Fran helped create the Santa Ana Unified School District’s kindergarten Common Core State Standards curriculum. She is a consultant for several education consortia; teachers all over the country have used her innovations in the classroom. Aside from all her professional accomplishments, what really sets Fran out from the rest of all the great “lighthouse” teachers in Orange County, is her dedication to the students in her classroom. She regularly comes to school long before the students arrive and stays long after most the afterschool program students leave. Fran is always concerned not just with instructional needs of her class but the emotional needs of her students. She keeps in constant contact with classroom parents to let them how the children are doing. Many of the members of her class are siblings and children of former students, which gives her a special relationship with those that walk into her classroom. While there are many “lighthouse” teachers in education, Fran Kramer is one of the best and brightest in the Santa Ana Unified School District. Her qualifications make her one of the Top Teachers in Orange County and it would be an honor to have her featured in Parenting OC.
Cheryl Nielsen
Clarence Lobo Elementary, San Clemente
Every day in Cheryl Nielsen’s class is an adventure. She is a SEALs teacher which means that she teaches 3 – 5 year old students with disabilities. Cheryl pours her heart and soul into her teaching. Parents and community members rave about the educational experience that the children in her class are receiving. She is team player. Even though she teaches preschool, her willingness to help out the entire school is appreciated by all. It is without hesitation that I recommend Cheryl Nielsen as Orange County’s Top Educator of the Year. Mrs. Nielsen pours her heart and soul into her craft of teaching. She is highly sensitive to each student’s needs. She meets children where they are at and expects them to grow to their full potential. Every year her students make substantial gains on their individual goals. She knows the students so very well and is constantly working on their growth in the areas of school readiness, communication and behavior. Her classroom management skills are, bar none, the best. Her students know what is expected of them and are engaged in the lessons at all times. She knows the learning style of each child and accommodates them so that they are successful. Parents are so pleased when they hear that their child will have Mrs. Nielsen for his or her teacher. She has amazing rapport with the parents. Cheryl listens to the concerns of parents, and with their partnership sets up plans to help the students be successful. Mrs. Nielsen encourages reverse mainstreaming in where she teaches students in a general education classroom how to interact with her students. This is a life changing skill and our students that continue at Lobo have empathy and a compassion for others that is hard to find in a school setting. She builds a family atmosphere within the classroom. Cheryl is a team player. The instructional assistants that work in her classroom adore her and work very well with her. She also steps up and volunteers to make sure that the entire school is being successful. Her fellow teachers enjoy working with her. She shares her ideas and is a great mentor to others, while being open to new ideas. Mrs. Nielsen is a life-long learner. As an administrator, who has been in education for close to 30 years, I have not seen the kind of dedication shown by Cheryl Nielsen. She is the model that all teachers should strive to become. Clarence Lobo Elementary School has received the 2014 Scholar Honor Roll Award and this is attributed to teachers like Mrs. Nielsen.
Cobi Luciani
Magnolia Science Academy – Santa Ana, Costa Mesa
Ms. Luciani truly cares about her students. She takes the time to know the strengths and weaknesses of each student. She works with them accordingly. She is a lot of fun! She has an amazing fun personality. It draws students to her and the students really enjoy her class. She makes learning fun and as a result the students are encouraged and motivated to do better. I am very fortunate my older son was in her class during Middle School years and now my younger son experiences the same fun, exciting and great learning experience.
Amani Chalati
Pillars Academy, Mission Viejo
Drawn to her soothing story telling skills, colleagues and parents at Pillars Academy gravitate to sit in on Ms. Amani’s classes! It is truly heart warming how quickly her students learn to read and write about their classroom experiences and hands on learning activities! Her love of and for learning finds her with additional responsibilities and collaboration opportunities. Beyond the late hours she spends on preparing for projects and fun activities, she seeks out her colleagues to plan cross-disciplinary activities in addition to the dual language immersion activities she leads. Amani uses multiple modalities such as music, expressive movement, and performing and visual arts, to ensure all her little ones are learning while enjoying their time in the classroom. Her genuine love for each and every child and commitment to be sure they feel special is never-ending. As part of a pilot program, Ms. Amani’s students have looped with her for the past three years and their accomplishments in language development, comprehension, and citizenship are what parents boast about! Ms. Amani is that type of teacher that parents and administration alike can count on to be there bright and early with a loving smile and welcoming classroom environment where children feel safe, respected, and valued for their uniqueness. Throughout her years at Pillars Academy, Ms. Amani has been instrumental in establishing the foundation for students to be bilingual learners. Her enthusiasm to pioneer an immersion model for kindergarten contributed greatly to the language program at Pillars Academy. Amani’s nurturing approach gently guides students to rise to higher expectations all while they have fun! Not surprising, her teaching strategies and mentoring of colleagues were sought after for the weekend program. Driven by strong work ethics and a calling to serve, Amani balances her time and energy to ensure all students are prioritized. Conclusively, Ms. Amani has been a most dedicated educator for Pillars elementary school and weekend program. Students, parents, colleagues, and administrators support Ms. Amani’s nomination as a top teacher in Orange County!
Anna Norris
Pillars Academy, Mission Viejo
How do some teachers create such memorable experiences for children? Such teachers come to school every morning looking forward to being inspired by the wide-eyed amazement of their students. They revel in the unique differences their students bring to the classroom and draw on their diverse backgrounds and value systems to teach what is not explicitly in textbooks—collaboration and compassion. Pillars Academy has been fortunate to have such a teacher for the past seven years. Mrs. Anna Norris is that type of teacher that parents, colleagues, and students alike can count on to be a problem solver and avid champion of every student. Anna’s genuine love for continued learning and advocacy of every learner are two key reasons why she is considered to be a top teacher at Pillars Academy. Year after year Mrs. Norris has continued to motivate students to compete with their personal best. She motivates all her students to challenge themselves and celebrates their every sign of progress, whether it’s the advanced learner or the struggling reader. She uses ongoing formative assessments to inform her decisions for instruction and maximizes the online Renaissance reading and math assessments. Mrs. Norris empowers her students by guiding them to use their data to set goals and monitor their progress towards achieving their objectives to meet expectations of rigorous curriculum. Ultimately, what sets Mrs. Norris apart as a top teacher is her genuine commitment to tap into each child’s diversity to cultivate their cognitive potential and nurture their emotional and social skills. She recognizes the value of respecting each child’s unique contributions to the group and potential to impact their world. Whether working with a first grader or a fifth grader, you can see Mrs. Norris’ instill a love for literacy and problem solving. Her boys as well as girls are motivated to write for various purposes and cite references to support their positions. She models the love for learning in her own commitment to continue her learning and undertaking of graduate studies to advance her expertise. Mrs. Norris should be recognized as a top teacher for her striving to model the compassion Pillars Academy’s school mission evokes. Conclusively, Mrs. Norris empowers every child to find the leader within and use that strength to reach their personal best in both academics and character.
Deborah Gorney
Philip J Reilly, Mission Viejo
We love Mrs Gorney we have been fortunate enough to have her for two of our sons. She is loving and kind and cares so much for her kids.
Bret Lynes
McAuliffe Middle school, Los Alamitos
It is a pleasure to work with a professional of Bret Lynes’ caliber. As co-team leader of the Math department Bret helps to lead his colleagues with enthusiasm, superior content knowledge and a great sense of humor. The same can be said for his work with students. If I were to designate a math class as a model classroom it would be his. Students are connected to him as he stands by the door to greet them as they enter the room. His lessons are engaging, well-paced and full of real life connections. He uses a variety of strategies to engage students with text, and uses technology and demonstrations to make the content come alive. His students can’t help but ask high level questions based upon his lesson design.And his joy in watching his students make connections is infectious! Bret Lynes is an extraordinary teacher.
Jeanie Arthur
Reilly Elementary, Mission Viejo
Wendy Park is an exemplary teacher. She is instrumental in developing special learners to reach their personal best in all situations. Wendy teacher children with special needs in grades 1 and 2. She not only instructs children, but teaches families the best practices in how to help their special learner. She cares about the whole child and takes that child from where he or she is, utilizes student centered instruction and with love and high expectations, moves that child to his or her highest levels of learning. Mrs. Park shows a great love of teaching, love of children and puts families and children first!
Jeanie Arthur
Philip J. Reilly Elementary, Mission Viejo
Mrs. Arthur is the best teacher around! She is loving, knowledgeable and creative. Mrs. Arthur’s creative, student-centered instruction makes learning come alive for our youngest learners. She can teach all levels of student with all levels of abilities. She has a servant’s heart for children. All children are important to her and she ensures all children learn to their highest ability. Mrs. Arthur is immeasurably patient. She tries all avenues and methods of instruction to ensure students learn a concept. If they don’t get something the first or even second time, Mrs. Arthur searches for tools to make sure students succeed and feel great about themselves! I am proud to have my daughter in Mrs. Arthur’s class!
Brandi Robinson
Frank N. Eastwood, Westminster
Brandi Robinson is the type of teacher that every administrator would love to have gracing their halls each day. She is the teacher that feels as though all students at Eastwood are her students. She takes the time to get to know them on a personal level and has conversations with them about their families, hobbies and what keeps them motivated. Students become attached to her quickly. From an organizational point of view, Mrs. Robinson is on every committee, not only at Eastwood but within the Westminster School District. She pilots every new curriculum, is in charge of the GATE assessments, was our choir director, and delivers high quality professional development to our teachers for writing across the curriculum formally and informally. Teachers go to Mrs. Robinson for academic and behavioral questions on a daily basis. Teachers at Eastwood call her a “Model” teacher for these reasons and countless more that cannot be mentioned in only a paragraph. There are times during the day that Mrs. Robinson can be seen multitasking; working with a student on a project based lesson, assisting a colleague on writing strategies, and comforting a student that is having a day that needs cheering up. A prime example of Mrs. Robinson’s commitment is also her dedication towards philanthropy. She gives her time to our “pennies for patients” program which urges students to bring loose change for leukemia and cancer research. Within 3 weeks our school, due to her efforts, raised over $4,000. Mrs. Brandi Robinson takes her profession as a teacher seriously and focuses on the whole child and tries to extend their thinking beyond the walls of the Westminster School District. We at Eastwood are lucky to have her and are excited for the years to come.
Jeanne De Pasquale
St. Cecilia School, Tustin
“Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.”-Unknown Jeanne De Pasquale knows matters of the heart! The heart of a child which needs love, nurturing and care! The heart of a parent, which needs support, assurance and guidance. Mrs. De Pasquale has taught more than 18 years as the Kindergarten teacher at St. Cecilia School in Tustin. As an intuitive teacher, she started to research on how to help children not only learn to read, but understand how to help them “read” to learn. Helping children with comprehension and giving confidence to young readers was most important to her. She asked our school principal if she could learn more about a program called Lindamood-Bell. She decided to exit the kindergarten classroom to become the resource teacher at St. Cecilia to be accessible to elementary and middle school students who struggle with reading comprehension. She is an amazing teacher who continues to give from the heart! She is our Top Teacher!!
Jean Phillips
Francis Hopkinson Elementary School , Los Alamitos
Collaborative, Innovative and Dedicated! Are all words that describe Mrs. Jean Phillips. Jean embodies the passion for learning and service to students that we hope all of our teachers will hold themselves accountable to. She is a problem solver who is willing to go beyond the classroom and look for solutions for all students. Jean has taken on many roles in her tenure at Hopkinson and still persists to reinvent herself every school year, always being a beacon of support in the development of our District’s signature practices. Jean is the driving force at Hopkinson and provides the continuity and professionalism necessary to bring skilled, veteran teachers together to make collaborative decisions that always put students first. She is willing to take on anything that gives our students an advantage. She has taken a 2/3 combination class and is positive and motivated to provide unlimited possibilities for all students. Mrs. Phillips makes Hopkinson a Remarkable Place to learn.
Sussanne Miranda
Dale JHS, Anaheim
Mrs. Miranada is Dale’s MTSS site coordinator. Her commitment to ALL Dale students is evident every day. She is continually striving to help students to grow as people, learn academically, and grow to be socially responsible young adults. Her work ethic is unbeatable. You can often find Mrs. Miranda at Dale very early in the mornings leading meetings or late in the afternoon strategizing on next steps for students. Her main concern every single day is our student’s wellbeing and growth. She delivers food to students who are hungry and buys sweatshirts for those who are cold. She spends her day counseling our hardest cases and probablythe most challenging. She motivates her colleagues to be better professionals. Her name, when said amongst all MTSS coordinators in the district, is highly regarded and respected. She is one amazing lady with a heart of gold!
Misty Smith
TeWinkle Middle School, Costa Mesa
Misty is an 8th grade English and AVID teacher at TeWinkle Middle School. As the principal of TeWinkle, I have been able to observe Mrs. Smith’s classroom performance both formally and informally on numerous occasions. I enthusiastically recommend Misty Smith for Top Teacher in Orange County. Misty has a unique talent of reaching all students in her classes through some extremely creative lesson plans. She truly makes English come alive for her students through her students centered, hands on projects in which students not only learn the technical aspects, but also the intangible aspects of literature. Misty holds her students to high standards no matter if the student is high achieving honors students, mainstream students, or the most at-risk student. Our students have benefited substantially from Misty’ s style of teaching, which is eclectic, creative and challenging. She is always approachable in her interactions with students, and relates equally well to our wide diversity of student populations. Misty truly has a passion for English and even took a year’s leave of absence to further explore the business side of ELA by working for Pearson, Prentice Hall as a curriculum specialist and teacher trainer. Misty returned from her leave to teach at TeWinkle Middle school and has continued to expand her professional expertise by participating in the re-writing of ELA lessons to fit California State Standards, serving as the ELA Common Core coach and mentor for other department members, and running an exceptional AVID program. Besides teaching, Misty is also willing to collaborate with any teacher at our site to improve or expand instructional skills. She takes to heart the role of an educator as being part of the entire school team. You will find Misty helping out on many different levels. If a teacher needs to take a break from a student, Misty is willing to have that student come to her class. When a student needs further academic support, she is the first to offer her room as a mentoring location. Teachers who need academic suggestions will stop by her room for advice. Misty currently volunteers on several of TeWinkle’s teams, including the RCD Curriculum team, and AVID Coordinator. She even participates in the Staff vs. Student Intramural sports tournaments and attends student’s athletic games. In these roles, Misty has shown herself to be an integral part of the entire educational process. It is evident, through her involvement, how dedicated Misty is, not only to her students, but also to her school, district and community. I wholeheartedly endorse her for Top Teacher. Misty is a teacher that you find only once in a while. She lives and breathes English and her students love her for it! Sincerely, Kira Hurst
Cindy Reta
Running Springs Elementary School, Anaheim
Cindy Reta is a compassionate, caring, and optimistic teacher whose altruistic nature is infectious and unconditional. The success of our school starts with her, as she primes our TK students with character and foundation skills to be successful at Running Springs!
Christina Sepe
Aliso Niguel High School, Aliso Viejo
Ms. Sepe is an outstanding World Language teacher. She teaches primarily Spanish II and is widely known and loved by students due to her engaging style, sense of humor, and passion for teaching. In addition, Ms. Sepe serves as faculty advisor for five campus clubs: “WE ROCK” (We Run Orange County Kids), Spanish Honor Society, Red Cross Club, Food Outreach Club, and the Jewish Club. Ms. Sepe also serves as a mentor teacher to several beginning teachers within the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) induction program. Ms. Sepe’s leadership and guidance of first and second-year teachers is invaluable in the development of young educators. Ms. Sepe was recently selected as Aliso Niguel’s “Teacher of the Year” and is currently being considered for “District High School Teacher of the Year” honors.
Donna Jacobs
Roy O. Andersen Elementary School, Newport Beach
Ms. Jacobs is an exemplary teacher who has high expectations for herself as an educator. She is a life-long learner who is reflective in her practice and is focused on continuous improvement. Ms. Jacobs recently received her GATE certification in the two year training program. With the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Ms. Jacobs went above and beyond to prepare herself for the shifts in education by taking classes in the integration of technology in the classroom as well as multiple other educational courses and workshops. She has used her GATE training to skillfully prepare lessons that are engaging and rigorous to support and extend student learning. Ms. Jacobs is extremely strategic at organizing and planning curriculum to serve the needs of ALL students. She develops lessons that are engaging for students by integrating activities that involve all of the learning modalities. One of the many examples of engaging activities in her classroom is when students dance to math chants or sing directions to a learning task. Students in her classroom demonstrate tremendous academic growth year after year because ALL students are engaged and involved in their learning. Never a weekend goes by that Ms. Jacobs is not in her classroom spending time to ensure that every aspect of the school week is planned and ready for her students. She has impeccable work ethic combined with her willingness to take on whatever challenges or responsibilities asked of her. Ms. Jacobs can always be counted on to adjust to the educational needs of the Andersen community. No matter what is asked of Ms. Jacobs she embraces it with a “can do” attitude. Much of her success stems from her exemplary ability to create engaging lessons that bring learning to life for students. For example, she purchased a very elaborate incubator in order to hatch ducks when studying farm animals. The students’ excitement was beyond measure as little ducklings hatched and then eventually swam in the kiddie pool Ms. Jacobs provided. Overwhelmingly, when parents or colleagues are asked about Ms. Jacobs’s strengths they refer to her dedication and commitment to EVERY student’s success. It is not uncommon for Ms. Jacobs to spend extra time teaching students during recess, lunch or after school. Students and parents alike come back year after year to visit and share their educational journeys and credit much of their success to the strong foundation Ms. Jacobs provided.
Norma Lomeli
McFadden Intermediate School , Santa Ana
Miss Lomeli is a proud product of SAUSD. She does an outstanding job creating a classroom environment where every one of her students is successful. She does a masterful job integrating technology into her instructional program and uses it to engage students in all aspects of the lesson. This is evident through her lessons as well as through the computer-based projects her students create each year. She has been a curricular leader in the area of Math and STEM by working with other teachers to create meaningful lessons, gather relevant resources, and model exemplary teaching. Miss Lomeli knows that for students to be successful in class they need to know how the classroom operates. Miss Lomeli is an innovator and when she was approached about spearheading our Project Lead the Way, Robotics Curriculum she jumped at the opportunity. Through her leadership and prompting we converted an underused dance room into a STEM Makerspace with full computer capabilities, five 3D printers, Smartboard and workstations to design, build and test . This program has now expanded and we have added four more course selections and two more teachers. She is the lead teacher for the district initiative to spread STEM to all our middle schools and will be presenting at two conferences this school year. Every week I have students come to me asking if they can transfer into one of Miss Lomeli’s classes. If one of her students is in the office for some reason they ask if they “can go to class” because they don’t want to miss their Math class. She never writes discipline referrals because students want to be in her classroom. She has created a learning environment where every student feels that they can be successful and are motivated to achieve in the 21st century. Our school motto is “Designing 21st Century Learning” and she embodies everything that we stand for.
Dawn Spangenberg
Raymond Temple Elementary, Buena Park
Dawn Spangenberg is a Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Teacher at Raymond Temple. To say she is dedicated to teaching children would be an understatement. Dawn is committed to the early education philosophy, ideals and strategies that educate the whole child, beginning with valuable social skills that many four and five year olds do not yet have – especially those from economically disadvantaged homes. She has completed training, much on her own time, on Conscious Discipline, Self-Regulation and PBIS, to name a few. She serves on the site Leadership and PBIS Teams and is highly regarded by the entire staff. Dawn is an innovator, and never lets an instructional opportunity go by. From the time students arrive in the morning, even before supervision has begun, Dawn makes time for students who arrive early or parents with concerns or questions, and she mentors a 5th grader with behavioral needs daily. Because safety always comes first, she and her teaching partners have implemented a “musical playground walk” before school so students are better prepared for learning. At recess time students are given special opportunities to engage with teachers and each other by using water/sand tables, chalk, water-painting and other learning activities. Instead of passively supervising students, Dawn is out with students engaging them in conversations, appropriate play behaviors and problem-solving skills. During instructional time Dawn effectively differentiates for her TK students’ varying needs, whether they are being challenged with higher level thinking activities or being supported with targeted interventions – all within her classroom without the help of teaching aides or other staff. Parent involvement is another priority with Dawn. At the beginning of the school year parents are given an overview of the program at the TK Welcome, as well as specific strategies they can use at home to help their TK students learn and develop so they are Kindergarten-ready for the following school year. She and her teaching partner have held parent workshops, group conferences and student performances to inform and educate parents, and she sends home a weekly newsletter that is publication-worthy. It is no wonder that our district TK program, which houses students from six different schools often is inundated with requests to transfer to our school at the end of the year. Dawn Spangenberg is not just a teacher, she is an educator. I hope you will consider her for this honor.
Karin Barone
La Veta Elementary School, Orange
Mrs. Barone is passionate about teaching, especially about teaching Science. She has started school-wide STEM Challenges by training teachers, preparing all of the supplies, and providing support to those who take on the challenge. She is very proficient in extending learning and enriching the learning of gifted students in all subject areas. She shares all of her strategies for utilizing Depth and Complexity icons and for hosting a class Genius Hour in a general education classroom so that all students can benefit from these strategies. The staff and students are very fortunate to share in the enthusiasm that Mrs. Barone has for teaching all subjects, especially Science!
Adele Heuer
Arnold O. Beckman High School, Irvine
Ask any student, parent, alumnus, or staff member from Beckman High School to name the teacher they respect most and you will hear the name Stephen McGill. Any student who has been fortunate enough to be in one of Mr. McGill’s classes will describe their experience as life-changing and a most valuable year of hard work and achievement. Mr. McGill teaches Advanced Placement United States History, a program that has grown considerably under his leadership and on-going commitment to his students. The year it was announced he would be teaching a section of United States History College Prep, students begged to be in his class and announce proudly that they are in Mr. McGill’s class. Step into his classroom and you will experience students who are engaged at the highest levels of learning, debating complex ideas, and developing a deep understanding of history. Stephen McGill is as an educator whose long-term impact on his students’ maturation and love of learning will influence them throughout the rest of their lives. While Stephen McGill has an innate understanding of the learning process, he is also a scholar of American History. He shares his well-developed knowledge of American History with insight, wit, and passion and fosters a spirit of patriotism. His ability to relate the history of our country to modern day events is without parallel and increases his students’ understanding of our country and our relationship to the rest of the world. Over the past sixteen years, Stephen McGill has taught United States History at both the middle and high schools. During that time I have heard many teachers, administrators, and parents comment on how they wish they could be a student in one of his classes! Stephen McGill is a highly respected and beloved teacher at Beckman High School and is one of the finest educators I have known in my forty-one years as an educator.
Diane Lissner
El Modena High School, Orange
Diane is a dedicated teacher and coworker. As department chair, she is always willing to help any of her colleagues in the classroom. She has suggestions for teachers to try different strategies to help our students, and she always has time for others, no matter how busy she is. Diane is very approachable as well. Her department members refer to her as their “fearless leader” because they know she will fight for what’s right for her staff and her students. She is always at school with a smile on her face and is available to help her students understand the math concepts. She has a strong pass rate on her AP calculus exams, and always makes the time to ensure her students understand math. With the implementation of common core, she has worked tirelessly to help her students and her colleagues navigate this transition, and is very supportive of the efforts of all involved. Diane recognized the need for students to obtain extra health in math, especially in the pivotal courses of Algebra 1 and Geometry. As a result, she organized after school tutoring four days a week, and successfully lobbied for intervention/support classes to be offered within the school day for students at risk. She attends students extracurricular activities and always participates in dancing with the teachers even though this takes her out of her comfort zone, showing students her productive struggle in an uncomfortable situation just like they may feel in the math classroom. Her understanding that many students feel they are “not good at math” and her ability to recognize the cause of these feelings and create positive solutions is exactly why she is so deserving of recognition. She would be the last person to expect to be recognized for these things, as they are representative of who she is and what she does each and every day to help students. She absolutely leads by example, and we are very fortunate to have her on our campus.
Nancy Marosi
Taft Elementary, Santa Ana
Mrs. Nancy Marosi is a 2nd grade teacher at Taft Elementary School. She is also known as, “The Donor’s Choose Queen.” In her tireless efforts to provide maximum experiences for her EL students, Mrs. Marosi has written well over 80 projects for submission to Donor’s Choose and over 90% of them have been funded! Her projects have covered all areas of our school’s focus – S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Not only do her 2nd graders benefit from an enriched curriculum but our special needs students, including deaf and hard hearing students, also benefit. On average, each project is funded in the range of $300-$500 each! If you do the math one will quickly see how much additional funds have been brought into our school program. Some of the most recently implemented projects include puppetry, reptiles, lego construction, minerals/rocks, etc. While all of these project support our S.T.E.A.M. focus, they have been expertly adapted to meet the language needs of all students giving them a unique opportunity to communicate about things that they normally wouldn’t have exposure to. Taft Elementary is very fortunate to have an inspiring teacher who takes the time to write proposals for the benefit of all students. She is definitely a teacher that embodies the expression, “Full S.T.E.A.M. ahead!”
Angelica Cartagena
Frontiers Academy, Anaheim
Prof. Angelica is our amazing Spanish teacher from El Salvador! She received her teaching credential from El Salvador, before coming to our school this school year. She only speaks in Spanish to her students. Her classroom management is amazing, her students are happy and loved, and the parents rave about her parent contact and loving demeanor with her students. The Spanish level of her students is amazing as well. Her 4 and 5 year old class is able to understand and speak most conversational Spanish with Prof. Angelica. She is funny, energetic, and devoted to her students.
Rosie Geck
Marina High School, Huntington Beach
Rosie Geck is a phenomenal teacher! With over thirty year of teaching experience, Rosie continues to teach each day with passion and genuine care for her students. Rosie is innovative and continuously seeks new ways to engage her students and to provide them with an outstanding educational experience. Outside of the classroom, Rosie serves as the District World Languages Facilitator and Marina’s Department Coordinator. She is actively involved in staff and student events, often singing the national anthem for our games. Speaking of singing, each year Rosie gets out her guitar and leads her students in singing carols in Spanish for our campus. I HIGHLY recommend Rosie Geck as a top teacher in Orange County!
Terri Klein
Frank N. Eastwood, Westminster
Mrs. Klein is compassionate, caring and the cornerstone of Eastwood Elementary School. First to arrive, last to leave and a smile on her face every day is how her colleagues describe her. As a kindergarten teacher she takes pride in introducing the newest learner to how critical and fun learning can be. Mrs. Klein supports Eastwood as their PTA representative and secretary, choir director and is everyone’s “go to” if they have a question about all things Eastwood. Mrs. Klein is the teacher that all parents want. She nurtures and cares about the whole student. She is a teacher that leads by doing and sets examples for all around her. Whether you are a kindergarten student or a 6th grade teacher you know Mrs. Klein is there for you and will support you in all endeavors. She is the consummate team player and treats everyone with respect. Generations of students and families have and will benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of Mrs. Klein. Eastwood is very grateful for her contributions.
Lindy Sunderland
College Park Elementary School, Irvine
Mrs. Sunderland is our specialized academic instructor, teaching our most academically needy students. Her job is to assess students to see if they indeed qualify for special education services, and if they do, to establish goals in order to meet their individual needs. She works hard at giving students the tools in order to meet their goals, having a special place in her heart for students who need extra support. In addition, Mrs. Sunderland makes sure that if there are other children who need classroom or playground support, she works with their teachers to model what academic and behavioral intervention would support ALL children in the best way possible. Mrs. Sunderland uses technology such as iPads in order to make the curriculum come to life and be not only engaging, but memorable. She is a leader on our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports team, ensuring that our entire school has the strategies we need in order to shape a child’s behavior with positive feedback, support, and rewards. Mrs. Sunderland ensures that student needs are met and always puts student learning first. She collaborates with our entire staff of teachers and instructional assistants to ensure that all of our students are getting the education that will eventually prepare them for college and career. Mrs. Sunderland has a belief to her core that all kids can learn. She has the patience of an angel and can always be found with a smile on her face. She is the quintessential professional, working hard to do whatever it takes to ensure student learning, putting students first, and working closely with colleagues and families to the benefit of our students.
Michele Rowell
GOALS Academy, Anaheim
Michele Rowell is a Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten teacher at GOALS Academy, which is the first public charter school in the area. For the most part, our school serves TK-Grade 6 scholars from the Central Anaheim area. However, our scholars come from other neighboring areas since a charter school does not have specific borders. After years of experience as a private school teacher and public school substitute teacher, Michele was selected to be a teacher at our school. She has been pivotal in getting our school up and running as a member of the original GOALS Academy Think Tank, which met for a year prior to the school’s opening. Through Michele’s efforts, we opened our doors to 200 scholars on August 17, 2015. Michele is highly dedicated to teaching her young scholars well and makes learning come to life for them through her amazing story telling skills, engaging hands-on activities, and use of Reading Workshop strategies. Her room environment is beautiful, and her classroom climate is loving and kind. Michele also engenders strong trust and volunteerism from the parents, and they have often shared with me how much they appreciate her approach with their children. For next year, Michele will loop up with her kindergartners as they enter first grade, and the parents are thrilled she will be their children’s teacher for a second year. Michele is also the BTSA Support Provider for two of our staff members, and she serves them in a dedicated, meaningful, and caring way. Michele goes the extra mile to provide them with support. And, most importantly, the children love Michele and are excited to see her each day. It’s obvious teaching the young scholars is a labor of love for Michele, and she is attuned to their intellectual and social-emotional needs. We are most fortunate to have Michele as a member of the GOALS Academy Team as we co-create our school with our staff, parents, and scholars. I believe Michele Rowell represents the profession of teaching well and deserves this recognition. I am inspired by her daily!
Mindy Steele
Margaret Landell Elementary School, Cypress
Mindy is a sixth grade teacher who makes a difference in the lives of her students on a daily basis. Her students always perform well on state and local assessments. However her reach extends far beyond her classroom. Three days a week she opens the school computer lab 45 minutes before the beginning the day to offer support to struggling readers. She greets each student with a smile, a word of encouragement, and helps them select a book or take a Reading Counts Quiz. After school, she helps facilitate learning experiences for our Math and Science Teams, and helps supervise them during the annual Saturday competitions. During the school day, she meets with fifth and sixth grade GATE students to extend their learning in the area of STEM. Through grant funds she has procured, GATE students have experiences with coding, wearable technology, and robotics. Together with her sixth grade colleagues, she is piloting a bring your own device program at our school. She and her sixth grade colleagues have also partnered with our local eagle scouts to bring an outdoor classroom to our campus. Construction is set to begin this spring. She helped write grants resulting in a weather station and solar telescope, and both will be used as part of the outdoor classroom. Mindy also goes above and beyond to make a difference for families at Landell. She has been instrumental in offering a Reading Counts Evening every other week. This is a chance for parents to come to school at night, read leveled books with their child, and then help their child take a quiz to earn points. Mindy has helped create a schoolwide incentive system where students can be acknowledged as Gold, Silver, or Bronze Medal winners based on the points they earn on their reading quizzes. Students are excited and motivated to read because of the positive opportunities she helps us to provide. Mindy is one of the first teachers to sign up to participate at Family Nights, and has wielded a “sword” at our Medieval Madness Night, worn a Clifford Costume for our Book Fair Events, and entered a hula hoop contest on Luau night, among others. Four hundred words is not enough to share all Mindy does to impact the hearts and minds of the students, staff, and families of Landell. Let it suffice to say that Mindy truly is an exemplary teacher!!
Roxann Bogart
Gordon H. Beatty Elementary School, Buena Park
It is with great pleasure that I nominate Mrs. Roxann Bogart for your consideration as an outstanding candidate for the Parenting OC Top Teacher recognition. Mrs. Bogart is currently assigned as a 6th grade teacher at Beatty Elementary School and was also honored in 2014 as Buena Park’s Teacher of the Year. She continually demonstrates through her leadership with her colleagues, commitment to her students and dedication to her profession that she was well-deserving of this recognition. Mrs. Bogart is continually seeking opportunities to expand her professional growth by attending an array of staff developments to promote student achievement. She has facilitated numerous staff trainings focused on improving instructional practices in the classroom and has served on many site and district committees to support student learning. Mrs. Bogart is committed to maximizing the learning potential of all students. Her instructional practice is designed to provide both high levels of rigor and student engagement. She collaborates with her colleagues to plan and strategize on ways to improve instructional practice. Her focus on 21st century learning skills that promote collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking are evident in the many lessons she develops to motivate and encourage students to work together and problem solve like recreating the Hatchet Games and Greek Olympics in her classroom. Mrs. Bogart demonstrates outstanding leadership and commitment to our school and community on a daily basis. She has organized a student community service committee called “Beatty Loves Buena Park”. Through her tremendous efforts, she has worked with her students to volunteer time on the weekends to complete various projects that help support and beatify the city of Buena Park. For example, in conjunction with Book Doctor and the Think Together Organization, her students cleaned up over 1000 gently used books that were delivered and donated to the Children’s Hospitals. Another community project involved making Welcome Home baskets for Habitat for Humanity. The students planted plants, made planters, sewed aprons and tablecloths, made dinner mixes in jars, wove pot holders, and painted clay hot plates for families in need. Mrs. Bogart is truly a TOP TEACHER based on her exemplary work performance, outstanding school community involvement efforts, and strong leadership and commitment to Beatty School. Her strength in character, tremendous work ethic and dedication to her job speaks volumes of a person who should be recognized for her continuous dedication, and commitment to, not only Beatty School, but the entire Buena Park School District.
Nadia Williams
J.H. McGaugh Elementary, Seal Beach
Mrs. Williams is a dynamic teacher that brings learning to life in her classroom every day. She utilizes technology to engage students in learning and requires students to utilize 21st Century Learning Tools such as iPads and ChromeBooks to demonstrate their knowledge. Mrs. Williams works in our school’s 5th grade Co-Teaching classroom – working with general education students and students with special needs throughout the school day. She is a truly gifted teacher that teams with her teaching partner, Mr. Smith, to differentiate the rigorous 5th grade curriculum and ensure that all students are succeeding academically. Beyond the classroom, Mrs. Williams serves as a teacher-leader on campus by supporting other teachers in the implementation of technology, CGI Math instructional strategies, and the Depth & Complexity Prompts. She also helps support our school’s dynamic arts program by volunteering after school to coach students as they prepare for McGaugh’s Annual Pageant of the Arts. Mrs. Williams is the consummate teaching professional who inspires everyone she works with and embodies our District motto of Igniting Unlimited Possibilities for Students.
CaroleAnn Curley
Laguna Road, Fullerton
Mrs. Curley is truly exceptional! As a third grade teacher at Laguna Road, she excels in leadership, technology, community involvement, and rigorous instruction. Mrs. Curley is a model teacher for writing instruction, she is frequently observed by her peers for her innovative lesson design and creativity in writing. Additionally, Mrs. Curley is a leader in technology innovation. Mrs. Curley’s students are exposed to a vast array of applications and opportunities to integrate technology into their class work and homework. Using technology as a tool to conference with students, provide timely feedback, push students to go further with their lessons and projects, Mrs. Curley’s classroom is a place where technology is used to create something that previously could not have been created. Instructionally, there is no one better than Mrs. Curley, she is expert at differentiating to meet the diverse learning needs of her students, planning an executing high quality learning opportunities, and challenging students to think creatively and work collaboratively. What really stands out about Mrs. Curley is the love and passion she has for teaching. For her, it is not a sacrifice, but a challenge that she takes on daily to ensure that every student in her classroom is creating, building, and learning. Mrs. Curley goes above and beyond the requirements of the job and truly embodies what it means to be an excellent teacher.
Leslie Avery
Lee Elementary School, Los Alamitos
Mrs. Avery works tirelessly to ensure her students are academically, socially, and emotionally successful. For 23 years, Leslie Avery has taught her students how to think, learn, and achieve. Last year, Mrs. Avery accepted the challenge of teaching a 4th and 5th grade combination class. With the engaging lessons, small group interventions, and loving approach, Mrs. Avery’s students achieved well beyond most on the new California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) exam. In fact, 94% of her students met or exceeded the standards in English-Language Arts. 88% of her 5th graders met or exceeded math standards, while 100% of her 4th graders met or exceeded the math standards! Mrs. Avery believes that given the right tools, every child has the capability to achieve greatness. Her students are living proof of that! Leslie’s work goes beyond the four walls of her classroom. She impacts all students at Lee by creating and coordinating the Star Student Council. She meets regularly with representatives from every 3rd through 5th grade class to discuss ways to unify the campus. As an advisor, she has helped the student council run a food drive for local shelters. The council brings camaraderie to school with the joyful morning messages they share out over the intercom each morning. Leslie and the council single-handedly collect, count, and submit box-tops to bring in money for campus needs. Last year, the box top campaign brought in over $1500! More importantly, Leslie’s student council has developed leadership skills and confidence in students who otherwise would not have had the chance to shine. Mrs. Avery also directs and coordinates the school-wide Gifted and Talented (GATE) testing. She organizes and conducts parent information nights to educate parents on opportunities at our site. She distributes and collects all necessary paperwork and administers all the testing. Leslie is, also, on the School Site Council, discussing and determining how to fund the greatest needs at for the students at our site. She is an instrumental part to the decision making process at Lee. Mrs. Avery connects not only with children’s heads, but also with their hearts. Together with her class, she has created a society called “Coconut Falls.” They operate as a family, encouraging and leaning on one another. It’s no wonder her students are successful in every way. It is my honor to nominate Leslie Avery as an Orange County Top Teacher.
Cindy Danielian
Plaza Vista, Irvine
Cindy is our school teacher of the year for 15-16 as voted on by the teachers. When it was announced on the school’s Facebook page to the parent community, comments from parents included: -“Such a sweet teacher! Will never forget Mrs. Danielian!” -“Congratulations to one of the most wonderful teachers at PV … who is also one of the sweetest people I know.” -“We love Mrs. Caniellian!” -“We love Cindy!” -“Love love love Ms Danielian!” -“Congratulations Mrs. Danielian, you are awesome.” -“Congratulations Mrs. Danielian, you totally deserve it!” -“Congratulations Mrs. Danielian… You absolutely deserve it .” -“Congratulations! You are amazing Mrs. Danielian. Thank you for your dedication to Plaza Vista. We love you!” -“Congratulations Mrs Danielian! We think you are amazing too!” -“Congratulations Mrs. Danielian. You deserve it. Lucky to have you the teacher for both of our kids.” -“Congratulations, Mrs Danielian! You are an amazing teacher!” -“Congratulations! Kara was beyond thrilled when I showed her this post!” -“Congratulations Mrs.Danielian! Jayden can vouch that you deserve this award!” The staff said: “She’s helped me so much.” “She’s willing to help her students and her peers.” “She’s the perfect combination of firmness and empathy.” “I’ve never seen her frazzled.” “She’s always joyful, happy to be here, and doesn’t take anything for granted.” “I feel so fortunate to work with her.” “She’s like the sunshine- she’s bright and happy!” “I taught her son and she made me feel like I was always making a difference.” Her students said: “She makes me feel happy.” “It’s like having a mom at school because she is nice to everyone and she works hard.” “She gives everyone more chances.” Cindy teaches a kindergarten/1st grade combination class and is a leader not only for her grade level but for the entire elementary school. In addition, Cindy has provided professional development for other schools. While teaching a combination class can be very challenging in having to teach two grades, Cindy VOLUNTEERED for the assignment. Cindy hosted a social hour before the first day of school so students and families could meet her and acquaint themselves with the classroom. Cindy is the complete package- she’s a lovely person, she’s technically sound, students (and staff and parents!) adore her, and she continues to refine her teaching practices and learn. Cindy is a top teacher in Orange County!
Lara Greco
Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach
Lara Greco is a positive, enthusiastic and dedicated team player who is driven to help students who struggle with math. She works diligently to find interventions that are effective and has volunteered to be a co-teacher with Environmental Science, to be an Independent Study/Online Learning Facilitator helping kids who failed first semester, and to teach the Algebra Support class for students who are concurrently enrolled in Algebra I. She is currently working with peers in English, Special Education, Science and Social Studies to provide help to students enrolled in Algebra Support. Lara was eager to volunteer for a 21st Century classroom to help facilitate collaborative learning experiences to engage students. She never shies away from a teaching challenge, and stays positive and flexible while problem solving. She offered to be the lead teacher for the administration of the CAASPP exams in math and is teaching her math colleagues how to download the secure browser, get students logged on and how to navigate the system. With students, Lara is tenacious, yet kind. Students respond well to her organized approach and calm demeanor, in fact they flock to her class. They know she genuinely cares about them and about their learning. She is also good with more advanced students and does whatever it takes to help them learn the concepts, by re-teaching and re-assessing. She is also good with more advanced students, doing whatever it takes to help them learn the material. Lara Greco is the kind of teacher I would want for my own daughter, and demonstrates the type of professionalism that can make a good school great.
Hannah Lim
Robert C. Fisler School, Fullerton
Spectacular. Awe-inspiring. Exceptional. These are words to describe Mrs. Hannah Lim in the classroom with her students. She goes beyond teaching; she inspires, excites, and moviates her to students to learn beyond the four walls of her classroom. Her students program and create music using Makey Makey and Scratch programming. She incorporates design thinking that allows students to empathize, design, ideate, make prototypes, and test their ideas for products. She facilitates collaborative groups to solve problems by creating apps for mobile devices that will help the wider community. She has her students debating on local, national, and global topics. She inspires students to become forward-thinkers, strategists, and leaders who transform our future and innovate solutions for a better world.
Stephanie Aldemir
Mission Viejo High School, Mission Viejo High School
I am very pleased to nominate Mrs. Stephanie Aldemir for the Parenting OC Teacher of the Year. Stephanie currently teaches the IB and Advanced Placement Spanish language courses at Mission Viejo High School (MVHS). She has been a teacher for approximately twenty years and has spent the past 13 years at MVHS. During her tenure at the high school, Stephanie has served in several leadership roles including serving as a department chairperson, a curriculum leader, a WASC focus group leader and as a PLC course leader. Stephanie is a truly remarkable instructor with a tremendous drive for perfection. She has a deep passion for the Spanish Language as well as for her students. It is important to note that Stephanie’s students love being in her class and they enjoy learning the Spanish Language at a rigorous academic level. Recently, one of Stephanie’s students sent her a thank you note upon hearing that he was accepted into his dream school, Harvard. The student wrote, “…you have been an inspiration to me, as a teacher and as a human being”. Stephanie is a master at her craft and utilizes innovative learning strategies to connect students to learning targets. Her knowledge of the IB Spanish curriculum and the instructional strategies to implement the curriculum as well as her command of IB assessment strategies is truly remarkable. Over the past four years, with more students testing in Spanish each year, Stephanie and her partner teacher have encouraged more students to take Spanish at a higher level, and have seen a 96% Language B pass rate with an annual average of 40 full diploma candidates. I have been an administrator at the secondary level for almost 30 years and few Spanish language teachers can compare with Stephanie’s pedagogical skills in the classroom. Stephanie has been a leading voice in advocating for increased access to International Baccalaureate and honors courses at MVHS. Her classes embrace the internationalism and multiculturalism at the heart of the IB program, whether it be through surprise celebrations of Dia de los Muertos with face paint, dance, food, and ultimately discussion, by organizing a dynamic Las Posadas lesson, combining dialogue and new vocabulary while students attempt to find a “room at the Inn”, or by celebrating Qinceanera, having students create power points highlighting key vocabulary and concepts, learning a waltz, role-playing the presentation–complete with “godparents”–and then discussing the process and cultural meanings of the event in a Spanish language Socratic seminar. In Spanish HL1, she coaches her students in studies of different regions, with emphasis on Argentina, including South America and coups/dictatorships. She broadens the student’s knowledge of the Americas region, tracing the Civil Rights era as it pertains to the Chicano Movement and Spain during the Franco era. Regardless of the event or unit, students who are fortunate enough to have Stephanie as their instructor move beyond the traditional methods of learning a second language to completely immerse themselves in the ideas and traditions of the Spanish speaking culture: she is an expert practitioner in making the Spanish language accessible for all students, many of whom would not join the MVHS IB program without her efforts. Indeed, Stephanie has played a leading role in growing the IB program through her tireless enthusiasm in instructing and engaging students. Significantly, Stephanie is the teacher who will always go above and beyond for students. This year, one of our IB Spanish teachers was hired as the MVHS activities director. Picking up the slack, Stephanie added his sections of Spanish HL2 and continued to teach her Spanish HL1, along with her Spanish 2 classes. Teaching six classes and never asking for favors or fanfare, Stephanie does what she does for students. Importantly, her goal is to help the students understand how complex the Spanish-speaking world is, and that Spanish doesn’t always equal poverty/underclass like it tends to in our south Orange County bubble. In closing, I enthusiastically recommend Mrs. Stephanie Aldemir for recognition as the Parenting OC Teacher of the Year for the instrumental role she plays in the Mission Viejo High school IB Diploma Program. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at Ray.Gatfield@svusd.org or at (949) 837-7722 Ext. 5101.
Peggy Wilkins
Rossmoor Elementary School , Los Alamitos
Mrs. Wilkins uses compassion, humor, whit, and superior skill in reading foundations and math number sense to engage students and find their independent strategy for success. Mrs. Wilkins has been teaching for 28 years and in her tenure her expertise is working with students with severe emotional distress, identified learning disabilities, students with autism, and brain temporal lobe resection all in the general education classroom. Mrs. Wilkins is a general education teacher who provides extraordinary engagement, strategic breakdown of instruction into digestible learning sequences, together with endless patience. All this combined with fun, laughter and sass bring a good time in the classroom to all students. Mrs. Wilkins talent for organization and utilization of resources incorporates parents and volunteers as a vital part of her instruction. She trains volunteers to be instructional resources enabling small group instruction to take place as often as possible in the classroom. Mrs. Wilkins is an expert in reading recovery and reading foundations strategies. She bring reading to life for children of all ages and instills successful reading behaviors in students with great emphasis on student choice which builds interest and motivation for students to love reading and writing. Mrs. Wilkins is also a demonstration classroom for teacher peers, so others may observe how students with unidentified and identified special needs can be successful in a general education setting through great amounts of differentiated instruction constant data analysis to drive instruction and a positive attitude. Mrs. Peggy Wilkins changes the lives of those who are blessed to come in contact with her.
Lindsay Knox
Troy High School, Fullerton
Mr. Knox is an exceptionally talented Mathematics instructor especially for AP Calculus BC students. Mr. Knox has the ability to take an exceptionally complex subject and make connections to kids lives to which they are able to relate and understand. On a personal level, Mr. Knox personifies the adage of “Never quit.” Mr. Knox is 100% at Troy for the kids and they are fully aware of that fact. For more than twenty years Mr. Knox has been a fixture at Troy High School and has educated some of the finest students that have gone through American colleges and universities and now on to successful careers. Lindsay Knox is my Top Teacher!
Natalia Martinez
Dr. Peter Marshall,
Ms. Martinez’s ability to inspire children to learn Spanish in our Dual Immersion program has made her a highly sought after teacher to teach not only students, but to teach future teachers. Ms. Martinez’s passion, patience, and love for her students is equally matched by her wide range of methods to further student learning. Students in her class take ownership of their learning and she provides them access to and opportunities to use all available resources and technologies to master the curriculum. Building trust among her students, and fostering relationships, allow her students to thrive academically. She is a model for showing respect to students and peers. Her creative student engagement strategies make it a highly interactive and engaging learning environment that enthralls her students to produce and achieve at a high level. Ms. Martinez leads with high student expectations and rigorous standards for student achievement. A day doesn’t go by when her classroom environment isn’t a highly engaging and supporting environment for all her students. In her role as a professional educator, she seeks out professional growth activities through courses, conferences, and workshops. She is an instructional leader on campus and can frequently be found conversing with colleagues in supporting their professional growth and that of the Dual Immersion program. She encourages her colleagues and leads by example in participating in professional development activities beyond those required by their district for the purpose of refining her practice. She is also someone who is sought after to serve on school and district curriculum committees due to her expertise.
Stephen McGill
Arnold O Beckman, Irvine
I have worked with many teachers both in my teaching days and as an administrator and there is no doubt that Stephen McGill is on my personal “Mount Rushmore” of teachers. There is no one so universally liked and universally respected in our community as Stephen is. He is a life changing teacher who truly puts students first. His lessons are engaging and his smile is genuine. He is also an adviser to several clubs and volunteer organizations who volunteer hundreds of hours at local charities and for the last several years, his students have donated thousands of dollars worth or toys for children at Christmas. Stephen teaches AP and CP US History. No one I can think of who is more deserving. I wouldn’t be surprised if his name comes up in this several times.
Hayato Yuuki
Coastline ROP, Costa Mesa
At first glance you might think he is a student, but quickly after meeting him you realize instructor Hayato Yuuki is a skilled, knowledgeable and inspiring teacher. His youthful appearance is just one of the many things about him that makes his students connect with him. And students he has! Last year he taught 11 sections on three different campuses. In addition to his teaching job he also works in the trauma unit at UCI Medical Center. No matter where he is, he leaves a positive impression on people because of his enthusiasm for teaching his students, his love for the medical field, and his passion for changing and saving lives. In just one year Hayato took the Estancia Medical Academy from being only an idea, to a thriving and popular student program. The program is now home to over 120 students who are taking classes such as Introduction to Health Careers, Sports Medicine, and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). This “school within a school” program offers a multi-year sequence of courses, giving the students the opportunity for hands-on and classroom training. Hayato Yuki has been and EMT for 11 years and a Paramedic for six years. According to Hayato, “Through my experiences, I am able to share stories with my students and provide in-depth lectures. I work in the medical field, so I am able to share first hand my experiences.” He has the ability to bring specialists in the medical industry into the classroom, in order to expose students to all aspects of the healthcare field. Hayato is also the CTE department chairperson at Estancia High School and provides instructional leadership for the teachers in the department, assists with the implementation and assessment of the district/ROP-adopted curriculum, and is responsible for departmental communications and recordkeeping. He is a tremendous asset to Coastline ROP, Estancia High School, and his students and patients!
Joe Bahash
OCDE-ACCESS-North Euclid, Anaheim
As a special education teacher and advocate, Joe encourages all students to understand and celebrate the differences that make each individual special. He believes that understanding diversity is an important skill not only as part of a classroom, but as part of a community and a citizen of the world. Joe is an exceptional educator and team member. He has instructional knowledge, style, creativity and collaborative ability coupled with his willingness to go the extra mile for the at-risk students he serves. Some of Joe’s contributions to our program include developing a unique learning center model for students with disabilities. He also created a notebook for students including a day planner and various community resource information for all students in our program. In partnership with a school psychologist he developed a social skills/support group to meet the unique needs of adolescent males with disabilities in ACCESS. Joe also piloted and trained special education and general education staff in the use of an online remedial reading program to help students improve their reading skills. Joe also regularly trains or helps to train staff in various intervention strategies, goal writing and compliance issues. Utilizing the community is crucial to establish a sense of unity. Joe has taken the students on field trips to an airplane museum, hiking, fishing, rock-climbing and snowboarding. These different elements provide opportunities for students that will offer a larger view of the community. One of Joe’s passions is connecting students with volunteering. He has ongoing relationships with many non-profit organizations for volunteering and service projects, including working at an elderly home and collecting food for the local food bank. Joe works to build a relationship with parents which helps him to understand the students’ needs. Sometimes it is just to provide community resources to help with food, clothing and basic necessities. Simple things we take for granted often open doors for our students. Joe’s individualized attention to his students inspires them to do their best. He enables them to realize their goals and what they can achieve in life. Joe provides a safe environment for learning and his leadership skills encourage the development of the students’ own sense of leadership.
Janice Coyle
The Pegasus School, Huntington Beach
It takes a special educator to convince three rough-and-tumble athletes to sing a show tune a cappella in three-part harmony in front of a crowd of 200 or so parents and classmates, especially when the three singers had never sang the song a cappella before. Janice Coyle is that educator. During the five years I have known Mrs. Coyle, I have consistently been impressed and amazed by the work she does with students. She works principally with Middle School students, helping those students, through theater and dance, discover heretofore unknown parts about themselves. She’s transformed a shy wallflower into a beautiful soloist, boosting that young lady’s self-confidence more in three minutes than another teacher does over the whole year. She’s introduced the captain of the football team to theater, inspiring not only that student, but dozens of other boys to take that chance and experience the joy of the performing arts. Mrs. Coyle customizes each of her shows to her students. Whether adapting well-known productions like “The Wiz” or “The Christmas Carol” or writing her own full-length shows, Mrs. Coyle writes parts specifically for her kids. She takes the time to really know her students and designs roles for each of them. She also makes sure to incorporate the students’ talents into her shows, giving numerous dancers, singers, gymnasts, actors, and hula hoopers a chance to have a moment in the spotlight. She’s even created opportunities for young choreographers to design dances for her productions. Mrs. Coyle is always willing to go above and beyond to bring the joy of theater to our school community. Often the last person to leave campus on any given day, Mrs. Coyle is always hard at work. If she’s not teaching, she’s writing a show, working one-on-one with a student at lunch, offering advice to a child, or collaborating with colleagues. As for those three 14-year-old boys mentioned in the opening paragraph of this nomination, they had rehearsed the song with recorded accompaniment. The CD player malfunctioned during the show. Mrs. Coyle told them to sing it a cappella. Even though they had never sung the song a cappella before, she knew those boys well enough to know that they could do it. They were phenomenal, earning a standing ovation. I’ve never seen those boys more proud of themselves, and all because of a great teacher: Janice Coyle.
James Swiger
The Pegasus School, Huntington Beach
During lunchtime at The Pegasus School, most classrooms are empty. Students are outside enjoying lunch and recess, and most teachers are having lunch with their colleagues and taking a well-deserved break. One classroom, though, is never empty during lunch. It’s regularly filled with Middle School students voluntarily giving up their lunch breaks. While a casual observer might think that those students are in that particular classroom to study, to talk, or to play chess, the true reason they’re in that room is to spend time with one of their favorite teachers: James Swiger. Mr. Swiger is more than willing to give up his own time (including his lunch period) to be with students. He’ll discuss with them anything that’s on their minds, providing a friendly ear and offering support when needed. His classroom is continuously buzzing with students who simply enjoy being around him and want to be in his company as much as possible. In addition to being a stellar role model, Mr. Swiger is also an incredible educator. His lessons are dynamic and exciting, opening up his students’ eyes to ancient history and civilizations. He delivers content with vigor and enthusiasm. It was no surprise that last year’s eighth graders chose to dedicate our school’s 2015 yearbook to him. Mr. Swiger is also a collaborative and humble team member. Should he be selected for this honor, he will likely be surprised, as he suggested one of his colleagues be chosen as our Middle School nominee. One of his favorite partnerships is with our art teacher. He wants his students appreciate the connections between art and historical culture, and he utilizes someone else’s art expertise to make sure that happens. The art teacher enjoys the partnership just as much as Mr. Swiger. She has, on multiple occasions, commented on what an excellent teacher he is and how much she has benefited by working with him. Mr. Swiger is an exceptionally intelligent and passionate history teacher. He brings that passion to the classroom on a daily basis, inspiring all students, including those who may not have liked history in the past. He maintains relationships with his students even after they move on to the next grade level, and he is a reflective practitioner who is often revisiting and revising lessons in order to make them better.
Kristy Andre
Tustin Connect, Tustin
Kristy Andre is one of the best teachers that I have ever worked with. She was instrumental in opening up Tustin Connect this year, which is a new blended learning K-8 school located in the city of Tustin. Mrs. Andre is our lead middle school teacher, and she creates curriculum and coordinates learning in all subjects areas for grades 6-8. There was a front page article this past October in the OC Register about Tustin Connect and Mrs. Andre. You can read that article here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/school-687705-students-tca.html I am the school administrator, and I constantly hear rave reviews about Mrs. Andre from the students and parents. She cares about her students deeply, connects with them, and provides world-class instruction. Mrs. Andre has been an educator for 10 years and has taught in various grade levels and subjects in both elementary and middle school. For the past two years, she has been a Digital Learning Coach where she coached elementary and middle school teachers on creating rigorous and engaging lessons that prepare students for their future. She is an ISTE 2014 Emerging Leader and a Google Educator. Mrs. Andre has presented her ideas at the annual Computer Using Educator (CUE) conference and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference. In fact, she will be presenting again at CUE this March to educators from around the world. Mrs. Andre is also currently working on her doctorate degree in educational leadership at the University of Southern California. I couldn’t think of another teacher more deserving than Kristy. I hope you consider her.
Emily McCourtney
Tustin Connect, Tustin
Emily McCourtney is an incredible teacher who is beloved by her students. She was instrumental in opening up Tustin Connect this year, which is a new blended learning K-8 school located in the city of Tustin. Emily is our lead elementary school teacher, and she creates curriculum and coordinates learning in all subjects areas for grades K-5. There was a front page article this past October in the OC Register about Tustin Connect. You can read that article here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/school-687705-students-tca.html I am the school administrator, and I constantly hear rave reviews about Mrs. McCourtney from the students and parents. She cares about her students deeply, connects with them, and provides world-class instruction. Mrs. McCourtney is a passionate educator who has worked in Tustin Unified since 2006. For the past two years, she has been a Digital Learning Coach; coaching 20 teachers one-on-one to effectively integrate technology in addition to providing professional development throughout the district. After completing the summer as a fellow in the UCI Writing Project Summer Institute in 2012, she quickly became an Associate Director and has spent the last two summers coaching teachers in reading and writing at UCI. Mrs. McCourtney has presented her ideas at the annual Computer Using Educator (CUE) conference in Napa and Palm Springs, as well as the December Writing Conference at UCI. Please consider her for this honor. She definitely deserves it.
Beth Clark
St. John’s Lutheran School, Orange
Miss Clark makes a tremendous contribution to the positive climate at St. John’s Lutheran School. She is always willing to help. She coaches basketball and volleyball. She is creative and has a sense of humor. She is an excellent classroom teacher and works hard to accommodate the special needs of all her students. She tries new strategies and approaches to learning and communicates with students, parents, and colleagues in a loving and positive manner.
Keelie Knego
St. John’s Lutheran School, Orange
Mrs. Knego is a stellar teacher! She teaches math and creative writing to middle school students. She is passionate and knowledgeable about teaching, especially mathematics. She integrates technology into her instruction in meaningful ways and she is a technology leader among her colleagues, who often seek her out for support and guidance for the use of technology. Her students love and respect her because she genuinely cares for them and makes learning fun and interesting.
Jannette Martes
Brethren Christian Jr/Sr High School, Huntington Beach
Jannette Martes is the teacher and director of the Options program, a program that seeks to help students who are struggling with learning disabilities. Her job consists of working with students the entire school day assisting them in every subject when needed. In one class period, Jannette could be covering almost every subject in the school, depending on the students’ needs. Needless to say, she is a great multi-tasker. Jannette has been at the school for over 20 years and has served as a regular classroom teacher, a coach, class adviser, camp counselor, resource teacher, and director. She conducts a special after school study hall for students needing extra help with homework and completing daily work. Her job requires a great deal of communication between student, parent, and teacher which she does continually. Parents appreciate Jannette’s approach and seek her council and wisdom. We are extremely blessed to have her on our staff.
Tami Stiles
Bethany Christian Academy, Westminster
I would like to nominate Tamara Stiles for Top Teacher 2016. Mrs. Stiles teaches History, Math, Science, P.E. and Bible at Bethany Christian Academy in Westminster. Mrs. Stiles goes beyond what is expected of a classroom teacher. She teaches her students to be good citizens, have good morals, and inspires them to succeed with their education and encourages them to make right choices in life. As a history teacher, she teaches her students to respect and pray for their national leaders and what our country was founded on. She stands by the phrases, “In God We Trust” and that we are “One Nation Under God”. As a P.E. teacher, she teaches her students the importance of exercise and living a healthy lifestyle. With Math being a tough subject for many middle school aged children, she is available after school for Math help class. Every two years, Mrs. Stiles plans a trip for our 7th and 8th graders to visit Washington, D.C. She organizes and holds many school fundraisers to help the students raise money for the trip. Before and during the trip, she educates her students on the history of our nation, teaches them about our founding fathers, and how our government works. She won the 2014 VFW Post 9557 Teacher of the Year award for her commitment to teaching Americanism and patriotism to her students. She inspires her students to succeed. Mrs. Stiles gets her students excited about becoming involved in community service, and rewards them when they do. If she sees a student starting to fall behind, she encourages them to do better and holds them accountable until they get back on track. Mrs. Stiles spends many hours after school mentoring and helping her students. School dismisses at 3:05 p.m., and I have seen her in her classroom helping, mentoring and even praying with her students until well past 5:00 p.m. I am not only a co-worker of Mrs. Tamara Stiles, but a former parent as well. My 25 year old son had Mrs. Stiles as a teacher when he was in 7th and 8th grades. Many of the things my son learned way back in middle school, still stands with him today. I feel blessed that my son was able to have her as a mentor. She is dedicated, loyal, positive, wholesome and an exemplary teacher. I could not think of a better teacher for this award.
Stephen Imlay
La Habra High School, La Habra
It is with great pleasure that I write to recommend Stephen Imlay for the honor of the Orange County Teacher of the Year. As principal of La Habra High School, I write on behalf of our entire staff, students, parents, and La Habra community who recognize Mr. Imlay as a valuable and essential member of the La Habra High School and Fullerton Joint Union High School District. During his time at LHHS, Mr. Imlay has distinguished himself as a high performing teacher leader and exemplary Physics teacher (one of the best instructors I have ever had the pleasure of working with). During the past year, I have worked closely with Mr. Imlay on two key initiatives that have had a significant and positive impact on our school. The first is the Highlander Student Targeted Enrichment Program (HiSTEP). In only its third year, HiSTEP has provided ALL of students with tutoring, leadership opportunities, and freshmen mentoring. In order for this new school-wide intervention program to work, we need dedicated teacher leaders who work closely together. Mr. Imlay has been a role model in this area as he has filled the shoes of our previous HiSTEP Coordinators without skipping a beat. A second leadership opportunity Mr. Imlay embraced is our Link Crew mentoring program. Mr. Imlay trains our Link Crew mentors who assist our freshmen students become model students and get involved in our campus. Mr. Imlay is a passionate, enthusiastic, and kind leader who makes decisions based on what is best for students. Both HiSTEP and Link Crew have transformed our campus in a myriad of positive ways and revolutionized our school culture, lunch time procedures, and motivation on campus. These programs have made a positive impact on our campus with D/F rates dropping 20% and we have also seen a significant improvement in our behavior and attendance issues. What has impressed me most with Mr. Imlay is his dedication to his students and teaching craft. Mr. Imlay is able to connect with teenagers and succeeds in developing his students’ critical thinking skills in Physics to the highest level of any teacher on campus (his AP pass rate ranges from 90-100%). He is the consummate professional and models the highest level of instruction. It is very rewarding to see Mr. Imlay’s passion, energy, and dedication be recognized at La Habra High School. I now give him my full endorsement to be recognized as Orange County’s Teacher of the Year.
Amy Elwood
Orangethorpe Elementary School , Fullerton
Mrs. Elwood is very esteemed by her grade level partners and colleagues. She collaborates with her partners on a daily basis. Parents love Mrs. Elwood and her way of teaching. She always has her students in mind and will call in even when she is out to assure her students are in good hands. She always maintains a grade level appropriate and innovative environment. It is always a joy to sit in her classroom to follow along in a lesson. Her room is filled with learning tools for children. Mrs. Elwood is always willing to do more and add on to her lessons in order to meet the needs of her students. Mrs. Elwood keeps accurate records of her students’ progress throughout the year. Her record keeping is very effective and useful. Her data is used to alter her lessons appropriately. Mrs. Elwood’s natural teaching ability has allowed all of her students to benefit from being in her classroom. Her ability to manage small groups to assist students that are falling below grade level has assisted her students in becoming benchmark. This is her way of ensuring that her students are always striving for success.
Rich Avellana
Columbus Tustin Middle School, Tustin
Rich Avellana is a teacher that makes a significant difference in the lives of teachers and students at Columbus Tustin Middle School! Rich has a positive attitude and consistently and effectively differentiates instruction to meet the needs of all kids in AVID, Core 6, & Core 8! Rich, a former Digital Learning Coach, also has an edge on technology! He integrates technology into his lessons every day and knows how to engage our students, particularly our intermediate and beginning level English Learners. Rich also serves as an Athletic Director, coaches basketball and volleyball, and also volunteers as a coach in Saddleback Unified, where his children attend school. Rich Avellana is a treasured teacher at Columbus Tustin Middle School. Thank you for all you do each and every day!
Jennifer Ferrara
Emery Elementary, Buena Park
There is a saying which goes: “I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life”. Eleanor Roosevelt All accolades, awards, and acknowledgements aside (and there are many) what is most important is how Miss Ferrara embraces life. Like the quote above says, “Life was meant to be lived.” Miss Ferrara does indeed live life. She comes at it with the intensity of a laser beam, the speed of a locomotive, the gentleness of a well-loved teddy bear, and the passion of a conductor orchestrating his favorite piece of music. It is how she embraces life. It is how she embraces teaching. Few of us can match her energy, drive, or creativity. She is engaged in life and learning and she wants her students to be the same. She creates lessons and projects that are engaging, challenging, creative, and fun. She is demanding yet fair, setting expectations for her students that she also sets for herself. Her standards are high, yet she finds a way to push her students to meet those standards. When at first they think, “I can’t” they soon discover they can. She strives that all kids would embrace the joy of learning, that they would become life long learners, and that they would move on with confidence in their own ability. As a result, they become not just better students, but better people in her class. And not only does she give her best to her students, she gives her all to our staff as well. Miss Ferrara doesn’t know the meaning of the word “no.” She does it all – doing everything from organizing massive district retirement parties, spending holiday hours putting together our yearbook, belonging to a multitude of committees, to simply running things off for a fellow teacher. She embodies school spirit and she is all heart. She is the complete package and we here at Emery are so blessed to call her not only our colleague, but also our friend.
Loren Howard
Talbert Middle School, Huntington Beach
Mr. Howard is a legend at Talbert Middle School. You will find him on the roof in costume on the first day of school, throwing down school supplies as students enter school on the first day. Mr. Howard makes science come to life for kids. His lessons are highly engaging and he is known to use art, technology, humor, and creativity on a daily basis to provide excellent learning opportunities for children. Mr. Howard truly cares about students and dedicates his life to be the best teacher he can be. I can honestly say I have never seen a dull moment in Mr. Howard’s classroom.
Katherine Smith-Brooks
Walt Disney School, Anaheim
Katherine Smith-Brooks is an exceptional educator. She is a conscientious individual who strives for excellence in everything she does, while providing her students with an exemplary education. As a 6th Grade GATE cluster teacher, she readily implements superior strategies, such as the use of the GATE icons, to deepen her students understanding of complex subject matters. Through the strong command of the SMART Board, she utilizes the EDI lesson design model to provide her students with rigorous and engaging common core and content standard lessons. Technology is an integral part of her program and is an ongoing bridge between herself and her students even after hours. Many a late evening and weekend, Katherine continues to engage with her students through rich online discussions, by answering questions, and by providing writing feedback using Google Classroom and email. The four Cs – Critical Thinking, Communication, Communication, and Collaboration are at the forefront of her program. Her students can always be seen engaging in rich discussions around central themes found in authentic literature that they are reading. While building a strong foundational knowledge for her students, Katherine brings deep meaning and once in a lifetime learning opportunities for her students. For example, after an extensive study of Ancient Egypt, students were given the opportunity to apply their knowledge by mummifying an actual chicken. Most impressive is her unique ability to deeply connect with her students. She truly brings out the very best in each and every one of them. As a result of her high standards, rigorous program, and excellent teaching, many of her students year after year consistently gain entrance into the Oxford Academy and meet and exceed standard on state assessments. Outside of the classroom, Katherine is an exceptional teacher leader. She consistently serves on Leadership, as the grade level, and Yearbook advisor. During RTI dialogues, Katherine provides great insight and input which positively impacts the lives of teachers and students school-wide. To further support her colleagues and profession beyond our school community, Katherine serves as a PAR consulting teacher. She leads by example with her amazing can do attitude. She is a positive and dedicated employee that has made and continues to make a tremendous impact on the success of students, colleagues, our school, and the Disney Community.
Amanda Hart-Richardson
Eader Elementary School, Huntington Beach
“She loves all of us!” “She cares about our world!” “She has a ginormous heart!” These are from the mouths of Mrs. Amanda Hart-Richardson’s gregarious first grade students, eager to compliment their teacher! I, her principal, would wholeheartedly agree, and would also add that she is one of the most dedicated, caring and talented teachers I have encountered in my sixteen years as an administrator and thirty-three years in education! Mrs. Hart-Richardson is an extraordinary superlative teacher who is incessantly honing her craft of inspiring learning. She is always at the forefront and is anxious to share her findings with her colleagues for the betterment of the school and all students. When you walk into her classroom you instantly smile and feel like all fit right in. She taps the talents of all of her children, knowing that each one possesses a gift, and she allows for each student’s gift to be be recognized and nurtured. Students learn through all the different learning modalities and she is sure to assess learning using alternative assessments and innovative means, because that is real life…not everything is paper and pencil, or even laptop or iPad! In our readily-changing, lightening-paced world, teachers can barely keep up with the technology, yet Mrs. Hart-Richardson, being one of our site technology representatives, is always using the cutting edge programs and pushing the limits of our current software, making sure we are utilizing everything we can to its maximum potential. Mrs. Hart not only keeps our site on the right t rack with technology, she also organizes our many school philanthropy projects such as Toys for Tots, Pennies for Patients, blanket drive for the homeless and canned food drive for the Second Harvest Shelter, to name just a few! Mrs. Hart-Richardson always goes above and beyond! She is resourceful and amazingly helpful in assuring our school is set up for excellence! She volunteers to make schedules which are most optimal for all teachers to get in their music, computer, library times, and special assemblies and events. She voluntarily assists her colleagues in printing out the new report cards, administering the new report cards and benchmarks and she can always be counted on to promote new professional development and new programs with an enthusiastic, helpful and positive attitude. Mrs. Hart-Richardson is a very well-respected teacher, who, because of her meticulous, detailed, intentional planning, gets extremely impressive results. Her colleagues look to her for support, parents love her, and I, as her supervisor, am grateful to have such a stellar instruction master at Eader Elementary School! Amanda Hart-Richardson is truly an outstanding educational superstar!
Laura Andersen
Los Alamitos High School, Los Alamitos
Laura Anderson is a teacher who goes above and beyond expectation both as a teacher and mentor. As a Spanish teacher, Laura brings passion to her teaching and inspires students to get engaged in the content, language, and culture. Furthermore, she has motivated her AP Spanish Language students to achieve at the highest levels. Her students have consistently earned passing scores on the AP exam and this past year AP Spanish Language students averaged a score of 4.08 out of a possible 5. As well, she has encouraged students to take AP Spanish Language and has inspired them to believe in themselves. AP Spanish Language has ranked as one of the top performing classes at Los Alamitos High school over the past few years. In addition to her work as a teacher, Laura has been one of two Link Crew teacher advisers and has trained and led countless juniors and seniors to be model students who welcome and mentor freshman students as they enter high school. Our parents and community appreciate and applaud this work and appreciate that teachers like Laura Andersen work with their students. Laura Andersen is a tireless professional who continues to inspire, motivate, and get the best from each of her students. It is for these reasons and more that I highly recommend her for Top Teacher recognition and honors.
Teresa Ozoa
University High School, Irvine
Teresa Ozoa is an outstanding teacher and colleague who is undoubtedly deserving of teacher of the year. Teresa is always trying new technologies and strategies in the classroom. She recently worked on 20% projects in her classes with great success and has also been using Google Classroom and NPR’s Story Corps to better engage her students and hone their technological and creative skills. Teresa is spirited (She dresses up for every Halloween as a comic book character or science fiction/fantasy character) and she makes a point of attending school functions like the fall play to support her students. Aside from being an excellent and caring teacher, Teresa is highly collaborative. She has been serving as a technology mentor at our site and is also a Google Certified teacher. She is very helpful and has a wealth of knowledge and resources to offer her colleagues. She has attended many professional development conferences like CUE and has even been invited to present and speak at them. Uni is very lucky to have a teacher like Teresa Ozoa.
Cynthia Avina
Los Alamitos High School, Los Alamitos
Cynthia Avina is that rare teacher who brings energy, passion, and a love for teaching to her classroom every day. Whether she is working with a group of Native Spanish Speakers or AP Spanish Language, Cynthia pulls out all of stops when it comes to motivating her students and what she will do from a teaching perspective to get her students to learn. Examples include utilizing music, art, acting, and dance in the pursuit of teaching Spanish. Moreover, she finds ways to teach students critical reading and analysis skills that cross over into their other classes and studies and helps them find connections among the various subjects. Her classroom is a family environment. Students feel comfortable and safe with her and see her as a leader and mentor. As part of the AP Spanish Language team, her students have consistently earned passing scores on the AP exam and this past year AP Spanish Language students averaged a score of 4.08 out of a possible 5. As well, she has encouraged students to take AP Spanish Language and has inspired them to believe in themselves. AP Spanish Language has ranked as one of the top performing classes at Los Alamitos High school over the past few years. Her colleagues value her input and participation as a team member and seek her expertise in Spanish when designing lessons. As one of the two Link Crew faculty advisers, Cynthia teaches Link Crew leaders how to be responsible and committed to the work of welcoming and mentoring freshman students. In addition, she is seen by parents as a positive role model and a welcoming presence for all students. It is for her consistent and inspiring work as a teacher as well as her leadership as a Link Crew faculty adviser and many other traits that I recommend Cynthia Avina for consideration as a Top Teacher.
Michelle Mariano
Handy Elementary , Orange
Mrs. Mariano has been a lead teacher for the Orange Unified School District for 9 years and has taught a multitude of levels, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. Mrs. Mariano cares deeply for her students. She models lessons with embedded technology for other educators, seeks professional resources and donations on her own time, and collaborates with parents to make them feel connected to the learning. Just this year, Mrs. Mariano has piloted AVID, 1-to-1 iPads take home model, Discovery Education Technology Books, a multitude of digital applications, and Daily 5. She is always kind to everyone and teaches from her heart. It is a unique gift as an administrator to work with someone as talented, compassionate, resourceful, caring as Mrs. Mariano. Mrs. Mariano’s students are comprised of approximately 65% English learners and 93% low socio-economic needs, yet the performance of the students continues to grow and flourish. Mrs. Mariano believes in her students, and they achieve levels otherwise thought impossible under her tutelage. When you walk into her room, you are immediately wrapped in a loving and supportive learning environment that makes one feel free to take risks, knowing there is sustenance and guidance. Students can be observed researching both historical and current topics, collaborating digitally with both classmates and the greater community, and developing real-world learning outcomes that have meaning for young learners. After school, you can find Mrs. Mariano collaborating with her colleagues, answering questions from colleagues about instructional practices, or planning and researching pedagogical techniques to implement in her classroom. When looking to place a very challenging student who had been in four different classrooms last year based on his behaviors, Mrs. Mariano welcomed him into her class this year stating, “He deserves a chance to be pushed, but loved. I think I can be that teacher for him.” That same student has been with Mrs. Mariano all year and has not had any disciplinary referrals and is thriving knowing that there are clear boundaries with love and support. Mrs. Mariano does not know how to fail, and she comes to school every day knowing that the impact she makes on her students will determine her ability to pull them out of poverty and to equip them with the skills they need to compete globally. It is my pleasure to recommend Mrs. Mariano without hesitation for this award. She is the epitome of what we all aspire to as a successful teacher. Thank you for taking the time to consider her as a strong candidate for this award.
Kamee Nuzman
Irvine High School, Irvine
Mrs. Nuzman teaches British Literature and is extremely passionate about her subject matter and her students engagement with it. Mrs. Nuzman’s enthusiasm is contageous and it is evident that her students love her class and enjoy learning the concepts that she is introducing. Mrs. Nuzman is masterful in providing scaffolding strategies that allow all students to develop and engage in problem solving and critical thinking skill sets that assist them in the development of the writing process.
Laura Lucero
Buena Park Junior High, Buena Park
Laura Lucero is an American History teacher at our school and so much more. She also coordinates our Triple R program, American Heritage Trip, and PBIS program. She has gone above and beyond in her role here at Buena Park Junior High. The Triple R program teaches students to be respectful, responsible and ready to learn and the elective class she teaches gets our students involved in connecting students to school. Laura helps direct the school wide positive behavior interventions which has helped our school reduce discipline by 90% from the previous year. She regularly gives up her spring break to take our 8th grade students all the way across the country to learn about the great heritage of our country. She also gives up many evenings for fundraisers and family meetings. She is the lowest paid teacher per hour at our school because she works tirelessly day and night, in summer, in spring, and likely in her dreams as well. She makes our school a great place for kids to come and learn, for adults to thrive in a professional learning community, and she makes are real difference in the city of Buena Park. Laura was also recognized by her peers as teacher of the year for the 2014-2015 school year.
Meagan Blied
La Vista High School (Continuation High School), Fullerton
Meagan Blied has been teaching English for nineteen years, the last seven at La Vista Continuation High School. No matter the school, Meagan is known everywhere to be an amazing teacher and a strong teacher leader. Meagan possesses the curricular expertise and strong classroom management skills necessary to assist at risk students in the continuation high school setting. She uses a variety of effective strategies to engage her students. There is always a measurable objective on her board that the students can articulate and determine if they achieved. She also strives to increase student-to-student interaction through the use of A-B partners, sentence strips and reciprocal teaching lessons. Observing her classroom is truly an opportunity to see a master teacher at work. One of her co-workers said, “Although all of us want to give our students the best possible education, Meagan runs with it! She is constantly upgrading her lessons and instruction to make them the best they can be. Out of her love for her students, she is a perfectionist.” In addition to her teaching assignment, Meagan also serves as the LVHS English Department Chair. A natural born leader, Meagan has moved the department to a data-driven model focused on student assessment results to inform instruction. Meagan guides the department’s Professional Learning Communities to meet regularly to develop and review SMART goals, review student performance, and modify instruction. Additionally, Meagan’s leadership style is extremely generous. She is one of the most conscientious department chairs I have ever worked with. She shares ideas, lessons, strategies, and her time with all her colleagues. They know her door is always open to them. Meagan is never complacent about her practice. She is always looking for professional development opportunities to fine-tune her craft and improve her leadership. When an instructional consulting company came to La Vista to offer training, Meagan was the first to volunteer to have them observe her class. After the observation, the trainer gave Meagan feedback on the lesson which she began implementing the next period! She is always open to new ideas and strategies and the at-risk students in her class reap the benefits. Her students are analyzing rigorous text, writing argument essays, and interpreting literature at a higher level than ever before because they have a teacher who will not rest until she finds a way to get them where they need to be.
Leilen Shelton
Mariners Christian School, Costa Mesa
Mrs. Shelton is a teacher who inspires her students to be deep thinkers, creative problem solvers, innovators, historians, writers, and authors of their own future. Her focus on writing through the curriculum has produced phenomenal writers with high level literacy skills. Her desire is to lead students on a learning journey that is not just about content but also about becoming powerful scholars who are world changers. She challenges her students to fulfill their potential and will do anything in her power to help them succeed. She is a leader amongst her peers and her sense of humor brings great joy to all who are blessed to be around her. Most importantly, she loves her students and school beyond measure. This love flows from her in all she does. For all she does to inspire her students and colleagues, she deserves this recognition and more!
Brittney Collins
SCHMITT ELEMENTARY, WESTMINSTER
Brittney Collins is a dynamic, humble, creative, patient, hard-working teacher that truly loves her students. She has one of the most challenging situations and behaviors to work with every year, yet she takes every challenge as a gift and a serious responsibility to conquer with her proactive teaching strategies, love and patience. Anyone that interacts with Mrs. Collins will learn that she is a kind-hearted teacher that will do anything to help others, but most importantly she will do anything to get her students to be successful academically and socially. I have been a principal for almost nine years, and I know a lot of great teachers, but not one that looks as excited and happy to start her day knowing it will not be an easy day. Brittney works with students that range from mild-autism to extreme behaviors. Brittney has been successful in curbing or extinguishing negative behaviors while bringing out the strengths in every child. How does she bring out these strenghts? Well, first of all, she sees the positive in every child from the very beginning, and she implements research proven strategies along with lots of patience to bring out the best in children. It does not happen quickly, but she makes it happen.
Joaquin Hernandez
Santa Ana Valley High School, Santa Ana
Joaquin has grown the marching band membership from a 1 digit number five years ago to nearly 50 students today. He oversees the marching band, orchestra, color guard, and even the cheer squad. He invests many hours in his students and takes them from beginning musicians and turns them into melodious marvels. Joaquin has a way to bring students together and inspire them to want to be better, to want to engage with other groups on campus, to want to support the athletic teams, and more. He’s an amazing educator and leader on the Santa Ana Valley campus and I’m not quite sure the school would be as spirited without him at the helm of the many organizations he’s responsible for tending to. Joaquin is highly respected by his colleagues and students.
David Heck
Canyon High School, Anaheim
Mr. Heck is everything you would want in a teacher for your child. As an AP English teacher, Mr. Heck’s class is one that truly promotes higher level learning that will prepare students for college and career paths. When you walk into Mr. Heck’s room, you feel as if you are in an upper-level college class with students collaborating and demonstrating higher-level thinking. Mr. Heck has teaching style and personality promote an atmosphere in which students are consistently challenged to achieve at the highest level without feeling overwhelmed. Students enjoy going to his classroom and constantly sing his praise. Mr. Heck is also the Mock Trial advisor. Under Mr. Heck’s leadership, the Canyon High School Mock Trial team has received numerous accolades, including finishing third in the state competition last year. Mr. Heck contributes countless extra hours of his own time to help prepare and support the students on his Mock Trial team. In addition to teaching and advising the Mock Trial team, Mr. Heck is often the first staff member to volunteer to help other programs that support our students. From attending sporting events to helping judge Academic Decathlon competitions, Mr. Heck is truly in this profession to help provide opportunities for our students. Mr. Heck has the highest level of respect from his peers and is a true role model on the Canyon campus. It is without hesitation that I would recommend Mr. David Heck to represent Canyon High School as our outstanding teacher.
Phil Ling
Parks Junior High, Fullerton
Kim Barr is an outstanding English teachers that creates strong relationship with students while also ensuring high levels of achievement. She ensures through her strong pedagogy that students become the highest achieving students in ELA each year. Additionally, she has been instrumental in starting a Fullerton Writers Guild class at her school in which students work with professional writers and other writing mentors to write an essay that are published in a book and sold at Barnes and Noble. Student participating in book signings at the store after it is published. Additionally, she encourages her students to publish their writing and takes students to LA times book fair at USC each year. Additionally, she has gamified her reading and writing curriculum in which learning grade level standards is done in a highly engaging context. Students create geocaches, make movies, and Public Service announcements to share with authentic audiences. She was also recently selected by the school as their Teacher of the year.
Gloria Johnson
Golden Elementary, Placentia
Gloria Johnson is a sixth grade teacher at Golden Elementary in Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District. She is actively involved in so many aspects of Golden. She is our Student Council Advisor, our APLE representative, PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System) Team representative, and Grade Level Chair. She is a go-to for our staff, always willing to support teachers and students. Mrs. Johnson goes above and beyond for both students and staff members. She is a tireless advocate for children. She meets with students after school to help them meet their sixth grade goals. She helps new students and ‘fills the gaps’ to get them ready for intermediate school. For example, last year a student came to Golden who had been moving place to place with her mother in another state. This young lady was woefully behind and was in the safe haven of an aunt. Mrs. Johnson tutored this young 6th grade student after school. When she realized that the student needed a new computer, she bought the computer out of her own pocket. She sheltered, cajoled, nurtured, used tough love and ultimately helped turn the life of this student around. There are countless stories of Mrs. Johnson never giving up on her students! Gloria was on the steering committee for the math adoption for PYLUSD last year, piloting one of the text books. She was called on to present her findings which she did with insight and humor. Gloria is currently on the steering committee for the new ELA adoption. She works tirelessly and is able to listen to all perspectives to insure that students have the best materials in their possession. She has coordinated Golden 6th grade Outdoor Education for more than 20 years, ensuring our students have an experience they will always remember! Mrs. Kristi Cooan shared, “As a new teacher to PYLUSD in 2013, Gloria has been a tremendous mentor and wealth of knowledge. What a blessing to be right next door to this amazing woman! She is ALWAYS positive, and ready to help with anything and everything. I do not feel there is any question I cannot ask of her. She has also instilled in me the importance of getting involved in our school and making a difference in the lives of our students beyond their academic endeavors. Her sense of humor is contagious. She brings laughter, joy and optimism everywhere she goes.”
Tina Bloomingdale
Heritage Oak Private Education, Yorba Linda
“Mrs. Bloomingdale really cares about each individual child. She has taken the time to get to know my son and given him personalized strategies for success which he will carry with him through his educational career.” This quote from a parent is indicative of the many compliments Heritage Oak receives regularly about Middle School Math Teacher Tina Bloomingdale. For the last six years, Mrs. Bloomingdale has connected with students and done what many think is impossible—made math fun. A natural problem solver, Mrs. Bloomingdale enjoys encouraging students to discover and contrast many different ways to solve problems. Not only does her love for math inspire students, her ability to connect with tweens and teens makes her a favorite teacher for many. “Middle School students are at a very vulnerable stage in their lives,” says Mrs. Bloomingdale. “They inhabit a world of childhood and adulthood. I love being here to help them get through it.” She finds the time to build a connection with each child by grading papers and making lesson plans at home so that her free periods are available to help students. She has an open door policy so students are often found in her classroom working with her during morning homeroom class, snack time, lunch time, study hall period, and P.E. She understands that each child is unique and she works to make modifications to accommodate each student’s individual need to the best of her ability. She understands that being a successful teacher requires flexibility and constant learning so she is never afraid to try a new strategy if she feels it will help a child grow academically. Mrs. Bloomingdale has a knack for balancing teaching accountability while providing individual support for her middle school students with a constant underlying expectation of respect. Outside of the classroom, she attends as many athletic games and student performances as she can in order to show support to those who she interacts with on a daily basis. Not only is Mrs. Bloomingdale loved by students and parents, her fellow teachers also consider her a ray of light. She has taken on the role of “Spirit Leader” for the middle school team of teachers which means that she ensures that teachers are celebrated on special occasions such as birthdays and she loves to plan bridal and baby showers for the staff.
Kristin Knecht
Mariners Christian School, Costa Mesa
A Calling to Mentor Tomorrow’s Leaders Today It is my privilege and honor to nominate Kristin Knecht as a “Top Teacher in Orange County”. Kristin conducts herself from the perspective that teaching is an art, a delicate balance of the teachers agenda with the hearts and minds of independent thinkers who have their own opinions and passions. She is dedicated to the idea of fostering creativity, imagination, and find ways to apply content to the real world to motivate her students. With over 20 years of teaching experience in 4th grade, she desires to know the unique dreams and aspirations of each student in the classroom in order to make learning come alive! Dedicated to modeling a commitment to be a lifelong learner, Kristin is “that teacher” who always requests to attend the latest professional development opportunity. From attending the the California Math Council Conference so that she can teach her students to think like mathematicians, to the latest training on Literacy from Columbia University Teacher College Reading and Writing Program. Drama and theater is a passion for Kristin and she explodes with enthusiasm in complete character when doing a Read Aloud! As an early adopter of new school initiatives, she can always be counted on to implement her training into her classroom to benefit her students and remains confident to experiment with new lessons without the fear of failure. Kristin understands the importance of assessing growth as vital data to be collected to ensure students are increasing their level of achievement. She helped implement a new national standardized assessment program called MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) geared towards identifying students strengths and weakness in the math, reading, and language usage. Not only does Kristin go the extra mile for her students and parents, at any given time, you can find her on campus mentoring fellow colleagues, sharing lessons and ideas during faculty meetings, and always remaining positive to champion the calling of mentoring tomorrow’s leaders today. She recently served on the school’s accreditation steering committee, the admissions committee, and is always willing to volunteer for school events. She is instrumental in co- leading a group of 130 parents and 4th grade students to Sacramento and San Francisco as we make social studies standards come alive! Teaching is truly Kristin’s calling and passion and it is an honor and privilege to watch the magical process of the bond that exists between her and her students. It is not uncommon to find previous students from years past visiting her classroom, they are never too old for a hug and a pep talk!
John Ebbe
Servite High Schol, Anaheim
In roughly forty years in education, John Ebbe has inspired generations of students. In teaching World, European, and United States History, to his students, history was an epic narrative, an action adventure with a bit of romance and tragedy mixed in, and John impersonating all the historical players involved. Students had to come to class the next day – one could not miss a single day – to hear what was going to happen next in the story. And the great historical figures, people like George Washington, Frederick Douglas, and Susan B. Anthony, were not statues to be simply revered, but real humans, with shortcomings in addition to their virtue, making his students think that they too, could have a positive impact on their communities, you do not have to be perfect to affect affirmative change in your lifetime. Because of his energy and passion in history, John’s students could rely on success not only on Advanced Placement Exams (on many occasions having 100% pass rates), but also at the college level because the art of critical reading and writing was a crucial element of John’s classroom, students completed nine to twelve page papers for him, more than preparing students for success in higher education. Spliced in with his academic rigor and excitement would be formative lessons, for example, the significance of dressing how you would want o be treated, the dangers of underage drinking, that procrastination is a sin (and the detrimental affect one’s procrastination has on those around him or her), concrete examples of how shortcuts provide negative long-term consequences, and the value of one’s words and promises among many others. Seeing the success of their children after having had John, parents hold John in high regard, especially since he readily made himself available before and after school to offer further assistance should any student need it. John played an active role including coaching, moderating numerous clubs, and mentoring new teachers, making him a vital asset for the Servite community. Nearing retirement, John still has the vitality of a teacher fresh out of undergraduate studies. Both John’s Generation X alumni and his current millennial students easily trade stories about the value he and his class holds in their lives, proving John never relented in his drive and enthusiasm. Education, in particular history, is sacred to him, and he has conveyed that year in and year out for forty years. -Submitted by Ben VanDyk, Social Studies Department Chair
Maureen Melstrom
Veeh Elementary, Tustin
It is Mrs. Melstrom’s belief that every child deserves the right to learn in a safe, nurturing, and positive classroom environment. Maureen strives for her classroom to be an inviting and motivating place where children feel comfortable to take risks with their learning and learn from their mistakes. You will frequently hear Mrs. Melstrom telling her students: “mistakes are proof that you are trying” and “it’s okay not to know, it’s not okay not to try”. Maureen believes a classroom should be an environment where children are be proud of their academic accomplishments but also a place where they become goal-setters, able to tackle their next academic hurtle. By setting clear, positive classroom expectations and treating students’ everyday with respect creates an enriching learning environment where students have the opportunity to feel empowered to make decisions on their own and be rewarded for their positive behavior and choices. As a teacher, Mrs. Melstrom believes that every child can learn and is special and unique. She believes learning should be fun and exciting! Maureen instills a love of learning in each and every one of her students so they will grow up to be life-long learners and productive global citizens. Maureen meets this goal by providing her students with the skills to learn through differentiated instructional strategies. Lessons must be structured into a variety of learning modalities and hands on learning experiences by incorporating auditory, kinesthetic, and visual techniques. Every person learns at a different speed and in a different way. This fact should be celebrated and respected as much as possible in the classroom. Mrs. Melstrom provides lots of support, such as offering additional school help during recess and lunch to all children who are in need of it. Most importantly, she believes in giving her students the skills, motivation, confidence that is needed for them to believe that they can succeed in school and in life. The students are not the only ones in Mrs. Melstrom’s classroom that are learning, Maureen believes that learning along with her students is the greatest gift of all.
Ben Van Dyk
Servite High School, Anaheim
It is a distinct personal honor to recommend Benjamin Van Dyk as the top teacher in Orange County. In my thirty-eight year career as a teacher of history, Ben best encapsulates those qualities that define that single person who is the ”most memorable educator.” His subject area knowledge, his communication skills, his ability to inspire students, the high esteem with which he is held by students and parents alike, his community service with the Bridges and Model UN prorams, his recognized leadership among the faculty as department chairman, his contributions to the school-wide writing curriculum, his position as Adjunct Professor at Cal State Fullerton, and his work with the College Board are some, but by no means all that have marked Ben’s eight years at Servite High School. Among the students, it is considered an honor to get into Mr. Van Dyk’s AP US History course. His students did very well on the newly revamped College Board AP US History exam which was given for the first time last year. His students have always done very well on the national subject area examination. His wide-ranging project assignments stimulate student creativity. He takes the time to counsel students, listen to their concerns and tries to offer guidance from his experiences as teacher and a former student. In return, the students feel they can relate to Ben and they trust him. I have known Ben since he was a student in my AP class. I regard him among the top five students I’ve ever had. After graduating with honors from UCLA, he did his credential work at Penn. He did his student teaching in an inner city school in Philadelphia. While Ben saw me as his mentor, his enthusiasm and sincerity were such that he didn’t need my help to win the respect and loyalty of his students. His character is marked by hard work, humility and integrity. History itself, and his desire to “tell the story of America” are his “passion and fire.” His thirst for information, love of his subject, and his ability to share it engages and draws his student into the “human drama” that is history. He makes it “real” and “exciting.” I am honored to recommend Benjamin Van Dyk as the top teacher in Orange County not just for what he has done, but for the promise of what he will do in the future. I could not be prouder of Ben’s accomplishments if he were my own son. -Written by John Ebbe, AP/HP History Teacher
Janet Smith
Mabel L. Pendleton, Buena Park
Jan Smith, a National Board Certified Teacher, is one of the most dedicated staff members at Mabel L. Pendleton School in the Buena Park School District. She has taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, as well as a multi-grade intervention course. Jan is the leader of several initiatives on campus. Whenever there is a need on campus, Jan is always the first to say, “I can do it,” and she can. Holding high expectations for herself, she is paving the way with STEM projects, spearheading our Eco-School initiative, fearlessly diving into 21st Century instruction, and mentoring struggling students. Jan is the true picture of what it takes to be an extraordinary educator in today’s growing world. Mrs. Smith has received the honor of being named Teacher of the Year by her peers and continues to be an inspiration to her colleagues. As an 18 year veteran teacher, Mrs. Smith is known throughout the school, district, and community for her love and care for students. She works tirelessly to ensure that all students, not just her own, have the ability to attend science camp regardless of economic background. She wrangles up sleeping bags and jackets for kids who can’t afford them and tirelessly fundraises with students to raise money for camp tuition. She also uses her own money to store and care for the items she collects so they can be used again and again for future students. As a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Epsilon, Mrs. Smith works with other female educational leaders in her community to provide support for local schools, students, and other female educators. She works to provide backpacks and supplies for students who need them, and works fundraisers in order to supply scholarships to promising young teachers. She has also a lifetime certified Girl Scout Leader and has lead troops for over 20 years. It is clear that her school as well as her community really count on her. Mrs. Smith’s students adore her. They say that they’re so lucky because she always “gives us second chances. She always explains things when we don’t understand and she never gets mad when we don’t get it.” Her students also brag about how funny she is and how she’s always there to lift their spirits, tell a personal story that relates to them, or remind them “not to panic.” Students and colleagues are also well aware of how much Jan Smith does for her school. One of her students said, “She’s in charge of everything!” She’s always there for her fellow teachers and is always willing to lead a charge, or lend a hand. If something needs doing, you can bet Mrs. Smith is making sure it gets done.
Cheryl Richardson
St. Anne School, Laguna NIguel
Cherryl Richardson has faithfully served the hearts and minds of preschool students for the last seventeen years at St. Anne School. She embodies the heart and soul of our preschool program and has touched countless hearts…students, parents and colleagues alike. In her classroom every child feels welcomed, secure and cared for and loved. She awakens the natural curiosity and love to learn inherent in preschoolers, and fosters a positive sense of self in her students.
Christen Schaeffer
Woodbury Elementary School, Irvine
When you walk into Mrs. Schaeffer’s room, you know you are are walking into a room full of magic. She has a special way of teaching her students designed to make sure they are involved in their lessons physically as well as mentally. For kids, learning comes alive as she makes content relevant to their world. Class officers follow the same structure as the three branches of the U.S. government. You can see the physical three branches of government portrayed on a bulletin board with three “branches” labelled Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. Students campaign and are elected by their classmates and once elected, they act in accordance with their job. By using this real-world example, students get a taste of the government in action. When Mrs. Schaeffer teaches grammar, you won’t see a worksheet on the desks of the students. Instead, she teaches children to paint with words as they write. Students learn the parts of speech by color coding and acting out characteristics of each word. In Mrs. Schaeffer’s words, “nouns are blue because the sky and water are blue, and nouns are things we can touch (water) or point to (Sky). Then the kids physically touch/pound on their desks for a noun. The idea behind all of these is to not give the kids more things to memorize but rather have the actions and colors be symbolic and have a cognitive pathway inherent in the color or physical action to better understand the academic language.” It is Mrs. Schaeffer’s expectation that all students, from the newly enrolled English Language Learners, to the gifted students, will grow and be successful. Her students gain self-confidence as they show what they know. Kids are excited and motivated as they learn and this is just magical!
Jose Paolo Magcalas
Loara High School, Anaheim
When talking to students about who has made a difference in their lives, Paolo Magcalas comes up time and time again. He is passionate about getting the students engaged in the content by bringing relevant topics and issues to them. He is a dedicated, skilled, and caring teacher who maintains a selfless demeanor in his interactions with students, parents, and colleagues. His inner drive to reach his students carries beyond the classroom and into giving back to the community. Paolo’s dedication to students and the community has inspired him to implement an Ethnic Studies course at Loara High School. He was instrumental in the conception and implementation, and the course is now being considered throughout the district. In his Ethnic Studies and History courses, he enhances his students’ knowledge through civic dialogue touching upon interests and backgrounds that are relevant to them. He provides varied activities in the classroom to allow students to lower their affective filter and be able to take risks to promote self-awareness. Finally, Paolo believes in what he teaches and encourages his students to be active members in their community by being an example and leader in the California Democracy initiative, part of the Bridges program, and the advisor to various clubs and organizations on campus. As an active member of the History department, Paolo is constantly encouraging his colleagues to dig deep into the curriculum and create each lesson to be a memorable experience for the students. For example, he takes a WWI lesson and brings it to life through an activity where the class re-enacts trench warfare by creating trenches with tipped over desks, paper balls as grenades and if the student is unlucky could get “poked” by a bayonet. Some die twice. Outside the classroom, he is busy taking his students to conferences such as “Walk in My Shoes” to promote student voice and advocacy on topics of interest to them. He’s also leading the charge in giving back to his home community of Anaheim by encouraging his students to participate in outreach programs such as the AUHSD Servathon to feed the homeless. One walks into Paolo’s room and immediately ideas start flowing; students are engaged, and excitement to learn is in the air. Paolo Magcalas truly deserves to be recognized as being not only an A+ teacher, but an A+ mentor and advocate for student learning.
Kim Huber
University High School, Irvine
Kim’s love for learning inspired her to become a teacher, but as a young child helping her autistic brother learn to button his shirt was a key moment in solidifying that dream. “The joy that I get from hearing students say, ‘Oh, I get it now!’ has never subsided over the years.” Inspiring students to love learning, helping students who struggle with math, and building confidence in kids is an honor and a privilege. Kim has been teaching for 28 years, 15 of them here at University HS. Kim is an amazing teacher who approaches each day with passion and enthusiasm. she is incredibly dedicated to her students. She is the type of teacher willing to go the “extra mile” to give her students every opportunity to be successful in her class. Most importantly, Kim teaches so much more than math to her students. She teaches about compassion, about finding joy in life regardless of individual circumstances. She teaches the importance of life perspective and a positive attitude. Kim is well-respected as a teacher of principles of geometry and intermediate algebra, both required college-preparatory courses for students who often struggle in math. She has served as team level lead in both geometry and algebra I. Students say that she encourages them to succeed beyond their expectations. Her door is always open to her students, whether current or former. Kim has also assisted with the track team as a hurdle coach as well as volunteered her time as a yoga instructor after school for stressed-out and weary staff members. We love Kim for her vivaciousness, smile and wonderful teaching. “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Joan Cowan
Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Anaheim
Joan Cowan has been teaching elementary school for 28 years, and every day in her classroom is like a master class in effective, joyful instruction. She is respected as a leader throughout the Magnolia School District, regularly presenting at Staff Development trainings and workshops. Over the years, Joan has probably been on every educational committee in existence: Leadership, Social Committee, Curriculum Adoption Committees, and the Positive Behavior committee are just a few. She is always willing to share her insight and knowledge with others, often guiding student teachers as they begin their careers, with more than one of our District’s exemplary teachers citing Joan Cowan as the source of their success. Veteran teachers bring visitors from other Districts to see Joan teach, and in the process learn some new strategies themselves. However, the place where Joan truly shines is with her students. The children are greeted every day with enthusiasm and a genuine smile. She provides a nearly perfect balance of high expectations with emotional and academic support for her students. Over 60% of Schweitzer students are English Learners, and over 90% of our students are Socio-Economically Disadvantaged. 24% are classified McKinney Vento (homeless or unstable housing). When kindergarten teachers identify students as emotionally or academically struggling, their first choice of placement for the next year is Joan. The front row of her carpet is ‘By Invitation Only’ for first graders who are treated like VIPs, while they receive the extra TLC they need. Recently, one of her students was having a terrible day and finally decided to curl up in a little ball in the hallway. Joan sat down right next to him on the cold concrete and patted his shoulder while simultaneously giving directions to the class to get started on the next activity. Joan cares deeply for her students, and knows that making them successful academically is the greatest gift she can give them. Before there were Professional Learning Communities, Joan led her grade level team in looking at student data. All first graders are her students, and she selects the students with the lowest reading scores to teach during daily intervention groups. The first grade scores at Schweitzer regularly outperform comparable schools in the District, with credit going to Joan and her team. She is an energetic, funny, caring teacher, who wants nothing more than to continue improving children’s lives.
Erin Fuller
Los Alamitos Elementary School, Los Alamitos
Erin Fuller has a way of making every child feel like anything is possible. She does this with just the right combination of creativity, love, high expectations, and tenacity. When you watch Erin teach, it truly feels like you are watching a conductor. She does everything with clear intention and she knows when to weave the other instruments in. It all depends on what her students’ responses are and what they need. She never lets anyone give up. With the right amount of encouragement and accountability, her students get to where they need to go. Any parent who has had the good fortune to have Erin as his/her child’s teacher knows how passionate she is. She is honest with parents about what it’s going to take for them to work as partners in helping their child learn not just academically but emotionally and socially as well. Erin will spend nights, weekends, and summers pondering ways to make her instruction better and more meaningful. She is the type of teacher who lays awake at night worrying about the students in her class. As a colleague, Erin has been the grade level lead for many years. She has willingly shared her time and resources; and enjoys the opportunities to co-plan and co-create lessons and meaningful student experiences. She drives herself to do what is best for students. When you walk into her room, you will find joy and laughter along with hard work and concentration. Erin Fuller is a master conductor; she is a masterful teacher.
Lopez Dolores
Orance County Educational Arts Academy, Santa Ana
Ms. Dolores Lopez is an exemplary educator who pushes her fifth grade students to reach their full academic potential. When you visit room 214, you know you are in the presence of a teacher who means business when it comes to learning. Whether they are studying the American Revolution, citing evidence in literary discussions, or writing with strong voice, Ms. Lopez’s students are always engaged in purposeful activity. She creates an incredible classroom community where everyone feels like they are working together toward something greater than themselves. There is no excuse for failure because Ms. Lopez won’t let anyone fall through the cracks! As a dual language teacher, Ms. Lopez teaches in both English and Spanish. She is pursuing a Master’s Degree and is an avid runner, too! Most importantly, Ms. Lopez inspires by example every day by holding herself to the highest standards of professionalism. We are incredibly lucky to have Ms. Lopez on the OCEAA team. Above all,
Heather Guay
Arthur F Corey, Buena Park
Heather Guay is an exceptional teacher who believes strongly that Corey students are a community of leaders who work, respect, and belong. She teaches 2nd grade at Corey School. She understands the importance of high expectation and always ensures her students have the best instruction and academic support needed for success. In addition to a strength in academics, Ms. Guay serves as Corey’s Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports coach. In this role she works closely with a PBIS team to strengthen the school climate. She sees parents and families as important influences on her students. She reaches out to parents, keeps them well informed, and is always willing to help parents and entire families. Ms. Guay also works with one of our after school programs to provide leadership training to the students and instructors in the program. Ms. Guay is a positive influence who focuses on providing the most appropriate and meaningful tools for everyone to achieve success.
Mrs Cavenee
Emery elementary, Buena Park
She is great. Academically she leads kids to advanced level by creative and critical thinking. She motivates kids to learn and encourages indivisually. My child loves to go to school.
Johna Ropel
The Pegasus School, Huntington Beach
Mrs. Ropel is a dynamic, engaging science specialist teacher who connects deeply with her students to nurture and grow their love of science. As a pre-Kindergarten through third grade teacher, she brings life to our science program for our youngest learners through movement, games, hands on experiments and her incredible enthusiasm. Around campus, Mrs. Ropel can be seen walking “Guapo,” the bearded dragon. Her love of animals and the world around her is infectious and is evidenced by the language her students and colleagues use when talking about her class. One of her fellow teachers commented, “From the moment that Mrs. Ropel greets her students, a magical feeling begins to spread throughout the science room. This feeling that spreads rapidly embraces each child’s imagination, creativity, and scientific thoughts. By creating a safe environment in the classroom where every idea can be shared, Mrs. Ropel incorporates scientific connections to reality so that her students can understand that science is all around and offers them to explore the depths. Whether it be dancing with Mr. Bones (her skeleton) to reinforce the identification of the bones in the human body, or studying forensics by creating a faux crime scene of “Who stole the cupcakes?”, Mrs. Ropel uses her enchanting curriculum to push her students to be their own scientist and embrace their uniqueness and abilities to succeed academically.” Beyond her teaching responsibilities, Mrs. Ropel cares deeply for her students and colleagues and creates incredible relationships with parents. One of her colleagues commented, “It is not uncommon to see students visiting her during recess and lunch to share and idea, discuss a personal challenge, or ask for support with peer conflicts. The wisdom she shares with her students has been life changing for them and helps them feel successful.” Regularly, parents who are experts in the unit topics she is teaching on the eye or teeth can be seen presenting to students. Her knowledge and connections within the community are a true gift. Additionally, Mrs. Ropel connects with other teachers around her and serves often as a mentor for new teachers. Her impact on countless students, parents, and teachers over her ten years at Pegasus is impossible to measure.
Wendy Hudson
Tustin Memorial Academy, Santa Ana
Ms. Hudson has been our principal at Tustin Memorial Academy for the past 6 years. Tustin Memorial Academy serves as the only public elementary magnet school in the Tustin Unified District. During her tenure at Tustin Memorial Academy our school has thrived under her leadership, where she has truly touched the lives of each and every student on daily basis. Her memory is amazing, where she literally knows the name of the over 600 students in our school. She understands their individualized needs and collaborates with teachers, parents and students so that they can truly succeed. She is outside helping to unload kids from cars and is always involved with teachers and student activities and lends a helping hand in every area of the school. Under Ms. Hudson’s leadership, she has led our school to becoming the #1 school in the district and the Top 15 in the County. We were just recently notified by the District 2 weeks ago, that she would be transferred to another school. We had hoped that Ms. Hudson would stay to finish out her tenure at TUSD for her upcoming retirement in 2 years. She has touched the lives of our children in our community with her genuine concern for the needs of our kids. She incorporated the wonderful “Be the Star you are” program to emphasize that not only does academics matter- but character. I can say that my son, works so hard to win this award and the long term affects of the “Character Counts” program at TMA makes a life-long difference in their lives. The technology, art and garden program that Ms. Hudson has helped to create and support truly gives our children learning “outside” of the classroom. The hands on learning and teaching that Ms. Hudson has implemented truly makes her an extraordinary principal! We wanted to honor Ms.Hudson with this award from Parent OC to show our appreciation of all that she has brought to our school. Her commitment and strong leadership and her ability to touch our student’s lives will be deeply missed.Furthermore, the district has also stated she may not be able to finish out the school year which is more devastating for our parents and students. We would like to honor her with a celebration of the success and appreciation she has given to TMA. At TMA, we are so proud to nominate Ms. Hudson for this prestigious award because she is truly a role model to us all. Sincerely, Tustin Memorial Parents, Teachers and Students
Wendy Hudson
Tustin Memorial Academy, Santa Ana
Ms. Hudson has been our principal at Tustin Memorial Academy for the past 6 years. Tustin Memorial Academy serves as the only public elementary magnet school in the Tustin Unified District. During her tenure at Tustin Memorial Academy our school has thrived under her leadership, where she has truly touched the lives of each and every student on daily basis. Her memory is amazing, where she literally knows the name of the over 600 students in our school. She understands their individualized needs and collaborates with teachers, parents and students so that they can truly succeed. She is outside helping to unload kids from cars and is always involved with teachers and student activities and lends a helping hand in every area of the school. Under Ms. Hudson’s leadership, she has led our school to becoming the #1 school in the district and the Top 15 in the County. We were just recently notified by the District 2 weeks ago, that she would be transferred to another school. We had hoped that Ms. Hudson would stay to finish out her tenure at TUSD for her upcoming retirement in 2 years. She has touched the lives of our children in our community with her genuine concern for the needs of our kids. She incorporated the wonderful “Be the Star you are” program to emphasize that not only does academics matter- but character. I can say that my son, works so hard to win this award and the long term affects of the “Character Counts” program at TMA makes a life-long difference in their lives. The technology, art and garden program that Ms. Hudson has helped to create and support truly gives our children learning “outside” of the classroom. The hands on learning and teaching that Ms. Hudson has implemented truly makes her an extraordinary principal! We wanted to honor Ms.Hudson with this award from Parent OC to show our appreciation of all that she has brought to our school. Her commitment and strong leadership and her ability to touch our student’s lives will be deeply missed.Furthermore, the district has also stated she may not be able to finish out the school year which is more devastating for our parents and students. We would like to honor her with a celebration of the success and appreciation she has given to TMA. At TMA, we are so proud to nominate Ms. Hudson for this prestigious award because she is truly a role model to us all. Sincerely, Tustin Memorial Parents, Teachers and Students
Ingrid Andrews
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
There teachers who simply standout for their extraordinary ability to connect with each and every student and transform lives. Mrs. Ingrid Andrews is one of those truly gifted and exceptional educators known for her unparalleled expertise, passion and commitment to early childhood education. Through her 30+-year career, Mrs. Andrews has left an indelible, joy-filled mark on the lives of thousands of young children. She possess a deep commitment to a learning-through play model for the youngest learners to best set them up for future academic and social success. She has led the St. Margaret’s Early Childhood Education Center as Director with excellence for the past 10 years, and previously served as a classroom teacher at St. Margaret’s for 24 years. She has also been a leader among education professionals, teaching early childhood education at the college level, serving as a California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher, and leading countless workshops to teachers and parents locally, nationally and internationally. Mrs. Andrews remains ever focused and driven to innovating in the classroom and continually improving the learning experience for every child. She envisioned and built the one-of-a-kind St. Margaret’s Early Childhood Outdoor Classroom that’s an outdoor science lab with live chickens, sustainable garden, artist’s studio, a library, symphony hall, theater and gym. It’s an inspiring and engaging place where children immerse themselves in nature, hone observation skills, practice persistence and cooperation, and develop academic concepts, problem solving and physical motor skills. The site has been identified as a model for other schools by the California Outdoor Classroom Project. This year, Mrs. Andrews has led the curriculum integration of large touchscreen tabletop devices that allow for multiusers optimizing latest technology for learning in the preschool classroom. Students gather around the tabletops to interact with rich-media content, learning apps and games, and create and manipulate content at the young ages of 3 and 4. For her students young and old, Mrs. Andrews is known for her welcoming and warm embrace, her infectious and joyous demeanor, and her loving acceptance and approval of all things that young children represent. It is her true love of children and their natural wonder, curiosity and creativity that has driven her steadfast commitment to providing an outstanding, developmentally-appropriate education for young children throughout her impeccable career. Mrs. Andrews will retire at the end of the 2015-2016 school year as one of the truly great teachers of Orange County and beyond.
Jennifer Dr. Ross-Viola
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
Dr. Jennifer Ross-Viola, Upper School science teacher and all-school Science Department Chair for St. Margaret’s Episcopal School is passionate about science. She leads the science curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade 12 and continually strives to incorporate innovative, experiential learning projects to nurture their interests and keep science relevant in their lives and academic pursuits. Dr. Ross-Viola is inspired everyday by her students’ natural curiosity and deep analytical skills to continually deepen and expand courses and programs to the many disciplines of science because, as she puts it, science explains how all facets of our world work. Dr. Ross-Viola has created popular engineering and marine science course additions to the curriculum. In addition to teaching marine science, she also teaches AP environmental science, conceptual physics and biology. Dr. Ross-Viola advises the St. Margaret’s Engineering Team, which won first, second and sixth place at the 2015 University of Southern California TEAMS competition, annual engineering competition for middle and high school students. She oversees the St. Margaret’s exclusive partnership with the UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering for Upper School student summer research internships working in UCI engineering labs with UCI professors and graduate students. Last year, she also brought to St. Margaret’s the “In Search of Excellence: High School Science Research Showcase,” a seminar held in celebration of the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair’s 60th anniversary. As a STEM leader, Dr. Ross-Viola attended the biennial Innovative Learning Conference this year to share ideas at the forefront of cutting-edge learning. Passionate about sustainability issues, Dr. Ross-Viola works alongside the St. Margaret’s service learning educator developing meaningful STEM-service experiences. Together, they pioneered the St. Margaret’s garden project, wrote the Lower School ecology curriculum and organized the SEEDs project, an ecology and sustainability education student group. Last year, she took her AP environmental students on a three-day reforestation and preservation experiential, nature-based learning trip to the drought-devastated California Central Coast. Annually, Dr. Ross Viola takes her US marine science students on a field study to the Dana Point tide pools to study invertebrates, the ecology of the rocky intertidal habitats, and gather data on the diversity of organisms. She and her colleagues also organize the annual Lower School Science Night. Watch the video featuring Ross-Viola here: http://www.smes.org/news/item/index.aspx?LinkId=3543&ModuleId=476 Dr. Ross-Viola holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from University of Notre Dame, and a bachelor of arts in biology from University of San Diego.
Ryan Dahlem
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
Three St. Margaret’s Upper School teachers Ryan Dahlem, Lora Allison, and Lynn Ozonian created a one-of-a-kind, experiential service-learning project for grade 10 and 11 students to kick off this school year. They presented their students with 100 boxes of bike parts on the first day of school and challenged them to build them and find worthy local charities to which to donate them within 48 hours. The teachers offered the students overarching guidance on how they might organized, importantly they encouraged them to reflect on their individual strengths and choose to apply their skills to teams where they would make the most impact. They served as advisors throughout the project, yet the students had to organize in teams, plan the workload, rely on their skills and resources, and go to work. Over the course of two days, students worked in nine, self-designed operations teams including, bike building, safety, donations and logistics, to put this massive service project in action. According to Dahlem, “Our students are creative, problem solvers, resourceful and driven. We were confident that if we provided the framework and stepped back as educators, they would figure it out and get the job done. Ultimately, the learning and impact of this experiential, service-learning project would be that much more transformational and long-lasting as they grappled with the challenges than a project that we predefined for them.” The students engaged in the design-thinking process, gaining invaluable real-world life skills, teamwork, creativity and problem solving. It encompassed learning, leadership and service, the three tenets of the St. Margaret’s mission. The students identified and donated the bikes to eight local charities: Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, Friendship Shelter, Family Assistance Ministries, United in Harmony, Hearts of Los Angeles, Great Opportunities, court Appointed Special Advocates, and Special Camp for Special Kids. “I thought this was definitely going to be a challenge. It was something that we’ve never really done before, and it gave us a whole different level of responsibility,” said Aide Najera, grade 11. “The project was very productive and allowed us to learn how to problem solve without much guidance from teachers. I also liked that we did something great in the process of learning, donating bikes to those who need them,” said Clayton Chalmers, grade 10.
Lora Allison
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
Three St. Margaret’s Upper School teachers Ryan Dahlem, Lora Allison, and Lynn Ozonian created a one-of-a-kind, experiential service-learning project for grade 10 and 11 students to kick off this school year. They presented their students with 100 boxes of bike parts on the first day of school and challenged them to build them and find worthy local charities to which to donate them within 48 hours. The teachers offered the students overarching guidance on how they might organized, importantly they encouraged them to reflect on their individual strengths and choose to apply their skills to teams where they would make the most impact. They served as advisors throughout the project, yet the students had to organize in teams, plan the workload, rely on their skills and resources, and go to work. Over the course of two days, students worked in nine, self-designed operations teams including, bike building, safety, donations and logistics, to put this massive service project in action. According to Dahlem, “Our students are creative, problem solvers, resourceful and driven. We were confident that if we provided the framework and stepped back as educators, they would figure it out and get the job done. Ultimately, the learning and impact of this experiential, service-learning project would be that much more transformational and long-lasting as they grappled with the challenges than a project that we predefined for them.” The students engaged in the design-thinking process, gaining invaluable real-world life skills, teamwork, creativity and problem solving. It encompassed learning, leadership and service, the three tenets of the St. Margaret’s mission. The students identified and donated the bikes to eight local charities: Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, Friendship Shelter, Family Assistance Ministries, United in Harmony, Hearts of Los Angeles, Great Opportunities, court Appointed Special Advocates, and Special Camp for Special Kids. “I thought this was definitely going to be a challenge. It was something that we’ve never really done before, and it gave us a whole different level of responsibility,” said Aide Najera, grade 11. “The project was very productive and allowed us to learn how to problem solve without much guidance from teachers. I also liked that we did something great in the process of learning, donating bikes to those who need them,” said Clayton Chalmers, grade 10.
Lynn Ozonian
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
Three St. Margaret’s Upper School teachers Ryan Dahlem, Lora Allison, and Lynn Ozonian created a one-of-a-kind, experiential service-learning project for grade 10 and 11 students to kick off this school year. They presented their students with 100 boxes of bike parts on the first day of school and challenged them to build them and find worthy local charities to which to donate them within 48 hours. The teachers offered the students overarching guidance on how they might organized, importantly they encouraged them to reflect on their individual strengths and choose to apply their skills to teams where they would make the most impact. They served as advisors throughout the project, yet the students had to organize in teams, plan the workload, rely on their skills and resources, and go to work. Over the course of two days, students worked in nine, self-designed operations teams including, bike building, safety, donations and logistics, to put this massive service project in action. According to Dahlem, “Our students are creative, problem solvers, resourceful and driven. We were confident that if we provided the framework and stepped back as educators, they would figure it out and get the job done. Ultimately, the learning and impact of this experiential, service-learning project would be that much more transformational and long-lasting as they grappled with the challenges than a project that we predefined for them.” The students engaged in the design-thinking process, gaining invaluable real-world life skills, teamwork, creativity and problem solving. It encompassed learning, leadership and service, the three tenets of the St. Margaret’s mission. The students identified and donated the bikes to eight local charities: Boys and Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, Friendship Shelter, Family Assistance Ministries, United in Harmony, Hearts of Los Angeles, Great Opportunities, court Appointed Special Advocates, and Special Camp for Special Kids. “I thought this was definitely going to be a challenge. It was something that we’ve never really done before, and it gave us a whole different level of responsibility,” said Aide Najera, grade 11. “The project was very productive and allowed us to learn how to problem solve without much guidance from teachers. I also liked that we did something great in the process of learning, donating bikes to those who need them,” said Clayton Chalmers, grade 10.
Kristin McDaniel
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano
Lower School teacher Kristin McDaniel is changing how students learn to read and spell in Kindergarten through grade 2 classrooms at St. Margaret’s and throughout the nation. Mrs. McDaniel developed a customized program utilizing the existing Signs for Sounds spelling program that builds proficiency in spelling while reinforcing reading skills. Mrs. McDaniel’s program, called Word Sorts, helps to solidify a student’s understanding of repeated syllable word patterns and sound-symbol relationships in spell. Mrs. McDaniel’s Word Sorts is learning activity that involves grouping words by patterns to reinforce and review the spelling patterns taught in Signs for Sounds lessons. Students use line-leader patterns to create column lists of words with shared patterns. Students separate spell-out words and/or place them in the out-of-sort words column. Mrs. McDaniel’s inventiveness proved to be so valuable to student learning that the educational publishing company behind Signs for Sounds, Read Naturally, published Word Sorts as a free supplement and made it available to teachers nationwide. “The extended learning opportunities provided to students through Mrs. McDaniel’s Word Sorts is invaluable. She has helped no only St. Margaret’s students, but students nationwide increase their spelling ability,” said St. Margaret’s Lower School Assistant Principal Heather Murray. Mrs. McDaniel’s program is currently used in Kindergarten- grade 2 classes at St. Margaret’s and each has seen improvements in student progress in word recognition, decoding in guided reading and improvements in spelling while writing. Read Naturally is currently working with Mrs. McDaniel to publish the next level of Word Sorts for Signs for Sounds.
Bruno Thomas
International School of Los Angeles, Orange
Monsieur Thomas is our 4th grade French teacher, teaching Mathematics, French, STEM, Art, Music, PE, History and Geography in a French immersion setting. He is the type of teacher one remembers for a lifetime. Entering his classroom, you feel you are in a special place…he is unique. On the surrounding walls you find these words written in bold letters: “J’entends, j’oublie. Je vois, je me souviens. Je fais, je comprends”. TRANSLATION: “I hear, and I forget; I see, and I remember; I do, and I understand”. This famous quote from Confucius has been adopted as his classroom philosophy. Monsieur Thomas designs a daily work plan to ensure that each student’s needs are addressed. In the corner of his classroom, you find a station with bean bags chairs and cushions where students can “relax” after finishing their work. The station has activities such as brain teasers, coding, puzzles and mandala coloring. Depending on the time of day, Monsieur Thomas’ classroom is either a buzzing beehive or a zen garden where deep thinkers might be found, pondering life. Monsieur Thomas’ patience, sense of humor and wisdom are experienced daily by his colleagues, students and parents alike. Regularly, Monsieur Thomas makes sure to include salient worldwide events, as well as local associations and resources into his 4th grade curriculum. At the end of 2015, we saw tragic terrorist events as they unfolded in Paris. Monsieur Thomas made certain that his 4th graders were engaged, able to understand at their own level and cope with the tragedy while showing their support, by drawing posters in his art class. He participates in such enriching events as the Time Capsule Overnight field trip with the Ocean Institute; and the SCORE program with the Anaheim Ducks Hockey team where 4th graders from Orange County compete in an annual street hockey tournament. Monsieur Thomas obtained his Master’s in Nanotechnology from Universite de Provence, France. He began his teaching career as a Ski Instructor in the French Alps. Obtaining his teaching credential in Versailles, he then came to the US and taught at the Lycee Francais of New York and joined the International School of Los Angeles in 2013. Asked what he would do if he was not a teacher, he replies: “I’d be a bee keeper!! I definitely have the patience and daily training. And, you know, kids and bees are our future…Oh, and honey is delicious!”
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