Parenting OC would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who sent in nominations for our Top Teachers of Orange County 2017! Below is a list of all nominated teachers, along with their full submission essays arranged alphabetically by teacher’s last name. If your teacher didn’t win this year, please do not be afraid to submit again next year! There is no set date on which we will begin accepting nominations for our 2018 Top Teacher Awards, but please check back in towards the end of 2017/early 2018 for more information, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Shelli Abbott
Arthur F. Corey School | Buena Park
Nominated by Valerie Connolly, Principal
Teaching is a complex and dynamic profession that requires a multitude of skills, knowledge and talents. Shelli Abbott embodies all of the qualities of a great teacher and more! For the past 20 years Ms. Abbott has successfully taught hundreds of upper grade students at Corey Elementary School in the Buena Park School District. Through her selfless and dedicated commitment to school wide academic and social development, Ms. Abbott has enriched Corey School. She has organized and led our Student Council for many years. Our Student Council has benefitted as Ms. Abbott has provided activities to teach key leadership skills, shared skills needed to plan engaging monthly lunchtime activities and assisted as the students promoted recycling across the school. Besides her direct work with students, Ms. Abbott works closely with community members as evidenced in her involvement with the After School Program Student Leadership Class, Young Readers’ Day, and the Volunteer Tea. In addition, Ms. Abbott has dedicated herself to many other school and district priorities. She is an integral member of both the District Curriculum Leadership Team and the School Leadership Team, All of her efforts bring a sense of belonging for all, which is one of our school-wide values. Ms. Abbott is a definitely a Top Teacher in Orange County who continues to make a difference in the lives of many each day!
Brandon Adame
Fairmont Private Schools – Historic Anaheim | Anaheim
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Teaching at Fairmont is a brilliant amalgamation of vested parents, dedicated students, and deeply connected teachers. Fairmont teachers like Mr. Brandon Adame are committed to building meaningful student relationships so upon that platform students can maximize their talents. Mr. Adame joined our Fairmont family over six years ago and has been influencing and empowering students to be their best. His impact as a third grade teacher transcends the four walls of his classroom and permeates all parts of campus life.The time he spends pouring to others has no limit; selfless and generous is he. Mr. Adame is an advocate of communication and partnership. He regularly meets with parents and administrators so that he can drill down to the root of student challenges to seek out actionable solutions. He also never hesitates to shout the joyous praises of his students’ successes to all who will hear. While Mr. Adame’s classroom may appear keenly systematized, when his students step in, it is vibrant and rambunctious. Laughter and student engagement skyrocket. The students in his class are quickly drawn in and make connections. It is through these connections that they are motivated to push themselves. They try harder and just want to be better. With his gentle nudging, high expectations, and empathy, they move mountains. In the middle of this process, confidence and independence bloom. Truly, Mr. Adame’s jocular and compassionate nature are palpable in his classroom and beyond. His coworkers can attest to his strong character and commitment to school. He is the first to step up and offer assistance to anyone in need. He is noble and kind. Mr. Adame seizes each and every opportunity to make Fairmont a better school. Working on curriculum, textbook adoptions, and mentoring are just a few examples. Mr. Adame is never afraid to try something new or make adjustments when necessary. It is this flexibility that plays a role in making him so great. He is forever searching for ways to tap into each student’s potential. He is not afraid to dust off some more traditional methodologies so that he can hybridize them with some newer ones in crafting new lessons. It is without question that Mr. Adame’s contributions to our school cannot be counted. The list is endless, and for this, we are indebted.
Lori Allen
Oak Grove Elementary | Aliso Viejo
Nominated by Jill O’Connell-Bogle, Principal
Ms. Allen is an exceptional teacher leader. After teaching 30 years in CUSD and having opened two new schools, she continues to learn, grow, and make a difference in her students’ lives. She continually evaluates and reflects on her instruction and her students make tremendous growth in all areas (academic & social-emotional) while under her skilled guidance. Effective communication is one of Ms. Allen’s biggest strengths. Whether talking with administration, office staff, colleagues, students or parents, she is empathetic, resourceful, and clear. She works especially well with some of the school’s most behaviorally challenged special needs students; in large part because she is calm and communicates well with both the student, the parents, and the spec education team. Ms. Allen closely collaborates with her peers (both general education and spec ed) to ensure student success. At the direction of administration, Ms. Allen leads the Student Success Team to administer effective SST meetings, and to facilitate meetings between teachers and parents. She is a sought-after member of the staff because she truly understands the SST process and the importance of effective interventions. Most importantly, Ms. Allen is professional, positive and flexible, possesses an infectious laugh, loves teaching & learning and is kind and loving to all students, parents, staff, and community members…we are lucky to have her at Oak Grove!
Ralph Aloia
Fairmont Private Schools – Anaheim Hills | Anaheim Hills
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
This is the story of an incredible elementary school teacher, Mr. Ralph Aloia. Last spring, during Teacher Appreciation Week, Mr. Aloia was running a race against his fifth grade students. Afterwards, Mr. Aloia noticed that he was really out of breath. He felt like he pulled a muscle in his chest. Mr. Aloia went to see his doctor. The doctor gave Mr. Aloia some bad news: He was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in his lung. Mr. Aloia needed to receive treatment right away. By the end of the month of March, Mr. Aloia needed to leave his classroom, his school, and his family behind. Mr. Aloia needed to leave his girlfriend, Marissa, and their one-and-a-half year-old son, John Robert, behind in Orange County. Mr. Aloia moved back to his parents’ home in New Jersey so that he could receive specialized treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City, the same hospital where Mr. Aloia’s father beat cancer not once — but twice! Like his father, Mr. Aloia wanted to receive the very best care from a team of doctors that he and his parents completely trusted. Mr. Aloia received many cancer treatments and lost his hair. The treatments went through the spring, into the summer, and extended into the start of this school year. Happily, Mr. Aloia made his triumphant return to school on day #34 of the school year. His first day back at work was Monday, October 3. Because the school year was well underway, another teacher was teaching fifth grade. Mr. Aloia did not return to teach a homeroom class of his very own. Instead, Mr. Aloia teaches students in both fourth and fifth grades every day as we departmentalize in grade 4 and grade 5 for math and reading. With two homeroom classes at each grade level, we like to offer three classes for math and three classes for reading so that students receive instruction that best meets their individual needs. Currently, Mr. Aloia teaches one section of fifth grade reading, one section of fourth grade reading, and one section of fifth grade math: Pre-Algebra. Mr. Aloia will continue to receive occasional treatments at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City. As a classroom teacher, Mr. Aloia is an inspirational role model for others. As a human being, Mr. Aloia is an incredible story of perseverance, passion, and professionalism!
JEAN AN
Dr. Jonas E. Salk Elementary School | Anaheim
Nominated by Roger Nguyen, Assistant Principal
Jean An has been a rising star at Salk Elementary! She continually seeks opportunities to grow as a new educator. Jean is a team player and is generous in sharing her ideas/materials with all of her colleagues. Many of her instructional plans related to technology is widely used by other educators throughout the district. She is very focused in what she does in and out of the classroom. She works hard to determine new and innovative ways to provide the best instructional opportunities for her students. Jean is a highly driven professional with a positive energy and mindset. She is always willing to support her fellow colleagues in need. One example is providing technology support for the drama club performances, which include evening shows, on her own time. This above-and-beyond attitude for the staff and students is why she is Dr. Jonas E. Salk’s Top Teacher Nominee!
Jasmine Anderson
Crean Lutheran High School | Irvine
Nominated by Dan Moyer, Vice Principal of Academics
Jasmine is an excellent and well deserved candidate for the Top Teacher Award. Jasmine has many qualities that allow her to anatomy and physiology to students in a way that promotes student understanding and engagement. Jasmine, in her eight years at Crean Lutheran, has won the hearts of students, families, her peers, and administration. It is a joy and honor to watch her in action as she so carefully teaches and builds lifelong relationships with her students. She has been repeatedly praised by students and parents in surveys and in meetings. In addition, she has mentored countless new teachers, sacrificing her time for their benefit, and to benefit their students. Jasmine’s kind, dedicated, and caring heart all support her excellent acumen in the classroom, making her an effective and impactful favorite teacher.
Lynn Anderson
Fairmont Private Schools – North Tustin | North Tustin
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Lynn Anderson has been a model teacher at Fairmont Private School since 1997. She has been a part of the Fairmont family as a teacher not only at the North Tustin Campus, but also has taught at the Historic Anaheim Campus and Historic Anaheim Preschool. Her passion and love for teaching is evident each and every day, and she has a natural talent for making all of her students feel individually loved and successful. She makes learning engaging and inviting by incorporating songs, poems, and dances into her lessons, and understands that her Kindergarten students need time to play and be kids while at the same time teaching the advanced curriculum that Fairmont provides for their students. A special treat each Friday is a mini performance for the parents of the week’s patriotic song. The students that she teaches and inspires continue to stay connected with her throughout all of their years at Fairmont, and each time the 8th graders speak during graduation about their favorite memories, Ms. Anderson and her class is always one that is mentioned year after year. Not only is she a model teacher to her students, but she is a beloved mentor to her colleagues as well. She is described by her fellow teachers as a kind and loving mentor who selflessly and tirelessly supports her students. She goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure her students’ success, staying late in the evening and arriving early before school starts to prepare her lessons. Lynn Anderson is a lifelong learner who is always willing to grow, and is never afraid to try new technologies and techniques to engage her little learners. Lynn puts forth so much personal and ethical energy into preparing and executing all of her lessons each day. She will take on any task given to her and make it a positive experience for students and peers. Each and every student that walks through her classroom doors leaves being a better person because Ms. Anderson was a part of their life. We are so proud of her, and all that she brings to our Fairmont family, and any student, parent, teacher, or administrator that knows Ms. Anderson understands how much she is adored and loved by all.
Frederique Bauer
International School of Los Angeles | Orange
Nominated by Franck Reynaud, Campus Director
Madame Bauer is a 1st grade French teacher at the International School of Los Angeles. Madame Bauer teaches a full range of classes including: Mathematics, French, STEM, Art, Music, PE, History and Geography in a French immersion setting. She is the type of teacher one remembers for a lifetime – she makes her mark on her students and their families. Entering her classroom, you feel you are in a special, almost magical place. On the surrounding walls you find many colors along with all of the students’ work with pictures of frogs! Madame Bauer refers to the frog at different times throughout the day to promote self-control and relaxation with her students. Mimicking the respiration and body control of the frog is a daily technique used to prepare students for their academic challenges for the day. “Mens sana in corpore sano” is Latin for “a healthy mind in a healthy body,” which is precisely Madame Bauer’s classroom philosophy. She designs all of the daily work to ensure that each student’s mental and physical needs are addressed. All activities prepared by Madame Bauer are project based and combine collaboration, curiosity and problem solving. Examples include: physical education lessons using Razor scooters, collaborative, bilingual writing exercises, the 100th day of school project and her famous campus-wide mathematics Treasure Hunt. Last year, Madame Bauer took her students to space! Thanks to the NASA’s OSIRIS-REX program, our first and second graders used Twitter and Instagram to send two videos of their artwork answering the question: What does it mean to be an explorer? The hard drive containing their work is currently flying aboard a spacecraft that will meet the asteroid Bennu in August 2018. A few years ago, while Madame Bauer was working in Nice, France, she managed to involve her 5th grade class in the judging of the children’s movie selection of Festival de Cannes! Madame Bauer’s enthusiasm for education is felt on a daily basis by her students as well as our entire school community. Her colleagues often reach out to her for pedagogical guidance. In fact, Madame Bauer is a Certified Teacher Trainer from the French Ministry of Education. She began her career in the United States, teaching in Baton Rouge, LA, in the summer of 2005. She and her family survived Hurricane Katrina and moved after the devastation to Irvine where she now lives with her husband, Jean-Claude and her three children. In her free time, when she is not planning for her next school project or adventure, Madame Bauer can be found reading, jogging, and visiting the national parks. Ask her what she loves to do after a busy day at school and she will likely answer: “To enjoy the quiet time watching the beauty of a sunset at Crystal Cove State Beach.
Frédérique Bauer
International School of Los Angeles | Orange
Nominated by Jennifer Bealmear, Digital & Content Marketing Manager
Madame Bauer is our 1st grade French teacher at the International School of Los Angeles, Orange County campus. Madame Bauer teaches a full range of classes including: Mathematics, French, STEM, Art, Music, PE, History and Geography in a French immersion setting. She is the type of teacher one remembers for a lifetime – she makes her mark on her students and their families. Entering her classroom, you feel you are in a special, almost magical place. On the surrounding walls you find many colors along with all of the students’ work with pictures of frogs! Madame Bauer refers to the frog at different times throughout the day to promote self-control and relaxation with her students. Mimicking the respiration and body control of the frog is a daily technique used to prepare students for their academic challenges for the day. “Mens sana in corpore sano” is Latin for “a healthy mind in a healthy body,” which is precisely Madame Bauer’s classroom philosophy. She designs all of the daily work to ensure that each student’s mental and physical needs are addressed. All activities prepared by Madame Bauer are project based and combine collaboration, curiosity and problem solving. Examples include: physical education lessons using Razor scooters, collaborative, bilingual writing exercises, the 100th day of school project and her famous campus-wide mathematics Treasure Hunt. Last year, Madame Bauer took her students to space! Thanks to NASA’s OSIRIS-REX program, our 1st and 2nd graders used Twitter and Instagram to send two videos of their artwork answering the question: What does it mean to be an explorer? The hard drive containing their work is currently flying aboard a spacecraft that will meet the asteroid Bennu in August 2018. A few years ago, while Madame Bauer was working in Nice, France, she managed to involve her 5thgrade class in the judging of the children’s movie selection of Festival de Cannes! Madame Bauer’s enthusiasm for education is felt on a daily basis by her students as well as our entire school community. Her colleagues often reach out to her for pedagogical guidance. In fact, Madame Bauer is a Certified Teacher Trainer from the French Ministry of Education. She began her career in the United States, teaching in New Orleans, LA, in the summer of 2005. She and her family survived Hurricane Katrina and moved after the devastation to Irvine where she now lives with her husband, Jean-Claude and her three children. In her free time, when she is not planning for her next school project or adventure, Madame Bauer can be found reading, jogging and visiting the national parks. Ask her what she loves to do after a busy day at school and she will likely answer: “To enjoy the quiet time watching the beauty of a sunset at Crystal Cove State Beach.
Nina Baumgartner
St. Angela Merici Parish School | Brea
Nominated by Vanessa Halliday, Assistant Principal
I highly recommend Nina Baumgartner as a superior candidate for Parenting OC’s Top Teacher’s issue. As a teacher at St. Angela Merici Parish School for the last six years, Nina has been employed in various teaching positions, including teaching TK-8th music, 5th-8th grade Spanish, 6th-8th STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, art and mathematics) and 6th-8th religion. As Activities Director, she facilitates our school clubs, including Green Team, ARC Safety Team, Leadership Skills, Athletics Club, Campus Ministry and Student Council. Nina supports our Student Council for their daily Student-Led Broadcasts (videos available: http://stangelabrea.org/campuslife/broadcasts/). She attends various fieldtrips throughout the year including the 8th grade Valyermo retreat, 7th grade Catalina trip and the Choral Festival. In addition, she organizes and directs our school’s prayer services, masses, Stations of the Cross, May Crowning, 8th grade graduation, Christmas program and spring concert. As well as being an alumna from St. Angela, Nina received her Bachelors in Human Communication with an emphasis in Theatre Arts from University of San Francisco and her Masters in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Catholic School from University of Dayton. She models the idea of “life long learning” to her students by continuing her education through classes and workshops offered by the Orange County Diocese. Nina has a wonderful rapport with people of all ages, particularly with children. Her ability to connect the material to the lives of her students and inspire a love of music, religion, Spanish, drama, leadership and dance is incredible. Although the majority of her work is with our middle school students, Nina exhibits great patience with her students as young as transitional kindergarten and as old as 8th grade. She is extremely positive, organized, reliable and talented. Her enthusiasm motivates her students as well as the teachers and parents at our school. If you have questions or would like to schedule a time to visit her classroom and see this fabulous teacher first hand, please call Vanessa Halliday, Assistant Principal, at your convenience at (714) 529-6372 or (714) 767-9310. Thank you for your consideration.
David Beshk
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School | San Juan Capistrano
Nominated by Anne Dahlem, Director of Communications and Marketing
David Beshk is an extraordinary Grade 5 teacher at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. He has independently developed cutting-edge STEM programs for our summer and after school programs for elementary school students. He developed programs on rocketry, the physics of roller coasters, and animal prosthetics. Mr. Beshk is a creative leader in 3D modeling and printing on our campus, and works to inspire faculty members and students to stretch their competencies and develop new technology skills. David shows his passion for student learning through his tireless lesson planning, patient instruction, and innovative pedagogical approaches. Mr. Beshk has led a partnership with Level Up Village to bring the Global Inventors course to St. Margaret’s grade 4 and 5 students. A cutting-edge example of global education and technology in action, the new, yet already popular, course participates in video-based engineering brainstorm sessions with students in Honduras, with a mission to design and build a product that helps solve a global issue. For the first session, the lack of power in rural areas of Honduras inspired a project to develop and build a solar-powered flashlight. Students at St. Margaret’s and students in Honduras shared their flashlight designs through TinkerCAD, a web-based 3D design and 3D printing portal. In addition, students at each school also created question-and-answer videos on their experiences that are shared with the students at the Honduras school. PCMag recently hailed the course as a “fitting endorsement that the global classroom has arrived,” while noting its ability to connect classrooms and share state-of-the-art tools. He also created the “Home Water Consumption Project” for his fifth grade students. It is a month-long STEM activity for students to track their personal water consumption at home for one week. Students calculate gallons per minute for their bathroom and kitchen faucets, showers and personal gallons per dishwasher and washing machine load. They then create a personal water bill from the home data and students are then charged with designing solutions to conserve water in their homes. Mr. Beshk earned a Master of Science in education administration from California State University, Fullerton, and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Arizona State University.
Julie Blodgett
Whitaker | Buena Park
Nominated by Julie Perron, Principal
Julie Blodgett teaches kindergarten at Whitaker, and from the moment I stepped into her classroom, I knew I was in the presence of a gifted masterful teacher. Mrs. Blodgett is an absolute superstar in the classroom. This wonderful teacher creates an environment of unconditional support and hope, where students feel safe, nurtured and motivated to learn at high levels. In her actions and her words, there is a sense of joy. It matters not how many letters, sounds and numbers students know when they enter in fall; Mrs. Blodgett makes learning happen, no excuses, no holding back. Never fear: Mrs. Blodgett will ensure that all students rise to high expectations. Mrs. Blodgett’s mastery is enhanced by her loving, joyful and positive attitude towards her work, her students and their families. Every child in her care is special, and she celebrates the daily learning of individual students, as well as her kindergarten community. In addition, she is the kindergarten grade level lead, attending meetings with other grades and offering input that is solid and productive for our vertical team. She makes staff laugh, she puts people at ease, and she has deep wisdom that has earned her respect and admiration of her peers. Even after facilitating 100 kindergartners through three holiday concerts, Mrs. Blodgett was smiling. In my 16 years as a building principal, I have seen numerous teachers with admirable skills and amazing strengths. What sets Mrs. Blodgett apart is that not only is she her students’ biggest cheerleader, she is the sunshine of their daily lives. And better yet, Mrs. Blodgett doesn’t expect any kudos, any extra praise. I am fully convinced, that when she receives compliments about her class and her skills, she would smile, and humbly express that she’s “just doing her job.” Julie Blodgett is the sunshine of our school, and her students thrive in her care.
John Briner
Fairmont Private Schools – Historic Anaheim | Anaheim
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Whether it’s dissecting squid with his seventh graders or delving into complex physics with his eighth graders, John Briner is remarkable in his ability to enthrall his students. As the junior high science teacher at Fairmont’s Historic Anaheim Campus, he continues to be dedicated to preparing his students for a successful high school experience. Born, raised, and educated in the far-off state of Pennsylvania, John brings a new world of scientific interest to his students. His teaching style is unique as he captures his students by interweaving stories of his life experiences into his lessons. As a former track coach, he has the ability to create a parallel between the students’ path to success in the mastery of science and the principles of competing in the sports world. Never is this more evident than in his mastery of guiding his students through the process of completing their Science Fair project. A challenging assignment, this project can be daunting. Yet with John’s support and encouragement, his students continue to excel at both the County and State competitions. John’s expectations are high, and he understands what each student needs to meet those expectations. Rarely seen at lunch with his colleagues, he can be found instead assisting, guiding, and encouraging his students in either his lab or his lecture room. After school, his room is the most popular place to be for academic help or just for conversation. The connection John has with his students exemplifies what teaching is all about. The success of his students as they move on to high school is evident in the stellar reputation he holds in the high school arena. Testimonials from former students and parents alike are indicative of what John has meant to them as both a teacher and a mentor. Visits from these students always begin with the words, “Is Mr. Briner here?” And of course, he most likely is. Truly beloved by his students, parents, and all of us who have the privilege to work with him, John exemplifies all that is what a teacher should be.
Mary Brough
Adelphia Classical Christian Academy | Orange
Nominated by Tessy Tzoytzoyrakos, Vice Principal
Ms. Brough is one of a kind. This is the teacher that changes lives. I have so many examples and stories about Ms. Brough. How she spends countless hours preparing for her classes on her own time and for the benefit of her students. How she takes the time to know each and every child’s learning abilities so she can teach them well. But what makes her stand above every single teacher I have ever worked with is her heart for these kids. Here is an example. We have a student in our school who has lost her parents, and her grandmother who is taking care of her is very ill. This student has been falling behind her work and Ms. Brough offered to tutor her for free, gave the student her personal computer because the family couldn’t afford their own, has given her rides home and gave her wise counsel when the student felt lonely and alienated. Now, we see a different child, more confident, more secure in her abilities. The other example is a little more personal. My son suffered from depression when he was in high school a few years ago. His grades dropped, he had no close friends in school, he was labeled the weird kid at school. We changed 3 schools before we found Ms. Brough. She patiently worked with him on his academic work, but more importantly, she helped him appreciate his love for the arts and encouraged him to keep going. Now, my son is a creative writing major in college. I speak on behalf of our school and our parents, that we are all so grateful that one teacher can make such a difference in the lives of our kids.
Allison Carey
North Youth Resource Center | Anaheim
Nominated by Rick Martin, Director of Alternative Education
As an alternative education teacher, Allison Carey is passionate about students understanding the how and why of their learning. Allison facilitates learning in her classroom by having students take ownership and interest in their learning. Her students are with her for only a short period of time before they transition back to their district school or to a community school site with the Orange County Department of Education. Allison is takes an active role in the Instructional Leadership Corps, a collaborative endeavor among California Teacher’s Association, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, and the National Board Resource Center. Allison is a trainer of teachers which emphasizes the belief that teachers can take charge of their own learning. Allison equips other teachers with an increased capacity to enrich instruction and assessment practices in the classroom, improve student learning, and create learning communities for educators. Allison is entering the third year of the this work. The impact seen in Allison’s class is the deliberate focus on having students understand what they are learning, why it is important, and how they can apply it to their life, career, and learning. Allison is having a lasting impact on students who have not had much success in school and are at risk of not graduating. Her training, passion for learning, and dedication is making a difference in the lives of students at the North Youth Reporting Center.
Melissa Chavez
Los Coyotes | La Palma
Nominated by Robyn Yarbrough, Principal
Melissa is a kindergarten teacher who always challenges her students to the highest level of achievement. She regularly employs STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Math) instruction where the students actively problem solve to achieve a real world solution – in kindergarten! She also sets high standards for English Language Arts in Reading Comprehension. She knows that if she strategically supports their learning by building vocabulary, fluency, and having the mindset of a detective, her students can do amazing things with high level text. That enthusiasm is also evident in the love of learning her students demonstrate throughout the day. It is a joy to experience her classroom!
Anna Chen
Frank N. Eastwood Elementary | Westminster
Nominated by Jason Kuncewicki, Principal
Anna Chen is a teacher that does not allow the term “student with special needs” to dictate to her that a student cannot or should not succeed. She tailors her students’ classroom experiences around their current goals and has them reach their personal best each day. Her classroom is set to allow students to discover how they learn best. Students can sit on the floor on a cushion, work in small groups with peers, or be instructed in a small group. Students in Mrs. Chen’s class flourish because she gets to know them and how they learn in a way that has maximized success. During IEP meetings parents come to tears because of the progress their son or daughter has made. She understands that not every student learns the same way or at the same speed and capitalizes on that. She allows students that have not been able to take risks to enjoy their learning. She should be awarded a “top teacher” award and much more!
Beth Clark
St. John’s Lutheran School | Orange
Nominated by Robin Gomes, Assistant Principal
Miss Beth Clark is a phenomenal teacher and contributor and definitely a Top Teacher of OC. Miss Clark teaches 4th grade with care and compassion accompanied by high expectations for student learning and growth. She commonly sacrifices her breaks and lunch periods to engage with her students on the playground, whether she is teaching a new game or helping them resolve problems in a peaceful way. Her lessons are creative and engaging. She is eager to try new strategies in the classroom and models a growth mindset to her students by taking risks and remaining open to continuous learning. She works tirelessly to create materials that are meaningful to the students and help them achieve their goals. Miss Clark knows her students and loves them. Furthermore, Miss Clark is a contributor to the overall school environment at St. John’s. She coaches several sports, providing opportunities for students to be engaged in extracurricular activities and further developing her positive relationships with students. She is competitive, but the ultimate sportsman. She expects her students to win or lose with grace and class and she consistently models this behavior. Miss Clark serves on a wide variety of teams and committees at St. John’s, often taking leadership positions. She serves on our National Lutheran Schools Week committee, Growth Mindset Team, Exceptional Learners Team, and Curriculum Leadership Team. She is an influential member of our faculty and she is well-respected by her colleagues because of her professionalism, tact, and excellence as an educator. It is my honor to work with Miss Beth Clark. She is already an excellent teacher, and I see her improve and grow in her skills as an educator each and every day. She accepts every opportunity to learn, grow, and lead. She serves her students, parents, and colleagues with enthusiasm and compassion. She is an example to everyone she encounters. She is faithful. She is a Top Teacher of OC!
Jennifer Collison
Fairmont Preparatory Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
A graduate of Central Michigan University College of Education, with a dual major in English and Psychology, and an MA in Humanities, Ms. Jennifer Collison embodies an unwavering commitment to her students as well as the teaching profession. Over the span of her 19-year career, she has received numerous honors for excellence in curriculum, instruction and leadership. Some of her most notable teaching awards include the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator of the Year award, 2013; the Claes Nobel National Educator of Distinction Award, 2011; and the Central Michigan University Outstanding School of Education Alumna of the Year, 2013. In terms of her involvement in organizations that promote excellence in teacher leadership, she has served since 2014 on the Executive Board of the California Association of Teachers of English, Southland Council; is Program Chair for the California Association of Teachers of English State Convention; and is Curator for the National Council of Teachers of English National Gallery on Writing (2010-present). At Fairmont Preparatory Academy, she continues in her leadership capacity by serving as the English department chair, WASC committee chair, and AdvancED certification coordinator. As a teacher committed to academic excellence, she has designed, developed, and taught all levels of English, from English I to AP and IB English courses. She also advises the campus’ National Honor Society, organizing service projects and making sure all students feel welcome and involved, and curates the Literary Lunch Reading Series. But the real proof of Ms. Collison’s impact on Fairmont’s campus culture is the way her students and colleagues view her. One colleague states, “Since she arrived on campus, Jennifer has been an inspirational teacher to her peers and students. The Literary Lunch program she launched has provided a small stage for our budding presenters. Jennifer has done an amazing job of collaborating with the arts on campus, elevating student awareness of communicating the purpose and/or theme of art pieces. She is warm and wonderful, smart, funny, and a joy to work with.” Another mentions that “Ms. Collison exemplifies professionalism and approachability. She is the finest English teacher I have ever worked with because of this, as well as for her integration of theater, psychology, and the hard sciences in her quest for maximum student involvement and curiosity. She takes on extra tasks and leads her colleagues quietly and by example.” Ms. Collison truly exemplifies what it means to be a top teacher.
Stephanie Conklin
Fairmont Private Schools – Anaheim Hills | Anaheim Hills
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Stephanie Conklin began her career working as a guest teacher and a member of the student services team on campus. Fairmont recognized her amazing way with the students partnered with her talents in the science arena, so they hired her for the classroom. Mrs. Conklin then began her time as a science lab teacher, teaching students from kindergarten through 5th grade, while also teaching one 7th grade science class. After nine years working mostly with elementary students, last year she became the junior high science teacher for grades 6th, 7th, and 8th, teaching earth, life, and physical science. Mrs. Conklin has an impressive way with the students, not only motivating them to love and care for science, but also the way she gets to know each student on a personal level. Mrs. Conklin is a rare find in that she can connect with a five year-old in kindergarten all the way up to a fourteen year-old getting ready for high school. Mrs. Conklin not only cares about and loves each child, she also brings unique experiences together for her students. She has snakes, tortoises, chinchillas, and more in her science classroom which excite the students and help them stay engaged. Mrs. Conklin is also a leader, being the school’s ASB advisor and helping students make positive decisions both inside and outside of the classroom. Mrs. Conklin is a special teacher that students truly appreciate both during and after junior high school.
Beverly Debreczeni
Fairmont Private Schools – Historic Anaheim | Anaheim
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
For veteran English teacher Beverly Debreczeni, education is more than a job, it is a calling. Through her patience, kindness, and direction, Mrs. Debreczeni fosters a classroom of hopes and dreams where students are invited to explore their talents and share their stories. With her, each student is valued and celebrated, and everyone can achieve. From live-action drama performances to literary gift-exchanges, the instruction in Mrs. Debreczeni’s class is a master-course in what it means to be student-centered, dynamic, and engaging. Year-after-year, her students return to share stories of preparedness and success, and to give their deepest thanks for all that they learned under her guidance. At first glance, Mrs. Debreczeni’s teaching appears to be effortless. She floats around her classroom, offering suggestions and guidance, but underneath her soft smile is an approach to learning that is strategic and deliberate. Mrs. Debreczeni intimately knows the strengths and growth targets for each of her students and expertly designs lessons to complement their unique needs. Through gentle questions and redirection, Mrs. Debreczeni leads students through the learning process to not only help them understand difficult concepts, but to foster a lifetime love of literature and learning. Mrs. Debreczeni’s dedication to her peer teachers and our school is equally outstanding. In her time at Fairmont, Mrs. Debreczeni has helped coach our pentathlon team to a national championship, founded Poetry Cafe, a lunchtime showcase for teachers and students, and served as an advisor to our National Junior Honor Society. Mrs. Debreczeni’s professionalism, work-ethic, student-centered approach, and endlessly positive spirit are never in short supply, and anytime there is a need on campus, Beverly is the first to say, “We can do it!” Whether she is working with her junior high team or as a member of her language arts department, Mrs. Debreczeni’s commitment to education, strategic instruction, planning, and collaboration are always at the forefront. She sees the good in everyone and works tirelessly to help others see these gifts in themselves.
Dottie Dennehy
Serra Catholic School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Carol Reiss, Principal
Dottie Rosier teaches Transitional Kindergarten at Serra Catholic School. She knows each of her students and works tirelessly to prepare them for success in kindergarten. She communicates very positively with parents and posts interesting information about what happens in the classroom on her web site. Most days you will find her in her classroom working long after the students have gone home. Her students never fail to always tell me how much they love her. Each year her classroom has a waiting list because word has gotten out about what a great teacher she is.
Karen Dueker
Hephatha Lutheran School | Anaheim
Nominated by Eric Deyke, Principal
Karen has been teaching elementary school for 30 years. Throughout those 30 years she has dedicated herself to the academic and social-emotional growth of each one of her students. She welcomes every new day and challenge with a smile and an upbeat attitude. The positive, high-energy mindset of Karen is contagious and sets the tone for students, families, and staff. Karen is able to maintain positive, genuine relationships with the stakeholders she encounters. She is also able to genuinely provide constructive criticism to students, and at times families, with the goal of providing the best learning environment for students’ growth. She is active with her students often being seeing playing games, like soccer, with them at recess. She brings that high energy and passion into the classroom as well. Lessons and activities are designed to keep the students actively engaged. One could discuss about her ability to teach students phonics and reading fluency, or her ability to effectively differentiate her math lessons to reach each of her students. In addition, we could mention her stations she uses to reward academic achievement and development while also having curricular lessons built into them. All of these are great examples of her ability to instill a love of learning for her students. But ultimately, Karen is able to get these results through her uplifting attitude towards the materials she is teaching. Furthermore, Karen is always evaluating and altering lessons to make sure she meets the needs of each individual student. It can be easy to fall into lesson plan routine year in and year out. Karen however is utilizing new tools and resources to meet the needs of 21st century learners. While the academic standards and expectations of her students does not change, often you will see that the lessons have changed year in and year out. She is motivated to provide a learning environment that is warm, loving, and nurturing to all. In our current school setting, teachers must wear many hats. Karen often volunteers for tasks and committees outside of her teaching responsibility. She is the teacher liaison for the Parent-Teacher League, she coaches volleyball for our middle school, tutors English and other subjects for our international students, and chairs our WASC accreditation team among other things. Each extracurricular avenue in which she is a part reflects Karen’s positive attitude, passion, and commitment to the growth and development of our school.
Karen Dunn
Wagner Elementary School | Placentia
Nominated by Patrick Brown, Principal
Mrs. Karen is a very dedicated, hardworking teacher who is always thinking about what is best for students. No matter what grade Mrs. Dunn teaches, the students are very successful and the parents support her. Mrs. Dunn is quiet, unassuming and is respected by her colleagues. Her lessons are creative, engaging and motivating! Mrs. Dunn works with students in a very calm, respectful manner that students respond to. She is a fabulous master teacher who new upcoming teachers enjoy learning from. When one thinks about all the attributes that the ultimate teacher exhibits, one thinks of Mrs. Dunn. A great teacher! A hard worker! A team player! A total professional! A spectacular person!
Raymond Dunne
Santa Margarita Catholic High School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Chris Popovec, Communications Coordinator
Mr. Raymond R. Dunne is in his 46th year in education and his 25th year as a Catholic high school principal. The 2016-2017 school year is Mr. Dunne’s 10th year as Principal of Santa Margarita Catholic High School. Along with his duties as an administrator, Mr. Dunne is devoted to teaching AP US Government & Politics at Santa Margarita has taught US History or American Government since 1974. When he arrived at Santa Margarita as Principal, Mr. Dunne was very adamant about continuing to teach in the classroom. Mr. Dunne truly devotes all of his time and energy to his role as a teacher. His creativity with lesson plans and his ability to employ teaching methods that help students understand the complicated system of United States politics and government is equaled by very few in his profession. In addition, Mr. Dunne maintains a neutral stance towards political views in the classroom, not allowing his partisan views to get in the way when he teaches his class. As an alumni from the Class of 2011, I can truly say that I still to this day do not know which party Mr. Dunne favors. In addition to his roles as an educator, Mr. Dunne is instrumental when it comes to energizing faith at Santa Margarita. Mr. Dunne takes prayer very seriously and ensures that each and every student, whether they are catholic or not, finds “Caritas Christi,” or the love of Christ, in their daily life. Mr. Dunne has fostered an environment of acceptance and respect at Santa Margarita that is adhered to by all of the students, faculty and staff members. Mr. Dunne’s role as a Principal at Santa Margarita has made him the face of a prestigious school as he has come to embody everything that is good about Catholic education. Whether it is his proud Irish roots and his famous lunchtime jigs on St. Patrick’s day or the time he takes to talk to each and every sports team before the start of their season, Mr. Dunne’s dedication and effort towards bettering the student life at Santa Margarita will be forever remembered in the legacy that he leaves to this great institution.
Blaine Dunsmore
Oakridge Private School | Orange
Nominated by Stefan Joly, Principal
Ms. Blaine Dunsmore has taught the “best of the best.” Oakridge Private School – 1st Grade Teacher When the 2015 “National Teachers of the Year” earned their nominations within their states, they enjoyed a summer trip to Space Camp. When they arrived, Ms. Blaine Dunsmore greeted them. She was their lead instructor through Space Camp and STEM education classes in Huntsville, Alabama. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education (STEM) has become a hot topic in today’s schools. Teachers and schools around the nation are focusing on STEM programs to enhance their curriculums. Ms. Dunsmore, a first grade teacher at Oakridge Private School, is a specialist, to say the least, in all things that apply to STEM education. Ms. Dunsmore began teaching at Oakridge in the fall of 2015, and since her arrival, she has been leading the charge in STEM development. Since the fall of 2015, Ms. Dunsmore has chaired the science committee at Oakridge and reorganized the science curriculum to include a Google portfolio of grade level labs, curriculum based model sequencing charts, and included specialty labs with Bricks for Kids, Lego engineering classes during the educational day. She is consistently pushing the movement for technology integration and cross-curricular science integration. Beyond this, how often do you find a teacher with NASA Mission Control on speed-dial. We often find her and her students “Skyping” with astronaut friends. In addition to her STEM commitments, Ms. Dunsmore is a contributing writer/blogger for McGraw Hill Education with published articles, she is the on-site volleyball coach for Oakridge, and a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language (TESOL) for the before school and afterschool tutoring programs. She is often seen with students of all ages in her classroom working on homework after school in a “homework help” setting, which she volunteers at no cost to the families. After receiving her Degree in Marketing in 2009 and her TESOL certificate in 2012, Ms. Dunsmore taught English in Rome, Italy, and continued her education by completing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2014. Even though Ms. Dunsmore holds many accolades as an educator, it is obvious that she is a born teacher. Her love and compassion for her students shows in every lesson and her classroom is an invitation for fun! https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/an-educators-perspective-on-movement-in-the-classroom-749a656cc86d#.20mhufa5o
Jennifer Ferrara
Charles G. Emery Elementary | Buena Park
Nominated by Karen Chalmers, Teacher
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 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.
Denise Fielden
Los Alamitos Elementary School | Los Alamitos
Nominated by Sunghie Okino, Principal
“You ask for fearless teachers. That’s me. I’m fearless. I’ve been scuba diving, bungee jumping, and sky diving. But, I don’t really think that’s what makes me fearless. I think what makes me fearless is that I’m not afraid to try new things in the classroom; try things that I may not have new knowledge or expertise in.” This was Denise Fielden’s opening statement in the video she submitted during the selection process to become one of Orange County’s Lead STEM Practitioners. Mrs. Fielden is indeed fearless. She introduced STEAM into her classroom, the engineering design process and coding using various robots to engage her students and deepen their learning in multiple subject areas. For example, her students program Ozobots to follow the path of the blood through the heart with specific requirements such as turning the robot blue in oxygen-poor areas and red in oxygen-rich areas. She uses robots in math problem solving and social studies while weaving in literacy. The level of dialogue, research, knowledge-building, reading, and writing that occurs in her classroom is reflective of the deep learning that is occurring with her students. When her colleagues asked her to share this learning with other students in her grade level, Denise Fielden did not hesitate and the team created a rotational system that allows student to experience each teacher’s strengths daily. Denise Fielden is also fearless in giving out her heart. She never gives up or falters with difficult-to-reach students and works collaboratively with parents to change children’s lives. At lunch or recess, Denise Fielden can be found “hanging out” with students. She also gives her heart out to staff members, jumping in when a colleague needs support either personally or professionally. Denise Fielden leads others as she creates new opportunities for both children and adults. She is a leader in modeling what it means to be a fearless teacher and fearless person. She encourages all of us to take risks and takes care of each student’s heart as much as each student’s brain. Denise Fielden is the kind of teacher that you remember for the rest of your life.
KC Fockler
Talbert Middle School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Jennifer Morgan, Principal
KC Fockler left the private sector 16 years ago to teach children. He is one of the most passionate teachers I have seen in my 22 years in education. He is known to motivate, inspire, accommodate, and connect all kids to school. KC teaches history, but has also spent six years as the activities director. This year, KC started the MUN (Model United Nations) program, an extension to the high school program that our students feed into. Students are all assigned a country and they learn to debate social, economic, and other issues on a world-wide scale. KC is known for inspiring and well planned out lessons. He uses music, technology, and student voice among other strategies on a daily basis. INSPIRATIONAL to our students!!! Additionally, KC is the advisor of the guitar and surf club at Talbert Middle School. He is a phenomenal teacher and deserves recognition for his care and dedication to kids. He impacts many every year.
Janelle Fox
Los Alamitos High School | Los Alamitos
Nominated by Brandon Martinez, Principal
Janelle Fox has been a math teacher at Los Alamitos High School for the past 14 years where she has done exemplary work. From working with at-risk students to teaching AP Calculus BC, she is the consummate professional who puts students first. As a colleague, Janelle is highly respected and has been a leader for the math program and school at large through her role as Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA). She has had a critical role in helping the high school and middle schools in the district transition to Common Core standards. Furthermore, she has shown her creative and innovative side through the implementation of Modeling Monday, which is a math teaching and learning initiative that focuses on one of the standards of mathematical practice. In short, it is a way for students to apply math to a real world setting. Janelle is a giving person who dedicates countless hours as one of the leaders of the Los Alamitos High School Faculty Club. Their work includes hosting faculty lunches, BBQs, and sending flowers for bereavements, births, and weddings among other items. One of Janelle’s best qualities is her ability to relate to and connect with students. No mater the student, the class, or background, Janelle treats all students with respect and conveys an authentic belief that each one can succeed. She is an absolute asset to our school and culture. Her teacher leadership will continue to help Los Alamitos become an even better school than it is. It is for these reasons that I strongly recommend Janelle Fox for consideration for OC Parenting’s teacher of the year.
Caitlyn Frank
Grace Lutheran School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Jean Nosco, Principal
Miss Frank is a phenomenal educator. She is creative and well-versed in the latest trends in education. She is a very calm and patient educator while maintaining control of her class with engaging lessons. She gets high praise from school parents and the other teachers. Every time I turn around someone is telling me how great Miss Frank is! I truly can’t say enough great things about her, and we are so blessed to have her at Grace.
Cynthia Fraser
Fairmont Private Schools – North Tustin | North Tustin
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Dedicated, passionate, and thoughtful are all words that describe Cynthia Fraser, one of Fairmont Private Schools’ most distinguished and experienced teachers. Since 1996, she has been educating the young students of our campus as a first and second grade teacher. If you ask any teacher at our campus who dedicates the most time to developing engaging lessons, communicating with families, researching new strategies to teach, or spending time giving extra help to students, Mrs. Fraser would be their answer. Her classroom environment is warm, engaging, and always has a focus where the students and their learning comes first. Her knack for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of each and every student as well as incorporating technology to enhance instruction is something that has developed through thoughtful learning, planning, and organization. When you walk into her classroom, there is a feeling of mutual respect and admiration between Mrs. Fraser and the students. Her kind, calm demeanor can make even the most eccentric children be able to sit, listen, and learn. Teaching is what she does best! Cynthia Fraser not only is a wonderful teacher, but she has influenced many others when it comes to being a master teacher, a mentor teacher, a language arts coordinator, and an integral part of many curriculum decisions for Fairmont. She has the ability to take teachers “under her wing” and is always happy to lend a helping hand. Cynthia has so much institutional knowledge and truly exemplifies the qualities of a Fairmont teacher. She is loved and admired by her colleagues, and has always been a team player. Her dedication to her students and the profession is second to none. She’s the first to arrive, last to leave, and even spends many weekends on campus. We admire Cynthia for her professionalism and work ethic. It is said that you don’t necessarily remember people for what they say, but how they make you feel. Cynthia Fraser is one of those teachers you meet that makes you feel special, that sees each individual student for their strengths, and that lifts up students to make them feel good about themselves. For most teachers, that is their ultimate goal, and Cynthia Fraser exemplifies that each and every day.
Nancy Freese
St. John’s Episcopal School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Monica Barnum, Elementary Division Principal
Nancy Freese has been a 2nd Grade teacher at St. John’s Episcopal School for 17 years. Always innovative and an advocate for her students, Mrs. Freese embraces the latest in Maker Space activities, STEAM projects and technology. Mrs. Freese willingly takes on new challenges in her classroom and continually goes above and beyond. During this past summer, Mrs. Freese attended a Makers Seminar at the Los Angeles Unified School District. After attending the seminar, Mrs. Freese prepared activities to share with the teachers in Grades K-5. During meetings before the opening of school, Mrs. Freese taught teachers in Grades K-2 how to create a light- up mask using batteries, LED bulbs, paper and markers. Teachers in Grades 3-5 were instructed on how to use binary code. The project involved using binary code for each letter of a student’s name. Students created a necklace with black and white beads reflective of the code. The necklace lit up using LED bulbs and batteries. Mrs. Freese’s second grade students learned how to use “App Smash” by taking their own photo, editing it by using the Art Effect App on the iPad, choosing a background template and describing themselves using Pic Collage. Finally, they “App Smashed” and emailed and printed their projects. During the Pioneer Unit of study, students made movies of pioneer families traveling west using 3-D effects and the IMovie App. Students first wrote their scripts, drew their pioneer families and planned their family’s journey. Next the students photographed still images using iPads, plexi-glass, blocks and fabric. The students then included an unfortunate event. To finish the project, students added titles and music. During Red Ribbon Week, students in Mrs. Freese’s class were introduced to green screen and Do Ink. Do Ink is an app which uses still images and creates a story using the green screen background. Students dressed up in fairy tale costumes and learned how to photograph each other. They inserted themselves in a still background, edited their surroundings and wrote a brief anecdote on how they would make the world a better place. After hearing about a new start-up company, Story Maker, Mrs. Freese contacted the owner/creator. She arranged a meeting with the young entrepreneur and after the initial meeting, both agreed to collaborate to teach the students to write/illustrate on-line short stories. The stories will be printed and bound.
Barbara Frey
Grace Christian Schools | Lake forest
Nominated by Natalie Cruze
Mrs. Frey is the kind of teacher that every child should have at least once in there life. She is so caring. She is the teacher that loves her kids…. it’s not just a job that she goes to everyday…. she genuinely loves what she does. She goes above and beyond for her students.
Sharon Frydendall
St. John’s Lutheran School | Orange
Nominated by Robin Gomes, Assistant Principal
Sharon Frydendall is a Top Teacher of Orange County because she makes learning fun for her students while ensuring that instruction meets rigorous standards. Mrs. Frydendall incorporates technology and collaborative projects into her instruction while paying thorough attention to high quality educational practice. Mrs. Frydendall teaches middle school math at St. John’s Lutheran School. She is a visionary educator with big dreams for her students and classroom. However, Mrs. Frydendall goes beyond dreaming. She plans and works hard to make sure that her vision becomes reality. In the past, Sharon Frydendall served as St. John’s WASC and NLSA accreditation coordinator. Additionally, Mrs. Frydendall serves on the school’s curriculum leadership team and has been an integral figure in reviewing and analyzing the school’s curriculum and instructional resources. With Mrs. Frydendall’s leadership, the whole school has made tremendous progress in math instruction. Mrs. Frydendall is also passionate about her students’ readiness for high school and beyond. She ensures that they are prepared to be successful in life by using math as inspiration to teach critical thinking, problem solving, perseverance, and resilience. Truly, those skills and attributes will be beneficial to all learners! Mrs. Frydendall challenges her students to pursue excellence while incorporating technology and hands-on collaborative projects. The students apply their math skills to real-world scenarios. Whether they are planning DIY projects or comparing Starbuck’s beverages, they learn to see that math is all around them. Because Mrs. Frydendall is thorough in her instruction, students are equipped to take on challenging tasks and unfamiliar problems. They have learned to collaborate, think critically, and persevere. Mrs. Frydendall is an excellent educator who challenges her students to achieve academically and grow as people. Her commitment to excellent instruction is unparalleled and she leads her colleagues to grow as well. She is an asset to St. John’s and worthy of consideration for Top Teacher of OC.
Katie Ghrist
Robert M. Pyles STEM Academy | Stanton
Nominated by Dawn Breese, Principal
Katie Ghrist is a 5th Grade teacher currently teaching a mixed group of Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) students as well as students in regular education. Her enthusiasm, passion, and creativity are both boundless and unparalleled. Every day in her classroom is an adventure in learning, with students inspired by rigorous instruction and high expectations for their success (academic and personal). Mrs. Ghrist motivates her young students and promotes a love and excitement for learning. On a daily basis, students thrive under her instruction and yearn to participate in activities ranging from literature study, to computer coding, to experiences integrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). 5th grade students in Room 27 are EXCITED about school and learning! Students excited to learn also excel in testing situations. Mrs. Ghrist’s students lead the school in Accelerated Reader (AR), a program designed to promote the love of reading by amassing points on book quizzes. Her students have earned the most 100-point tshirts and she also is proud to have the school’s top reader in her class. District Interim Assessments and state standardized test scores also rank highly in comparison with other 5th grade classes across the district. Currently, Mrs. Ghrist’s students have surpassed the district average for both English Language Arts and Mathematics on the first trimester Interim Assessment. Beyond academic focus areas, Mrs. Ghrist teaches life lessons to her students that will stay with them through the years. One of her favorite literature studies centers on the beloved children’s book, “Wonder”, by R.J. Palacio. “Wonder” is one of those rare books that can change the lives of young readers. Mrs. Ghrist has based her classroom theme, “Choose Kind”, on this upbeat, life-affirming novel. Through the main characters experiences, Mrs. Ghrist teaches anti-bullying, importance of respect for others and self, and ultimately…acceptance. Mrs. Ghrist is deeply valued by all District and school stakeholders. She is consistently requested to serve on District committees (e.g., LCAP, OC STEM Ecosystem, curriculum planning). Parents are always complimentary and take the time to complete written requests for their students’ placement in her class. As can be expected from the accolades above, she is wildly popular with students. She maintains mutually respectful relationships with students while loving them unconditionally and holding them accountable for learning. In closing, this administrator is beyond thankful to have such a truly exceptional teacher on staff. She consistently delivers every year…for boys and girls, their parents, our school site, and district. Mrs. Ghrist IS a TOP TEACHER, not only in Orange County but the world!
Angela Hamre
Eastside Christian School | Fullerton
Nominated by Kim VanGeloof, Head of Schools
Mrs. Hamre is a creative and passionate and selfless and disciplined 3rd grade teacher. She loves her students and carefully encourages each one to shine at what gifts they have. Recently, she was teaching a writing lesson and created a Thanksgiving lesson that taught research skills, history, culture and the benefits of healthy eating all in one lesson! Mrs. Hamre values structure and organization, but knows not all students respond best under that system, and adjusts her expectations to get the best out of all students. She takes the students off campus on field trips to museums, plays and parks. Mrs. Hamre communicates frequently and fairly with students, and is gracious in partnering with parents for the best education each child deserves. She is a fantastic asset to our school!
Amanda Hart-Richardson
John H. Eader Elementary School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Deborah Randall, Principal
Mrs. Hart-Richardson has heart…and intelligence, creativity, passion, and expertise. Amanda Hart-Richardson started her career in education as a special education instructional aide, empowering children with special needs and helping to tap their special talents and find their niche for empowerment. While making a difference for so many special children, she pursued her degree and teaching credential and has been changing children’s lives as an elementary teacher ever since. Mrs. Hart-Richardson is very passionate about her teaching and, as agreed by her colleagues, parents and her fortunate students, she always goes far above and beyond to provide the best learning and life lessons to each of her students. Mrs. Hart is a planner and is brilliant at scheduling her every instructional minute to fully captivate teachable moments. She is creative and makes learning fun and engaging. Students are so willing to please her because she lets them know that she deeply values each of them and their special gifts each has to offer. Students and parents incessantly compliment her attentive, dedicated spirit and her excellent intuition and communication. Mrs. Hart-Richardson is very progressive and tech-saavy, and is an outstanding collaborator always willing to step up to help others and demonstrate her latest and greatest of her successful lessons and strategies. Being our technology representative, Mrs. Hart-Richardson is integral in the success of all of our students, in addition to her own. She has excellent district benchmark scores showing significant gains in progression from previous years and marking intervals. She constantly uses data, anecdotal information, observations, and multiple measures to make certain her students are getting everything specific to their needs, for optimal success. She puts in the necessary time to differentiate for individual strengths and needs, so that her students are challenged appropriately and supported as needed. She is a master at planning and implementing the California Standards with ingenuity and perfect pacing, bringing pride and confidence to her children. Mrs. Hart-Richardson dedicates countless hours of her own time to benefit the entire school. She organized supplemental reading materials by lexile and ability levels over the summer so that children can easily choose books at their level. She devises our Art Masters program, schedules assemblies and instructional sessions and is our PTA representative giving valuable input to events on campus. She updates our website and organizes monthly philanthropy projects. She is a pillar of our curriculum success; she has been a master teacher to credential students, and as one of our Math Coaches is outstanding and progressive. She humbly and supportively enlightens all teachers of best practices, new programs, innovative strategies and lessons for superlative learning. Mrs. Hart-Richardson is a gem as she exudes positivity and enthusiasm for learning and excellence. We are so fortunate to have her as an Eader Eagle and our entire learning community would be so honored to see her recognized for her dedication, passion, creativity, and expertise, as an extraordinary teacher of Orange County! Thank you! Deborah Randall Principal
Mona Hijazi
New Horizon School, Irvine | Irvine
Nominated by Dina Eletreby, Head of School
“Dream out loud, express your dreams, and dare to make a difference” is the quote that neatly lines the walls of Mrs. Mona Hijazi’s Art Class. Teaching for nearly 20 years, Mrs. Hijazi uses art as a conduit for students to express themselves and to connect with their culture and community. When asked about this, Mrs. Hijazi said, “I look at art as a world where everyone has the freedom of speech and expression. Art bridges our differences and brings people together.” In addition to learning the techniques of art, students also learn essential life skills of observation, listening, exploration, and evaluation. Students are provided with an opportunity to express their individual identities and to be attentive to the world around them. Every art lesson is rooted with a goal of connecting students with a deeper sense of themselves and for humanity. For example, while teaching 2nd graders about Pablo Picasso’s “Blue Period,” she shared how it coincided with the death of Picasso’s close friend. In one lesson, students learned about a master artist, how a color can evoke or connect with a feeling, and how the expression of that feeling through art can give those who look at it a sense of compassion and empathy. When asked what motivates her, Mrs. Hijazi said, “Every time my students are engaged in art and I see their creations, I feel honored and blessed to be their teacher. I have enough passion for what I do to spread it all around me!” As an artist herself, Mrs. Hijazi can be seen throughout campus and at events holding a camera in her role as the Yearbook Coordinator. For 8 years, she has captured and documented the students and their school experiences in the school’s yearbook with the same sense of love and beauty she brings to her art class. Mrs. Hijazi is a rare gem with a perpetual smile and ready open arms for the students who rush up to greet her. She often finds notes and drawings from students on her desk expressing their love and appreciation. When our Parents’ Association was asked who they would like to nominate as the Parenting OC Top Teacher, they unanimously and enthusiastically selected Mrs. Mona Hijazi for the beauty she brings to our school and for the way she has touched every student’s heart.
Crystal Hill
Calvary Chapel Christian School Cypress | Cypress
Nominated by Denelle Voegtly, Director, PALS CCCS
Ms. Hill not only teaches our 4th grade class, she is also the Vice President of the Pre-School and runs Honor Society. She strives to make learning applicable, and fun, while firmly guiding these children as they transition into teens. Ms. Hill looks for every way to make every experience enriching and engaging. Ms. Hill’s dedication to this school is without question, admirable. Her love for each kid, from pre-school through graduation is well known. She teaches with a firm, creative method that promotes comfort and learning. Her heartfelt desire to impart knowledge and character is remarkable, as is her endless efforts to make our school amazing!
Matt Holland
Stoddard Elementary | Anaheim
Nominated by Dale Hillyer, Principal
Matt Holland is a 3rd Grade GATE teacher that challenges himself daily to get the most out of his students. He has a full range of students from Autistic to the extremely bright to the struggling reader. He is one of our lead teachers for our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) and embraces the concept of STEAM fully. He uses the Engineering Design Process with his students in almost all subjects for students to practice the being reflective and constantly striving to improve their outcomes. He is National Board Certified teacher that helps his peers in any way possible. He has trained the staff at Stoddard to use technology in their classroom, how to implement Project Lead the Way curriculum, and also modeled classroom dialogues with his 3rd graders for district trainings. Matt is an amazing teacher that constantly challenges himself so he can get the most out of the students in Anaheim.
Cheryl Howard
The Pegasus School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Jennifer Green, Lower School Director
Cheryl is a very committed and dedicated first grade teacher. She interacts with the students by frequently getting down to their level, looking them in the eye and taking genuine interest in what they are saying to her. Every child is a reader and a writer in her first grade room as she holds high expectations for each child. Often, Cheryl gets our tougher students because of her willingness to be flexible and use her skills as a child whisperer. She puts in countless hours of work and her car is often one of the last to be seen in the parking lot. Cheryl is constantly engaging with her colleagues to find best practices and is always searching for ways to improve what she is doing in her room for her students. Her love of learning and her willingness to change and grow as an educator despite her many years in the profession is greatly respected by her colleagues. In fact, Cheryl is a respected mentor to many new faculty members due to her collaborative spirit. She never underestimates the knowledge that her fellow colleagues have whether they be new to the profession or seasoned veterans and always considers herself a learner. The work she does to help colleagues and her first grade teammates consistently shows her commitment to students and our school.
Shawne Hume
Marina High School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Jessie Marion, Principal
Shawne Hume is an outstanding teacher in every way! She has taught at Marina High School for 19 years, and she has been an outspoken advocate for our students throughout her entire career. This year Shawne has gone above and beyond once again by taking on the role of WASC Coordinator while simultaneously launching our new AP Capstone program at Marina. Shawne has successfully led the entire Marina staff through the WASC process. The staff trusts her and has been engaged every step of the way because of her leadership. As a result, we have produced an excellent document that will be reviewed by a Visiting Committee in a few months. In addition, Shawne discovered the AP Capstone program when it was first being rolled out by College Board and immediately recognized it as a good fit for Marina. She researched the program and worked with administration to apply and be accepted. This year she is teaching our first AP Capstone class: AP Seminar. Outside of the classroom, Shawne works at a local college to prepare aspiring teachers. This allows her to stay current with educational practices and ensure that we are filling our schools with the very best professional educators. Shawne Hume is one of the most committed, effective, and inspiring teachers I have ever worked with. She excels at reaching kids at all levels and is constantly seeking ways to improve their educational experience and the school as a whole. For these reasons, Shawne Hume is an outstanding choice for a Top Teacher in OC!
Niran Ibrahim
Pillars Academy | Mission Viejo
Nominated by Zubeda Kazi, Director
Ms. Niran Ibrahim is an exceptional, passionate and down-to-earth Pre-Kindergarten teacher at Pillars Academy. She spends countless hours researching and preparing for upcoming projects. She creates amazing hands-on STEAM centers in such a way that children always look forward to that special time of the day. Children adore her teaching style and are eager to stay beyond the dismissal time to participate in additional academically enriching and exploratory projects. Former students that have advanced to Kindergarten always visit her classroom at the end of school day to give her a hug. As a colleague, she is a joy to be around; her magnetic sense of humor, cheerful attitude, and amicability are key contributors to her overall success.
Leonardo Indelicato
Fullerton Union High School | Fullerton
Nominated by Rani Goyal, Principal
Mr. Indelicato, English teacher extraordinaire, teaches all students, no matter their ability, to the highest of expectations and each and every student meets these expectations and excels beyond what even they thought they could do. This is extraordinary because Mr. Indelicato has some of the highest standards seen. Mr. I as his students fondly call him, is one of the most caring and compassionate teachers ever to grace education. It is because of how much he cares and the time he spends with students that he is able to help them achieve beyond even their own expectations. It is also his dedication and commitment to his craft that make him one of the best. He takes the classes that others find difficult such as Advanced Placement and Advanced Reading. His classroom is full of activity as students participate in Socratic Seminars, give peer feedback on writing, learn vocabulary through context, give oral presentations and collaborate to help all excel. He attends professional development to constantly hone his skills and is a teacher leader on campus in regards to the use of technology in the classroom. He is also the yearbook advisor and through his stewardship, the program has grown. Student took honor English their freshmen year just o have Mr. I whether they really thought they were honors students or not. Mr. I ensured that they all knew they were indeed honors students and could do the work. He also took our lower reading students and improved their literacy skills and gave them the confidence to take rigorous courses. Fullerton Union High School is incredibly fortunate to have Mr. Indelicate as a teacher, a colleague and an inspiration to many to always do their best.
Sunny Jung
Magnolia science academy Santa Ana | Santa Ana
Nominated by Laura Schlottman, Principal
The reason I nominate this teacher is because she is the a pitta me of a teacher with passion in her work. Her level of commitment to our students and her willingness to be flexible is superb. She was hired to teach our honors and advanced art students but in return she is teaching all students! She knows how important art is for kids in expressing and developing their own self worth, during the school hours she teaches upper elementary son middle school and some high school students. However after school she has volunteered to teach two times a week all grade levels. Her class is consistently fool and students are collaborating sitting on the floor recycling items looking for donation so that they have enough materials. Miss Jung has gone above and beyond to seeking out donations within the community and taking her students on field trips to open their eyes to all possibilities in the arts. The “A” in our STEAM education if new this year and she has gone above and beyond to set the bar high . Recently in our goal setting meeting she expressed how important it is for her to share with students what they can do if they choose to pursue a career in the arts. The heart and passion that this young teacher has it want to be reckoned and to show gratitude towards. For this and many other reasons I highly recommend miss Jung asked the teacher of the year. Please take the time to see her work visit her classroom talk to her for five minutes and you will to understand why she should win this nomination. Thank you for your consideration.
Aubrey Kadow
Saddleback Valley Christian | San Juan Capistrano
Nominated by Rod Markum, Principal
Mrs. Kadow teaches US History, Government and Economics. She has been at Saddleback Valley Christian for three years and has a great relationship with her students. The students are challenged to think about their ow opinions, collaborate with others and debate various topics. She uses technology (with our one to one technology program) in her classroom which allows the student to research and communicate far outside the classroom walls. Her passion for teaching is evident in how she communicates and builds relationships with our students.
Linda Kdeiss
Calvary Chapel Christian School | Cypress
Nominated by Denelle Voegtly, Director, PALs CCCS
Mrs. Kdeiss guides our pre-school students into their school career with a firm patience. She treats each individual child as a unique child of God. She has a steadiness and calm about her that translates well to these very young children. Her openness, clear and consistent communication and willingness to explain and comfort is an additional blessing to parents experiencing school for the first time. She answers emails after hours and on weekends, is a constant source of encouragement and creativity that is inspiring and motivating! The children (and parents) that graduate from her room are better for having been there.
Keith Kenmotsu
Halstrom Academy | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Chris Land, Director Of Student Success
To whom it may concern: SUBJECT: Keith Kenmotsu This letter is to recommend Keith Kenmotsu as a student or emerging leader in your academic community. I have been honored to serve with Patrick as an educator and supervisor at Halstrom Academy this year. When I met Keith he assisted me as the full time tutor. Ensuring that each student mastered a curriculum that had a high level of rigor. Keith modeled “grit” and determination for students through his altruistic ideals and assists each student with completing each of their assignments with fidelity in multiple math subjects that he calls an area of expertise. During this time, Keith has successfully navigated multiple curriculum maps and mastered the standards that reflect the academic initiatives throughout the country and the state of California. He willingly performs these responsibilities with intrinsic motivation that is truly inspiring for both colleagues and students alike. Mr. Kenmotsu has also grown as a full time educator and matured as a premier scholar on our campus, exhibiting highly successful pedagogy on both observations and performance evaluations. Furthermore, he ensures that as a “Master Teacher,” he takes on all responsibilities and knows what is expected of when modeling his expectations for others. Keith, engages his fellow educators and students throughout the lessons and provides insightful feedback in the learning process of each lesson. I would highly recommend Mr. Keith Kenmotsu as a leader and educator in any academic setting that for his personal character, “grit,” perseverance, and high moral compass. If I can be of any assistance in relation to this recommendation, please let me know. Sincerely, Christopher Land M.Ed Director Of Student Success Halstrom High School (714) 949-2938
Keelie Knego
St. John’s Lutheran School | Orange
Nominated by Robin Gomes, Assistant Principal
Keelie Knego is a Top Teacher of Orange County because of her professionalism, compassion, and innovation. She teaches 5th grade at St. John’s Lutheran School, where she is a leader among her colleagues, an advocate for her students, and model of Growth Mindset and creativity. Mrs. Knego is a skilled professional educator who raises the reputation and distinction of every educator because of the honor she brings to the field. Mrs. Knego works tirelessly to provide excellent instruction to her students with a high degree of accuracy and precision in all her work. Mrs. Knego surpasses expectations by serving on a variety of committees at St. John’s, as well as coaching volleyball and basketball. She sets high standards for herself and her students. Mrs. Knego loves her students with a tender and compassionate heart. She rejoices when they rejoice and supports them in times of sorrow. She encourages them and advocates for them when they face challenges. She fosters positive relationships with students and their parents. She is approachable and kind. Mrs. Knego conducts herself with integrity, is honest in all interactions, and genuinely speaks the truth in love. She is eager to see the best in her students and sees hidden talents and gifts that others may overlook. Mrs. Knego’s lessons and pedagogy are innovative and creative. Mrs. Knego quickly implements new strategies and resources that she has acquired through her own professional growth or from professional conferences. Her willingness to try new things has enriched her instruction, while modeling a growth mindset to her students. She creates a risk-tolerant classroom wherein students understand that multiple attempts, mistakes, and personal growth are a part of learning. Mrs. Knego is able to assess her students and meet individual needs. She teaches them school skills and life skills. Mrs. Knego effectively integrates multiple forms of technology and collaborative strategies to enhance the students’ experience in her classroom. Mrs. Knego is a dedicated professional educator who cares deeply for her students and continually seeks to grow as an educator. Her commitment to the art and science of teaching makes her a worthy candidate for Top Teacher of Orange County.
Mary Koga
Brea Junior High School | Brea
Nominated by Kelly Kennedy, Principal
Mary Koga is an exceptional teacher and teacher leader! She has a full understanding of Google Education, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and has transitioned to Common Core Standards seamlessly. She models and supports implementing innovative teaching strategies and use of technology with excellent learning outcomes for all students. Mary’s talents and abilities have brought her the respect of the staff, parents, and students at Brea Junior High School and at the county and national level. Mary is hard working and her passion for all students and their success is clearly evident. Her strong skills as a teacher can be seen on a daily basis. She incorporates innovative and creative instructional strategies and consistently establishes high academic and behavior standards in her classroom. Mary utilizes decision-making and problem-solving techniques and applies them appropriately in all situations. Her integration and use of technology in the classroom enhances both student engagement and learning. She actively reaches out into the community to fund projects for her classroom and the entire science department. Over the years, she has received iPads, a 3D printer, and lab equipment. For the past two years, she has been working with the Brea Education Foundation to fund and build an Outdoor Learning Terrance between the math and science wings on our campus. The purpose of the Outdoor Learning Terrace and Native Plant Garden is to provide an alternative setting for classes in order for them to intersect with curriculum topics and to expand opportunities for student learning and engagement in math, science, and art. After raising over $7,000, we are excited about building this Outdoor Learning Terrace this year. Mary’s experiences and contributions extend outside the science classroom as well. Mary is the Science Department Chair, our district STEM Coordinator, on the district’s STEM Ecosystem Team, is an Orange County Lead STEM Practitioner, and is a national presenter. She has provided meaningful science-related staff development opportunities for many teachers and for the past four years, has presented at the National Science Teachers Association (NTSA) conference in Chicago. She is a careful and creative thinker with an eye for details and a devotion to logic. Mary brings thoughtful ideas to the table on a variety of educational issues and her peers respect her ideas and enthusiasm. Mary Koga’s enthusiasm, passion, intelligence and leadership make her an outstanding teacher and teacher leader and is completely deserving of this recognition!
Elliott Kristina
Schmitt Elementary | Westminster
Nominated by Orchid Rocha, Principal
Ms. Elliott is the most requested teacher at Schmitt School! After working with Ms. Elliott for the past few years as her administrator, I can see why. Not only, is she the most happy and nurturing teacher a child needs, but she also has very high standards for her students learning and behavior. She not only expects it, she teaches what she expects. This is something that takes a lot of extra thought and work. Teaching what you want from children with patience and joy is an amazing combination. She has had many parent volunteers throughout the year comment that she is like a “magician”; the children work hard and behave well for her. Parents come out of that classroom impressed with her skill for teacher and her love for children. Whenever she has challenging behaviors, she is able to work with the student and the parent to help improve the behavior. Again, she does this with kindness and patience. Upon entering her room, you will find that she interacts with the students in a positive manner, the students are often working on academic type tasks, and they are not wasting time on low level skills. In addition, Ms. Elliott is always asking how she can help with the various activities that we have on campus. I can count on Ms. Elliott 100% to always be there to assist with schoolwide events. She is definitely an “above and beyond” human being. You will always see Ms. Elliot smiling, and this makes a huge difference in building trust with children and families.
Kitty Lapporte
Liberty Christian School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by David Whitmire, Principal
Kitty teaches Kindergarten here at Liberty Christian. She has taught Kindergarten here for 10 years now, and also taught in our preschool before that. Professionally, to say that she is a dedicated teacher, is an understatement. She is always positive and fully supports the school’s endeavors towards advancement in the community. She is kind to her co-workers and administration and always looks for ways to pitch-in above the call of duty. She leads by example among her peers and has amazing school spirit. In the classroom, she goes the extra mile to show each student that she cares for them and is concerned for their success. She makes learning fun for her students, and has them reading by Christmas, generally. Using a variety of teaching styles and hands-on methodologies, she ensures that her students are filled with learning each day of her full-day Kindergarten schedule. We love how well she communicates with her parents and always looks for ways to be constructive when remediation or behavioral standards need to be met. A few years ago, she had knee replacement surgery, and it was during this difficult time that she really showed her dedication to her students and her job, as well as her personal well-being. By that, I mean she made sure to schedule appointments and physical therapy around her school schedule as much as possible. She didn’t need to do that, but being with her kids meant as much to her as her recovery plan. She was faithful and dedicated to her physical therapy and couldn’t wait to get back into the classroom after her surgery, which she also scheduled around a school holiday. This type of personal sacrifice and dedication is rare in today’s world, and she deserves to be honored for her integrity, strength of character, work ethic, and dedication to her teaching profession, students, and school.
Peter Lark
Orange Lutheran High School | Orange
Nominated by Todd Eklund, Principal
Picture this: a 6’8” man stands in front of a class. He begins to bend at the waist and knees, getting low to the ground. His arms and hands extend, gesturing furiously. His eyes widen and come alive. The pace and volume of speech increase. Pure energy. At this moment you know every student is glued to this man which means every student is engaged in learning. I love the ‘80s as well; but Pete is that excited about the 1780s! Many teachers are energetic. It seems every teacher has some quirk, or shtick. Pete Lark has that as well. What separates Pete from so many is his students are fully engaged in what might happen next! Each class begins with a “joke of the day.” Once the kids have stopped groaning or laughing, he shares a “this date in history” fact. A student said, “He gets excited about history so students get excited about learning.” When presenting content, he often relates it to a real life story so the students get a different perspective and better understand the material. Pete seems like a unique recipe, mixing the spontaneous humor of Robin Williams, the brilliant mind of Sheldon Cooper, the voice of James Earl Jones, the storytelling of Charles Dickens, the captivating delivery of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the warmth of Mr. Rogers. This combination of all-stars still does not give a complete picture of the legend of Peter Lark . His parents, both educators, instilled in him an ethos that is evident with his dedication to the teaching profession. A journey in Pete’s classroom is like an epic tale. Story after story are poured out, filled with laughter and joy. Students KNOW he cares about them. His love for students and history is palpable. He was one of the most requested faculty members for seniors needing a letter of recommendation for their college application last year. No words can adequately sum up Pete Lark. He tries to blend in as a normal teacher, with a wife and two kids, who works hard, and doesn’t want any special attention. Like his height, he can’t help but stand out because of his fervor to help his students learn to love history. It is an honor to nominate him as a Parenting OC Top Teacher 2017.
Peter Lark
Orange Lutheran High School | Orange
Nominated by Todd Eklund, Principal
Picture this: a 6’8” man stands in front of a class. He begins to bend at the waist and knees, getting low to the ground. His arms and hands extend, gesturing furiously. His eyes widen and come alive. The pace and volume of speech increase. Pure energy. At this moment you know every student is glued to this man which means every student is engaged in learning. I love the ‘80s as well; but Pete is that excited about the 1780s! Many teachers are energetic. It seems every teacher has some quirk, or shtick. Pete Lark has that as well. What separates Pete from so many is his students are fully engaged in what might happen next! Each class begins with a “joke of the day.” Once the kids have stopped groaning or laughing, he shares a “this date in history” fact. A student said, “He gets excited about history so students get excited about learning.” When presenting content, he often relates it to a real life story so the students get a different perspective and better understand the material. Pete seems like a unique recipe, mixing the spontaneous humor of Robin Williams, the brilliant mind of Sheldon Cooper, the voice of James Earl Jones, the storytelling of Charles Dickens, the captivating delivery of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the warmth of Mr. Rogers. This combination of all-stars still does not give a complete picture of the legend of Peter Lark . His parents, both educators, instilled in him an ethos that is evident with his dedication to the teaching profession. A journey in Pete’s classroom is like an epic tale. Story after story are poured out, filled with laughter and joy. Students KNOW he cares about them. His love for students and history is palpable. He was one of the most requested faculty members for seniors needing a letter of recommendation for their college application last year. No words can adequately sum up Pete Lark. He tries to blend in as a normal teacher, with a wife and two kids, who works hard, and doesn’t want any special attention. Like his height, he can’t help but stand out because of his fervor to help his students learn to love history. It is an honor to nominate him as a Parenting OC Top Teacher 2017.
Ryan Leimkuhler
Heritage Oak Private School | Yorba Linda
Nominated by Shawna Rhebergen, Admission & Marketing Director
As Heritage Oak’s Athletic Director, Ryan Leimkuhler uses his influence to motivate and inspire students daily. “For me, teaching P.E. is more than just keeping the children active for 45 minutes a day, it is an opportunity to push them outside of their comfort zone, to affirm them and build their self-esteem, and to allow them an opportunity to shine in a non-academic environment.” Mr. Leimkuhler has the unique opportunity to teach over 500 students each week in P.E. Remembering all of his students’ names, their favorite sports teams, their interests, and all of the little things that make them unique is an important part of his role. He uses this information to connect with his students and let them know he cares. “When it comes to correcting a certain behavior or guiding a child to improve, it is imperative that the child knows I am invested in his or her development,” he explains. Mr. Leimkuhler also uses his influence to motivate and inspire students. He regularly conferences with student-athletes that are struggling academically or socially to guide them through their challenges. Mutual respect between Mr. Leimkuhler and his students allows for honest and constructive feedback and facilitates personal growth. By the time many Heritage Oak students graduate from eighth grade, they reference their guidance from Mr. Leimkuhler as one of the defining factors in their growth throughout elementary and middle school. Though he teaches P.E. and coaches the school’s athletic teams, Mr. Leimkuhler contributes his talents beyond the field and gymnasium. He is involved in almost every aspect of the Heritage Oak Community. He regularly participates as a volunteer in the school’s musical theatre department, having played such roles as the Genie in Aladdin and Captain Hook in Peter Pan. He is also a musician who can be seen on campus leading sing-alongs with his guitar during breaks and accompanying students onstage during assembly performances and the school’s annual Variety Show. He regularly travels with the Middle School on their annual overnight trips to Idyllwild, Catalina Island, Washington D.C. and New York. Mr. Leimkuhler even works over the summer as a counselor teaching camp courses such as music history and sports conditioning. Because of the wonderful influence he has had on thousands of Heritage Oak students, we are proud to nominate Mr. Ryan Leimkuhler as Heritage Oak’s nominee for Top Teacher for 2017.
Jaya Leslie
Fairmont Preparatory Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Previously recognized as one of Parenting OC’s Top 10 Educators in Orange County, Mrs. Jaya Leslie continues in the tradition of providing her Fairmont Preparatory Academy students with exemplary teaching and learning opportunities in science, as well as supporting her fellow teachers with strong organizational and leadership skills. In her 9 ½ years at Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Mrs. Leslie has played an integral part in developing and teaching advanced science courses such as AP and IB Biology, AP Environmental Science, Biomedical Ethics, and Research Theory and Experimental Design. Her colleagues respect her for keeping her teaching fresh and current as she is “always revising curriculum to incorporate the latest in biotech for her students.” Another teacher praises her for coaching freshmen in “proper, strong, long-lasting scientific methods.” In addition, she dedicates countless hours preparing students for the Science Olympiads, instilling a taste for competition. Many teachers have observed that under her mentoring, students learn how to “reach beyond their limits to extend themselves to achieve a level of combined perfection and humility.” This shows that Mrs. Leslie is as interested in students learning science as she is in their developing character and leadership skills. In addition to her duties as a science teacher, she also serves as the Director of Advanced Science and Engineering Program and the chair of the Academic Council. One teacher has stated that “Jaya is a fierce collaborator and a passionate advocate for students. As our faculty liaison, she also mitigates Academic Council and teacher concerns. She is an exemplary student leader who has a kind heard and curious mind to match.” Overall, the consensus here at Fairmont’s Prep Academy is that Mrs. Leslie is a tough but gentle educator who always pushes her students to be their very best. She is an absolute gift to her students and colleagues!
Andrew Lewis
VanDamme Academy | Aliso Viejo
Nominated by Grace Duryée
Mr. Andrew Lewis is the most dedicated soul I have ever met. Never in my life have I seen a man so wholly entrenched in his passions. Mr. Lewis is an incredibly knowledgable historian, an expert in pedagogy, and a delightful presence to have around the school. Everything Mr. Lewis does is for his students and for the school. Every morning, Mr. Lewis wakes up at 3AM in order to meticulously grade his student’s work. Every day, his students take multiple pages of notes. Mr. Lewis reads every word and provides meaningful feedback to each student. Mr. Lewis promises quick turn around time for grading assignments, and he never disappoints. This promise is important to him, so the students can receive their assignments promptly and understand any corrections while their work is still fresh in their minds. Mr. Lewis has a standing agreement with his history students that the reward for good papers is always a batch of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. He is also a fierce participant in after school water fights with his 8th grade students. For every bit as fun as Mr. Lewis is, however, he also has high expectations for his students. In Mr. Lewis’s history classes, his students go from copying notes off the board to writing their own. They transition from short response answers on tests to essay responses. When students graduate from VanDamme Academy, they know how to respond to essay questions, and Mr. Lewis’s history class is a huge part of why. I could go on for days about why Mr. Lewis is the best. This man does all of the things he does without ever expecting a thank you or a pat on the back. But I think it’s time that Mr. Lewis was recognized for all the amazing work he does, and for his incredible dedication to his students.
Andrew Lewis
VanDamme Academy | Aliso Viejo
Nominated by Lisa VanDamme, Head of School
How do I begin to do justice to Mr. Andrew Lewis? Well, as a start, Mr. Lewis is an avid and richly knowledgable historian, he has a Masters degree in philosophy, he wears a suit and a tie to work every day…and he used to be a mascot for an Australian basketball team. Dignity and vivaciousness, intellect and theatricality, gravity and joy – he brings together qualities that make him the sort of teacher students remember for a lifetime. If you were to pull ten students at a time into the hall and ask them what their favorite subject is, probably nine of them would say “history.” And that is thanks to Mr. Lewis. If you ask them why, they will say, “He brings it to life.” He relates history as a *story* that starts on the first day of school and continues with a thrilling new chapter each day. Mr. Lewis teaches kids that there are not just five questions of history (who, what, when, where, how) – but an ever-more important sixth: WHY. He helps them to understand both why things happened, and why they are important. Students learn to love history because they learn to believe it matters. Mr. Lewis has developed an ingenious process over the three-year arc from 6th to 8th grade in which he guides the students from 1) copying notes off the board to utterly independent note-taking, and from 2) writing sentence answers to writing essays on history tests. His graduates will tell you that they feel like writing superheroes. When they go on to high school, their attitude, as reflected in the unforgettable words of one graduate, is: “Give me an essay test, and I will knock it out of the park, thanks to Mr. Lewis.” His devotion to his students is tireless. He is famous for his 3AM alarm clock, set to give him plenty of time to correct *every line* of his students’ history notes. He does not miss a single comma fault or misspelled word in any of the multi-page, daily notes his students take. When he gives essay tests, they are returned within two days, without exception, even if it means he gives up what little sleep he routinely takes. The students are grateful for his corrections, and they strive for smily face stickers (which some collect avidly and with pride) and for the coveted and elusive “wombat stamp of approval” reserved for only the most perfect of notes. He loves his students, and he shows them in countless, spirited, joyful ways. From energetic after-school water fights, to weekly theme days, to allowing the students to pick his Halloween costume (this year: ELSA!), to taking the graduating students on an annual Disneyland excursion, to the tradition of “tackle to the teacher” and piggy back rides for the little ones, to so much more I will quickly run out of my 400 words. Mr. Lewis is just the best. He has put heart and soul into teaching for decades, and he is eminently deserving of recognition.
Karen Lin
Frontiers Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Vanessa Ortiz, Director
Lin Laoshi is a Chinese Immersion teacher at Frontiers Academy, a trilingual immersion school in Anaheim. She has been teaching Chinese to young students for almost 2 decades. Karen continues to consistently create an immersion environment where her students are engaged in the lesson content, interact with each other, while becoming fluent in Chinese! Her lessons include hands-on art, music, science, math and reading lessons that are vibrant and valuable. Her ability to get her students to gain a mastery over the language is proven in her students’s proficiency test scores and performance abilities. Visitors, current parents, students, and colleagues are always impressed with her authentic lessons she uses to instruction to her students, and deserves an award for OC’s Top Teacher for 2017!
Josephine “Val” Logie
Ladera Ranch Middle School | Ladera Ranch
Nominated by Kristin Orloff, Assistant Principal
It’s quite a task to get middle school students excited about coming to school to learn. They are more interested in coming to school to see friends. At Ladera Ranch Middle School, we are lucky to have a teacher that truly DOES get students excited about learning. Josephine “Val” Logie is our Home Arts teacher and she makes learning life skills FUN. It’s hard to believe that teenagers beg to be in a class where they are learning about balancing budgets, learning about the food pyramid, cooking and sewing, but they DO! Mrs. Logie has a way of connecting with teens to teach them important life skills with her warm and caring personality. The students of LRMS know she wants the best for them and they feel it when they are in her class. She is patient and accommodating to students with special needs, she listens when students choose her to talk to about private issues. She opens her doors at lunch to let kids come in and work on projects. She creates lessons that are intriguing to get teenagers wanting to cook and sew. She welcomes colleagues into her room on their prep to learn how to use a sewing machine. She hosts breakfasts for our staff to ring in special occasions. She has been an integral part of our school culture from the past 14 years- thousands of children have benefited from being in her class, not only from the life skills she teachers, but the life lessons she shares with them. Val Logie is an outstanding educator and the type of teacher students remember for years to come.
Ray Lopez
La Habra High School | La Habra
Nominated by Karl Zener, Principal
Ray Lopez is everything an excellent teacher should be. He is first and foremost an advocate for students. He has an almost magical rapport with them that encourages not only their trust, but their effort. Students want to work for “Ray-Lo” because he understands them. His classroom is energetic, filled with laughter, innovation, technology, and learning. He regularly engages his colleagues in conversations about individual kids and their specific needs. The list is as long as the number of students each year, not to mention the ones from prior years who come back for a smile, handshake and pat on the back. It is this focus on meeting students’ diverse needs that drives Mr. Lopez’s advocacy of National History Day. With his extensive background in pedagogy and social science, Ray quickly recognized History Day as an opportunity for students to develop in the critical areas of reading and research while at the same time, engaging them in an activity they would find meaningful. He introduced our staff to the NHD program, and went to all the trainings in order to bring us the most current information. He immediately jumped into judging and encouraged all of us to become involved. This year, with his encouragement, three staff members and a parent participated in judging at OCDE and are planning to do so at the state as well. With limited classroom time to focus on NHD, most of the actual work is done at home. At this time of year, Ray’s classroom at lunch and after school is regularly teeming with students (often not even in his own classes) looking for tips and techniques, last minute adjustments and tweaks. He holds workshops for both staff and students, develops and shares lesson plans, and encourages everyone to dream big. With Ray’s direction and support, in the six years of La Habra’s participation in NHD, our students have competed every year at the state level, and twice gone on to national competition. In a recent NHD competition, 21 Heritage students have qualified for state in seven of the eight categories!
Ms. Ludeman
Brookhurst Junior High School | Anaheim
Nominated by Andrew Ross
Incredibly dedicated and kind to all her student with a great work ethic
Stephanie Lukkes
Arroyo Elementary | Santa Ana
Nominated by Amy Jones, Principal
Stephanie Lukkes is an amazing educator committed to excellence! She has superior content knowledge as well as pedagogical prowess. Stephanie has high expectations for ALL of her students and as a result those students experience great academic success. In addition to providing students with an outstanding environment in which to learn, Stephanie always finds time before school to provide support for the students who need additional help, and can often be found on the weekends and evenings attending sporting events or dance recitals to support her students. Stephanie is an educator with a growth mindset who continues to develop her skills through participation in professional development and personal growth activities. We are so fortunate to have Stephanie as a leader on our campus!
Mary Manese
Santa Margarita Catholic High School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Alyssa Flynn, Student Counselor
Mary Manese is one of the most caring and invested individuals on the Santa Margarita Catholic High School campus. In the 11 years I have worked with Mary, she has always put the student’s needs above everything else that her job involves. Mary is a strong advocate for the individual needs of all of the students at Santa Margarita but she is also an advocate for all students in the ASP program by being a change maker and helping the entire ASP program to evolve into the premier student support program it is today. Mary takes the time to get to know the students, always listening to them and helping them reach their goals. Some of the most impressive qualities that Mary possesses is her patience and her positive attitude which I believe draws students to her. Mary is not directly in the classroom with the students but they are close to her like the teachers they see daily. She is a role model, teacher, ambassador, counselor and friend to everyone she meets.
Heidi Martasian
Portola High School | Irvine
Nominated by John Pehrson, Principal
Heidi is a relentless worker, a voracious learner and a fun loving professional. As an alumni of the Irvine Unified School District, she has become a valuable member of the Social Studies, Athletics and ELD Departments, who also loves to help plan the campus events that make Portola High School feel like a home to all staff members. Heidi is the perfect teacher to help start a new high school because she is innovative, and willing to help wherever and whenever she can. We are so proud that she choose to leave a great school like University High School in Irvine to join us at PHS. Within her home discipline (Social Studies), she regularly rolls up her sleeves and dives in to create the activities and assessments that make history meaningful and fun for all learners. In the classroom, her easy going style is a hit with her students. Heidi’s students are given clear direction and support to facilitate the meeting of learning targets. She provides instruction that is appropriate to the levels of her students while also holding them to the highest standards possible. Heidi is also our resident web master who guides the Social Studies department toward facilitating student created websites, an Induction Support Provider for our newest teacher, our very own French Revolution expert and a talented chef who shares the spoils of her kitchen with her coworkers. Heidi has also become a go to person on campus in terms of strategies to work with English learners and learners with special needs because she labors in service to the ideal that ALL students can learn. I have witnessed her modify instruction to support students without compromising class integrity. That is a hard needle to thread. Our Girls Volleyball team, under her guidance, secured the first athletics victory in the history of Portola High School and she is about to embark on the journey of coaching the Boys Volleyball team as an assistant. Her athletes benefit from her positive coaching style, her collegiate playing experience and competitiveness. Heidi is talented, multifaceted and a powerful example for all our teachers, especially the newest ones, to emulate in the areas of collaboration, learner advocacy and campus engagement. If you ever want to do the right work for students and athletes, Heidi is always up for the challenge!
Betsy Martinez
Pio Pico Elementary School | Santa Ana
Nominated by Robert Anguiano, Former Principal at Pio Pico (last year)
Ms. Besty Martinez is an outstanding educator. The educational program she provides for her student reflects a DUAL language (Spanish/English) student-centered, standards-based learning environment. 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. Ms. Martinez is indeed the optimum of what a professional educator should be. It is without reservation that she is being nominated for this recognition.
Ann McBride
Mabel L. Pendleton Elementary School | Buena Park
Nominated by Jay Beckelheimer, Administrative Intern
Ann clearly sees the connection between academic success and a students emotional well being. I have seen her magic first hand in the blossoming of students who had previously appeared dormant. With her limitless investment of herself in these students she holds them to high academic and behavioral standards. She creates connections and a classroom culture, particularly with these struggling students, that allows for risk taking, inclusive collaboration and personality development. Under her guidance, we are given a glimpse of the adults that these children will be. Her colleagues tell me that she approaches everyday with creativity, kindness, eagerness and caring. She shares constantly. Her fearlessness has allowed her to grow in her use of technology and her desire to break down barriers has allowed her to face obstacles with aplomb.
Emily McCourtney
Tustin Connect Center | Tustin
Nominated by Dustin O’Malley, Administrator
Mrs. Emily McCourtney is definitely one of the top teachers in Orange County. She is completely dedicated to the profession of teaching, and she works tirelessly to ensure that all of her students are actively engaged in meaningful learning experiences. Teaching jobs are challenging, and Mrs. McCourtney has a particularly challenging teaching assignment because she teaches all grade levels from kindergarten to fifth grade in a blending learning environment. She plans engaging classroom instructional activities for all grade levels that include robotics, coding, self-directed projects, reading and writing workshops, math projects, and much more. This year her class engineered gingerbread houses and was awarded “Best Class Entry” at the Science of Gingerbread competition at the DiscoveryCube Science Center. In addition to Mrs. McCourtney’s engaging classroom activities and lessons, she spends countless hours creating personalized learning plans so students can learn online and at home. She artfully integrates instructional technology and resources to ensure that all students receive a world-class education, whether they are learning from home or in the classroom. Mrs. McCourtney is also a regular presenter at teacher conferences across California where she shares her expertise with hundreds of teachers. In summary, Mrs. McCourtney is an amazing teacher who is highly regarded by her colleagues, students, parents, and school community. We are fortunate to have her as part of our dedicated teaching staff.
Debbie Mendez
Arthur F. Corey | Buena Park
Nominated by Valerie Connolly, Principal
All stakeholders make a difference in the lives of students and families. Mrs. Mendez is a great example of this. She has been a respected leader at Corey School in the Buena Park School District for the past twenty-three years. After five years of teaching upper grade students, she moved from upper to primary and began teaching both Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten. In these grade levels, Mrs. Mendez helps prepare students and families for their first school experience. She participates in Kindergarten Registration which gives her the opportunity to build positive relationships with incoming students and families and also conduct initial academic assessments. She provides an enriching, rigorous education for all of her students. Mrs. Mendez also participates and implements Conscious Discipline which helps students to develop their Social Emotional intelligence. Beyond her classroom, she supports struggling first and second grade students by providing a reading intervention for them. Outside of her classroom, Mrs. Mendez has committed herself to working as our Jump Rope for Heart coordinator. This event has helped to raise awareness and funds supporting the education promoting heart health. She is a stellar teacher and definitely a Top Teacher who is making a difference in the lives of many!
Dawn Mercado
Rossier Park School | Buena Park
Nominated by Maria Chappelear, Executive Director
Ms. Mercado teaches a classroom of special education high school students. She has students with varying disabilities and needs and does an excellent job of individualizing the program to meet the needs of her students. She will develop special instructional tools for her students to be able to progress and learn. She displays exceptional patience and understanding with all of her students even during severe crisis situations. Her caring attitude, calm disposition and deep understanding of her students make her an excellent teacher. The students and the school are lucky to have her.
Jenny Miklos
Orange Lutheran High School | Orange
Nominated by Todd Eklund, Principal
The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” doesn’t apply to Jenny Miklos. She is involved in so many things, but she remains an absolute master as a teacher. Despite being busy as a upper level math teacher, softball coach, dance chaperone, and Learning Teams facilitator, Jenny finds the time to be a leader in integrating technology in her classes. She has developed multiple hybrid classes that combine traditional classroom instruction with independent and online learning. Jenny builds and maintains strong relationships with students, parents, and co-workers. She is deeply invested in her relationships with every member of the Orange Lutheran Community. She has a great reputation as a “favorite teacher.” Although understanding, Jenny is demanding of her students and holds them highly accountable. She is excellent at communicating her expectations and providing the appropriate consequences. Jenny does of very good job of getting to know each student and connecting on a personal yet professional level. Jenny is very proactive in communicating with parents; in addition to sending reports praising the effort and achievement of students, she will let parents know immediately if a student starts to fall behind. Jenny is willing to try new things that will support student learning. She developed the Honors Algebra 2 hybrid course and piloted a hybrid course for Pre-Calculus. She uses a variety of methods to assess student learning beyond paper/pencil assignments. Students in her classes are asked to provide a video of themselves “walking through” a math problem. Students demonstrate mastery of content when they are able to help others “walk through” a concept when they share their work with their peers. Jenny was voted as our school’s educator of the year in 2014 by the teachers and staff on campus. They recognized her peer leadership, her commitment to the teams she works on, her genuine care for students, and her passion for teaching math. Jenny selflessly serves and puts in many extra hours preparing lessons/videos, developing new courses, pioneering new technologies, supporting students in their interests outside of school by attending almost all sporting and arts events. She is fiercely loyal and always the first to volunteer when a need arises. Her ability to do it all make it an honor to nominate her as a Parenting OC Top Teacher 2017.
Valerie Miske
Serra Catholic School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Carol Reiss, Principal
Mrs. Valerie Miske has been a first grade teacher at Serra Catholic School for the past 25 years. She was a founding member of the school and has helped the school grow to be the largest K-8 Catholic School in the country. Mrs. Miske is known for helping her students achieve at high levels in math and English Language Arts. Her students earn top scores on standardized tests, know their math facts and become great writers and actors in first grade. Mrs. Miske always has a writing center in the classroom and helps her students put on plays. Alumni who had Mrs. Miske for first grade tell us that when their college professors ask them how they learned to write and communicate so well, they remember Mrs. Miske.
Clinton Mosley
Maple Elementary | Fullerton
Nominated by Pablo Diaz, Education Innovation Specialist
Clinton Mosley is a 4th-grade teacher who has a tireless commitment towards teaching excellence. His motivational and inspiring lessons are infectious and his students cannot wait to explore and engage in his classroom. Students sing, dance and gesture to acquire grammar, spelling, and vocabulary experience and knowledge. They explore learning through augmented reality which allows students to overlay creative explanations of their projects by making a two-dimensional product come to life by viewing it through and iPad. In addition to his top-notch performance in the classroom, Clinton also gives his time to support teachers at the district level by offering his expertise in lesson and game design. Clinton has been a leader in piloting and developing reading and writing lessons that are game-like in nature and engage students and personalize learning. He is part of a cohort of teachers that are changing the way students learn, so he can develop life-long learners and 21st-century skills.
Ora Mounphiphak
Davis Elementary School | Santa Ana
Nominated by Robert Anguiano, Principal
Our nominee, Ms. Ora Mounphiphak is an outstanding educator who goes above and beyond expectations on a daily basis. The educational program she provides for her student reflects a student-centered, standards-based learning environment. In addition to her duties as a classroom teacher, she serves on several committees including Positive Behavioral Interventions Systems, Instructional Leadership Team, Foster Science Grant and coordinates schoolwide programs to move the school forward with emphasis upon a positive school climate and students’ academic achievement. She is also an integral member of the Davis Elementary School staff where she is highly respected by staff, students, parents and members of the community. Ms. Mounphiphak is indeed the optimum of what a professional educator should be. It is without reservation that she is being nominated for this recognition.
Vedha Muthu
St. John’s Episcopal School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by James Jordan, Middle Division Principal
Always smiling, Vedha Muthu’s passion for teaching 7th grade Life Science is infectious. Not only does Mrs. Muthu love her subject, but she makes it cool for her students by offering lots of hands-on activities and also by writing and performing songs to help them remember difficult concepts. Mrs. Muthu combines artistic expression, philosophical reflections, technology, and engineering with traditional science concepts to provide a welcoming environment in which students are empowered to take risks, have fun, and be creative themselves. Rather than simply giving the traditional test at the end of the unit, Mrs. Muthu is constantly looking for new ways to engage her students. Her work has also been recognized by the National Association of Independent Schools, and one of her projects was recently featured on the NAIS Inspiration Lab blog. Using only rubber bands, PVC pipe, cardboard tubes, hair claws, lanyards, and popsicle sticks, students concluded their unit on living organisms by participating in a strategic design process to build a prosthetic hand. Students worked together to apply their knowledge of how the muscular and skeletal systems work in order to make their hand perform functions such as picking up a grape without crushing it; lifting a ten-pound weight without breaking; catching and throwing a ball. Suffering setbacks and problem-solving is an integral part of Mrs. Muthu’s project-based curriculum. Another activity that the students find meaningful is one in which they build a structure that can hold two textbooks at least eight inches off the table using only four pieces of regular printer paper and some tape. Although this activity has many “real world” applications, Mrs. Muthu used it as a vehicle to help her students understand and appreciate the bone structures of our legs and how they hold us up. Mrs. Muthu gets involved for her students beyond the classroom. She is a strong student advocate, and they often go to her for advice and wise counsel.
Kelli Nye
Clarence Lobo Elementary School | San Clemente
Nominated by Cheryl Sampson, Principal
Kelli Nye is definitely worthy of the honor of Orange County’s Educator of the Year. She always puts the children first in her classroom inside and out. They all feel a special relationship with her. She partners with parents and community members to make sure that students’ needs are being met. When you ask her peers, they will tell you that she is a team player and gives 200% of her time and energy to her students and the school community of Clarence Lobo Elementary School. Mrs. Nye has always been a tremendous teacher, but has really been exemplary this year as we are reimagining as a STEAM school. Mrs. Nye 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 academic gains. The rigor that the students are expected to provide is bar none, the best. Her students show great growth from the previous year, especially in the 4 C’s (Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking). Her classroom management skills are exemplary. 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. Mrs. Nye has amazing rapport with the parents. Kelli listens to the concerns of parents, and with their partnership sets up plans to help the students be successful. She welcomes parent volunteers and builds a family atmosphere within the classroom. She realizes that each family unit is unique and she builds on the strengths of the families. Kelli is a team player. She steps up and volunteers to make sure that the 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. She instituted an engineering boot camp for our 5th graders and it has been a rousing success. She has also taken on the role of creating an Innovation Lab for our school. Mrs. Nye is a life-long learner. As an administrator, who has been in education for close to 30 years, I rarely see the kind of dedication shown by Kelli Nye. She is the model that all teachers should strive to become. As Clarence Lobo Elementary School is transitioning into a STEAM Academy, Mrs. Nye has been instrumental in helping to bring all aspects of STEAM to our school. Lobo School is a great school because of teachers like Kelli Nye.
Elizabeth O’Shea
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School | San Juan Capistrano
Nominated by Anne Dahlem, Director of Communications and Marketing
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Mathematics Department Chair and Upper School math teacher Elizabeth O’Shea collaborated with the school’s Science Department to create a mathematics curriculum and supporting text that coincides with the science curriculum. This interdisciplinary studies approach advancing student learning and deepening their connection and understanding across both disciplines—math and science. Mrs. O’Shea led the development and authoring of a new “Mathematical Methods of Science” workbook with the math department teachers that supports the new Physics class for ninth grade students. The new textbook focuses on math concepts that align with physics lessons, that many freshmen weren’t learning in math classes until later. They wrote and incorporated algebra problems based on scientific topics so students could see science language and solve problems while reinforcing algebra skills. The new textbook was provided to each St. Margaret’s freshman at the beginning of the year. “It’s important for students to make the meaningful connection between the two different disciplines,” said Mrs. O’Shea. “It’s great when they see something in their physics or chemistry course and say ‘Oh I learned that in math!’ and vice-versa. A strong background in math helps science make sense.” St. Margaret’s Academic Dean Jeneen Graham said, “We are always looking for ways to coordinate and identify synergies in our curricula across departments because we know that interdisciplinary learning provides deeper connection in all subjects for our students. This collaboration between the math and science departments under the innovative and collaborative leadership of Elizabeth and Jennifer (Ross-Viola, science department chair) is an outstanding example of how we approach curriculum development and seek ways to bridge disciplines and advance their mutual relevance for our students.” Mrs. O’Shea, who teaches Geometry this school year in addition to her duties as math department chair, uses the workbook about once a week in her classes. She’s listening to feedback and jotting down notes, with plans to work with the other math and science teachers to annually revise the workbook—all with the goal of better aligning the curriculum in an interesting and enlightening way. Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She teaches AP Calculus AB, Pre-calculus Honors, Algebra II Honors, and Geometry.
Courtney Ogle
St. Hedwig Catholic School | Los Alamitos
Nominated by Erin Rucker, Principal
Ms. Ogle is an exceptional teacher, working hard with her professional colleagues and parents to ensure each and every one of her students feels cared about and successful in her classroom. She recognizes that each student has unique talents and responds differently, enabling her to tailor her instruction to support each student. Implementing a flipped classroom model, she is able to work with students to reach their full potential. Furthermore, she serves as a leader on the faculty coordinating efforts with other colleagues to ensure a comprehensive curriculum across grade levels. She also runs our Character Education program and goes above and beyond. Ms. Ogle, among many teachers at St. Hedwig Catholic School, deserve recognition for their commitment to their students, partnering with parents to guide students to success.
Nancy Pace
Heritage Oak Private Education | Yorba Linda
Nominated by Shawna Rhebergen, Admissions & Marketing Director
The majority of the time that a Heritage Oak graduate comes back to visit, he or she makes a special stop in Mrs. Nancy Pace’s classroom to say thank you. Mrs. Pace has been teaching at Heritage Oak since 1998 and has held various teaching positions from kindergarten all the way through middle school. Currently, a third grade teacher, Mrs. Pace is known for her caring disposition and her creative teaching methods—especially in mathematics. Her math lessons are dubbed “Math Ala Pace” and graduates report that they use strategies taught by Mrs. Pace regularly. “My favorite subject to teach has been math. Growing up it was my least favorite because it was extremely challenging for me,” Explains Mrs. Pace, “I would work on math for hours trying to find a logical way of working through a problem. I would create stories for myself that would remind me of difficult/abstract concepts. The stories were vivid illustrations with castles and kings going on amazing adventures! These stories became a useful tool for teaching students at each grade level. They love the stories and the math concepts magically become crystal clear!” Mrs. Pace has been in the field of education since 1975 and enjoys the special relationships that are developed with her students and their families. Though she has many years of experience, she says that she learns something new from her students each day, “They are learning fundamentals, and I am learning about children growing through their daily experiences, not just growing up. My desire is to try to look at life in a different way or from a different point of view. This in turn helps me to be able to explain a topic in a new and exciting way.” Though her school day starts at 7:45am, she can regularly be seen on campus tutoring students as early as 7:00am and is a home tutor for 13 3rd through 8th grade students after her regular school day ends. She credits her after-school work with such a diverse groups of students from both private and public schools with keeping her up to date on curricula across the educational spectrum. Because of her commitment to professional growth, her long-term impact on students, and her positive outlook, we are proud to nominate Mrs. Nancy Pace as a candidate for Parenting OC’s Top Teacher contest.
Anna Padilla
Walt Disney School | Anaheim
Nominated by Teali Fielder, Principal
Year after year, Anna Padilla inspires and develops young scholars, mathematicians and scientists. Her classroom is always a buzz with purpose as her fourth grade GATE students learn in unique and exciting ways how to apply their knowledge of complex mathematical formulas, physics, and scientific concepts. She propels her students beyond a basic understanding of key concepts by building each individual student’s intellectual capacity and fostering an environment of collaboration, rigor, and synergy. It is here that students apply their knowledge to solve real life problems, construct projects, and design real working prototypes. Her classroom is a community of active and inquisitive learners as a result of her passion, creativity, and sincere love of teaching. While building a strong foundational knowledge for her students, Mrs. Padilla brings deeper meaning and once in a lifetime learning opportunities for her students. Collaborative teams can be seen building rollercoasters to study physical science principles and what better way to learn about proportions, fractions, and equivalencies than by having teams develop recipes to make and test fresh lemonade. After an extensive study of velocity, distance, and rate, student teams designed and invented an apparatus for launching pumpkins by applying many important principles learned. Prior to using their inventions to launch actual mini pumpkins, students utilized the steps of the scientific method to evaluate and hypothesize the functionality of their designs and to predict expected outcomes. Mrs. Padilla opened up this exciting learning experience to all of our upper grade students. Working with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students before school, Mrs. Padilla prepared our students with the prerequisite skills for success and facilitated this now annual school wide event. Our younger students cheered, as teams launched their pumpkins. As an extremely conscientious educator who strives for excellence in everything she does, Anna Padilla continually inspires the love of learning in her students, while providing them all with an extremely impactful, memorable and outstanding education. As an educational community, we all are continually inspired by Anna Padilla. She is a positive and dedicated teacher that has made, and continues to make a tremendous impact on the success of students, colleagues, our school, and the broader Disney Community.
Jessica Pak
Fairmont Private Schools – North Tustin | North Tustin
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Students face unique challenges during their junior high years as they transition into becoming young adults. During this time a teacher can be a comforting presence and a guiding light towards success. Our junior high is lucky to have one of these inspiring teachers for our students. Mrs. Pak has a talent for holding her students to high academic expectations while still being able to be a nurturing role model who genuinely cares for each individual. That care is evident every day as she greets each of her classes at the door with a smile and a handshake. She is able to teach math in a way that makes sense to our students. She encourages and supports her students to think critically, to apply math to real world situations, and to take extremely complex topics from Pre-algebra through Pre-calculus and make it understandable to a junior high student’s mind. The questions her students ask are easily and positively answered. Never is there a tone of impatience from Mrs. Pak as she once again explains slope-intercept form to her class. Mrs. Pak has experience teaching elementary, middle, and high school students. Her favorite age to teach is middle school, and her favorite courses to teach are higher level math. It was a perfect match when I needed a junior high teacher who would be able to teach all that way up to pre-calculus! Mrs. Pak’s proactive approach to working with her students and their parents is one reason why she is one of Fairmont’s strongest teachers. She is always willing to help students before and after school, and does a wonderful job checking in with her students to make sure that they stay on track. She understands the importance of building a strong foundation to help them succeed in their future. Not only is she supportive as a teacher, but as a colleague as well. She works well with her junior high team, and is able to provide thoughtful and meaningful feedback about students because of her attention to them as individual learners. Just like her commitment to her own family and children, she shows that same love to each and every student she meets. We wholeheartedly appreciate all that Jessica does for every student, parent, and faculty member on our campus. She really is that guiding light that helps make our campus shine!
Lynne Pantano
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Julie Tipton, Principal
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School is noted for academic excellence, high test scores, and our diverse student population. Ms. Pantano teaches the middle school (grades 6-8) Advanced Plus English Language Arts classes. Her students are selected through rigorous criteria and placement in her class is a coveted position not only by the assignment, but the opportunity to be part of Ms. Pantano’s unique and excellent instruction. Ms. Pantano is extremely passionate both about her subject matter and pushing her students to their maximum potential. She carries is diligent in her and consistently goes above the expectations. She thinks well beyond the middle school years for her students, preparing them to succeed and excel in high school and college programs. Her attention to critical thinking, application, and collegiate atmosphere empowers students for the rigor of 21st century learning. While respected for her demanding and arduous classroom expectations, Ms. Pantano is loved by her students. At lunchtime and during free periods, there are always students visiting or “hanging out” in the classroom. She has a great respect for her students and they in turn respect and admire her. Ms. Pantano is an excellent candidate for Top Teacher. She ignites our leaders for tomorrow!
Greg Platt
Troy High School | Fullerton
Nominated by William Mynster, Principal
Greg Platt is one of the finest teachers at Troy High School. Mr. Platt teaches a full schedule of IB English classes and he has a reputation of going well “above and beyond” to ensure all students in his classes are successful. During the 2015-16 school year when Mr. Platt learned FJUHSD was going to begin to incorporate 1:1 devices for students, he decided to get ahead of the curve. Mid-year Mr. Platt reorganized all of his courses to take advantage of new technology as a teaching tool and converted his class assignments and instruction to various Google platforms. He increased student engagement, reduced paper consumption, and increased both the rigor and being able to provide timely feedback to his students as a result of his efforts. Greg always does what is “best for kids.”
Christy Prendergast
Columbus Tustin Middle School | Tustin
Nominated by Maggie Burdette, Principal
Christy Prendergast is a passionate dedicated teacher. She has spent the past year developing very successful strategic reading intervention classes to support our most struggling readers. Christy has a gentle, patient demeanor and makes quick connections with her students. She helps them make connections to what they read and increase their comprehension. Her goal is to motivate and engage students so they don’t simply increase their academic scores, but also learn to love reading. Christy celebrates both small and large successes in her classroom throughout the year, increasing student confidence levels. By the end of last year almost all her students had increased their reading levels by multiple grade levels! Christy is part of our leadership team and has helped to train additional teachers on how to implement aspects of the reading intervention program into their tutorial class to support a larger number of students on campus. Christy also teaches an English Language Development class to our beginning English Learners. She helps build their academic vocabulary, reading comprehension, oral communication skills and improve their written expression. She scaffolds instruction and incorporates highly engaging instructional strategies to meet the needs of a very diverse class. As icing on the cake, Christy has taken on our Yearbook class this year and is in the process of producing an outstanding product documenting all of the incredible activities students participate in and their achievements in academics and the arts.
Liessa Randle
Marblehead Elementary | San Clemente
Nominated by Faith Morris, Principal
Mrs. Randle currently teaches a diverse group of 4th graders. She is able to deliver instruction such that all students are engaged at their optimum level of development – challenging but within reach. She is a lifelong learner herself, always interested in new strategies to help her students be successful. She often volunteers to pilot new materials, mentor student teachers and serve on committees. She works collaboratively with colleagues on school improvement initiatives and serves as Testing Textbook Coordinator. Mrs. Randle works effectively with all students, including English Language Learners and Gifted Students. She incorporates technology, problem-based learning and hands-on activities into her lessons. Her dedication and commitment are evident in everything she does.
Krista Ratnaweera
Mattie Lou Maxwell | Anaheim
Nominated by Steve Pescetti, Principal
Krista is an outstanding educator who makes learning fun and enjoyable for her sixth graders. Her lessons are well designed and she has a unique ability to make difficult subject matter relatable and meaningful to her students. She integrates technology throughout her day as she prepares her students for 21st century learning. Krista cares deeply about all of her students, and strives to meet each of their individual needs. Her background in the arts has prepared her to take on the challenging role as the director of our 3rd-6th grade performances of The Jungle Book- a production that is part of the Disney Musicals in School program.Her outstanding teaching leads to academic success, and her classroom environment incorporates a positive sense of community that will benefit her students long after they leave her room.
Melissa Ratzlaff
Oakridge Private School | Orange
Nominated by Stefan Joly, Principal
Walking into Ms. Melissa Ratzlaff’s classroom, the first thing you will see is the students all bouncing and moving slightly on their large neon green balance balls while they work on their assignment. Ms. Ratzlaff has created a classroom environment that allows students to move freely, explore learning, gain and the confidence to become well-rounded citizens. Ms. Ratzlaff holds a multiple subject credential from California State University Fullerton and has been a teacher for seven years, and four of those years teaching with Oakridge Private School. She is also a reading and language arts specialist, who is the language arts curriculum committee chair, at Oakridge. Two years ago, she was given the daunting task of reviewing and adopting a new school-wide language arts curriculum, with her committee. Now, two years later, she is the language arts curriculum coordinator, who oversees the use of the new curriculum. She manages the online accounts for all of the teachers and students who use the curriculum, reviews the weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals for each grade level, and keeps the pacing guides in order for the teaching staff. The above task is a full time job alone, but she handles it confidently, all while teaching second grade. Further, she also works afterschool to provide a wonderful environment for homework help, tutoring, and specialized language arts/reading help. One day per week, she also provides sewing and quilting class for students, as her other passion is quilting. She has held positions with the national publication, Quilting Magazine, and lead several young adult interest groups in quilting and sewing. In her classroom there are several examples of her quilting work. During the summer months, she provides academic bridge classes, sewing classes, and camp style creative writing courses. Some teachers work 9 months per year, Ms. Ratzlaff teaches all 12! “Ms. R,” as the student’s call her, is always willing to help other teachers with planning creative projects, volunteer with the school annual auction fundraiser, and simply create a wonderful working environment with her glowing smile. She is an asset to the overall success of Oakridge Private School, and leads the charge in our growing success in Language Arts. “I love being a teacher and watching students grow and learn each and every day. “ This is a simple and compassionate sentiment that gives a clear message of love for her student’s and position.
Lisa Reid
Reid Day School | Costa Mesa
Nominated by Jillian Ramos , Associate Director
Dr. Lisa Reid is one in a million. You will never meet a teacher that is passionate about her students as her. She makes every day an oppertunity to make a difference in her students lives from her positive outlook and attitude to the one on one atention she gives each and every one of her students. Students that previously felt shame, anxiety, and/or lost their love of learning now come to her class with a new found attitude and love for learning. Dr. Reid values what the children have to say and their interest so when lesson planning, Dr. Reid always takes into account her students interest and incorporates them into her lesson. Dr. Reid should be the spokesperson for special education teachers and administration, she is always more than happy to help families find local resources to best support their children whether it be academically, socially, and/or emotionally. Dr. Reid has changed the lives of many, she is a true gem.
Rebecca Renna
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School | Rancho Santa Margarita
Nominated by Julie Tipton, Principal
St. Junipero Serra Catholic School is noted for academic excellence, high test scores, and our diverse student population. Mrs. Renna is one of our 5th grade homeroom teachers and teaches math and science. Mrs. Renna’s warm personality and rapport with the peers, parents, and students is excellent. She carries out her responsibilities in a responsible and dependable manner and consistently goes above the expectations. Because of her creativity and enthusiasm for math and science, students responded positively to her lessons. Her classroom is beautiful, print rich, and celebrates her student’s hard work and accomplishments. Her classroom management is exemplary. In my opinion, as an educator for teacher for 25 years, Mrs. Renna is an excellent candidate for Top Teacher. She has tremendous initiative, a desire to continue to learn, and a beautiful spirit. Along with her command of the subject area and her effective teaching strategies, she is a model of an excellent teacher.
Cherryl Richardson
St. Anne School | Laguna Niguel
Nominated by Nicole Peddy, Director of Marketing Communications
The sounds of young voices singing and laughing fill the classroom of Mrs. Cherryl Richardson. A teacher at St. Anne School for the past 25 years, Mrs. Richardson is one of the founding members of the school’s Early Child Development Center and a pioneer of the school’s preschool curriculum. Each day is filled with the most exciting things for pre-kindergarten students. Education comes alive at learning centers filled with discovery, experimentation, and investigation. Learning is traditional, but experiential. Smiles are stretched from ear to ear as students act out storybooks, sing original songs Mrs. Richardson has written and plays on her piano, and practice on the plentiful music instruments that hang on the classroom walls. Mrs. Richardson isn’t just preparing her students to go on to Kindergarten; she is preparing them for life. She is giving them the tools to problem solve, read, write, and imagine. The possibilities are endless in Mrs. Richardson’s classroom. Her teaching style is natural and organic; children in her class are hands-on and not afraid to get messy. They learn by doing. Mrs. Richardson’s talent and love for craft is a dominant feature in each of her classes. Her classroom transports students to a land of fantasy and creativity. Walls are covered with construction paper illustrating a castle and students are referred to as Knights, the school’s mascot. Mrs. Richardson has used her artistic talent to construct every mural used in the Preschool’s Christmas program, and in addition to running the ECDC music program, she has originated the music for the preschool portion of the Thanksgiving/Grandparents’ Day Chapel, the Mother’s Day Chapel and Father’s Day Chapel programs. When asked what her favorite thing is about Mrs. Richardson, one of her current students said, “She always helps me figure out what I don’t know.” Mrs. Richardson gives her students a solid foundation from which to continue their educational journeys. She is more than a teacher; she is a guiding light that shines in each student for years to come. She recognizes the best in each student and draws that out to inspire them to be the best they can be. Mrs. Richardson’s passion for education and students is as prominent now as it was when she started at the school 25 years ago. She is a woman of many talents and she uses every one of them to invest her heart and soul into her students.
Brittany Rineer
E3 Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Janine Diaz, Admin
Brittany Rineer started our school 3 years ago and not only continues to be principal, but teaches all day and at every level (K-12 students) in order to ensure each of our students receive individual attention. She started our school because she saw a need for students to have a place when they just don’t fit into the mold of a regular classroom setting. Her goal everyday is to see students succeed. Most of our students come from backgrounds of failure, bullying, and/or not being given a chance. They have been kicked down and many do not see themselves as even having a chance at success. Brittany’s goal to raise each student up and show them that they can learn and they can make a difference in this world is life changing for all of our students. It is amazing to see each of our students as they leave our campus each day feeling like they can conquer the world! As their confidence grows, their self esteem rises and their academics begin to soar. Every child knows Mrs. Rineer is there for them and would drop anything in a heart beat to give them a helping hand or to even sit with them at lunch or after school to work through a math problem they are struggling with.
Sue Ritter
Montessori Harbor – Mesa | Costa Mesa
Nominated by Giuliana De Frenza, Directress
In the demanding world of teaching, some individuals start strong and then burn out, while others will plough on. The very rare continue to strive and evolve to best suit the demands of the current generation’s educational needs. Sue Ritter is one of these rare gems. When asked about her career, Ms. Ritter explained that being able to work individually with each student keeps her enthusiastic about teaching, going on now for over nineteen years! “I guide each student based on their abilities” she says and at Montessori Harbor – Mesa her unfaltering dedication has earned her the respect of parents and fellow instructors alike. “She never takes a day off!” Directress Giuliana De Frenza exclaims. “Sue Ritter takes teaching very seriously.” It is her reliability and ongoing dedication that makes Sue Ritter a marvel.
Lisa Ritz
Calvary Chapel Christian School Cypress | Cypress
Nominated by Denelle Voegtly, Director, PALS CCCS
Miss. Ritz invests 110% into every detail of her teaching. Great thought and effort is put into every detail of her classroom to set each child up for the best chance of success. She is very intuitive with the children and takes great pains to make learning and memorizing fun. She works extensively with each student to find ways to better meet their individual needs to see them not just meet, but surpass expectations. She has a gentle, and encouraging manner that these transitioning children respond to. Miss. Ritz inspires her class to work hard, encourages communication with the children, and parents, and offers a prayerful guidance for all.
Lori Rivera
El Modena High School | Orange
Nominated by Keri Kimes, Assistant Principal
Engaging, inspiring, involved, inclusive, amazing. All of these words describe science teacher and department chair Lori Rivera. Thanks to her efforts, El Modena students can now take Project-Lead-The-Way biomedical science, which follows the case of a fictional fatality throughout the course of the year, with an end goal of determining a cause of death. This hands-on experimental based class incorporates aspects of all domains of science, and allows for real-life activities similar to those in the biomedical and criminal justice fields. In addition, Lori is a member of School Site Council, Class Advisor, and Girls League Advisor. This year, she also took on the role of yearbook teacher and advisor, because she felt the students and the program had significant potential, but lacked the guidance and resources to grow. Last year, our district began a mentor program for students in foster care or suffering homelessness and Lori was the first to sign up. She also spent the majority of her summer break living in dorm rooms to chaperone various student groups to activities such as ASB camp, yearbook camp, etc. In her limited time off from these, she attended an Advanced Placement ® Institute and Project-Lead-the-Way training to enhance her instructional knowledge. Lori prioritizes her students and strives to build their knowledge and interest in science, and enhance their educational opportunities across content areas. She is the first to volunteer for any opportunity to support student growth. She is a permanent fixture at sporting events, school plays, poetry nights….anything happening on our campus Lori either helped to organize, or will attend in support of the students. In my years as an educator, I am hard pressed to think of a teacher more dedicated to her students, or more deserving of recognition of the extra hours she works to ensure our students have the best possible high school experience.
Jennifer Ross-Viola
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School | San Juan Capistrano
Nominated by Anne Dahlem, Director of Communications and Marketing
Dr. Jennifer Ross-Viola, St. Margaret’s Science Department Chair and teacher is passionate about science and working with high school students. In particular, she loves equipping young minds with the tools to answer the “what is” and “how do we know” type questions. With a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame in cellular and physiological dynamics, she taught biology at her alma mater, Notre Dame, for five years, before joining the ranks of outstanding high school teachers. For the past eight years, as Science Department Chair at St. Margaret’s she has strengthened the program by broadening the offerings in Kindergarten through grade 12 and has been a leader in the school’s STEM proliferation. Dr. Ross-Viola teaches Advanced Placement Environmental Science, Biology, Marine Science, Physics and a new class that she created, Research Methods in Life Science. In working with St. Margaret’s alumni who went on to major in science fields in college, Dr. Ross-Viola identified an opportunity to provide advanced college preparation in research for high-level science students in high school. The course, Research Methods in Life Science, is designed to give students the unique opportunity to experience the challenges and rewards of scientific research while still in high school, and is directed at those students who are considering majoring in science and/or participating in undergraduate research in college. Dr. Ross-Viola also redesigned the Upper School Physics course and partnered with the Mathematics Department to develop an interdisciplinary studies project advancing student learning and deepening their connection and understanding across both disciplines—math and science. An avid environmentalist, Dr. Ross-Viola also led an experiential, nature-based field study to California’s Central Coast to combat drought and aid reforestation with her Advanced Placement environmental science students. Under her tutelage, her students applied their classroom learning to the devastation of the California drought on the native Monterey pine ecosystem through reforestation and preservation efforts needed in the area. “This trip was a life-learning opportunity for students to see the application of their science knowledge in a real-world context. It becomes much more tangible to understand the complex dynamics of an ecosystem when you stand in the midst of it,” said Dr. Ross-Viola. “It was also a chance for us to act as good stewards for the earth by affecting the environment in a positive way.”
Michele Rowell
GOALS Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Debra Schroeder, Founding Director
Michele Rowell is all you would want in a primary teacher. Our first year as a school, Michele taught our kindergartners. Then, she looped up with them into first grade. Our parents were highly supportive of this two-year arrangement since they love Michele’s strength-based approach to teaching in which each scholar’s interests and talents are acknowledged and supported. Her knowledge of early reading skills is highly refined, and her skills as a storyteller inspire each scholar to learn how to read. Michele also knows how to celebrate each scholar’s growth with such authentic enthusiasm that her scholars beam under this positive spotlight. Michele also plays a leadership role by providing new teachers on our campus with mentoring through the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Program. She takes her responsibilities seriously, but infuses fun into the process. She also provides guidance to the entire staff in the area of English-language arts instruction, particularly Reading Workshop. As a new school, her expertise is invaluable. There are also no milestones in life (e.g., baby showers, weddings, birthdays, holidays) that go unnoticed by Michele. Michele is quite a social coordinator, which has enhanced the camaraderie we feel as a school team. It’s obvious that Michele is meant to be a teacher. She arrives each morning with a beaming smile and an abundance of energy. While short is stature, she takes long strides with a sense of purpose that there are thing to do and places to go as she shepherds her scholars through their first years of school. Michele infuses each day with a level of joy that is highly contagious among the scholars, staff, and parents. She helps to make GOALS Academy, a public charter school in the heart of Anaheim, such a special place. We than you, Michele, for all that you do!
Hayley Sampson
Orange Lutheran High School | Orange
Nominated by Todd Eklund, Principal
Latin. An ancient language. It’s full of grammar. It does not seem to be a subject that would appeal to 21st Century adolescents who are addicted to iPhones and social media. Hayley Sampson shatters any notion that Latin is boring, ancient, or uninteresting. Her infectious enthusiasm and innovative pedagogy transform a “dead” language into an adventure that is vibrant and full of life. Hayley inspires all students to connect to her subject matter through cultural activities and a philosophy that seeks to connect students from various backgrounds to a culture other than their own. In her classroom, it is clear that the students in each class are united in collaborative exploration and a shared camaraderie that invests into learning that goes well beyond the simple call and response of course content. This positive atmosphere stretches from Freshmen to Seniors, as Hayley scaffolds content to those at the beginning levels of her Latin 1 course to those fully invested over four years within her Advanced Placement Latin course. The love of learning present within her students can be even seen outside of the classroom, as her students have actively promoted cultural elements from the course into daily life on campus. When Hayley’s students celebrate Latin culture on our campus, it is widely known that the student engagement has reached beyond the classroom door. Her students also jumped on the opportunity to go beyond the classroom during the summer as they joined Miss Sampson as she led a student travel experience through Italy and Greece. While Hayley is a champion of content, she is best known for the strength of her relationships with students. Each student is valued as unique, and each knows the depths she will go to in order to provide a personal touch. The face she is one of the teachers with the highest number of requests for college letters of recommendation speaks to how students relate to her. Hayley is loved and valued by her students and their parents as well as by our faculty and staff. Hayley freely gives of her time and talent to help whenever and wherever needed. She regularly attends and actively participates in school events. Her peers voted her as Teacher of the Year at Orange Lutheran in 2015. It is an honor to nominate Hayley Sampson as a ParentingOC Top Teacher 2017.
Doreen Santin
Robert M. Pyles STEM Academy | Stanton
Nominated by Cynthia Huerta, Assistant Principal
Doreen Santin has made a huge, positive impact on the culture of our school by sharing her wealth of Class Dojo knowledge with our teachers and parents. As a result of curiosity, she became interested in the program and decided to become an ambassador. She is our Dojo school mentor and has held after school classes and private tutorials to help get Dojo running almost school-wide. Doreen is a technology leader and has received grants for technology instruments that she uses in the classroom. She also offers teacher technology classes called “Appy Hour” after school to help support their technology needs in the classroom. Mrs. Santin has also presented Class Dojo at our district conference and she has been a guest speaker at Cerritos College to speak to future teachers about the power of parent communication through Class Dojo. She has become a great resource for teachers as we begin our Growth Mindset journey. Growth Mindset has been a critical part of Mrs. Santin’s classroom life lessons. Students in her class understand that learning is a process and that the focus is on growth, not the end result. Students are trained not to see failure as a negative, but as an opportunity for growth. She practices growth mindset in her day-to-day struggles as well. She leads by example and always has an irrefutable positive outlook in life. Mrs. Satin is a ball of energy and encouragement! She is also a STEM trained educator. She taught Summer STEM Academy. In addition to all of her class Dojo Support, Doreen is also our Emergency Coordinator. She attends the district meetings and then organizes all our materials and trains the staff. Mrs. Santin is highly valued by her colleagues, administrators, parents and students. She is a shining light at Pyes school and she contributes immensely to the success of our school.
Connie Schramm
Crean Lutheran High School | Stanton
Nominated by Dan Moyer, Vice Principal of Academics
Connie Schramm has served in education for over 30 years. She has positively influenced the lives of thousands of students over the course of her career. She has taught at the elementary school level, the middle school level, and the high school level. She has served as Department Chair, designed curriculum, and led in the development of programs. In 2007, Mrs. Schramm took a brave step and joined a team of 7 others in becoming one of the very first staff members for Crean Lutheran High School’s inaugural year.
Christina Sepe
Aliso Niguel High School | Aliso Viejo
Nominated by Deni Christensen, Principal
Christina Sepe is an outstanding world language teacher who has taught all levels of Spanish language including Advanced Placement. In addition to her work in the classroom, Ms. Sepe is extremely involved with students in co- and extra-curricular activities. She has coached lacrosse in the past, and in currently the faculty advisor for four different student clubs, including “WeRock,” which is a club that trains students to achieve the incredible personal goal of completing a full marathon. Ms. Sepe is also the advisor for our school’s newly formed Spanish National Honor Society. She also regularly organizes student trips to Spain and Latin America during school breaks. Ms. Sepe is also an instructional leader among her peers as evidenced by her role as a Teacher Induction Mentor for new teachers. Ms. Sepe’s positive influence can be seen in virtually everything she does; she was in fact selected as Aliso Niguel’s Teacher of the Year last spring.
Teresa Shubin
Amerimont Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Kimberly Ford, Principal
I am impressed with Teresa daily in her classroom instruction, student interactions, and teacher training. She puts in time and effort above and beyond what is expected of a teacher, staying until the evening hours, if necessary. She participates in all parent conferences and meetings held during the school year as well as does an extensive evaluation of her student’s test scores. She has an outstanding rapport with students, parents, and administration. Students respect Teresa, and respond well to her caring manner and firm control of the class. I love her use of Sign Language for establishing a productive behavior management program. Teresa always looks professional, she has strong interpersonal skills and is easily understood by students and parents alike. She carries out every responsibility well and in a timely manner. In closing, I would like to say that Teresa Shubin is leader amongst our team of teachers at AmeriMont Academy Private School. She is a colleague with whom I am proud to recommend.
Cheryl Smith
J.H. McGaugh | Seal Beach
Nominated by Roni Ellis, Principal
I have the distinct privilege of working with Mrs. Cheryl Smith, second grade special education teacher at J.H. McGaugh Elementary school. As the new principal of McGaugh, it was immediately apparent to me that Cheryl Smith was a special individual whose heart was as much a part of her work as anything else. Cheryl serves as a second grade teacher in a special education/general education collaboration classroom. The purpose of a “Co-Lab” is to develop a community where students with exceptional needs are educated in an environment where they have access to not only grade level curriculum and instruction but also great role models in their grade level peers. When walking into the “Co-Lab” classroom of Mrs. Smith and her partner, Mrs. Gardner, one would have difficulty distinguishing the special education students from the general education students. They all occupy the same space; share the same materials; share instructional strategies and celebrations, and share the same teachers. In fact, the teachers are so in-synch that they have adopted the name of Team Smardner (combination of Smith and Gardner.) Students are actively engaged in Team Smardner. In fact, their level of energy and excitement for learning is contagious at McGaugh! Mrs. Smith exposes her team of students to curriculum that is rich in all of our District’s signature practices: depth and complexity, Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), and Readers’ Workshop, to name a few. Mrs. Smith believes that high expectations for ALL students yield wonderful results. This school year has its challenges at McGaugh. One of our special education teachers is battling a severe health issue. In her absence, Cheryl Smith has stepped up and stepped in to facilitate the assessments and parent meetings for a classroom of students that are not her own. It was without reservation or hesitation that Cheryl committed to helping these students and her colleague. Cheryl is an exceptional role model: she is professional in her attitude and demeanor; supportive of all teachers; respectful in her dealings with parents; and always available to our students. Cheryl not only commits herself to the McGaugh community, but also serves the teachers of our district as a whole. She works alongside District leadership in an effort to strategize effective and best practices for our special education teachers. Dignified, respected, and child-centered are high on the list of qualities describing Mrs. Cheryl Smith, along with an unmatched level of commitment.
Blake Smith
Valley High School | Santa Ana
Nominated by Adriana Padilla, Student
Blake Smith has worked with special needs and disabled students at Valley High School. He goes above and beyond when he comes to work every single day with a huge smile on his face ready to greet his students to teach and aid on any daily tasks. Without him saying a word you can see the love and passion he has for these outstanding students. He makes it a priority at any time to let our general education students who want to get involved, and allow them and his special needs students to bond, communicate, and even build friendships. Like I personally have when I first met Mr.Smith. He is such an open book when it comes to answering questions that you have as far as certain disabilities some kids might have and he takes that moment to let you learn about what are some of the challenges these students have on a daily bases. To even his journey to his career. But something very interesting I have found in him is giving these kids an experience while still learning. For example, taking a fieldtrip to a restaurant, having the students have a sense of independence and being able to order their own food and pay without having the feeling of they’re not capable of doing something due to just having a title of Special Needs or Disabled. He knows they are capable of anything they believe they can do. When he pushes those educational boundaries and you see the result of these kids as well their parents see it and having a strong communication with Mr.Smith. Their huge smiles on their faces you know he did his job above and beyond. The past three years knowing Mr.Smith and seeing him teach, as well to see some of his students graduate. You can see without a doubt how strong of a bond he has with these students and looking up to him is just unbelievable. To some of his former students coming back and seeing how much more they´ve advanced even after high school thanks to where Mr. Smith gave them the push of confidence to keep learning and progress. I could not think of a greater nominee for this great of opportunity, as Mr.Smith because he definitely deserves it and more.
Cindy Snyder
Heritage Oak Private School | Yorba Linda
Nominated by Shawna Rhebergen, Admissions & Marketing Director
“From the start of the school year, I always teach my class that we are a family. That we stick together and we protect each other. This sets the tone for the entire school year.” explains Heritage Oak Kindergarten teacher, Cindy Snyder. Mrs. Snyder’s commitment to the Heritage Oak community began many years ago, when she was a student at the school. She returned in 2006 as a teacher because she felt such a strong bond to the community. Mrs. Snyder understands the apprehension some young students feel upon entering school for the first time and works to ensure they are provided with a comforting and nurturing environment. The theme of “family” carries beyond the school day as Mrs. Snyder attends all of her students’ school performances such as the Variety Show and the School Musical. She also encourages fellow classmates to attend to support their peers. “I believe that the strong family bond created in our kindergarten class is the reason that my former students always make a point to come back to visit. Last year, my first kindergarten class graduated eighth grade and I made sure I attended their graduation because I want them to know that I will always be there for them. “ While many find that kindergarten is a difficult grade to teach, Mrs. Snyder feels that she was meant to teach this age group. “I love the pure excitement of a child who has just read his/her first word or spelled a word all by him/herself,” she explains. Her favorite subject is Guided Reading—she loves when the children go to the “mystery bag” upon completing a story. The bag contains the following items: a heart which requires the child to describe a part of the story that they loved; a question mark which enables the child to ask the group a question about the story; an exclamation point which allows the child to talk about an exciting part of the story; and a clothespin which allows for the child to draw a connection between the story and his/her personal life. “This bag allows for the children to express their own opinions and truly shows off their originality,” explains Mrs. Snyder, who is passionate about making lessons interactive and engaging. Because of her dedication to her students and interactive teaching methods, we are proud to nominate Cindy Snyder as one of our Top Teachers.
Karen Stepanski
John Muir Fundamental School | Santa Ana
Nominated by Herminio Bautista, Assistant Principal
It is difficult to identify which of Karen Stepanski’s achievements best exemplifies why she is one of Orange County’s Top Teachers. Her career began in 1975 as an ESL instructor in Michigan where she wrote an English Language Learner workbook and Teacher’s Guide. Her work in this area brought her to Santa Ana in 1980, where she became an ESL chairperson at Carr Intermediate School and a Language Arts demonstration teacher for all SAUSD middle and high schools. She has been a trainer of trainers for “Write from the Beginning,” “Thinking Maps” and other programs. Always willing to help students in whatever way she can, Karen provides free morning tutoring for anyone that needs it. As a grade level leader and member of the School Site Council, Karen has been greatly involved in the recognition of John Muir Fundamental School (JMFS) as a National Blue Ribbon School, a California Distinguished School and a Title I Academic Achievement Award School. Recently, she was a guest speaker to Chapman University’s Graduate School of Education on Common Core, Math Inquiry and the Next Generation Science Standards. She was named teacher of the year in 2008 and 2012 and named District Educator of the year in 2014. However, by her own admission, the achievement that she is most proud of occurred while she was a Certified Literacy and Achievement Specialist (CLAS) Teacher for the SAUSD in 2014. As a CLAS teacher, she worked at one of the lower performing schools in the District and coached a Mathematics Team that competed against some of the toughest schools in the SAUSD. Her team won several medals for a school that had never previously won any academic awards. Even more important are her students that have gone on to prestigious college preparatory schools on the East Coast and have graduated from college. JMFS is honored to have Karen as a member of its staff and thankful for all the good she has done for its students.
Desmond Stevens
Portola High School | Irvine
Nominated by John Pehrson, Principal
We are extraordinarily fortunate to have Desmond Stevens as our Visual and Performing Arts chair at Portola High School. He was a well-loved teacher at his former school, Rancho Alamitos in Garden Grove where he directed a very popular student Mariachi group, and he has already made great strides here in Irvine. As a product of Irvine schools and an excellent musician in his own right, Desmond understands his student and parent population and rises to their expectations of excellence in all that he does. Desmond currently teaches guitar, choir, orchestra, band, and marching band while also serving as an advisor for Mock Trial and member of the school’s leadership team. Managing such a high number of diverse preps well as well as his carrying out his other duties is impressive to say the least. Despite the tremendous pressure and workload that starting a new high school and building a performing arts program brings, Desmond is an enthusiastic, creative and thoughtful member of the Portola staff. Perhaps due to the nature of his subject matter expertise, Desmond offers a unique perspective on school events and issues. He is highly involved in school activities, has composed the beginnings of a school alma mater and is working with each department in a cross-curricular fashion to support the integration of performing arts. As a result of his collaborations with the Social Studies Department, Desmond has chosen pieces of music that express themes of nationalism, immigration and war in order to capitalize on the instruction taking place in our Modern World History courses. As a way to reach out to the community in Irvine and support the school’s book fair, some of Mr. Stevens orchestra students performed holiday music at a local Barnes and Noble. Our theatre is not yet complete, so Desmond has had to be flexible in using our Learning Commons building as a concert venue for the music department’s first performance. Most importantly, Desmond works to build a positive relationship with each student. His positivity and energy as a director is contagious and resonates with his student population and the Portola staff. Cultural enrichment is a personal passion of his and the program he is building at Portola will give our kids outlets to explore and express their own ethnic backgrounds. Desmond is a one-of-a-kind educator who has fully embraced Portola’s mission to provide balance to our learners while encouraging them to pursue their passions and dreams.
James Swiger
The Pegasus School | Huntington Beach
Nominated by Daniel Rosenberg, Middle School Principal
One of the most popular electives at The Pegasus School is chess. You may think it is because our students love that particular game. While a few may, the popularity of that class isn’t the result of the students’ love of chess; it’s a result of their love of the teacher, Mr. 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. His lessons are challenging, and he is conscious of the importance of educating the whole child. He pushes students outside their comfort zones while being there every step of the way to support students with study strategies and extra help as needed. His classes go well beyond facts and dates; he makes sure students understand why and how events in the past have shaped the world of today. Mr. Swiger is an exceptionally intelligent and passionate history teacher, and he is a collaborative and humble team player as well. He brings passion to the classroom on a daily basis, inspiring all students, including those who may not have liked history in the past. He maintains close 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. He partners with his colleagues in leading the interdisciplinary Greek Day, and he serves as a coach and mentor for the National History Day (NHD) program, dedicating significant time and energy so that NHD is as meaningful an experience as possible for his students. His involvement in NHD has created a powerful outlet for our young historians to shine. It was no surprise that students recently chose to dedicate our school’s yearbook to Mr. Swiger. Supportive and inspirational, his commitment to his students and school is exceptional, and he is highly deserving of the top teacher honor.
Karla Taylor
Fairmont Private Schools – Anaheim Hills | Anaheim Hills
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Some teachers have a magical way of connecting with young students. Some teachers go above and beyond to make sure that every single one of their students maximizes their potential. Some teachers know just what to say to ease anxious parents during their child’s first years in school. While some teachers do some of these things, very few teachers do all of these things. Mrs. Karla Taylor is one of those teachers. As a Pre-Kindergarten teacher at Fairmont Private Schools, Mrs. Taylor begins each day happily greeting students with a hug and chatting with parents. During class, Mrs. Taylor encourages her students to think creatively, take risks in their learning, ask questions, and share stories of their experiences outside of school. She knows that the students will learn all they need to know from her advanced curriculum, and that these opportunities for sharing are how students make connections and build relationships. Her students delight as she shares her own life stories and adventures with her dog, Moo Moo. These circle time discussions allow her students to celebrate the little things that make up everyday life. While it may seem like a simple activity, Mrs. Taylor knows that engaging her students with speaking in front of their peers builds confidence, character, and poise. Like any teacher, Mrs. Taylor faces academic and behavioral challenges at times. But unlike just any teacher, Mrs. Taylor’s patience and persistence helps her students grow and achieve excellence. As one of her students recently said, “Mrs. Taylor gives us really hard work but we like it because we’re super smart!” This enthusiasm for learning is evident in each of her students, and their academic outcomes are proof that they are in fact “super smart.” All of her young students can write their names independently, and over 80% of them are at or above grade-level expectations in every measure of their most recent standardized test. With Mrs. Taylor’s loving guidance, her students are thriving. As a colleague, Mrs. Taylor is the person every teacher wants in the room next door. She excitedly shares her most recent Pinterest find and helps brainstorm strategies to support struggling students. Her positivity and passion for educating young children radiates from her classroom. Though difficult to sum up all of the qualities that make Mrs. Taylor the best teacher in Orange County, these few reasons highlight why she truly is the very best.
Sherrie Todorovic
Juliette Low Elementary School | Anaheim
Nominated by Debra Von Sprecken, Principal
Sherrie Todorovic is a creative and inspirational educator who has taught second grade at Juliette Low for the past 16 years. When you visit her classroom, a joyful hum is heard as students problem solve, engage in the writing process, read, and use technology to enhance their learning experience. Her students love to come to school, as evidenced by the consistent 97% student attendance rate each year. She facilitates active engagement strategies, resulting in a high rate of academic success. Sherrie maintains high expectations for all students and provides individual scaffolding as needed. Under her leadership, the second grade team consistently scores among the highest in the district and, this year, is in the number one spot. Sherrie is passionate about insuring that all students experience the joy of reading, and 100% of her students accomplish their trimester Accelerated Reader goals. Parents look forward to receiving the daily communications and photographs that she sends through Class Dojo, a tool that has significantly increased parent involvement. When Sherrie began teaching in 2000, she brought her singing, acting, and directing talents with her. She created a performing arts program, which includes two annual musicals. The first, a second grade musical, stars every second grade student, giving him/her the opportunity to learn theatre techniques. The second “big” musical is based on an original script written by Sherrie during the summer, which is tailored to the talents of our students. Sherrie stated that while most students are cast because of the talents they bring to the show, others are cast for the positive impact the show will have on their lives. Students share that performing connects them to school, increases their confidence, and helps them form friendships. Contemporary music; plot twists; and sophisticated sets, costumes, and humor result in a professional production. Over 100 students audition for this musical, the popularity of which increases yearly. Approximately 60 third through sixth grade performers participate in seven performances for audiences throughout our district. It is primarily due to Sherrie’s efforts that Juliette Low was recently awarded the distinction of Gold Ribbon School with Special Honors in Arts Education. Sherrie continues to grow professionally while expanding our performing arts program. She is currently attending artistic literacy and theatre workshops and will provide staff development to Low teachers on arts integration. In addition, she plans to teach after-school theatre workshops to our students.
Ben Van Dyk
Servite High School | Anaheim
Nominated by Karlie Carlson, Communications Coordinator
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 prorgams, 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 nine 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. 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. I would also like to thank you for having this recognition of the hard work put in by teachers throughout the county. It is appreciated. – Written by John Ebbe, Newly Retired AP/HP History Teacher
Denise VandenRaadt
Los Coyotes | La Palma
Nominated by Robyn Yarbrough, Principal
Denise is a highly skilled veteran teacher who provides excellent supports to ALL of her students, especially the ones who struggle the most. Although she has a 5th grade classroom, she is able to meet on almost a daily basis with her students who need small group instruction. She takes every one of her students’ progress very seriously. She is also a leader amongst her peers; she has been a BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) Mentor Teacher for several years now. She works at the site, district and county level in this capacity. She helps to carefully guide our new teachers in the professional, which of course can be a tricky path!
Melanie Vogel
Fairmont Private Schools – Anaheim Hills | Anaheim Hills
Nominated by Kelly Robinette, Education Manager
Much as an artist carefully mixes paints to create a masterpiece, Art teacher Melanie Vogel combines the instruction of art techniques with her students’ other subject matter to inspire their creativity. “The arts develop the whole individual and research has shown that this contributes to higher test scores as well as creative problem solving,” says Ms. Vogel, Art teacher at Fairmont Private School, Anaheim Hills. Ms. Vogel joined the faculty at Anaheim Hills in 2011 with an impressive resume. Previously, she taught in the “All the Arts…” Program in the Fullerton School District, Art and Child Development for aspiring teachers at Cal State Fullerton, and continues to serve as the Director of the Children’s Summer Art Camp at CSUF. Ms. Vogel’s impact can be seen throughout the school, from the students’ sculptures on display, to artwork in the classrooms and the galleries throughout the halls. Her weekly visits to the preschool classes inspire her youngest students to express their individuality by using their senses to explore and represent their worlds through art. Teaching over 350 students in grades PK- 8, Ms. Vogel presents context using art history, nature, and real-world experiences and then introduces the students to developmentally-appropriate skills using clay, paints, chalk, and other innovative media. For those students who wish to further express their inner artist, she offers after-school enrichment. “She is a kind person. She has good ideas for drawing and crafts. Her room is very calming and fun,” says 6th-grader Tessa Jerue. Ms. Vogel has influenced a new generation of educators. At CSUF, she taught budding educators how to incorporate the Arts into their instruction, ultimately impacting thousands of students. In fact, two of the campus teachers were her students during their credentialing program! Former student Mrs. Ashley Westlund says, “She gives the confidence to teachers that they can teach art, and to the students that they can do art.” Dr. Kevin Rafferty, Campus Director, expresses how everyone at the school feels. “Mrs. Vogel is the most inspirational art teacher! I adore the delight she exudes as she works with children, teachers, staff, and parents. Our students absolutely love going to art class. Students respect her because she brings out each child’s best artistic efforts. Ms. Vogel’s JH elective art class always fills up fast — because students are so eager to create works of art in the awesome atmosphere she has created in her classroom!”
Kirschel Vollebregt
Las Flores Middle School | Las Flores
Nominated by Sean McNamara, Principal
Kirschel is a tireless educator who strives to empower students to become independent learners. Kirschel is a humble educator who provides support to her peers, students and the school at large. Mrs. Vollebregt is a natural leader that is well respected by many throughout Capistrano Unified School District. Likewise, students show Mrs. Vollebregt great respect because of the instructional approaches she employs as well as the care for each and every student she comes in contact with.
Leslie Waggoner
Saddleback Valley Christian Schools | San Juan Capistrano
Nominated by Lori Jensen, Elementary and Junior High Principal
Leslie is a gifted, innovative, and inspiring teacher. For someone of Leslie’s age (late 20s), her abilities in the classroom are well-honed and rarely seen in even veteran teachers. She goes beyond the textbook to bring rich, real-world experiences to classroom learning. Leslie is a great communicator with both students and parents – making sure everyone is on the same page to ensure academic and social success for her students. She wants the best for her students so they can go out into the world to make a difference. Leslie is a member of our Tech Team. She is an outstanding trainer to her fellow teachers and other staff members. Her colleagues respect her for the authenticity with which she lives her life, and sets an example to everyone in being “that” teacher who inspires students and who is genuinely loved by her students. To say that Leslie is a “dream” teacher is no exaggeration. She is a great team player who encourages others to try new teaching strategies, new technology, and new classroom management styles. She is truly an inspiration to me as her principal. Words cannot express the gift Leslie is to our school. She is truly a phenomenal teacher!!
Carrie Wagner
West Orange Elementary School | Orange
Nominated by Sandra Preciado, Principal
Carrie Wagner is an astounding teacher. Mrs. Wagner is a highly qualified teacher who has an excellent grasp of the California Teaching Standards as well as the curriculum she delivers to our students every day. She shares this knowledge readily with her colleagues as well as the future teachers that come to learn from her expertise. She is equally valuable in all of the extracurricular activities she does to support our school community. She works tirelessly to provide Tuesday Library Nights for our families. She is also our Technology Teacher Lead, School Site Council President and after school running coach. Although, her expertise and involvement are important factors in making her a stellar teacher, it is her relationship with her students and school family that makes her a critical part of our school. I have had the pleasure of working with Mrs. Wagner for two years. During that time, she constantly strives to build a relationship with her students to in order to demand excellence. One must visit her classroom to truly appreciate the effectiveness of her unassuming nature married with her creativity and dedication. For example, this year she noticed that she had a particularly squirmy group of students. Her response to this was to write a grant which awarded her a class set of bike pedals, medicine balls and other kinesthetic tools that allow students to maintain their movement while learning. It is her “out of the box” instruction and enthusiasm the reason her students love her. They feel safe in the trust that they have placed in her because she inspires them to dream beyond the four walls that at times can confine student creativity and enjoyment of the edification process. Mrs. Wagner is equally caring when her peers are involved. This year her team teacher fell ill unexpectedly. As our school community was dealing with the shock of one of our teachers falling ill so suddenly, Mrs. Wagner lept into action with substitute lesson plans and organizing materials for the other students. When I thanked her for her assistance, she responded, “I have to do something to help.” Those simple words embody Mrs. Wagner. She simply cannot stand by and allow students to disengage from school. She refuses to conform to the status quo and demands a high level of performance from her students. If her kids need her, she takes action.
Brian Wall
Sunny Hills High School | Fullerton
Nominated by Allen Whitten, Principal
Mr. Wall is an amazing educator who’s ability to connect with kids and teach his content is second to none. Mr. Wall believes that students learn from those they love and in his classroom, this love and passion for learning are visible in every student interaction. In addition to being an outstanding classroom teacher, Mr. Wall has been recruited over the years to fill multiple roles on our campus. One of those roles is that of IB coordinator. Under Mr. Wall’s leadership, our IB program is thriving and his students are accepted into elite colleges and universities around the country each year. Mr. Wall’s ability to coordinate the IB faculty along with all of the requirements of IB are incredible. Through masterful and innovative use of technology, Mr. Wall makes it look easy. Mr. Wall is also the creator and director of our Conservatory of the Fine Arts (COFA). COFA provides a four year arts pathway for our students and challenges students to branch out and experience a multitude of artistic mediums. COFA, a unique and special pathway has enticed art students from around the county to choose SHHS as their school. Mr. Wall’s COFA provides a home for arts students to thrive as they pursue their passions. Mr. Wall is also our Honors Testing Coordinator. As with everything Mr. Wall puts his energy toward, our testing process is organized, seamless, and effective. Students, parents, and his army of volunteers all express their gratitude for the way in which Mr. Wall organizes the SHHS testing process. This year, under Mr. Wall’s direction, we realized a record number of students who took the SHHS honors exam. Mr. Wall is an inspirational educator whose positive outlook on life, love for his school, and passion for helping students, influences nearly every aspect of life at SHHS. It is an honor to work alongside an educator of Mr. Wall’s caliber. He would make an outstanding representative for the OC’s Top Teacher.
Brittany Walters
Walter Elementary School | Anaheim
Nominated by Katie Brown, Principal
I have the honor of nominating Brittany Walters who is outstanding in her work as a teacher at Walter School. Mrs. Walters has a passion for teaching where she makes learning a fun and positive experience for her students. In her class, every student is important. Mrs. Walters is one of those teachers you come across once in a great while. She is popular with students, families, and colleagues. With more than ten years of teaching experience, she is adept at engaging students to ensure that they are meeting grade level standards. Students in her class learn because they are encouraged to learn. She plans and executes lessons that are well thought out, engaging, and focused on the needs of the individual students in her class. Mrs. Walters is also involved in many other extra curricular activities that make her a valuable member of the Walter Staff. She consistently conducts the holiday music performance and the school talent show so students can showcase their musical abilities as well as the many diverse talents they have. Also, she has been an active member of the Drama Club. She is seen as a leader by her peers and has been the grade-level chairperson for numerous years. Her leadership abilities have created a cohesive team that has a desire to make a difference in the learning needs of the third grade students. Another area that Mrs. Walters has contributed in is the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, PBIS, team that was established and assists teachers, students, and staff members in providing a positive learning atmosphere at school. All staff and students participate in a positive behavior system that is implemented school wide. Yearly, she helps the PBIS team with the annual assembly that conveys school-wide expectations to the students. Mrs. Walters volunteers her recess time to allow students to complete reading quizzes or work on their ST Math goals. She mentors at-risk students on her own time and establishes relationships with these students to help them academically as well as socially. Her positive attitude and desire to mentor students has helped her establish relationships with the at-risk students. It is with great pleasure that I nominate Brittany Walters as a Top Teacher of OC.
Lu Wang
Costa Mesa High School | Costa Mesa
Nominated by Jacob Haley, Principal
Lu Wang teaches Mandarin I-IV to students grades 7-12. Most of her students are taking Mandarin as their 3rd language. Ms. Wang is able to engage ALL students and by the end of the first week of Mandarin I all students are speaking, writing, and confidently blurting answers to her questions–in Mandarin. Her Mandarin 4 students can write complete papers with Kanji and then translate into both Spanish and English. Lu is kind, creative, and a risk taker. Last year she took a group of students to China and they conducted several field experience using their language skills. Lu exemplifies excellence and is a NATIONAL Caliber teacher.
Paige Webb
Andersen Elementary School | Newport Beach
Nominated by Shannon Bray, Principal
Mrs. Paige Webb has been a part of the Andersen educational team for the last 16 years and currently teaches 1st grade. Mrs. Webb 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. With the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Mrs. Webb 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 training to skillfully prepare lessons that are engaging and rigorous to support and extend student learning. Her commitment to participate in workshops and educational conferences are instrumental in the success of students in her classroom and within her grade level. Mrs. Webb develops lessons that are engaging for students by integrating activities that involve all of the learning modalities. This year students created book reports about characters from books they read. Students brought in pumpkins decorated like characters from stories to go along with their written book reports. All students gave oral presentations of their pumpkin character book reports to the class. Mrs. Webb has a special needs child in her class that she went to great lengths to make sure they would be successful, because the student is a “selective mute.” Mrs. Webb worked with the family to support the child’s presentation by allowing the parents to come in and help the child with the presentation. This was extremely rewarding for this child and their family. This was a first step in the child communicating in class and now the child is making progress by writing to Mrs. Webb on a whiteboard. Another example of Mrs. Webb bringing learning to life is in the dramatic plays students perform for parents on a variety of academic topics. The families enjoy the productions and the students learn an enormous amount of academic content through these engaging activities. Students in Mrs. Webb’s classroom demonstrate tremendous academic growth year after year because ALL students are engaged and involved in their learning. Mrs. Webb radiates a passion for teaching that is embraced by all the students she serves and the colleagues she works with. She has earned a great amount of respect from her colleagues through her ongoing encouragement and support. Overwhelmingly, when people are asked about Mrs. Webb’s strengths they refer to her dedication and commitment to EVERY student’s success. 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 Mrs. Webb provided. Mrs. Webb has endless energy and compassion as well as many qualities that any parent and/or administrator would like to see reflected in a teacher. I highly recommend Paige Webb as Top Teacher of Orange County. Not only is she an asset to Andersen School and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District but to future generations.
Julie Whetzel
Ladera Ranch Middle School | Ladera Ranch
Nominated by George Duarte, Principal
Julie Whetzel has been a teacher in Capistrano Unified School District since 1987. Currently, she teaches eighth grade science at Ladera Ranch Middle School. Over the course of her career, Mrs. Whetzel has positively impacted and shared a passion for science to approximately 5,000 children. Julie is the consummate educator. She is an active learner herself and she strives to bring that wonder of the natural world into the classroom with activities and projects that inspire kids to do great and be great. Mrs. Whetzel raises chickens that lay the most beautiful colored eggs! When the chickens no longer lay eggs, Julie keeps the chickens on as pets. She hand knits scarves as gifts. She and her husband maintain a home in Oregon where they both engage in fly fishing. Science is a big part of Mrs. Whetzel’s life. She is a responsible environmentalist and conservationist. She works very hard to limit her footprint on the planet and shares that same valuable lesson with her students, promoting responsible stewardship. One colleague of Julie’s stated, “I feel very fortunate to have worked with Julie Whetzel. She has been there for me, both as a colleague and friend, through thick and thin. When I was a beginning teacher, she provided support and guidance and exemplified what an educator should be. Her dedication to her students is evident as even after all these years she still is constantly evolving her lessons to provide evermore engaging and authentic learning opportunities.”
Glen Worthington
Crean Lutheran High School | Stanton
Nominated by Dan Moyer, Vice Principal of Academics
After graduating from UCLA with an English degree and Georgetown with a Law degree, Glen Worthington only practiced law for a few short years before deciding that his rightful place was working with high school students and preparing them for college and life beyond. Glen has served at Crean Lutheran High School for five years, coaching the men’s soccer program and teaching a number of English classes. Glen also serves as the Department Chair of the English Department. Glen’s colleagues admire his teaching ability and his varied methods of instruction. His students appreciate his intellect while also appreciating his ability to explain concepts in a number of ways, thereby ensuring student understanding. Glen is well-regarding by current students, alumni, parents, fellow teachers, and administrators. He appreciates the opportunity to mold the leaders of tomorrow.
Jessica Wurn
Early College High School | Costa Mesa
Nominated by Dave Martinez, Principal
Jessica Wurn is a tremendous asset to our high school as she is one of the original teachers who started working here when the school opened in 2006. She is an educator who genuinely cares about our students as we are a dual-enrollment high school partnered with Coastline Community College aimed at serving high school students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District focused on earning college credit while attaining a high school diploma in the 4 years they are with us. Jessica is our lone Art teacher whereby half of her full-time teaching assignment (3 classes) is in this capacity. She is also our AVID Coordinator and teaches AVID Senior Seminar (2 classes). She is also our school’s Yearbook Advisor whereby she has 1 class of Yearbook. In addition to her teaching duties at our school, she also serves are the site’s Union Representative whereby she attends monthly union meetings and has worked with site administration in revising our bell schedules for 2017 and spearheading our Role & Recompense Committee. You will also see her at virtually all of our off-site school events we hold throughout the school year such as our dances and ASB student activities. This past month, Jessica accepted to serve our school’s WASC Coordinator as our school is scheduled for a WASC Full Self-Study Visit in the spring 2018. What really separates Jessica as an educator is how she is able to build the confidence of our students through her Art 1 classes, which are primarily targeted for our incoming 9th graders in fulfilling the Art prerequisite for UC/CSU eligibility. Many of her students come in not having an extensive background in the visual arts, but she is able to get the most out of them while still embedding reading and writing across the curriculum. By the end of the school year, the amount of growth you see with our students not only with their work, but also their self-esteem, is noticeable. She is definitely a factor in their development as she fully understands the culture of our school. We hope to be able expand on our Art offerings for our students. To this end, Jessica is exploring the notion of becoming an ROP teacher so that we could look to offer ROP courses in the arts industry sector. Just another example of how Jessica is expanding herself professionally to best serve our students.
Roxana Zamudio
Frontiers Academy | Anaheim
Nominated by Vanessa Ortiz, Director
Prof. Roxana Zamudio is the Spanish Immersion teacher at Frontiers Academy, a trilingual immersion school in Anaheim. Roxana has been teaching Spanish in schools for over 20 years, and makes her instruction engaging and meaningful for her students that creates a true love of learning the Spanish language. Prof. Zamudio not only has has a strong command of her content area, but is able to bring humor as well as strong rigor to her daily instruction. She creates an environment of high academic and character expectations for all students, her students continue to rank high in Spanish test scores. She has the type of personality that develops strong relationships with her students and parents, as well as her colleagues at Frontiers. She is passionate, engaged, and intellectual educator and we believe that she absolutely deserves an award for OC’s Top Teacher in 2016!
Leave a Reply