Congratulations to our
2010 Nominees!

Administrator of the Year Nominations 2010

Chris Hurst
Assistant Principal
El Camino High School
Years of Service: 2 years in this position

Mr. Hurst’s “genuine care for kids is evident in his positive interactions with students. He consistently encourages students to strive for academic excellence and lets them know that he will always support them, both academically and emotionally. He does not judge kids; he supports them.” Mr. Hurst is “one of the most positive people [his nominator] ever met.” As site technology leader, Mr. Hurst is vigilant in making sure parents understand how to use School Loop by implementing parent training sessions at ECHS to help parents learn to use this technology. He was also involved in OUSD’s “Empowering Parents” Lecture Series and worked with district personnel and community members on a Safe Schools Plan. Mr. Hurst developed a more current and effective student presentation on school and district policies, dress code, electronic device policy, etc. Currently, he is pursuing a doctorate at USC to learn new innovative educational trends and methodologies.

Regina Mason
Technology Administrator
Coastal Academy
Years of Service: 10

Regina has a passion for Coastal Academy’s mission of partnering with parents for quality education. Regina is there for the students and their families, supporting them, answering their questions, and working through any technology issues. She is a great listener who can empathize and really help. Her “parent explanations for our website and use of on-line instructional tools exude professionalism and clarity.” Regina is able to translate education “lingo” into common language so parents feel comfortable. With a super positive attitude, she always makes time to help anyone who thinks they can’t do something until they believe they can. She goes above and beyond by working weekends or late at night, always answering her phone to help. With Regina contributing to Coastal Academy’s community as a whole, everyone there is better prepared to maximize their effectiveness in the 21st century.
 
Teacher of the Year Nominations 2010

Betsy Cantrall
3rd Grade Teacher
Libby Elementary
Years of Service: 10

A National Board Certified teacher, Betsy Cantrall’s passion for education is infectious. She has high expectations for all students, an unmatched student-centered classroom environment, where she engages all students actively. She recognizes the power of diversity, accepting and honoring her very diverse group. Brenda is a role model and invaluable resource helping other teachers connect with their students’ diversity, culturally, linguistically, and academically. Using the latest techniques including “Brain Gym” and ITI Institute training, Betsy has also helped the school discipline committee create a more peaceful, focused instructional approach centered on “creative, useful, and emotional” content. Betsy has also completed her Master’s Degree program. In her own words, Betsy is “most proud of being a life long learner, teaching to the multiple intelligences, creating and sharing kinesthetic lessons for content standards, and holding my students to high standards.”

Gregory Guyante
Math Teacher
El Camino High School
Years of Service: 11

Mr. Guyante is passionate about mathematics and he positively impacts students at both ends of the academic spectrum. He teaches Algebra 1 to English Language Learner new- comers, as well as, AP Calculus. Gregory spends countless hours after school helping ensure student success. He consistently reaches out to parents, attending ELAC meetings to be sure parents are informed. Mr. Guayante routinely investigates new techniques and computer programs to make learning more accessible to ELL’s. In order to provide more AP math classes, he is attending a summer training to implement a new second AP Calculus course at ECHS. His outlook is always positive and he spends many, many extra hours outside the classroom to improve so that all students succeed!


Margaret Malek
5th Grade Teacher
Garrison Elementary School
Years of Service: 25

Margaret Malek’s theme is “I teach with heart and passion!” With 25 years of teaching experience, she cheerfully works to meet the individual needs and learning styles, using the latest brain research to help students strive for their own personal best. Margaret LOVES teaching students who have behavior issues, employing our school-wide 8 Keys of Excellence character education program teaching students to live a life of integrity, making the most of opportunities. She creates a family atmosphere in her classroom and is “absolutely relentless in helping students succeed academically and personally,” tutoring students before school, during recess, lunch, and after school, and interacting with parents, helping them solve problems with compassion and wisdom. A teacher of teachers, Margaret has trained Garrison staff in Quantum Learning strategies. She fundraises for field trips and promotes the school in the community at the Oceanside Sunset Market on Thursday evenings. Margaret also guides the school Girls Inc. Club, helping girls build self-esteem, character, understanding and tolerance of differences. Garrison’s entire staff believes she deserves to be OCC’s Teacher of the Year for 2010.


Nancy Miller
Social Studies Teacher
El Camino High School
Years of Service: 37

Nancy Miller’s department chairman says she is “the most dedicated educator I know.” She is often in her classroom still working at six or seven p.m. and working weekends to support students in numerous extra-curricular activities. Nancy’s excitement and drive leads her to seek out the newest approaches to student learning and share them with her colleagues, energizing them to new levels. As a strong advocate for students, Nancy was instrumental in creating OHS’s AP Parent Night and establishing a National Honor Society at OHS bringing families and community together for a special ceremony. As a key architect of OHS’s Link-Crew, she also supports freshmen student success by helping them link with student and adult mentors their first year at OHS. Besides these activities, Nancy is a BITSA trainer and on the BITSA Advisory board, working with young teachers to help them be the best teachers they can be. Tireless in her dedication to students, she has as much energy and verve as ever!

Jennifer Morrow
K-8 Science Teacher
Coastal Academy
Years of Service: 4

Jennifer has a heart for ALL students, particularly the squirmy ones, helping them all see the “scientist within” and changing Coastal Academy’s school attitude about science to one of “Yeah, Science!” Using hands-on discovery, student-led questioning, and scientific methods, Jennifer hooks students into science in the classroom, outside, on the weekends, and at special events throughout San Diego County. She organizes a science Olympiad, holds afternoon workshops, Saturday trainings, does “Science Mystery,” and maintains a Science WIKI online for all families to access. Jennifer also created a four- year implementation calendar to help folks build new programs, and developed a buddy program for other schools to implement her school-wide science ideas. It is obvious that Jennifer LOVES her job and possesses infectious enthusiasm for science and her students!


Raketa Ovedraogo
High School Teacher
Halstrom High School
Years of Service: 5

As a teacher who loves learning, Raketa is passionate about her teaching and it shows! Raketa draws students into her teaching and makes them part of the process. She involves parents, making them feel important in their role as parents and as their student’s first educators. Raketa is good-natured and always willing to help members of the school community, bringing positive energy to the program. She uses a variety of strategies to reach all levels and types of students. Raketa donates her time for extra-curricular activities, volunteers to plan and attend field trips, mentors other teachers, and advises seniors. She inspires students and builds their confidence to succeed!


Laurie Parizeau
4th Grade Teacher
Stuart Mesa Elementary School
Years of Service: 18

Also nominated for OUDS’s Teacher of the Year, Laurie sets consistently high standards which are reflected in her students’ scores on the California Standards Test. She keeps students focused on learning. Laurie teaches the Gate cluster, but also includes a severely autistic student in her classroom, using special resources, such as, a visual schedule to help learning disabled students successfully adapt to the mainstream classroom. She is a team player, a true people person with a “can do, will do” attitude. Working well beyond the contract day and on weekends to improve her instructional program, Laurie is also a school leader, serving on numerous school committees. Besides bringing the richness of art, music, drama, and the Garden Project to her students, she welcomes Big Brothers and Sisters and Operation Hero volunteers and the Base after school program staff. She coordinated sending items to our overseas military, created a classroom Haiti relief project, and is a campus “green” recycler. She exemplifies her belief in being a positive influence for the greater good.


Kathleen Savage
Special Day Class Special Education Teacher
Palmquist Elementary School
Years of Service: 15

Kathleen is passionate about her cause and her “talents with students of low and special needs are nothing sort of magical.” Kathleen’s focus and mission is to have every student able to read. She included ALL students who needed extra support in reading with her in her program. After visiting six other sites, she influenced her staff to try the new “Learning Center Model” utilizing the new “Voyager Reading” program, (OUSD’s first “Learn Center Model”), resulting in a drastic reduction of the primary SST referral rate. Kathleen’s skills at intervention are “extraordinary.” She works closely with students, parents, and the principal to create a trusting environment, accepting all students at the site in a true spirit of team work. Kathleen took on extra duties such as finding copy machine contractors to lend the school machines when all theirs were broken, negotiating the best contract for replacements, creating a PLC (Professional Learning Community) for special needs community, and creating Master Schedules. Due to her amazing dedication, skills, and hard work, students are closing the achievement gap at Palmquist.


Outstanding Employee of the Year Nominations 2010

Maile Batchelor
Senior Clerk Typist
Oceanside High School
Years of Service: 10

“Ms. Batchelor’s positive mind-set and pleasant character are contagious.” She has the same good relations with co-workers, others at school, and outside of work. With her good-Samaritan nature, Ms. Batchelor goes out of her way to help others, both staff and students. She is the primary communicator over the intercom and phones in a crisis and handles each one calmly, precisely and very professionally. Ms. Batchelor carefully observes student behavior and is able to give students sound advice, preventing problems before they occur. Fully participating in campus activities, Ms. Batchelor is present at football games, career fairs, prom, graduations, etc. Encouraging students to take pride in OHS, she urges them to keep the campus clean and trash free. Always cheerful, she has earned the highest respect and admiration of students, parents, and staff members.

Suzanne Brewer
K-8 Administrative Assistant
Coastal Academy
Years of Service: 7

With a “grandma’s heart,” Ms. Brewer bends over backwards for students, doing extras like sharing homemade cookies and even teaching them to knit after school. Suzanne is the backbone of the organizational success at her school, tending carefully to office details and creating common sense procedures, thus ensuring clean audits and accurate paperwork. Due to her passion for paperwork, the entire staff has more time to be effective with students. She comes in before anyone else, often at 6:30 a.m., makes coffee and cleans up the kitchen, supporting the entire staff. She will take work home in the evenings and over the weekends, even enlisting her own family’s help on special projects! As a comparison shopper, she saves Coastal Academy lots of money and always supports local events.

Karen Hookano
Guidance Technician
Oceanside High School
Years of Service: 10

Karen will exhaust all means to guarantee she puts her “best foot forward” trying to meet the needs of students, staff, and parents. Many depend on her for students’ meeting scholarship requirements, AVID needs, transferring credits in and out of OHS, graduation requirements, IEP documents, and applying for jobs, colleges, and the military. She can be counted on to be consistent and fair in her turn around time for transcript changes and requests for any and all records. She is a trusted resource relied upon by hundreds of students for her support, wisdom, and sound moral and individual motivation. Her giving spirit allows students a safe place to seek help and assistance. She supports OHS by attending after school events and helping the boosters raise money for programs across the campus.

Linda Lewis
Instructional Aide, Special Education
Lincoln Middle School
Years of Service: 24

Linda is there for students! “Where there is a need for an extra hand, Linda is willing and happy to help, whether working with students, making copies, sending faxes, answering phones, even filling in when there is a shortage of staff in the front office. She is a GEM! Whatever students need, if the school can’t supply it, she will seek grants, donations from the community, create partnerships, or donate it personally when she can. Even after 24 years of service, she is bubbly, with a spring in her step, a true professional! She turns frowns into smiles daily, and treats each student as if each were her own child. Linda doesn’t limit her involvement to only special needs students, but provides heart-loving help all over the campus! She is amazing with special needs students, believing all they need is a little more love! Profoundly dedicated, Linda participates in ALL Parent-Teacher, IEP, and Teacher-Student conferences. She runs the school-wide Student of the Month program, and was instrumental in Read 180 program continuity and success. Linda is everywhere there is a need: arriving early and staying late, in and outside the classroom, all across the campus, and at a myriad of school functions and activities. She always displays professionalism, enthusiasm, and love.

Gabriel Magana
Instructional Aide, Special Day Class
Palmquist Elementary School
Years of Service: 23

Described as a “miracle worker,” Gabe is the ultimate “team player.” He is conscientious, dedicated to students and staff, and passionate about every life he touches. Going above and beyond, he reaches “into his Soul for whatever it takes to reach his goal of helping every student become a reader.” Being bi-lingual, he is sought-after to help all over campus at SST’s IEP’s, for ELD class assistance, parent nights, Back to School Nights, and parent conferences. He is there for them all! With his great goodwill and unique sense of humor, “he can take a contentious issue with parents and turn it into a delightful moment.” He has become an integral part of Palmquist’s “Learning Center” model, using Response to Intervention across all primary grades. He works with the most difficult students: autistic, oppositional, defiant, severely handicapped, ADHA, and learning disabled, while treating them all with respect and making allowances for their differences and holding them to high standards. Gabe’s love and passion for his job is reflected in positive relationships with the staff, parents, and especially his students.”

Maria Mangabay
Health Clerk
Stuart Mesa Elementary School
Years of Service: 7

As a highly skilled health professional, there is no doubt that Maria makes the medical needs of her students her first priority. According to her principal, Maria “knows her stuff and responds quickly and appropriately,” and in a calm, effective manner. The school nurse says “Maria is a caring, competent caregiver, strong team member and one who problems solves quickly when challenging situations arise.” From bumps and bruises to medically fragile and non-communicative autistic children, she makes sound, logical, correct decisions. Described as a “One-Man Band,” Maria tends to the Health Office, answers front office phones, assists staff with a myriad of questions, fixes the copier or other office equipment, enters students in the SIS system, creates programs for music events, graduations, etc. As a military wife, she brings knowledge of the Base community, making her invaluable to our school. She is approachable, extremely dependable and has a wonderful sense of humor. Her school secretary says “She is the greatest asset our office has.” She also works at the district level sharing information and giving input on policy procedures.

Jill Rizzuto
Attendance Clerk
El Camino High School
Years of Service: 5

Ms. Rizzuto is a high energy, positive person who demonstrated amazing ability to multi- task and accomplish a job that 3 full time people could spend doing. She sets her standards high, positively impacting students. Although working with high school students regarding attendance can be challenging, she is always professional, respectful and gets along well with parents, students, and staff. She sincerely cares about students and whether they are at school or not, and collaborates with administrators and those on the SARB board to be sure students who qualify are brought before the panel. She often works well past contract hours in order to efficiently enter data. Her passion for her work and attention to detail are models for other employees. Her principal gets only positive feedback about Ms. Rizzuto and sees her as a definite asset to the school and district.

Carlos E. Rozo
Teacher Aide, Special Education
Garrison Elementary School
Years of Service: 6 ½

Carlos is a role model for students, with a philosophy of never giving up and “where there is a will there’s a way.” Carlos went back to school for a year to upgrade his skills to pass the teacher’s aide test. Carlos then moved up from playground supervisor to Special Education Aide, where he is loved for his fair, but firm, philosophy, his dedication, and commitment. He is the “go-to guy” for students having a bad day. He works with the most difficult students, such as those who have suffered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, or who have autism, Asperger’s, terets, ADHD, and oppositional defiance disorder (ODD). Carlos is good natured, possessing a positive attitude and insightfulness. Although he works at Vons from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. daily, arriving home just in time to get his three children, ages 9, 11, and 13, off to school by 8 a.m., he comes to school with a cheerful smile and positive energy to work from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Still, he has found time to be a Boy Scout leader, soccer coach, Fast Feet volunteer, and to be involved with Chess Club, Boys’ Night Out, Sock Hop, Field Day, and School Site Council member. He is a truly amazing asset to our community.

Rosalba Salazar
Libby Elementary School
School Community Advisor
Years of Service: 29

Rosalba is extremely dedicated to her job, to her students, and the community, performing in a professional manner, always treating all with the utmost respect. With her positive attitude, she has established herself as an invaluable resource to parents, community and staff members. Rosalba is an integral part of promoting parent involvement in their students’ educations. She translates written communications, parent teacher conferences and meetings, and coordinates the Sed de Saber Program for parents learning English. Her diligence is exemplary and she is always willing to volunteer to help teachers, parents, the PTO, and office staff in any way she can. She is a true asset to the Libby School and the Oceanside community.

Laurie Starlin
Libby Elementary School
Lead Cafeteria Manager
Years of Service: 13

Mrs. Starlin’s concern for her students is evident as she makes connections daily with students, parents and staff members, doing everything she can to insure children are fed healthy meals so they can learn effectively. She cooperates with teachers who need her help to feed a hungry child. Mrs. Stalin helps parents fill out paperwork so their students can qualify for meals they need at school. She is flexible, and approachable, making accommodations in her schedule to facilitate classroom needs. She goes beyond just feeding students to teach them, individually, and as groups, about the importance of healthy food habits and food safety. Mrs. Stalin is dedicated to the importance of nutrition and food to help guarantee the health and consistent school attendance! Her dedication to students and their families is obvious!



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