PRESS RELEASE

13626 Twin Peaks Road „ Poway „ California 92064-3034 Phone (858) 679-2631 „ FAX (858) 679-2642

For Immediate Release March 23, 2010

Contact:

Sharon Raffer, Director of Communications

Poway Unified Announces Three District Teachers of the Year Linda Rasmussen, Karen Shimer, Shaylene Watkins Receive Honors

The Poway Unified School District proudly recognizes our teachers and announces that Linda Rasmussen, Karen Shimer, and Shaylene Watkins have been chosen as Poway Unified School District Teachers of the Year for 2010-2011 from a very distinguished list of school site teachers of the year. A committee of past winners and school administrators selected the three districtlevel Teachers of the Year. All the honorees have incorporated exemplary learning programs into their teaching, and are making a positive difference to the students of the Poway Unified School District. Linda Rasmussen Third Grade Teacher Highland Ranch Elementary School “Find something you love and become a lifelong learner.” Linda Rasmussen’s philosophy guides her work as an educator and has benefited hundreds of young students as they begin to explore the world of knowledge. Every day Linda says she learns something new from her students, her colleagues, and from books, music, and nature. All have inspired her to pursue more education, training, and teaching others what she has learned. Linda’s classroom environment encompasses the world of nature. Third graders use binoculars to watch bird stations outside their classroom. They examine insect eggs, learn about bugs, snakes, and butterflies, and become aware and respectful of the outside

world. Classroom writing assignments combine research and observation. Scientists visit the classroom and students are treated to visits to San Diego’s natural habitats. “The smile or nod from a student that confirms understanding and excitement of learning something new makes me so proud to be a teacher,” Linda said. Linda volunteers with a scientific research project called Journey North. She traveled to Michoacan, Mexico to visit the wintering grounds of the Monarch butterfly and the rural village schools in that region. Linda’s students collect data and report to scientists involved with Journey North. This fall they were on the lookout for Monarch butterflies, counting them as they flew over Highland Ranch. They shared a simulation of the butterflies’ migration north with the students. Later this spring the Mexican students will share what they discover. “My students are absolutely my greatest accomplishments in my educational career. I open doors for them to new ideas and discoveries, but they are the ones who take those new ideas and build pathways to a lifelong love of learning,” Linda said. Over the years Linda and her teaching colleagues have worked together as a team to create new methods and instructional strategies that have inspired their students and have inspired them. To inform parents about their child’s learning, student-led Parent/Teacher Conferences and Family Journals have increased important communications. Linda received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah and her Master of Arts degree from San Diego State University. She has been a teacher in PUSD for 22 years, where she taught grades 4/5 at Sundance from 1988-1990, and grade 4 at Turtleback Elementary School from 1990-1992. Linda taught third grade and grades 2/3 at Highland Ranch Elementary School since 1992.

Karen Shimer English Teacher/AVID Mt. Carmel High School Karen Shimer partners with others to empower change at the most important and basic levels, by building relationships and connections with the students and staff of Mt. Carmel High School, and making sure students do not miss opportunities to learn and gain knowledge. For her English and AVID students, she strives to make those connections every day, adding value to each person’s time in class, and leaving the students with something to come back for tomorrow. Karen is co-leader of the Mt. Carmel New Teacher Mentor Program. The program pairs veteran teachers with new teachers to ensure that new educators are able to begin the year successfully. Karen is always there when needed, and has served as class advisor, English Department Chair, and on the UBC committee. She is a member of the AVID Site Team and is the advisor of MC Shine, a student anthology of published work. Karen helps plan fundraising activities at staff functions, and has created a teacherstudent connection by pairing ASB students with a teachers on campus. Mt. Carmel’s student clubs dedicate their efforts to giving back to the school as well as the community. As class council advisor for seven years, Karen supervised many community service projects. Most recently she helped a student adopt an Afghan family. The student’s father was serving in Afghanistan, where he met an Afghan father of seven children who is unable to work because of the hostile environment within his country. In two weeks, students collected clothes and toys for his children, as well as money to send the boxes to her soldier father in Afghanistan. As a staff member of the AVID team, Karen constantly asks, “What are the foundational skills that my students are lacking to be proficient readers, writers, and speakers?” When those are identified, the students progress from there. Karen has worked in collaboration with other English teachers to develop common course assessments, core curriculum, and consistency within the English department.

The junior class paper is a cornerstone of eleventh grade, an assignment that carries great weight in class. Karen, in collaboration with a Special Ed teacher, developed a handbook that now is online on the PUSD Learning Point website. Materials have been organized into a practical handbook with examples and clear expectations. Students learn from the first day of their junior year what is expected of them and how to complete the necessary components of the paper. Karen recalls a Mt. Carmel student who spoke primarily Polish. She was not only in school, but also helping her family by going with her dad to help as he did his carpentry work. It was not certain she could go to college, yet Karen worked with her and encouraged her throughout high school. The student went to college and wants to be a teacher. Keeping in touch with Karen through Facebook, the student has just recently asked Karen to be at her wedding. Karen received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cal Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo where she majored in English and her Master of Arts degree from Grand Canyon University. She has worked at Mt. Carmel High School since 1999. Shaylene Watkins Grades 4/5 Teacher Monterey Ridge Elementary School “Education saved my life,” said Shaylene Watkins. “Having lived a childhood peppered with hardship and adversity, I found refuge in the structured, loving, and caring environments my teachers created in Sunset Hills, Black Mountain, and later, at Abraxas High School. They taught me that connections build resiliency. From my teachers’ guiding hands, I saw first-hand how education changes lives, and how, through the power of writing, you can be the author of your own life story.” Shaylene’s message to others is to just believe in yourself - things are not always handed to you on a silver platter. She views her background as an asset that allows her to intuitively work with children, giving them a myriad of tools to overcome barriers.

Shaylene builds relationships and inspires trust, so that students can take risks, pursue and accomplish goals, and develop a sense of self confidence and hope. Last year Shaylene designed and implemented a writing program that had outstanding measurable results. All 97 fourth graders in Shaylene’s classes achieved proficiency on the California Standards English/Language Arts test and 33 students achieved a perfect score of 8. Guiding students to find their voice in writing is Shaylene’s goal. She combines taking the mystery out of writing by giving students an outline of rules for each genre. There are hands-on lessons, writing contests, and creative writing opportunities that make writing come alive and fun. Shaylene works with each child as their cheerleader, providing each one with just the right amount of encouragement and challenge to help each student feel confident to learn. She says that building connections and creating an environment that fosters learning (just as her teachers ensured for her) is her greatest accomplishment. Shaylene’s classroom hums with excitement that comes from the work and excitement of children in cooperative learning groups. Each fall students assess their specific learning strengths and graph these traits so that they can identify their learning strength and the area to build upon. Shaylene helps the students to use this awareness to become independent learners. There is often rich variety in her multiage room, including problem-based learning activities, math games, science experiments, and the use of technology to create studentbased projects. Shaylene’s writing program inspires her students, as she writes with them, shares her passion, and encourages their success. Over the years, Shaylene has received letters and emails from her students and parents who thank her for always being there and encouraging high expectations. Shaylene received her Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University and her Master of Arts degree from Grand Canyon University. She was recognized in 1999 with San Diego State’s Halfaker Student Teacher of the Year Award. Shaylene began her

career at Poway Unified in 2000 as a fourth grade teacher at Sundance Elementary School. She also taught first grade at Rolling Hills Elementary School in 2003-2004. Shaylene returned to Sundance in 2004. In 2007 she joined the staff at Monterey Ridge Elementary School.

2010-2011 Poway Unified School Site Teachers of the Year The following is a list of all 2010-2011 Teachers of the Year selected by their school sites. All of these finalists are outstanding representatives of the high caliber of educators that is characteristic of Poway Unified School District teachers: Name

School Site

Dean Weese

Abraxas High School

Richard Figone

Adobe Bluffs Elementary School

Marilyn Phillips Pauline Crooks

Alternative Programs Bernardo Heights Middle School

Stephen Groff

Black Mountain Middle School

Holly Hibbert

Chaparral Elementary School

Karen Anderson

Creekside Elementary School

Bonnie Thomason

Deer Canyon Elementary School

Jennifer Conlon

Del Norte High School

Steffanie Schofield

Del Sur Elementary School

Betsy Pon

Garden Road Elementary School

Linda Rasmussen Jacqueline Smyers

Highland Ranch Elementary School Los Peñasquitos Elementary School

Kenneth Carr

Meadowbrook Middle School

John O’Hagan

Mesa Verde Middle School

Shaylene Watkins

Monterey Ridge Elementary School

Jillian Boyer

Morning Creek Elementary School

Karen Shimer

Mt. Carmel High School

Cheryl Kaiser

Oak Valley Middle School

Debbie Friedrick

Pomerado Elementary School

Daniel Harris Vicki Wilson

Poway High School/Career, Technical & Adult Education Rancho Bernardo High School

Harold Carlson

Shoal Creek Elementary School

Beckie Steller

Stone Rancho Elementary School

Karin Cameron

Sundance Elementary School

Deborah Kraus

Sunset Hills Elementary School

April Leslie

Turtleback Elementary School

Patty McKinney

Twin Peaks Middle School

Jeff Wenger

Westview High School

Kristin Thomas Lauren O'Rielly

Westwood Elementary School Willow Grove Elementary School