• 2023 Education Celebration

    Presented by:   SBCEO Logo

    Ed Celebration
    The Santa Barbara County Education Office's annual gathering recognizing grant and award winners, educators, and supporting partners.  The SBCEO Teachers Network is honored to celebrate our local schools and educators each spring.

    Event Photos Link

    Emcees   


  • Event Program
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    Student Entertainment

    Orcutt School District Jazz Band, Josie Coburn, Band Director, Orcutt Academy High School, and
    2022 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year
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    Welcome & Introductions

    Steven Keithley-Director, Teacher Programs & Support, Santa Barbara County Education Office
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    Maurene Donner-Superintendent/Principal, College School District, & 2022 Crystal Apple Educator Award Winner
    &
    Scott Reed-CEO, Music Academy
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    Dr. Susan Salcido, County Superintendent of Schools, Santa Barbara County Education Office
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    Curriculum Project Grant Winners
    Presented by:
    Bryan Anderson, Asset Manager, ExxonMobil 

    Jacob Gustafson, Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
    Project: Biography Documentary

    Terri Cecchine, La Honda STEAM Academy, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Unit Cost with Coupons: Decimals, Percentages and Fractions

    Caitlin Voss, Ralph Dunlap School, Orcutt Union School District
    Project: Stacking to Success

    Alyssa Prieto, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Shhh! It's a Secret

    Wendy Culver, Clarence Ruth School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Persuading A Community: The Snowy Plover vs. Surf Beach

    Ian Moore, Goleta Valley Junior High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Project: California Native Botanical Garden

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    Performing Arts Curriculum Project Grant Winners
    Presented by:
    Lyndsay Cooke, Outreach Program Manager, Santa Barbara Bowl

    Emily Libera, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Project: Meredith Wilson's The Music Man

    Bree Jansen, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Main Stage Mentoring

    Katlin Majewski, Clarence Ruth School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Puppet Show

    Devon Nelson, Goleta Valley Junior High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Project: Diverse Composers Can Make Our Music Curriculum Equitable

    Jennifer Peterson, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Making Monsters Come to Life! A Technical and Acting Theatre Challenge

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    Santa Barbara Bowl
    Performing Arts Teacher of the Year Award
    Presented by:
    Lyndsay Cooke, Outreach Program Manager, Santa Barbara Bowl

    Elesa Carlson, Drama and Art Teacher, Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

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    Bill Cirone Heart of Education Award
    Presented by:
    Bill Cirone, County Superintendent of Schools, Retired 

    Eduardo Gonzales-Ramos, Medium & Heavy-Duty Diesel Teacher, Mark Richardson CTE Center & Agricultural Farm, SMJUHSD.


    Watch the video HERE.

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    Special Recognition
    California Association for Bilingual Education (CSBE) Bilingual Teacher of the Year, AND
    National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), National Teacher of the Year

    Sonia Aguila, Canalino School, Carpinteria Unified School District

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    TeachNet Technology Grant Winners
    Presented by:
    Cate Tolnai - Director, Digital Learning, SBCEO
    for
    Sara Dearman, Public Affairs Representative, West Coast Decommissioning Program, Chevron 

    Charlene Asmussen, Santa Ynez School, College School District
    Project: Student Meteorologists

    Justin Fraser, Delta High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
    Project: Computer Science through Video Game Design

    Ty Fredriks, Orcutt Academy High School, Orcutt Union School District
    Project: Determining Terminal Velocity For REAL

    Karen Hamner, La Honda STEAM Academy, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Projected Collaboration

    Christopher Silva, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
    Project: Real World Object

    Lara Willbanks, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Project: SMHS King's Page Staff Page and Student Portfolio

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    Marvin Melvin Career Technical Educator Awards
    Presented by:
    Frank Schipper, President, TRADART Foundation
    &
    Erwin Villegas, Vice President Schipper Construction Co. 

    Gary Dimitratos, CTE Business Teacher, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District

    Terri Ingram, Culinary Arts Instructor, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

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    Care for Our Earth Grant Winners
    Presented by:
    Rachel Major, Water Conservation Program Specialist, SB County Water Agency 

    Richard Burlingham, Mission Valley School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Mission Valley Portable Garden

    Lauren Dalton, Santa Ynez Valley Charter School, College School District
    Project: Succulence!

    Paul DePaulo, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
    Project: California Native Gardens Lesson

    Michelle Fomin, Vista de las Cruces School, Vista del Mar Union School District
    Project: Experiential Learning Through Outdoor Education

    Sharon Gallagher, Solvang School, Solvang School District
    Project: Save Our Seas Solvang

    Robert Goettler, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Project: MICRO-Irrigation for BIG Water Savings

    Riccardo Magni, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
    Project: What's in my Water

    Matt Makowetski, Maple High School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Project: Water Efficiency: The need to Understand and Protect it

    Kelly McDonald, Solvang School, Solvang School District
    Project: Water Saving Garden

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    Instructional Strategy Team Grant Winners
    Presented by:
    Carlos Almazan, Financial Advisor, Schools First Federal Credit Union

    Project: Acentuacion Facil
    Team Coach: Noe Chavez, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Team Members:
    Elizabeth Miquelon, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Veronica Corona, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Megan McCarter, El Camino School, Goleta Union School District 
    Erika Carbajal, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Cecilia Barros-Pitts, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District

    Project: Reflecting on Learning: A Goal-Oriented Grading System
    Team Coach: Chris Ladwig, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Team Members:
    Lucy Carleton, Carpinteria High School, Carpinteria Unified School District
    Krista Caniano, Lompoc Valley Middle School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Sarah Barthel, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Catherine Borgard, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District

    Project: Language Function Walls
    Team Coaches: Annabel Meza & Alexia Limón, Adelante Charter School
    Team Members:
    Andrea Carrillo, Adelante Charter School
    Damaris Alcaraz, McKinley Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Analy Gaxiola, McKinley Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Jose Sandoval Buzo, Adelante Charter School
    Graciela (Chely) Rodriguez, Adelante Charter School
    Courtney Brewer, Monroe Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
    Cynthia Esquivel, McKinley Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

    Project: From Research to Presentation
    Team Coach: Jason Naczek, Santa Ynez Valley Charter School
    Team Members:
    Charlene Asmussen, Santa Ynez School, College District
    Ronnie Tow, Santa Ynez School, College District
    Robert Goettler, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

    Project: Increasing Student Engagement Through PBL
    Team Coach: Allan Viscarra, Peabody Charter School
    Team Members:
    Meagan Pasternak, Peabody Charter School
    Lauren Rodriguez, Peabody Charter School
    Christine Shaefer, Peabody Charter School
    Christina Roessler, Peabody Charter School
    Ashley Griffin, Foothill School, Goleta Union School District
    Liz Long, Peabody Charter School
    Mazda Mousavi, Lompoc Valley Middle School, Lompoc Unified School District
    Amy Willis, Los Olivos School, Los Olivos School District
    Julia Grigorian, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District

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    Collaborative Learning Team Grant Winners
    Presented by:
    Ellen Barger, Associate Superintendent- Curriculum & Instruction, Santa Barbara County Education Office 

    Project: Hollister Guiding Coalition Resource Design Support
    Team members from Hollister School, Goleta Union School District:
    Victoria Aguirre, Louise Dahlquist, Holly Erassarret, Veronica Flores, Lindsay Kurtz, Jessica Muñoz

    Project: Mural Cutouts painted in the Trompe Loeil Style
    Team members from Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District:
    Elizabeth P. Alvarez, Victoria Gonzalez, Kari Rosson, Karlena Schutz

    Project: Integrating Play and Curriculum
    Team members from Mountain View School, Goleta Union School District:
    Rebecca Faanes, Lauren Baker, Kelly Hammond

    Project: From the San Ynez Mountains to the Channel Islands Chumash Indian History of Santa Barbara County
    Team members from Solvang School, Solvang School District:
    Sharon Gallagher Tashjian, Michelle Fitzgerald, Jill Hunter, Cheryl Lastra, Tom Mataya, Kelly McDonald

    Project: Muscle Centric Approach to Improve Health
    Team members from Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District:
    Scott Nickason, Auni Baldwin, Justin Bronson, Christie Ortiz, Todd Noel, Shawn Ramirez, Gary Wilson

    Project: Creating Non-Tracked High School Math Honors Programs
    Team members from Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District:
    Alyssa Prieto, Sarah Barthel, Francisco Diaz Real, Morgan Kelsey

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    Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union
    Crystal Apple Educator Awards
    Presented by:
    Roy McLaughlin, CEO, Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union
    &
    Steve Shelton, Board Chair,Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union

    Classified Employees:
    Marc Tosches,
    Instructional Assistant, Orcutt Academy High School, Orcutt Union School District
    Brie Cromer, School Secretary, Los Olivos School, Los Olivos School District

    Primary Teachers:
    Silvana Patterson, 1st Grade Teacher, Santa Ynez School, College School District
    Kelly Orwig, 5th Grade Teacher, Cold Spring School, Cold Spring School District

    Secondary Teachers:
    Justin Fraser, Teacher/Tech TOSA, Delta High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
    Emily Shaeer, Teacher, Director of DPEA, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

    Certificated Support Providers:
    Rose Marie Battaglia,
    Special Assessment/Teacher Support, Mary Buren School, Guadalupe Union School District
    Maggie Fernandez-Diaz,
    Counselor, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District

    Administrators:
    Shelli Hart, Program Specialist for Teacher Development, Santa Maria-Bonita School District
    Claudia Echavarria, Director of Special Education, Santa Ynez Valley SPED Consortium

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    Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year
    Presented by:

    Dr. Susan Salcido, County Superintendent of Schools, Santa Barbara County Education Office
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    Joanna Hendrix, SBCEO, Special Ed. Regional Program at Ralph Dunlap School, Orcutt USD &
    2023 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year
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    Gregory Wolf, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, SYVUHSD
    2024 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year

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Orcutt Jazz Band
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