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Education Celebration

Presented by:   

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

2023 Education Celebration 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 & SupportSanta 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 & InstructionSanta 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 Director Josie Coburn
Curriculum Project Grant Sponsors, Exxon Mobil, SBTFCU, Chumash, Towbes, Altrusa
Bob's Well Bread, Bowlero, Yellow Belly
Thank You Chevron
Marvin Melvin CTE Award Sponsors: Frank Sohipper Construction, Tradart
Instructional Strategy Team Member Grant Sponsors
Collaborative Learning Team Grant Sponsors
Thank You Clean Air Ambassadors
Crystal Apple Educator Awards Sponsor SBTFCU