SAN JOSE, CA – The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) will honor 37 teachers for excellence in the classroom, commitment to professional development, and dedication to students, school, and community during the 47th Annual Teacher Recognition Celebration.
The Santa Teresa Jazz Combo will kick off the evening's festivities with performances during the reception at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell. Their members and Director Julie Bounds hail from Santa Teresa High School in the East Side Union School District. The event will continue with entertainment from 30 students of the Milpitas High School Choir, led by Director Emily Moore.
The event's Masters of Ceremonies include Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, Deputy Superintendent of the SCCOE, and Garvin Thomas, seven-time Emmy Award winner and reporter for the NBC Bay Area News "Bay Area Proud" segment which shares positive and inspirational stories about the people, much like next week's honorees, who make the Bay Area a better place to live.
The following accomplished educators will be recognized at the event:
| Name | School District | School |
| Guadalupe M. Cruz | Alum Rock Union Elementary School District | San Antonio Elementary School |
| Theresa Bernal | Berryessa Union School District | Summerdale Elementary School |
| Sarah Payne | Cambrian School District | Bagby Elementary School |
| Laura Hallinan | Campbell Union High School District | Del Mar High School |
| Anupama Gupta | Campbell Union School District | Blackford Elementary School |
| Qinglin Yang | County Charter School | Bullis Charter School |
| Angelica Guzmán | County Office of Education | Hollister Head Start |
| Barbara Wooley | Cupertino Union School District | Hyde Middle School |
| Kaitlin C. Jenkins | East Side Union High School District | Santa Teresa High School |
| Leopoldo Padilla | Evergreen School District | LeyVa Bulldog Tech |
| Thi Le-Nguyen | Franklin-McKinley School District | Jeanne R. Meadows Elementary School |
| Debbie Frazier | Fremont Union High School District | Monta Vista High School |
| Jennifer Spinetti-Lightfoot | Gilroy Unified School District | Gilroy High School |
| Karren Zook | Loma Prieta Join Union School District | Loma Prieta Elementary School |
| Victoria Lombardi | Los Altos School District | Santa Rita Elementary School |
| Gail Ballenger | Los Gatos Union School District | Louise Van Meter Elementary School |
| Natasha Thompson (Ritchie) | Los Gatos-Saratoga Join Union High School District | Saratoga High School |
| Laura Boostani | Luther Burbank School District | Luther Burbank Elementary School |
| P. Cesar Romero | Metropolitan Education District | Silicon Valley Adult Education |
| Beth Harke | Milpitas Unified School District | Milpitas High School |
| Jonathan Ling | Moreland School District | Anderson Elementary School |
| Howard Barnes | Morgan Hill Unified School District | Ann Sobrato High School |
| Jenessa Lee Locklin | Mount Pleasant School District | Robert Sanders Elementary School |
| Emily Campion | Mountain View Whisman School District | Bubb School |
| Nicole Kopels | Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District | Mountain View High School |
| Alejandra Flores | Oak Grove School District | Del Roble Elementary School |
| Steve Gilbert | Orchard School District | Orchard School |
| Luz Camey de Wierzbicki | San Jose Unified School District | Washington Elementary School |
| Angie Scott | Santa Clara Unified School District | All 26 Santa Clara Unified sites |
| Jonathan Jow | Saratoga Union School District | Redwood Middle School |
| Colleen Lynch Espinoza | Sunnyvale School District | San Miguel Elementary School |
The 2016 STEM Teaching Award Winners, who will receive cash awards of $1,000 each:
| Name | School District | School |
| Richard Timpson | Campbell Union School District | Campbell Middle School |
| Michaela Brant | East Side Union High School District | Apollo High School |
| Mark St. John | Fremont Union High School District | Fremont High School |
| Michelle Sugden | Metropolitan Education District | Silicon Valley Career Technical Education |
| Samantha McMillan | Oak Grove School District | Herman Intermediate School |
| Jennifer Lee | Santa Clara Unified | 49ers STEM Leadership Institute |
In addition to the county Teachers of the Year, the SCCOE has provided the California Department of Education with three State Teacher of the Year nominees, one for every 5,000 teachers working in our region, to represent Santa Clara County at the state-level competition. They include Angie Scott from Santa Clara Unified School District, Anupama Gupta from Campbell Union School District, and Jennifer Spinetti-Lightfoot from Gilroy Unified School District. These teachers must have served in the classroom for at least eight years; provide multiple recommendations from colleagues, supervisors or parents; and complete an exhaustive reflection and portfolio process to even be considered for this honor.
The annual Teacher Recognition Celebration is co-sponsored by Texas Instruments and the Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union, with support from the San Jose Mercury News, Santa Clara County School Boards Association, Sixth District PTA, and other local businesses. For more information, visit the website.
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