Give Every Child a Chance – the Raymus founded tutoring group – has been honored by the California Teachers Association (CTA) with its “Golden Bell” award for excellence.

The presentation was made to Give Every Child a Chance board members Evelyn Moore and Jason Messer at the San Joaquin County Coordinating Council’s annual dinner that was held at the Lexington Waterfront Hotel, in Stockton, before a crowd of some 350 educators from throughout the county.

GECAC executive director Carol Davis said the Golden Bell award was a humbling experience and a great honor for her tutoring program – humbling in that the CTA recognized what was being accomplished for children in the South County program.

A number of teachers in Manteca and Ripon were also honored at the dinner including Intermediate classroom teacher at Walter Woodward School, Judy Xiong, who received the New Educator Award for the Manteca Unified School District.

After just four years in the classroom, she was credited with having an exceptional ability to work with all of her students and to get them to succeed academically as well as socially and emotionally.

“She consistently demonstrates the traits of a master teacher in planning exceptional curriculum that differentiates as well as challenges students  to perform their best,” according to her Manteca Educators Association nomination.

Manteca teacher Marilyn Lagier won the coveted John R. Williams award for her teaching and leadership efforts at East Union High School.  
“She is definitely a never-say-no individual – no job is too small.  Always thinking of other teachers first, she is a mentor to all and is loaded with ideas that she willingly shares,” her citation read.

She was credited with being a tireless worker who is always there to fill any need in the Manteca Educators’ Association.  Marilyn  is said to bring a fresh look at situations with a level and thoughtful voice during discussions.

Christopher Burr has been teaching at Manteca High School for the last two years and was presented with the New Educator Award.  Students take part in no fewer than four different activities in his class each day.  Each activity is designed to teach the same concept.  Transitions are said to be seamless with  the different learning styles being used.  Burr has been added to the Health Careers Pathway team for the next school year.
Manteca’s Special Friend of Education Award went to Helen Jackson.  “If there is a need she is  alwaysthere to fill it,” her citation read.

She has served as a room mother, a member of the Shasta School Community Club, a member of the school site council, as a volunteer to run copies for teachers each week, a member of the Superintendent’s Fellowship Committee, assists with the yearbook, and helps with the school book faire twice a year.

Out in the community she serves the Boy and Girl Scouts.  She participates in Relay for Life.  This past year she has planned, organized and raised funds to help create a beautiful and safe environment at the new Shasta Park.    

In Ripon, Susan Taylor was selected for the New Educator award.  She is a sixth grade teacher at Ripon Elementary School having taught there for the last three years.

She was instrumental in bringing, “A Walk Through Ancient Civilization” to the sixth graders.  Susan is also active in the Student Study Team, School Site Council, School Site Technology Team and the School Site Leadership Team.   Susan was quoted as saying, “I just love to be in my classroom.”

A second New Educator Award went to Erika Ramos who first taught a second/ third combination class and a third grade this year at Parkview Elementary School in Ripon.  She is bilingual which enhances her work with English as second language students.

Erika is using advanced technology in her classroom, the Smart Board, and was a member of Ripon Unified’s first Educational Summit and has taken on the school’s yearbook.

The John R. Williams Award went to Ripon teacher Clair Russell who began teaching in 1980 at Ripon Elementary School.  She has long been an active member of the Ripon Unified District Teachers Association – first as a building representative – working her way up to be union president now in her second term.

“As president, it has been Clair’s priority to unify the teachers’ association.  A full executive board was reinstated and communication between schools and the district office has become commonplace,” her citation reads.

One teacher who went through Ripon schools from Ripona Elementary to Ripon High School, Jenna Anstey, was chosen as Lammersville Teachers Association’s New Educator.  Jenna stays after school two days a week to tutor students in math on her own time.

She is also credited for providing excellent support and feedback to both her students and to their parents.  Her students were said to all be engaged and successful.  Jenna uses technology effectively and creatively using a math lesson with the use of the LCD review of the prior lesson.
 
Using hand-on models, she explained the next step.  To review what she had just taught, she used her LCD and computer with cartoon figures to describe the concept of multiplying with decimals again.

Jenna volunteered to coordinate the school’s talent show and is also helping with the field day activity.

David and Becky Pedersen were honored as Ripon Schools’ Special Friends of Education.

They have both been very active for the last six years at Ripon Elementary School beginning when their first child entered kindergarten.

Becky participates in art and history projects with the students, organizes the school’s jog-a-thon, fundraisers and this year organized Family Reading Night.  

Dave works in the Ripon community securing donations for students with new books for every kindergartner, prizes and materials for the classroom and fund raising events, making a jog-a-thon a huge success.

“As a Title 1 School in an economic crisis, Ripon Elementary has been blessed with the gifts of Dave and Becky Pedersen,” their citation read.