MBUSD recognizes teachers of the year

MBUSD teachers of the year ( left to right) Jonathan Westerberg (MCHS), Linda Hunt (Pennekamp), Carrie Fairbrother (Grand View), Lauren Walsh (Meadows), Kim Holz (Robinson & District), Nanci Schnebly (Pacific), Sandy Casey (MBMS – represented by her fiancé Chris Willemse), and Karen Mamakos. Shown with them are (left to right) principals Rhonda Steinberg, Nancy Doyle, Kim Linz, Ben Dale, Board President Karen Komatinsky, Kim Johnson, Jackie O’Sullivan, and Superintendent Mike Matthews. Photo by Heather Hoffman

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District recognized its Teachers of the Year at last Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, an annual ceremony that took on deeper resonance at the end of a school year that began with the tragic loss of one of the district’s brightest young stars.

The night ranged in emotions from the chattering chorus of Robinson Elementary fourth-graders joyously celebrating district-wide Teacher of the Year Kim Holz to a tearful remembrance of Sandy Casey, the Manhattan Beach Middle School Teacher of the Year who lost her life in the mass shooting in Las Vegas last October.

The Teachers of the Year Board Meeting is always one of my favorite meetings of the year,” said MBUSD Superintendent Mike Matthews. “It is a celebration of excellence and a wonderful recognition of what we value most: high-quality teaching in the classroom. The eight teachers selected are outstanding representatives of all of our MBUSD teachers.”

Meadows Elementary Teacher of the Year Lauren Walsh

Lauren Walsh

Meadows Elementary Principal Michelle Krzmarzick described a day in Room 12, teacher Lauren Walsh’s classroom, which includes everpresent class pet Murray the tortoise and a supremely well-prepared lesson plan.

“Lauren starts each day in her classroom with her lights off, her room quiet, and her imagination soaring for ways to level up her lessons for her first graders,” Krzmarzick said. “When Lauren’s students arrive each morning, they are very excited because they know what is waiting for them — STEM centers that engage their minds and prepare them for the multifaceted lesson and activities that have been carefully planned and scaffolded into rich personalized learning at every turn.”

“From short mini-lessons that have specific teaching points to small group instruction designed to reach students where they are to math questions posed to elicit deep challenging thought, Lauren’s students are privy to some of the finest instruction around. Her classroom is a safe place to learn, make mistakes, and for them to support each other. All responses are accepted and encouraged because in Lauren’s class, what a student thinks is never wrong when they are taught they can revise their answer.”

Grandview Elementary Teacher of the Year Carrie Fairbrother

Carrie Fairbrother

Grandview Elementary Principal Nancy Doyle described fourth-grade teacher Carrie Fairbrother’s selection — teachers of the year are selected by their peers — as “the perfect choice.” Fairbrother was born and raised in Manhattan Beach.

“Carrie’s masterful instruction combines with incredible intuition to meet each child’s academic and emotional needs,” said Doyle. “She provides a differentiated learning environment where students feel secure, confident, responsible, and respected. Her resourcefulness is remarkable, and she is always looking for new ways to improve her practice and support her school family at Grandview.”

“She exudes a humble, shining and deeply caring heart along with a steady moral compass, reminding us all of what is right, true, and good in this world. I am honored to have her as a most trusted colleague whose wisdom and silent strength I admire daily.”

Manhattan Beach Preschool Teacher of the Year Karen Mamakos

Karen Mamakos

Kim Johnson, the site supervisor for Manhattan Beach Preschool, said teacher Karen Mamakos shows that student’s educations are her top priority in everything she does.

“Her lessons are top notch and engaging, always with her students’ needs in mind,” Johnson said. “She is able to serve a diverse range of students and accommodate individual student’s needs. She takes time to hear them and teach them something new, and make them feel important in the classroom. She has a special way of teaching so that her students are learning new concepts, building self-confidence, and enjoying school at the same time. She is the kind of teacher who makes getting ready for kindergarten easy.”

Johnson also read some students thoughts on their teacher:

“She teaches me, and plays with me.”

“I love her so much, and she is so sweet to the whole class.”

“She’s a good teacher who helps us learn letter sounds.”

“I like it when she goes on her climbing thing on the upstairs playground.”

“If I need help, I ask her, and she helps me.”

Pennekamp Elementary Teacher of the Year Linda Hunt.

Linda Hunt

Deputy Superintendent Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard read remarks from Pennekamp Principal Karina Gerger, who could not be present at the meeting, regarding teacher Linda Hunt. Gerger wrote that Hunt has been a teacher 34 years, the last 27 of those years as a third-grade teacher at Pennekamp. As a first-year principal at the school, Gerger said she felt a special enjoyment working alongside the steady presence of this “beloved” teacher.

“She is straightforward, efficient, and professional, but most of all she is passionate about teaching,” Gerger said. “Some say that the best teachers are artists who know the subjects they are teaching and how to bring out the best in students. Linda has demonstrated she is one of the best. Her students thrive in her classroom because she sets high expectations. Linda also creates a supportive and collaborative learning environment where every student knows they are an integral part of the class. She encourages students to do their very best no matter how hard it is for them and teaches them never to give up. There is a quote that says the best teachers are those who show you where to look but not what to see. When I observed Linda teach her students — that is what she does. She guides her students to examine their learning and allows them to reach discoveries on their own. It’s truly wonderful to experience.”

Gerger also noted that Hunt has announced her retirement.

“We are all so sad but we also wish her the best retirement ever, because she deserves it,” Gerger said.

Mira Costa High School Teacher of the Year Jonathan Westerberg

Jonathan Westerberg

Mira Costa Principal Ben Dale proposed a sports analogy for teacher Jonathan Westerberg, noting the “often-argued” debate in sports about what single player any franchise would want to build a team around.

“That franchise player may not be the most skilled in any one area, may not be the top, but they are strong and have a little bit of everything at the highest level, and they are the glue, they are the one who brings everybody together and shows them the way to build a championship team,” Dale said. “Mr. Westerberg would be on the short list of any principal you would build a team around. If I was building a staff, he would be my first pick. Because he brings with him all different kinds of skills that are necessary for an organization. He’s smart and funny and energetic, and he’s engaging, and he’s a great leader.”

“When you are in Mr. Westerberg’s class you are inspired. There are good teachers, there are great teachers, and then there are those teachers that change lives. At Mira Costa, we have those in abundance, and when you are in Mr. Westerberg’s classroom, that is a life-changing experience.”

Pacific Elementary Teacher of the Year Nancy Schnebly

Nancy Schnebly

Pacific Elementary Principal Rhonda Steinberg called second-grade teacher Nancy Schnebly “a superstar.”

Her classroom reflects a sense of community, with each student feeling a special and unique connection with their teacher,” Steinberg said. “She creates strategies which foster student participation. It is wonderful to observe her support for struggling students, and the encouragement of independent and critical thinking. She cares deeply about her students and continually exhibits a positive mirror…. Nancy’s zest for teaching radiates enthusiasm, which has a positive effect on all around her. She is an excellent role model for her students and her colleagues. One of her many strengths is to encourage and cultivate creativity.”

“Students are inspired by her enthusiasm for learning and thus strive to achieve their personal best. Nancy contributes to our staff more than she realizes. Among her peers, she is always positive — and in June it’s not that easy — entertaining, a valuable instructional leader and a strong child advocate. She is a leader who exerts great positive influence.”

Manhattan Beach Middle School Teacher of the Year Sandy Casey.

Sandy Casey

MBMS Principal Kim Linz was brief in her remarks about Sandy Casey, a special education teacher whose colleague and fiancé, Chris Willemse, was in attendance to accept her Teacher of the Year honor. Linz introduced a video made by her colleagues and students.

“I’m going to let our students speak for Sandy, the way that she would have wanted,” Linz said. “But it was important to my staff that everybody understood the impact that her life had.”

The video included testimonials and stories from several students.

“She taught me how to be kind,” one girl said.

“I loved Ms. Casey’s jokes and how smart she was,” said another student. “I loved how she helped me with math.”

“Ms. Casey was really funny. She always made me laugh.”

“She helped me a lot in class.”

“We really loved her.”

A group of students spoke in chorus: “Sandy Casey strong!”

Special education teacher Clay Blakney said that at the Oct. 4 vigil held on the Manhattan Beach pier, Casey’s colleagues wore T-shirts bearing the hashtag #MBUSD Ohana.” He said afterwards he was thinking of another Hawaiian term that perfectly expressed Casey’s presence in the world — “aloha,” which he noted means hello and goodbye but also love, peace, compassion, or “the way of aloha,” which she so fully embodied.

“Sandy, we miss you,” he said. “Aloha.”

Kurt Markham, a special education instructional assistant at MBMS, recalled a time that a student had locked himself in the boy’s bathroom.

“I couldn’t get him to come out for the life of me,” he said.

So he went to Casey for advice. She said she’d get the boy to come out.

“So here is this beautiful young lady going into the boy’s bathroom,” he remembered, noting that she was wearing a brand new business suit at the time. “She said, ‘You come out of there, or I’m coming under the door to get you.”

Markham said she didn’t have to do that, that he’d go under, but Casey replied that she wanted the student to know that when she told him something, she meant it. She proceeded to climb under the door, and the student broke out in laughter.

“But you know something?” Markham said. “He never did that again.”

“A monster of unfathomable evil took her from us,” Markham said. “But you know she left us just enough light to show us what to keep doing, and enough energy to do it. And I am so thankful I got to work with her. I hope sometime when these great mysteries of life are finally revealed to us… I’d like to work with her again.”

Robinson Elementary and MBUSD Teacher of the Year Kim Holz

Kim Holz

The sadness in the room was soon lifted by the presence of about 20 Robinson Elementary fourth graders who’d come to cheer the district’s Teacher of the Year, Kim Holz, with colorful signs, yelps, and an occasional, well-choreographed group wave.

“I taught them how to do that,” quipped Principal Jackie O’Sullivan.

Holz has been a teacher 38 years, beginning in Long Beach and then coming to MBUSD in 1994. She has been at Robinson since 1996.

“Ironically, Kim was a student at Robinson, where she first got the spark to become a teacher from her fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Smith who turned everyday learning into an experience. Kim’s passion for subject matter is unparalleled, and though she is an outstanding teacher in every subject, social studies is where she shines the brightest. Entering her classroom is like entering a museum, complete with artifacts and displays. Kim has been known to travel extensively throughout California just to gather artifacts to share with her students. She brings California history alive.”

O’Sullivan shared something one Holz’s current students wrote about a recent lesson.

“The mission section was so interesting. I didn’t understand everything at first but Mrs. Holz made me feel like I was in the shoes of the boys living there,” the student wrote. “I know everything about how the lived, where they lived, what they did every day before the mission system took over. I wrote two songs for my mission project because Mrs. Holz said do something that is meaningful to you. I wrote a song about the sadness I felt as a California native, and the song from the other side, as if I were Father Serra and thinking I was doing something so good for the Native Americans. I really like that I was able to do something that was special to me, and when I hear things and see things now that I don’t agree with, I know it’s my duty to do something about it, even if it’s just on the playground. I have a voice and a belief to be heard. I have the courage now to do that because so many people do that for me so I can live in this beautiful state.”

“These words so beautifully stated demonstrate the impact a teacher can have on the lives of students,” O’Sullivan said. “For 24 years, Mrs. Holz has been turning learning into an experience for hundreds of children, helping them find their voice and place in the world around them.”

The tiny-voiced chorus erupted in cheers, as all seven teachers, their principals, district leaders and Sandy Casey’s fiancé — watery-eyed but smiling — posed for a group photo in the center of the boardroom.

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