Three teachers from the Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) received a visit from their principals last week along with the surprise announcement that they were nominated for the 2017 Orange County Teacher of the Year award recognition program.
The Orange County Teacher of the Year nominees are Valerie DelCarlo from Murdy Elementary School, Jeanne Tsuruta from Ralston Intermediate School, and David Cho from Bolsa Grande High School.
Three teachers from the Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) received a visit from their principals last week along with the surprise announcement that they were nominated for the 2017 Orange County Teacher of the Year award recognition program.
The Orange County Teacher of the Year nominees are Valerie DelCarlo from Murdy Elementary School, Jeanne Tsuruta from Ralston Intermediate School, and David Cho from Bolsa Grande High School.
“Our district is fortunate to have so many wonderful teachers who go above and beyond to create a supportive learning environment that challenges students to excel in their academic and socio-emotional skills,” said Gabriela Mafi, GGUSD Superintendent.
The Teacher of the Year nominees will be recognized at a Board of Education meeting later this fall.
DelCarlo began teaching sixth grade at Murdy Elementary School in 2002. She spearheaded an exemplary instructional program with the development of the “Gratitude Project.” The yearlong unit of study integrates oral history, art, writing and history with students interviewing their family members about their immigration to the United States after the Vietnam War. DelCarlos’ class reunited veterans from Vietnam and the U.S. during a culminating event on the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
Tsuruta has been a teacher at Ralston Intermediate for 36 years and currently serves as the school librarian teaching digital literacy in the media center. She is a teacher-leader who works collaboratively with all staff on instructional technology, curriculum planning, and professional development. Students enjoy Tsuruta’s instruction about 21st century technology including Google Classroom tools and iMovie and Apple Keynote which students use to create book trailers.
A 20-year teacher at Bolsa Grande, Cho teaches Algebra 2, Algebra 2/Trig, and Geometry. He is currently a master teacher, site technology mentor, club advisor, coach and department chairperson. Cho provides students multiple modes of learning including online videos, presentations and Google classroom. Cho’s imaginative style promotes a high level of student engagement and mastery of complex math concepts.
