LAUP Awards 6 Preschool Teachers of the Year
Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) May 13, 2014 -- LAUP will crown six exceptional preschool teachers across Los Angeles County during its 7th Annual Los Angeles County Preschool Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony on May 27. The recipients include a teacher in San Pedro who volunteers to teach homeless children and a preschool teacher in Lennox who is learning Spanish in an effort to better communicate with her students’ families.
The award honors preschool teachers from each of Los Angeles County’s five supervisorial districts who have gone above and beyond to provide the best possible learning environments and classroom experiences for preschool children. The Long Beach area (District 4) included a tie.
“These are the kind of teachers that children will remember for the rest of their lives,” said Celia C. Ayala, CEO of LAUP, a 10-year-old nonprofit organization that coaches, funds and advocates for quality preschool in LA County. “Teaching is a special calling, and LAUP is excited to be able to recognize the preschool teachers who represent the best in Los Angeles County. There’s no better job than guiding children down a path of success.”
The countywide preschool teacher recognition is a tradition that LAUP launched during the 2007-2008 school year to acknowledge the creativity and hard work of those who teach children at what brain development experts and researchers cite as the most fundamental time in their lives.
This year’s Preschool Teachers of the Year are:
• Rowena Magalad of New Montessori School in La Puente; Magalad has been teaching at LAUP’s New Montessori School for 12 years. With a master’s degree in Family Life and Child Development, Magalad continually strives to maintain continuity between her students’ home lives and school.
• Reshon Moutra of LAUP’s Moffett State Preschool in Lennox; Moutra has been working in the early childhood field for over five years. Working in a predominantly Spanish-speaking community, Moutra takes Spanish classes in order to build effective relationships with her students and parents.
• Revital Soffer of Adat Ari El Early Childhood Center in Valley Village; Soffer has been working in the early childhood field for over 25 years. She has been the Curriculum Mentor for the teaching staff for the past five years and embraces teacher collaboration as essential for empowerment of children and teachers alike.
• Connie Smith of Harbor Interfaith Services in San Pedro; Smith has taught elementary school in California, New York, Utah. Currently in her third decade of teaching, Smith is the lead teacher at an LAUP preschool that serves the children of homeless families.
• Debra Watts of Long Beach City College Child Development Center and Learning Lab in Long Beach; Watts recently celebrated her 22nd year in the field of early childhood education. She has been certified twice as Mentor Teacher through the C.A. Early Childhood Mentor Program.
• Kana Brubaker-Gomez of LAUP’s La Petite Academy in Lancaster; Gomez has been in the early childhood education field for 15 years, and obtained her B.A. and M.A. in Early Childhood Education. She maintains the goal to be a lifelong learner and continuously seeks new knowledge to inspire others in the field.
The winners will be recognized at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration for a luncheon and awards ceremony hosted by LAUP and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The recognition includes a $2,000 cash stipend through the Elizabeth Lowe/Bob Weekley Award for Excellence in Preschool Teaching, plus $500 in classroom supplies.
Event details:
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
11:30 a.m. - Luncheon & Awards Ceremony
8th Floor Balcony
1 p.m. – Awards Presentation
Supervisor’s Board Room
Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
LAUP has raised the level of quality preschool programs throughout the county by providing preschool funding, advancing teacher training, enriching curricula and creating a safe and nurturing environment for more than 95,000 preschool children at more than 640 preschools in Los Angeles County. LAUP is funded in part by First 5 LA. http://www.laup.net.
Claudia Sarmiento, LAUP, http://www.laup.net, +1 213-458-4809, [email protected]
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