Often students come back after school to ask questions or just quietly work on homework. Keith’s maxim for his students is, “math gets you into college, but writing keeps you there.”

Keith developed two summer courses called Bridges to Honors Algebra 3-4 and Bridges to Honors Pre-Calculus. In the four years the courses have been taught, Keith has helped more than 250 students be successful in Honors Algebra and Honors Pre-Calculus. He serves as the Rancho Bernardo High School Department Chair. He is very proud of having led a group of middle and high school teachers through an adoption process for algebra and geometry textbooks that are now used by students district-wide. Keith is serving on the Math Council and is the PUSD representative to the Win-Win Foundation. He is the Varsity Academic Team coach for Rancho Bernardo High School.

Keith received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Bakersfield, and his Masters Degree from San Diego State University. He is a member of the National Council for the Teachers of Mathematics.

Blanca Labunog,
Valley Elementary
School

Photo by Steve Spangler

Every day Blanca Labunog creates the connections that students and parents need to ensure student success. “Throughout my teaching career I have tried to instill in each and every child a love of learning. As a first grade teacher, I marvel every time one of my students realizes that he/she is reading. It also warms my heart to realize that parents trust me to educate their children,” she said.

Blanca teaches in one of the most creative and innovative K-5 programs for language learners. In Blanca’s first grade Dual Immersion Spanish class at Valley Elementary School, there are an equal number of students whose first language is Spanish, and whose first language is English. Very often, only Spanish is spoken at home for the Spanish-speaking students, and only English is spoken at home for the English-speaking students.

Blanca said a challenge that has sparked her creativity as a teacher has been teaching English speakers to learn Spanish in a Spanish Immersion classroom. She is accomplishing this by creating different and interesting ways to develop new vocabulary, so that students can relate it to their first language to ensure comprehension.

As a bilingual teacher at Valley Elementary School, Blanca also helps the school to communicate with parents. “Parents need to know what is going on. They want to be involved with their child’s education and don’t know how.“  Blanca sees herself as part of a caring extended family that is helping to move the children forward.  “I have a special place in my heart for all students, but I especially love teaching second language learners. Most of my career, I have struggled to help Spanish speakers maintain academic growth while they are learning English.”

Blanca has had to adapt English materials into Spanish and create programs that relate to district standards but that don’t exist in Spanish.

Blanca’s passion to form connections for the Hispanic community extends beyond the classroom. Many evenings each week Blanca can be found at her parish, St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Poway, where she is the lector coordinator and trainer for the Hispanic Ministry.

Blanca is the coordinator of the Hispanic Young Adult Group, whose membership ranges in age from 12 to mid 40’s. Her volunteer work with the church has helped build lasting connections for the Hispanic community.

Blanca received her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Occidental College, her teaching credential at California State University at Los Angeles, and her Masters Degree from National University.

Kenneth Matson,
Mt. Carmel High School

Photo by Steve Spangler

For the past six years, Mr. Matson’s name is the one University of California, San Diego consistently sees on a list of teachers who made the biggest impact on the lives of incoming UCSD freshmen. He was named the UCSD High School Teacher of the Year in 2003. Kenneth Matson’s AP calculus students have a 98% pass rate on the College Board AP Tests. Compared to 16% and 28% respectfully nationwide, approximately 43% of the students achieved top scores of 5’s. Ken will tell you that his greatest accomplishments in education are the accomplishments of his students and the recognitions he receives from them.

Ken creates an environment in his classroom where students will try, where it is okay to fail and then fix it, and where correct answers are reinforced and learning is shared with each other. He uses small group learning extensively. Students assist students in an environment where “check talk” reinforces correct answers. Ken condenses textbook curriculum into tighter learning opportunities and creates new formulas to enhance learning.

Students create a notebook in class, a notebook that for some students becomes the ultimate tool for their college classes in the years ahead. “We used your notebook in college,” students say when they come back to visit their former teacher.

At Mt. Carmel High School, Ken serves as the Varsity Academic League coach. He volunteers as the Math Club advisor, the Bridge Club advisor, the Science Olympiad Coach for Practical Data and as a “Sunny Judge” for MCHS theatre. He has also performed in three faculty plays, which are produced as fundraisers for drama scholarships.

Ken received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in math and physical education from University of British Columbia and his Masters in Education from Azusa Pacific University.