Chamber salutes outstanding teachers
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Lynn Coleman, a teacher at Indian Hills in Calabasas, keeps a "bad day" folder at the school that she likes to peruse whenever she thinks things are going bad.

Inside the folder are letters of commendation from students and parents praising Coleman’s work as a teacher at the alternative high school.

Like everybody else, Coleman gets a lift when she knows that people care.

Last week, Coleman became one of 13 teachers from Las Virgenes and Oak Park unified school districts to receive Outstanding Educator awards from the Agoura/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce.

Students and parents nominated many teachers for the award. The winners represented the cream of the crop from the two school districts, according to the chamber.

"We wanted to do this," said Tom Jacobellis, the chamber’s second vice president. "We wanted to start a partnership with the school districts and this is just the beginning."

More than 150 area business people, educators and dignitaries attended the event at The Canyon Supper Club in Agoura Hills. Teachers were given plaques, gift certificates, and most of all, respect.

"I’m thrilled," said Coleman, an art teacher. "This is my second year teaching, so I’m amazed I’d get an award like this."

Outstanding Educators included Larry Misel, principal of award winning Agoura High School, and Matt McKagan, band director for 11 years at Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills. McKagan previously has won the BRAVO award for arts and education and the Amgen Award for teacher excellence.

"I think everybody here knows that teaching is not just about the three Rs. It’s about a commitment to the community," said Lori Fernand, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Woodland Hills).

Other winners included Sandy Fleishman, a fourth-and fifth-grade teacher for more than 15 years at Yerba Buena Elementary School in Agoura Hills; Mark Cantor, a well-known jazz aficionado who teaches kindergarten at Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills; Jim Robertson, a fourth-and-fifth grade teacher and program director for gifted students at White Oak Elementary School in Westlake Village; and Hilary Boss, a popular fifth-grade teacher at Sumac Elementary in Agoura Hills.

Tim Roesner, sixth-grade humanities’ teacher at Medea Creek Middle School in Oak Park, who also received the award, hosts a lunchtime game club at the school and is heavily involved in outdoor education. Karl Buetel, a seventh-and eighth-grade science teacher at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas, likes to stay involved with extracurricular activities including student council.

Other awards went to David Kinberg, a multi-talented teacher at Oak Park High School, Kathy Strong, a fifth-grade teacher at Red Oak Elementary School in Oak Park, and Kim Annino and Kathy Grossman, both teachers at Brookside Elementary in Oak Park.

Las Virgenes school board-member Terilyn Finders read a poem honoring the teachers written by Agoura High junior Christy Dusablon.

The chamber of commerce plans a 2001 Board of Directors Installation Tues., Jan. 30 at the Renaissance Hotel in Agoura Hills. The chamber will present its annual Agoura Beautiful Award and Mayor Ed Corridori will deliver his State of the City address during the meeting.