Chamber of Commerce honors teachers

By John Loesing Acorn Staff Writer

LISA ADAMS/The Acorn . CELEBRATED EDUCATORS-Jeff Reinhardt, mayor of Agoura Hills, front row center, with Alex Soteras, president of the Agoura/Oak Park/ Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce, to his right, stand with 2003's Educators of the Year. The chamber hosted an event Thursday at The Canyon in Agoura Hills to honor a group of dedicated teachers. Front row, left to right: Jason Busby, Agoura High School; Bob Robbins, A. E. Wright Middle School; Tammy Van Fleet, Bay Laurel Elementary School; Karolyn Tassio, Bookside Elementary School; Sharon Glickman, Buttercup Pre-School; Josh Barroll, Calabasas High School; and Faith Pope of Chaparral Elementary School. Second row:, Mark Goldstein, Indian Hills High School; Bart Goldman, Lindero Middle School; Linda Kaplan, Lupin Hill Elementary School; Roger Newell, Medea Creek Middle School; Shannon Rodarte, Oak Hills Elementary School and Kathy Schultheis of Oak Park High School. Back row: Randi Liepman, Oak View High School; Jeannie Ensign, Red Oak Elementary School; Jenny Angel, Round Meadow Elementary School; Barbara Pazevic, Sumac Elementary School; Judy Berke, Willow Elementary School; Debra Burgher, White Oak Elementary School and Leslie Heilbron of Yerba Buena Elementary School.

An eighth-grade science teacher who "likes to make them laugh" and a fourth-grade teacher who’s been known to put on a policeman’s hat and blow the whistle when her students get out of line were among those honored as Educators of the Year last week in Agoura Hills.

In all, 20 teachers from the Oak Park and Las Virgenes unified school districts received the awards, presented for the third year by the Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce.

"We have a relaxed learning environment, it’s a real positive

atmosphere," said Bob Robbins, a science teacher at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas.

While learning can be fun, Robbins never said it would be easy. His students must complete difficult lab assignments that challenge critical thinking. "We have a lot of high academic standards, but at the same time present it in a way the students find entertaining," said Robbins, who’s an avid bass fisherman in his spare time.

Robbins, who’s taught at the middle school for 31 years, won the school district’s Teacher of the Year award in 1989.

Judy Berke of Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills thinks it’s important that her fourth-graders gain a sense of realism in the classroom.

When they study the California Gold Rush, for example, they might pan for gold. Learning about the Rancho period of California history, the students presented a play called "The Four Amigos."

"It makes the study of history more interesting because the students are involved," said Berke, who taught at Yerba Buena Elementary School for seven years before coming to Willow in 1982. "I really love kids and I think you have to, to succeed in this business," she said.

Berke’s husband is also a longtime teacher in the school district. Mark Berke retired this month after 30 years at Agoura High.

The men and women who were honored at The Canyon ceremony perform a wide range of duties beside just teaching.

Bart Goldman from Lindero Canyon runs the middle school’s lunch program and takes the students on field trips. Jeannie Ensign operates the Resource Learning Center at Red Oak Elementary in Oak Park, and history teacher Jason Busby is the gymnasium basketball announcer at Agoura High.

"We know that the teachers and principals are the heartbeat of the community," said Alex Soteras, chamber of commerce president.

Awards also went to Sharon Glickman, a special needs teacher at Buttercup Pre-School in Westlake Village; Josh Barroll, an award-winning band instructor at Calabasas High School; and Kathy Schultheis, a teacher at Oak Park High who earned a Ph.D. in literature.

Other 2003 Educators of the Year are: Tammy Van Fleet, Agoura; Karolyn Tassio, Bay Laurel; Faith Pope, Chaparral; Mark Goldstein, Indian Hills; Linda Kaplan, Lupin Hill; Roger Newell, Medea Creek; Shannon Rodarte, Oak Hills; Randi Liepman, Oak View; Jenny Angel, Round Meadow; Barbara Pazevic, Sumac; Debra Burgher, White Oak; Leslie Heilbron, Yerba Buena.

The Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce serves more than 500 businesses in this area and hosts regular meetings, mixers and informational gatherings. For more information on upcoming events, visit www.agourachamber.org, or call (818) 889-3150.