Congratulations to our 2018 Teachers of the Year: Elementary Teacher Carol Cutkomp, Middle School Teacher Susan Peterson, and High School Teacher David Pino!
Three Capistrano Unified School District teachers have been named “2018 Teachers of the Year” for their outstanding commitment to engage students in learning.
The winners were notified of the recognition during surprise visits from District officials, school colleagues and friends, and family.
District Board of Trustees President Martha McNicholas, Vice President Gila Jones, Trustee Amy Hanacek, Trustee Judy Bullockus, Superintendent Kirsten Vital and Capistrano Unified Educators Association President Sally White were present for the celebrations and congratulated the winning teachers – Carol Cutkomp, Susan Peterson, and David Pino – for their unyielding dedication to students.
“We are honored to recognize these fantastic teachers who are dedicated to student success,” said President McNicholas. “Not only are Ms. Cutkomp, Ms. Peterson and Mr. Pino fostering academic achievement in their classrooms, they are preparing students for success in our communities as well. They are wonderful examples of the teachers we have in our District.”
The winning educators were previously recognized as Teacher of the Year at their respective schools and then advanced as candidates for the District’s 2018 Teacher of the Year honor. The three teachers now advance to the Orange County Teacher of the Year competition later this year.
Elementary School Teacher of the Year: Carol Cutkomp
Carol Cutkomp has been a teacher at Tijeras Creek Elementary School for 18 years and brings 35 years of teaching experience to Capistrano Unified School District.
Colleagues know her to be a dedicated mentor who continues to support students after they graduate from her classroom. “I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand Ms. Cutkomp’s perseverance and rock-solid dedication since the first day I walked onto campus,” says Tijeras Creek Principal Diann Buckingham. “During her many years at our school, she has written grants that have purchased over $10,000 in materials and technology.”
Mrs. Cutkomp posts two simple, but powerful, words on her front board: “respect” and
“honesty.” She works to make students feel comfortable taking risks and helps them
realize that failure is a springboard, not an ending point.
“Students must feel comfortable collaborating with their peers without fear of rejection,”
she says. “There is nothing more satisfying than seeing scholars work together to solve
problems.”
Middle School Teacher of the Year: Susan Peterson
For 28 years, Susan Peterson has taught social science at Niguel Hills Middle School.
She is always open to learning new strategies and focuses on the success of ALL her
students. She also embraces all things technology to teach her students and keep their
interest in learning.
“Classrooms that function the same way as they did when we were in school are not
the answer for teens today who live in a rapidly changing world of bits and bytes,” she
says. “As educators, we need to change the way we teach so we can keep our
students in school and prepare them for a future that we can only imagine.”
Mrs. Peterson often opens her classroom to students at lunch as a safe, welcoming
space. She is also recognized as a mentor for students who are interested in the
education field.
“Mrs. Peterson is a master teacher who has mentored many student teachers into
successful teaching careers, several of whom are on our campus today,” says Niguel Hill
Assistant Principal Todd Amon. “Whether it is with curriculum development, classroom
management or implementing needed intervention and enrichment, her mentees have
grown into master teachers themselves and our students have reaped the benefits.”
High School Teacher of the Year: David Pino
David Pino has taught at Junipero Serra Alternative High School for eight years and is also an adjunct instructor at Saddleback Community College.
He strives to motivate and prepare youth to be the best they can be academically, socially and emotionally, along with a path of life-long learning. “I always encourage my students to be their own heroes,” he says. “When I hear students complain about politicians and the government not working for the people, I challenge them to do something about it. As a government teacher, I offer extra credit
for students who register others to vote.”
Ryan Burris
Chief Communications Officer
Capistrano Unified School District