County Board Recognizes Regional Teachers of the Year

SAN BERNARDINO – The County Board of Education will recognize the 2005 San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) Teacher of the Year and five other regional Teachers of the Year at its meeting on June 13.

Jay Nichols, an alternate education teacher at Central Juvenile Hall, is the 2005 County Schools Teacher of the Year and advances to be a nominee for the countywide Teacher of the Year program.

For the past five years, Nichols has taught the youngest children in the Juvenile Court School. He has developed a program that helps students learn to express themselves in productive ways. Some of his students have produced board games, a poetry book, an anthology of Christmas stories and a PowerPoint presentation on the solar system.

Nichols represents the County Schools Alternative Education Teacher of the Year.

The other SBCSS regional Teachers of the Year are:

Nettie Van Duinen, a special education teacher, represents the East Valley. She has been an Early Start teacher in the East Valley for six years. She started with County Schools as an educational assistant in 1989 and decided to go back to school to get her credential. She has been a teacher for SBCSS for the past 11 years.

Sung Kim, a special education teacher at Wickman Elementary in Chino, represents the West End. She instructs autistic children and has had great success in transitioning students to various kindergarten placements ranging from general education settings with support to mild/moderate special day class settings.

Judy Baudoux, a special education teacher at Lucerne Valley Elementary, represents the Desert/Mountain region. She teaches pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and has served with the Autism Support Team, which gives support to all teachers in the region who work with autistic children.

Barbara Bonner, director of the registered dental assistant program in Hesperia, represents the Regional Occupational Program. Ten years ago, Bonner developed a dental service project that established a clinic for children and low-income families. She has been able to help hundreds of families receive dental services each year.

Diane Hogan, who teaches at Northshore State Preschool at Big Bear Lake, represents the State Preschool program. She has implemented the Virtual Pre-K program, an online educational resource, to enhance the curriculum she uses. She has helped empower families to provide educational services for their children.