Trending

Advertisement

PUSD middle school, high school teachers retire

Share

By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

Poway Unified School District has said goodbye to 36 teachers and one administrator who have retired.

Teachers with the district for 25 or more years were invited to share their thoughts on reaching this career milestone. Featured this week are those at the middle, high school and specialist levels. Elementary teachers were featured on June 5.

1x teacher Adams• Gail Novelli Adams has taught in PUSD for 39 years, most recently as a program specialist through the special education department. For the past seven years she has worked with special education teachers at Chaparral, Garden Road, Midland, Morning Creek, Painted Rock and Valley elementaries plus Rancho Bernardo High School.

Prior to becoming a program specialist, Adams taught at Painted Rock, Pomerado, Meadowbrook, Morning Creek and Los Penasquitos elementaries. She has also been a member of the District Literacy Council, District Special Education Council and a Poway Federation of Teachers representative. During her career she was named a District Mentor Teacher for 10 years, was Morning Creek’s Teacher of the Year and a SANDCASE Award recipient.

Adams earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in education from San Diego State University. She also has credentials as a general education teacher, special education teacher and reading specialist.

“I wanted to be a teacher before I even started school myself,” Adams said. “I was mesmerized by the educational TV show ‘Romper Room’ featuring a teacher and a group of kindergarten students.

“I always loved working with children — first as a babysitter and later as a tutor,” she said. “In high school, I belonged to Future Teachers of America and went to college with a clear career path in mind.”

Adams said the profession was challenging, but “extremely rewarding. I feel fortunate to have had a career where I loved going to work every single day — not only to teach children, but to also collaborate with colleagues to ensure a positive learning experience for all students.”

She said technology has been the biggest change in the profession and “has definitely enhanced the learning process.”

As for a special memory, Adams said those accumulated over the past 39 years all directly relate to her students’ success. “The sense of accomplishment that results from teaching students to become proficient readers is profound.”

In retirement, Adams said she plans to travel with her husband, work part time as an independent consultant providing professional development in reading instruction and to volunteer in her daughter’s Poway Unified classroom.

teacher 1x petersen• Joann Petersen has taught in PUSD for 38 years, most recently social science at Westview High School, where she has taught since Westview opened 11 years ago. She also taught at Deer Canyon and Sundance elementaries, Twin Peaks and Bernardo Heights middle schools, and Mt. Carmel High School.

During her career she was also a teacher consultant in the Poway Professional Assistance Program for seven years, was the Teen Corp adviser at Westview and the Class of 2014’s co-adviser. She was named Teacher of the Year at Deer Canyon and Westview.

The Poway High alumna earned her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and her master’s degree from Alliant University. Petersen said she chose the field because “I was working as a teacher’s assistant while in college and loved the excitement of the classroom.”

Petersen said “teaching defined me in ways that I would have never imagined. It exceeded all expectations that I had when entering this profession. The greatest gift of my career has been having the opportunity to play a small role in the development of the students in my classes. It has been the most amazing experience and I leave with bittersweet emotions.”

According to Petersen, “teachers are (now) more accountable for the progress and success of their students.

We are constantly striving to meet the varied needs and ability levels of all of our students as class size grows and more challenges are presented for educators.”

Petersen said she and her husband, Rick, plan to continue living in the Poway area, where Petersen has lived since she was 8 years old. “I have a new grandson, so I will be helping out with his care as his parents, who are also teachers, return to work at Westview. I will also be looking into new adventures in the field of education and new teacher preparation.”

1x teacher Colson• Stephanie Colson has taught in PUSD for 34 years, most recently as a special education resource specialist teaching sixth grade math at Bernardo Heights Middle School. She previously taught special education at Painted Rock, Sundance, Deer Canyon, Rolling Hills, Canyon View and Sunset Hills elementaries. She also taught special education for six years in the Baldwin Park Unified School District.

Colson earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and her master’s degree in special education from California Lutheran University. She also has a K-9 general education credential and a K-12 special education credential.

According to Colson, her seventh grade English teacher inspired her to enter the profession.

“Over the years (I) embraced every challenge and did whatever it took to help every student learn and become all they could be,” she said.

In retirement, Colson said she plans to continue living in San Diego, spend more time with family and friends, travel and become more active in her club affiliations. In addition, she will continue as a Blue Sky docent, usher at the Center for the Arts, working with seniors in the Rides and Smiles program and involvement with the humane society.

• Harold W. Dorr has taught in PUSD for 30 years, all as a science teacher at Mt. Carmel High School. While there he also sponsored Mt. Carmel’s Oceanography Club for 30 consecutive years, coached three different National Ocean Science Bowl teams to the state championships, and took one NOSB team to the National Competition in Washington D.C., where the team placed second in the nation.

1x teacher DorrDorr also taught and coached numerous teams that created remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) and hosted and competed in the Marine Advanced Technology and Education ROV Fly-Off for three years.

During his career he was named Mt. Carmel and Poway Unified Teacher of the Year in 2000, was named Radio Shack National Technology Teacher of the Year in 2001, was on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, was a PPAP Governance Board member for four years, was a Crystal Apple recipient in 2005 and 2013, and a PUSD Mentor Teacher.

Dorr earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from San Diego State University and his master’s degree in marine biology from the University of San Diego.

“I spent five years as a marine biologist and nearly five years as a professional diver — scientific and commercial,” Dorr said. “I enjoyed these positions, but recognized that I was trading the hours of my days for a paycheck. Teaching students allowed me to have the results of my work last long beyond my direct connection to the students.

“Teaching science at MCHS was the most significant thing I have done toward changing and improving some students’ lives,” Dorr added.

“I have truly loved being a science teacher at MCHS,” he said.

As for his retirement plans, Dorr said, “My wife and I will enjoy having time to explore the world on motorcycles, boats and in our camper. We will stay in the area and continue to explore the desert, the Sierras, Santa Catalina and the Channel Islands with our three adult children and one new grandchild.”

* * * * *

OTHER RETIRING TEACHERSAlso retiring are:• Philip Factor, who taught in PUSD for 38 years, most recently social science at Mt. Carmel High School.• Christina Leslie, who taught in PUSD for 36 years, most recently as a speech pathologist in the special education department.• Kathryn Stuckenschneider, who taught in PUSD for 31 years, most recently adaptive physical education in the special education department.• Theresa Middleton, who taught in PUSD for 28 years, most recently sixth grade at Meadowbrook Middle School.• Marie Cashion, who taught in PUSD for 24 years, most recently Spanish at Mt. Carmel High School.• Cheryl McDougall, who taught in PUSD for 24 years, most recently as a speech pathologist in the special education department.• Cheryl Kuptz, who taught in PUSD for 22 years, most recently art at Del Norte High School.• Douglas Zambruski, who taught in PUSD for 21 years, most recently seventh grade at Twin Peaks Middle School.• Susan Busch, who taught in PUSD for 20 years, most recently science at Twin Peaks Middle School.• Kathy Fawcett, who taught in PUSD for 18 years, most recently music through the Learning Support Services department.• Anne Pham, who taught in PUSD for 17 years.• Maryanne Porter, who taught in PUSD for 16 years, most recently as a resource specialist at Mesa Verde Middle School.• Natalie Malmstrom, who taught in PUSD for 10 years, most recently working with non-severely handicapped students at Mesa Verde Middle School.

Advertisement