Laguna USD Employees Of The Year Recognized: 2017-18

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The 2017-18 Teacher and Classified Employees of the Year were named by the Laguna Beach Unified School District, Tuesday.

Laura Silver, an 8th-grade language arts teacher at Thurston Middle School, was selected as the Laguna Beach Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year. Additionally, Kristine Landrum, special education instructional assistant at Top of the World Elementary, was selected as the Classified Employee of the Year for the district. They will be recognized at the school board meeting on May 8 at 6 p.m.

Silver will be recognized at the Orange County Department of Education Teacher of the Year (TOTY) banquet in November at the Disneyland Hotel, which celebrates outstanding teachers in Orange County.

“Laura Silver is an outstanding representation of what it means to BE Thurston. Her tireless efforts to create an environment that is positive and challenging for all students provide our 8th-grade students with an incredible experience in English Language Arts,” said Thurston MIddle School Principal Jenny Salberg. She continued, “Laura is proactive in creating and implementing lessons that are new and fresh, always keeping her students engaged and excited to learn.”

Presented by California Casualty, the California Department of Education and the Classified School Employees Association, the Classified School Employees of the Year Program highlights the contributions of classified school employees who support more than six million public school students from preschool through grade twelve in California.

“Kristine Landrum is a valued member of the Top of the World Family,” said Top of the World Elementary School Principal Michael Conlon. “She is the gold standard on how to build strong relationships with students and staff, and she demonstrates every day the lasting power of making meaningful connections with others,” he concluded.

The school district will also recognize Classified Employee of the Year winners in specific categories including Brian Armstrong, child nutrition; Sanny Mandala, maintenance and operations; Jennifer de Encio, office and technical support; and Tim Crilly, support services and security.

The winners were selected through a district-wide nomination and voting process that was open to all classified school employees.

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