TTUSD Names Teacher of the Year and Employees of the Year

May 15, 2017

Exceptional Teachers and Support Staff Recognized
District Names Teacher of the Year and Employees of the Year

Truckee, CA – At the May 3, 2017, Board of Education meeting, the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) named Mary Berelson Teacher of the Year for 2017 - 2018. The board also recognized their 2017 Classified Employees of the Year: Beto Alcaraz, Head Custodian, North Tahoe High School; Robin Redmond, Office & Technical, Sierra High & Cold Stream Alternative; Carol Casey-Smallman, Food Services, Tahoe Lake Elementary; and Candace Dunn, School Bus Driver, Transportation Services.

Mary Berelson is a gifted and experienced educator with 25 years of educational experience. She has served her entire teaching career with the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, and 19 years in her current assignment at Glenshire Elementary School. Berelson teaches in a Kindergarten and first-grade loop where she teaches the same cohort of students for two school years. Parents and students are thankful to have the talented “Mrs. B.” for more than one school year.

Berelson is an innovator who always looks for new tools to enhance her student’s learning. She was the first teacher in the district to be awarded the distinction of Google Certified Innovator and is a leader of technologists in integrating technology tools into the early-elementary classroom. Berelson has served multiple years as a TTUSD LITE (Leader Integrating Technology in Education) and has presented at workshops in our district, Placer County Office of Education, and CUE International conferences.

Beto Alcaraz – Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Employee of the Year has been a custodian in the district for 22 years, head custodian at North Tahoe High (NTHS) and North Tahoe School for 20 years, and Head Boys Soccer coach at NTHS for 17 years. He holds very high standards for the cleanliness and upkeep of the large North Tahoe campus, and it is often described as "immaculate" by visiting committees. The positive influence he has on the boys who participate in his soccer program is endless. He supports their athletic, academic, and personal growth.

Candy Dunn – Transportation Employee of the Year is a special education school bus driver and has been driving for 17 years. Dunn drives over Brockway Summit, elevation 7,190 feet, six times a day. During winter months, she drives in snow and icy conditions that require the highest level of driving skills. Dunn often chains her bus multiple times a day. Her judgment and experience as a school bus driver are unmatched, and in 2015, Candy was awarded a 15 Year Safe Driving Award from California Highway Patrol.

Robin Redmond – Office and Technical Employee of the Year has been the Administrative Secretary for Sierra Continuation High School, Cold Stream Alternative School, and Educational Options for the past 11 years. Redmond has an innate ability to care for our students and always puts students first. She is part of a strong school family at Sierra High School as is known as the “Den Mother” to many of the scholars.

Carol Casey Smallman, Child Nutrition Employee of the Year, has been with TTUSD for the past 15 years and is an exemplary Food Services employee. Carol loves her students and makes sure they all have a complete meal and encourages all kids to have fresh fruits and vegetables on their trays before they checkout at the cash register. Carol iswell liked and recognized by all her students and takes great pride in her kitchen operations.

Rob Leri, Superintendent Chief Learning Officer of TTUSD, shared, “We have exceptional teachers and support staff who devote their lives to the youth in our community. I am incredibly grateful for their tireless work on behalf of our scholars. These award recipients are excellent representatives of the high-quality employees we have in our District. “

TTUSD’s Teachers of the Year and Employees of the Year will be recognized at the Placer County Awards Reception in Auburn and at district’s Welcome Back Convocation Event in August.

# # #

Contact:

Kelli Twomey, Coordinator of Parent & Community Relations

ktwomey@ttusd.org, (530) 582-2585