Four local teachers honored with Teacher of the Year awards
Every year, the Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation honors a new teacher, an experienced teacher and an innovative or collaborative teacher
During these times of deep school budget cuts and other staffing and program changes, taking time to single out and celebrate teacher excellence and classroom innovations can only be extra meaningful and rewarding to all concerned.
This was confirmed last week when classrooms full of students stood to cheer and give hugs to four Sebastopol and West County teachers when they were surprised during the middle of their lessons with the news that they had been named as 2025 “Teachers of the Year” by the Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation (SREF).
Each year, the local nonprofit foundation honors local teachers in three categories: new teacher, experienced (career) teacher, and innovative or collaborative teacher. Honorees this year came from Analy High School, Willowside Middle School and Park Side School in Sebastopol.
Sarah Piccolo, Analy High School
Analy Culinary Arts teacher Sarah Piccolo was helping her students make soup for the school’s “Empty Bowls” fundraiser when Analy principal Chuck Wade and SREF’s board member Mia delPrete interrupted her cooking with the surprise announcement, accompanied by a large bouquet of spring flowers. She was immediately surrounded by congratulating students and given lots of hugs.
This is only Piccolo’s second year of teaching at Analy, following her career change from being a chef and owner of Forks Restaurant and a food truck. “Sarah is actively shaping the future of Analy’s hospitality program working with colleagues and the community,” her nomination to SREF read in part.
“She has a natural gift for teaching,” said Wade. “She makes students feel seen and valued and has a supportive classroom that is inclusive to all.”
Park Side co-teachers Stacey O’Donnell and Beth desRosiers
At Park Side, co-teachers Stacey O’Donnell and Beth desRosiers were overseeing a snack break for their combined 4th grade classes when they received their surprise awards notice from delPrete and Park Side Principal Rachel Lasek. Many of the students reacted as if they had just been awarded the prize for themselves and rushed to hug their teachers in the middle of the school’s multi-purpose room.
In recent years, the two teachers started combining some lessons and special projects between their classrooms to offer “living history and experiential learning opportunities.” The teachers have led students on overnight trips to Fort Ross and to the Gold Country.
O’Donnell and desRosiers also have combined efforts to transform their classrooms into airlines, surgical suites, carnivals, boat simulators, covered wagons, coffee shops, the ocean floor, and a town hall space.
The teachers were nominated by their co-principals Lasek and Molly Bulwa and by Sebastopol Union Superintendent Sara Gramm.
“Student engagement is important to them,” the administrators wrote in their SREF nomination form. “They have made fourth grade at Park Side a family affair for all of the students.”
Joscelyn Mountain of Willowside Middle School
Selected as this year’s SREF Career Teacher was Joscelyn Mountain of Willowside Middle School, where she teaches 8th grade. The veteran teacher adds several field trips to her students’ offerings each year, and she also is the school’s yearbook advisor. She also has been recognized on the campus for pioneering a new “Grading for Equity” program and has a reputation for going “all-in” on Willowside’s “Spirit Days” when she dresses up in full costume.
“Her students have the utmost respect for her, and many students refer to her as their favorite teacher,” said Dani Barese, Willowside’s principal. “It’s difficult to sum up the impact Joscelyn brings to her teaching, but she is a veteran teacher in a new teacher’s disguise.”
About the Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation
This is the 18th year of the annual SREF teacher awards. Over this year’s three categories, there were 27 teachers nominated from various West County schools, including schools in Occidental, Graton, Forestville, Guerneville and Sebastopol.
“As someone who watched my parents dedicate their career to educate our youth, it brings me great joy to recognize the hard work and contributions that the teachers of West County provide to our students,” said del Prete, a SREF board member and also a former west county schools administrator, who retired just last year after a long career in local schools.
The Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation coordinates many individual donations over the year to add to its foundation funds, which it distributes through student scholarship programs, innovative classroom programs and the Teacher of the Year awards. Each teacher receives a cash honorarium of $1,000 from SREF, along with other recognitions. The teachers will be featured in the upcoming Apple Blossom Parade on April 26.
Other education programs supported by SREF in recent years have included Analy’s Maker Project, a West County Construction Trade Academy, Math Field Day, Learn to Swim, a series of wellness classes at several schools and others.
Individuals can consider supporting future SREF contributions to local schools and teachers by visiting the website at www.sebastopol-rotary-education-foundation.org.
In addition to being a reporter for the Sebastopol Times, Rollie Atkinson is also a board member of the Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation.
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To Walter,
Learning to cook encompasses math, sciences-physics, nutrition, planning, cooperation, and collaboration! Besides being a life-long skill, Cooking is fun!
To me another issue is Analy’s failure to enforce its closed campus status teaching, if that’s the right word, these kids that rules can be ignored. I asked the principal about this and got a belated nonsensical response