WVCBA Celebrates Educator of the Month Linda Wallace

Congratulations to the WVCBA's Educator of the Month Linda Wallace, a Kindergarten teacher at La Mariposa Elementary! Linda was surprised by colleagues and family on December 3 with the recognition.

The WVCBA Education Committee supports and plans the Camarillo Educator of the Month program each school year. The program began in 1987 by the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce to provide special recognition for local educators who have demonstrated excellence in carrying out their duties. Principals and parent-teacher organizations from Pleasant Valley, Somis, Oxnard Union and Ventura County Schools (in Camarillo area only), Mesa School Districts, Charter Schools and CSU Channel Islands are asked to nominate an educator. Six educators are recognized throughout the school year.

Thank you to Coastal Embroidery, our sponsor of this program, and to those who graciously donated items to our educators: Express Employment Professionals - Oxnard, CA, John Gardner, KidSTREAM, Ventura County Credit Union and Marie Callender's of Camarillo.

Here's why Principal Claudia Stepan nominated Linda Wallace for the honor:
​
"Mrs. Wallace has served in many leadership roles on our campus. She has been grade level leader for many years. She serves as our teacher representative on the district teacher advisory committee as she has excellent communication skills, especially when it comes to advocating for students. She is the PTA representative and communicates to the staff about PTA events and meeting minutes.

Mrs. Wallace takes on the extra responsibility to coordinate the enrichment activities at LMS, including the PE schedule, art schedule, music schedule and Innovation Center schedule. She is always willing to help her team members with her expertise in curriculum, technology, and social emotional support for children.

Mrs. Wallace creates a classroom environment where students feel safe, supported, and challenged. She uses research based teaching strategies that accelerate student learning, while developing a program that is developmentally appropriate and engaging for all students. Even when working with challenging behaviors, Mrs. Wallace guides students to improve with structure and a nurturing attitude. I receive many positive compliments from parents about her and she is often requested by families for their younger siblings.

Mrs. Wallace uses her voice to represent teachers at the district level on the Superintendent's Advisory Committee. She also serves on the district wellness committee.

The foundational years are critical for a child's success in school. Mrs. Wallace's experience in teaching foundational reading, writing, and math skills are an asset for our school. Beyond the adopted curriculum, Mrs. Wallace's deep understanding of the grade level standards, allows her to create a robust experience for children by incorporating a wide variety of other resources to enrich the program. She uses frequent assessments to drive instruction, differentiate supports, and provide feedback to both parents and students.

Mrs. Wallace's work ethic, devotion to the profession, to her team and school, and her endless positive attitude and energy exemplifies what excellence in teaching looks like."

---