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Ceres teachers among best in county's schools
2022 TOY finalists
Teachers who were finalists as nominees for “Teacher of the Year” were: (in front row, from left), Danelle Garcia, Chelsea Bustos of Sinclear Elementary School, Amy Harper, Kelli Conner, Charlyn Selee and Yohan Partan; (in back row), Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools Scott Kuykendall, Janette Schmidt, Megan Hulst, Amanda Bailey, Eli Bynum, Kelsey Larrabee and Kelli Redman with Rotary President Susan Rich. - photo by Contributed to the Courier

A Sinclear Elementary School teacher employed by the Ceres Unified School District is among the four selected for the 2021-22 “Teachers of the Year” honor in Stanislaus County.

Chelsea Bustos was named “Teacher of the Year” in the TK-3 division; Danelle Garcia of Dieterich Elementary School in the Stanislaus Union Elementary School District was the winner in the 4th-6th grade division; Charlyn Selee of Dutcher Middle School in the Turlock Unified School District was named the “Teacher of the Year” in the junior high division; and Eli Bynum of Downey High School in the Modesto City Schools District was winner of the high school division.

The winners were honored at a May 3 luncheon held at Modesto’s Doubletree Hotel.

“This year, SCOE received 57 nominations from public and private school principals representing 13 districts throughout the county,” said Jason Maggard, SCOE Chief of Staff. “A selection committee, composed of local Rotarians and educators, narrowed the nominations through a paper screening process and then visited the classrooms of 24 semi-finalists before narrowing it down to the 12 finalists.”

The four Teachers of the Year each received a $1,000 cash award from the Modesto Rotary Club Foundation. Mocse Credit Union also sponsored the event and provided funding for the awards.

Finalists in the TK-3 grade levels were: Chelsea Bustos, a Sinclear Elementary School teacher in Ceres; Kelsey Larrabee of Magnolia Elementary in Oakdale; and Kelli Redman of Chatom Elementary.

Finalists in the 4-6th grade levels were:

Danelle Garcia of Dieterich Elementary, Stanislaus Union; Amy Harper of Freedom Elementary, Sylvan Union; and Janette Schmidt of Fox Road Elementary School, Hughson Unified.

Junior High level honorees were: Amanda Bailey of Blaker-Kinser Jr. High, Ceres Unified; Kelli Conner, Patricia Kay Beaver Elementary, Ceres Unified; and Charlyn Selee, Dutcher Middle School, Turlock Unified.

High School Level honorees were: Eli Bynum of Thomas Downey High, Modesto City; Megan Hulst, Central Valley High School, Ceres; and Yohan Partan of Pitman High, Turlock Unified.

The Jane Johnston Civility Award was presented to Janette Schmidt from Fox Road Elementary School in the Hughson Unified School District. The Civility Award is in honor of former SCOE Assistant Superintendent Jane Johnston, who helped launch the county-wide Choose Civility Initiative in 2010 and passed away unexpectedly in April 2012. Johnston was a member of the Modesto Rotary Club, co-chaired the Teacher of the Year Program, and was active with the Education Foundation of Stanislaus County. 

Sponsors include the Modesto Rotary Club Foundation, Stanislaus County Office of Education and Mocse Credit Union.