BASSETT, CA – A Bassett Unified elementary school teacher who inspires her students to reach for their potential and a data analyst who innovated the District’s student information system have been honored for their dedication to education and empowerment.

Bassett Unified named Sunkist Elementary School Special Day Class teacher Ryann Mora as its 2017-18 Teacher of the Year and Information and Educational Technology (IET) Department Data Analyst Damaris Sarmiento as its Classified Employee of the Year.

Mora, who is in her 12th year as a Special Day Class instructor, keeps a picture of every student she has taught on the wall of her classroom. They are “Mora’s Kids,” students with mild disabilities who aspire to high expectations of college and career – 100 percent of these students graduated high school and 75 percent graduated college.

“Once they become Mora’s Kids, I follow them as they progress through school and beyond,” Mora said. “I’ve been to their high school and college graduations, and their weddings, and now they are bringing their families back to school to visit. It is so gratifying.”

Mora holds multiple school and District roles, including Sunkist Associated Student Body director and No Excuses University coordinator. She is a member of Bassett Unified teams for positive student behavioral expectations, instructional leadership and project-based learning. Mora also tutors first-year teachers.

Sarmiento joined Bassett Unified’s IET department in 1998, before the District even had email accounts. She helped update and integrate effective technology into the IET department, pairing her knowledge and organizational skills to sort particular details needed for the District’s student information system, a database that tracks enrollment, attendance and report cards for every Bassett Unified student.

Sarmiento also maintains Bassett’s California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System database, which monitors student demographics, course data, discipline, assessments and other data for the California Department of Education.

“I love my job – I am so happy to be part of the IET team,” Sarmiento said. “I help staff learn about new technology, even as I am learning it myself. When I can help them, it is so rewarding.”

Bassett Unified also recognized teachers and classified employees at each school site:

Teachers of the Year:

• Bassett Adult School: Felicity Johnson
• Bassett High School: Manuel Gutierrez
• Child Development: Ana Heredia
• Don Julian Elementary: Dorothy Wade
• Edgewood Academy: Julie Chen
• Nueva Vista High School: Cynthia Correll
• Sunkist Elementary: Ryann Mora
• Torch Middle School: Kevin Tunnell
• Van Wig Elementary: Estella Weber

Classified Employees of the Year:

• Bassett Adult School: Richard Chagolla
• Bassett High School: Cora Hernandez
• Child Development: Socorro Casimiro
• District Office: Damaris Sarmiento
• Don Julian Elementary: Karla Calderon
• Edgewood Academy: Teresa Carnero
• Nueva Vista High School: Melinda Zarate
• Sunkist Elementary: Laura Isidro
• Torch Middle School: Martha Arevalo-Trujillo
• Van Wig Elementary: Octavio Ortega

“Congratulations to all of our Teachers and Classified Employees of the year,” Bassett Unified Superintendent Debra French said. “We are proud to recognize all of you for your skills and dedication to helping our students reach their goals and making our community stronger.”

PHOTOS:

062181_BASSETT_TOTY: Bassett Unified named Sunkist Elementary School Special Day Class teacher Ryann Mora (left) as its 2017-18 Teacher of the Year.

062118_BASSETT_CEOTY: Bassett Unified named Information and Educational Technology (IET) Department Data Analyst Damaris Sarmiento (center) as its Classified Employee of the Year.