Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation honors ATLAS teacher

health arial,sans-serif;”>The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF) named John Williamson, of the Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy (ATLAS) in Ventura, September’s Teacher of the Month. VCEF board member, Pattie Braga, along with elected representatives and members of the business community, presented Williamson with a plaque to commemorate the award on Sept. 30, 2015.

John Williamson, of the Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy (ATLAS) in Ventura

Williamson was recognized for his leadership abilities, dedication to his fourth and fifth grade students, and participation in numerous educational committees. As head of the ATLAS Lighthouse Leadership Team, Williamson led the staff in developing the mission statement, goals and an implementation plan for the school’s leadership magnet program. He also represents ATLAS on Ventura Unified School District’s math benchmark committee and on its report card committee, as well.

“John is viewed as a mentor by his students and as a respected leader by his fellow staff members,” said ATLAS’ principal, Jennifer Duston. “He does whatever it takes to help his students be successful, and his active involvement both on and off campus is a testament to his commitment to providing the best possible education.”

Williamson’s seven years of teaching experience are supplemented by his regular attendance at classes and workshops on key instructional methods, including visual thinking strategies (VTS), developing mathematical ideas (DMI) and the Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) instructional model.

Those in attendance at the presentation included: John Williamson, Teacher of the Month, September 2015, as well as his wife, father, sister and brother-in-law; Pattie Braga, Ventura County Credit Union; Natalie Bradley, Ventura County Credit Union; Cruz Benitez, Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett’s Office; Stephanie Becerra, Montecito Bank & Trust; Amber Stevens, Ventura Family YMCA; Sheila Fundaburk, Panera Bread; Candace Aragon, CBC Federal Credit Union; Diane Ellis, Lions Club of Ventura; Stephanie Lundquist, Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach; Greg Bird, Gold Coast Broadcasting; Tom Downey, Nothing Bundt Cakes; Michael Macdonald, Office of Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson; Stephanie Caldwell, president/CEO of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce; Brad Hudson, Office of Congresswoman Julia Brownley; Stanley Tzankov, Office of Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson; Maggy Elsousou, Office of Assembly Member Das Williams; Shawn McCarthy, The River Community Church; Kerry Swift, massage therapist; Bruce Holley, Kirby Auto Group.

Teacher of the Month nominees must be credentialed teachers and display certain qualities, such as outstanding commitment to students, service to school or district committees, involvement in projects on their own time and/or participation in youth-focused activities in the community. All principals and parent-teacher organizations from schools within the Ventura Unified School District are eligible to submit nominations. For more information about the Teacher of the Month program, please contact Pattie Braga, chair of the VCEF Teacher Appreciation Committee, at [email protected] or (805) 477-4052.

John Williamson with his family

ABOUT THE VENTURA COMMERCE AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF), under the auspices of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, works to provide a business link to the economic, educational, cultural and environmental interests of the Ventura regional community. More information about the VCEF can be found at venturachamber.com/ventura-commerce-education-foundation.

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