Four Teachers Honored with Petrick Awards

The Palisades Charter School Foundation has announced the five teachers who will receive this year’s Lori Petrick Excellence in Education Awards for their successes in the classroom. The honorees are Kenter Canyon Elementary third-grade teacher Inyoung Lee, Paul Revere Middle School librarian Cynthia Murphy, Palisades Charter High history teacher Steve Burr and Topanga Elementary fourth-grade teaching team Marta Graves and Marianne Bordier. ‘ ‘We have so many outstanding teachers in the Palisades Complex, and the foundation strives to honor their accomplishments,’ said Susie Newman, co-chair of the foundation and Petrick Awards chair. ‘We honor these educators as examples of what outstanding instruction can do to inspire students of all ages.’ The award, given annually since 2003, honors the late Lori Petrick, who was a popular third- and fourth-grade teacher at Marquez and Palisades Elementary schools, respectively. The teachers will each receive $2,000 and a crystal trophy during an afternoon ceremony from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Oak Room on June 13. Any educator who works within the Palisades Charter Complex for five or more years can apply for the award. Teachers must submit a 2,000-word essay or a 10-minute videotape explaining why their teaching methods represent the best practices in education. Applicants are asked to describe how they communicate high expectations to their students. Judges Michelle Bennett and Teresa Riddle (both retired principals) reviewed the applications and then visited the teachers’ classrooms. The judges were impressed with how Burr taught his advanced placement world history class at PaliHi. ‘[He employed] peer work in addition to whole-group instruction,’ Newman said, adding that Burr had high expectations for his students and gave thoughtful responses to their questions. The judges applauded Murphy for inspiring Revere students to visit the library by inviting authors to speak, providing cartooning instruction and offering career talks. While the judges observed Lee teaching her third-graders how to write business letters, they found that ‘she set high, clear expectations, while at the same time relating well to each student ‘ the students were extremely engaged in the process of writing, thinking and learning,’ Newman said. The judges praised fourth-grade teaching team Marta Graves and Marianne Bordier for effectively integrating curriculum around California history. The teachers used art (candle-making and basket-weaving) to teach the students about the California Missions. They also tied literature into the history lessons with books such as Scott O’Dell’s ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins,’ which is based on the true story of a Nicole’o Indian stranded on one of the Channel Islands, and Sid Fleischman’s ‘By the Great Horn Spoon,’ which takes place during the California Gold Rush. ‘Students were proud of their [work] and inspired to learn,’ Newman said. The Palisadian-Post will write about each of the winners in future issues.