CARLSBAD UNIFIED CONNECTIONS

At Carlsbad Unified our outstanding teachers and classified staff, known for their professionalism and dedication, are our secret sauce. An impressive number of CUSD’s people have spent their entire careers serving our students and our community.

Last week I had the honor of visiting schools to present many of our valued employees with their service pins, acknowledging them for their 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service.

These are the six dedicated employees who are celebrating an amazing 30 years in our schools and classrooms:

Corey Espeleta, Counselor at Calavera Hills Middle School

Part of the team that opened Calavera Hills Middle School, Ms. Espeleta taught Math there for nine years, after nine years teaching at Valley Middle School. She then became a counselor—to work with the whole child on a broader level. “Middle School is my gig,” she says. “The best thing has been being able to work in middle school for my whole career. Our students are in a critical stage of development, just figuring out who they are. I love supporting them as they face the emotional and social challenges of adolescence.” Ms. Espeleta was assigned to Aviara Oaks Middle School as a counselor for three years, and then moved back to Calavera Hills. “CHMS has been my home for most of my career. It's fantastic. I am a Coyote—I bleed green and yellow.“

Lisa Papera, Teacher at Carlsbad High School

“I have had the pleasure of teaching English, primarily to 12th graders, for over three decades,” Ms. Papera says. “I love helping them find their voices, explore big ideas, and step confidently into what comes next. After all these years, I’m still as inspired by the curiosity, humor, and honesty my seniors bring to our classroom conversations as I was when I joined the Lancer family in 1994.”

Ron Cordell, Teacher at Sage Creek High School

“These 35 years have gone by in a flash,” says Mr. Cordell. “I came to Carlsbad Unified School District with five years of teaching experience under my belt. My journey has been unique. In my time with the district I have served as a teacher, Alternative Schools Liaison, counselor, and site administrator. I have worked at Carlsbad High School, Hope Elementary, Carlsbad Village Academy, Carlsbad Seaside Academy, and Aviara Oaks Middle School; and I helped open Sage Creek High School. I have been at Sage for 13 years and counting, and will finish my career as an AP Government & Politics teacher here at Sage Creek. It has been an absolute honor to serve the Carlsbad community. Thank you, Carlsbad.”

Jennifer Uribe, Teacher at Aviara Oaks Elementary School

“I have been with Carlsbad Unified since 1994,” Ms. Uribe states. “I taught first grade, then Kindergarten for 18 years, and then first grade for another 12 years. Now I am a TK teacher. I enjoy teaching today as much as I did when I started. I especially love working with the younger students. I am inspired by their enthusiasm and excitement for learning and discovery. I have gotten to see things full circle, watching the families grow up, and now I sometimes teach the children of my former students. And my daughter is now doing her student teaching here in first grade. I love seeing her excitement, and being able to share ideas with her. I still have the enthusiasm and the passion for teaching, just seeing the kids each day, their joy, and new things they discovered.

Luis Ponce, Teacher at Jefferson Elementary School

Mr. Ponce worked as a Peace Corps volunteer as a young man. After completing his service he was pleased to find a teaching job at Jefferson Elementary, where being bilingual and working with Spanish-speaking students was reminiscent of his Peace Corps experience. Thirty years later he is still teaching at Jefferson. His first assignment was in Kindergarten. He then taught 5th grade, during which time he had the joy of teaching both of his sons. His older son is now in ninth grade at Carlsbad High School, and his younger son is in middle school. Mr. Ponce currently teaches 2nd grade. “It has been a wonderful 30 years here at Jefferson,” he happily reports. “For me, this job was meant to be.”

Sandra Libertino, Teacher at Valley Middle School

Ms. Libertino began her career with Carlsbad Unified in 1995 at Magnolia Elementary School, teaching 6th and 2nd grades. She next served as a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) mentor for the district, and then joined the staff at Aviara Oaks Middle School where she taught Math for 14 years. She now teaches at Valley Middle School and loves it. “It has all been fantastic teaching in the Carlsbad community and after 30 years I’m now teaching with one of my former 2nd graders!” Ms. Libertino reports, “I especially love teaching middle school Math. The students have been sweet and it’s fun to watch them grow and mature, and the parents are supportive and generous. I can’t believe it has been 30 years, and I am looking forward to 30 more.”

25-year pins: These are the 22 dedicated Carlsbad Unified employees being honored this year for their impressive 25 years of service: Teachers Erica Horner from Aviara Oaks Elementary; Tessa Sherman-Ploski and Bethany Murphy from Aviara Oaks Middle; Linda Ferrara, Alexa Livingstone, and Scott Ogden from Carlsbad High School; Christine Wolfson from Hope Elementary; Michelle Gizzi from Kelly Elementary; Anne Hampton, Katie Jordan, Megan Smith, and Kathleen Shearer from Pacific Rim Elementary; and Robert Alper, Mia Lewis, Jennifer Prock, and Melony Schroh from Valley Middle School.

Also celebrated are classified employees Christine Mazurkiewicz, Nutrition Services, from Calavera Middle School; Allyson Roberts-Torres, Library Media Technician, from Carlsbad High School; Terrie Gruntowicz, custodian at Kelly Elementary; Karl Offill, custodian at Pacific Rim Elementary; and Kathryn Nichols and Emily Smith from Pupil Services.

We appreciate the important work our team does everyday. We thank all of them for their commitment to Carlsbad Unified’s students and to our mission to provide every student an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment.