Congrats Teachers of the Month

By Jada Sampson

Opinions Editor

Being named Staff Member of the Month is a tremendous honor and is a title that many teachers and other members of staff take seriously.

Students picked Ms. Rivero as the Staff Member of the Month for the month of October.

Ms. Rivero has been teaching here for five years, but has been teaching for a total of 12. She teaches freshman English, and is a sponsor for Student Council and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).

According to the former and current students of Ms. Rivero, this is a well-deserved title. Ms. Rivero has been described as “warm and caring” according to freshman Keegan Ramirez, one of Rivero’s current students.

“She always has a smile on her face even if she had a bad day. She inspires a person to be a better person,” said Tahir Williams, about why she inspires him.

Ms. Rivero has made herself and her classroom a safe space for all students.

“High school can be a hard time for some. I wanted to be able to support students and give students a safe place to be,” said Rivero.

Rivero is an easy-going teacher and has formed a bond with each and every one of her students. She listens to her students and builds a trust-filled relationship with each and every one of them.

“She was my favorite teacher. She was fun, but stern and treated you as a friend. You were both equals,” said Ava Christenson, a former student of Rivero. “She inspired me. She’s passionate and she cares.”

Since October, science teacher Mr. Balouris was named Staff Member of the Month for November and English teacher Ms. Santor was named for December.

Balouris is in his first official year teaching at Crete, but served as a permanent sub last year in the science department. He teaches both earth and space and honors biology this year.

A couple things students have said of ‘Mr. B’, are, “He is a good and nice teacher and not only does he push us to be good and get work done, but he also has a funny side to make us have fun while doing work,” and “He is a cool guy who can relate to students and help them with any problems.”

Ms. Santor is in her sixth year teaching and currently teaches AP Language and freshmen English.

About Santor, students said, “She is a good person to be around, and she brings good energy” and “She has helped me improve my writing over a short time span. Also, she is such a helpful person in and out of school.”

Teachers of the Month get a poster plastered outside their classroom with their picture on it, congratulating their achievement. They also are awarded with a closer parking space to the school.

Congrats to these teachers for all you do for CMHS.