WESTMINSTER : District Honors Teacher of the Year

Westminster School District officials honored Loretta Courtemarche on Thursday as the district’s 1993-94 Teacher of the Year.

Before the meeting of the Board of Trustees, Supt. Gail Wickstrom called Courtemarche “a master teacher” and said she deserved recognition for her dedication to students and the community.

“Loretta Courtemarche has gone above and beyond--way above and beyond--the call of duty. She teaches not only kids but teaches parents how to be parents (by persuading) them to read to their kids,” Wickstrom said.

Known for science expertise and her dedication to students, Courtemarche has taught in the district for 30 years. In a classroom that houses pet rats, tarantulas and silkworms, she now teaches kindergarten at Ray M. Schmitt Elementary School.

“She’s a role model for all teachers. She’s just sort of an institution,” Wickstrom said.

Courtemarche, 53, said that one of her teaching techniques is to “hug or touch each kid in the room every day. I think it’s a self-image thing. If you build their self-confidence, they can do anything.”

During the summer, Courtemarche worked as a California Science Project fellow at UC Irvine and collaborated with science teachers throughout the region to build a standard curriculum through the Orange County Science Education Network.

Courtemarche, who lives in Huntington Beach, is active in several community service organizations and also formed El Circulo de las Madres, a group of Spanish-speaking mothers who visit her classroom before school to read to students.