Class renown

Mariners Elementary School teacher Cass Powell was teaching her sixth-graders as usual when some visitors interrupted her routine. Treating her with hugs, cheers and a bouquet of flowers, they told her some unexpected news — “Congratulations. You’re teacher of the year.”

The Newport-Mesa Unified School district surprised its teachers of the year in their classrooms Thursday. One high school teacher and one elementary school teacher received the annual award. Both said they were stunned by the high honor, but their students said it was richly deserved.

Powell stood dumbfounded as students crowded her desk, some spilling out the door.

“I’m shocked,” Powell said. “I really had no idea.”

Her students weren’t surprised. But not just because they had been told the news earlier. They called Powell the best teacher they knew.

“She’s such a good teacher,” sixth-grader Jaime Darling said. “She’s really informative.”

“She’s the best!” shouted student Bailey Cole.

They have an inkling of what it takes to be teachers since Powell lets them “buy” the privilege of assisting her in class by using points earned from good behavior.

Over at Corona del Mar High School, Spanish teacher and world languages department chairwoman Tory LeVitre had wide eyes and a wider smile as officials rewarded 19 years of devotion to her school. Her entire department voted for her.

“Congratulaciones!” several students announced in joking Spanish.

LeVitre said she feels very close to her students. “I treat them as though they were my own children,” she said. “It’s about respect, and it’s about responsibility, but I also really care about them.”

LeVitre says she put major effort into creating new programs for kids, like a sign language program. Now she is working to extend language offerings to seventh-graders.

Even as she got back to hearing student presentations, the celebration was not quite over. Students from another of her classes crept up to the door, counted “uno, dos, tres,” and shouted their approval one more time.