Denise Dromensk honored by Santa Clara County
Gilroy – A local sixth grade teacher will be honored at the 36th Annual Santa Clara County Teacher Recognition Day Sept. 26 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell.
Denise Dromensk, a math teacher at Brownell Academy, is one of 30 teachers in Santa Clara County that will be honored at the reception and awards ceremony.
The recognition day is the largest and longest running event in the state honoring teachers, according to Joan Green, a communications specialist for the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Each school district in the county comes up with their own criteria for nominations. Each district has an opportunity to choose one teacher to represent their district each year.
“They are very much picked by their peers and their school district,” Green said.
Brownell Academy Principal Suzanne Damm said she looked for someone who is a good role model for both students and staff when she chose Dromensk as the school’s nominee.
“I looked for somebody that connects with kids, that you can really tell enjoys working with the students,” Damm said. “It should be someone who is dedicated to the profession and improving themselves and others.”
Dromensk has shown her dedication to the profession with her 29 years as a teacher for the Gilroy Unified School District. She teaches all levels of sixth-grade math, from intervention to accelerated classes and has taught at Brownell for four years. Before GUSD sixth grade classes were moved to the middle schools, she taught at local elementary schools.
The long-time teacher serves as the chairperson for the math department at Brownell and takes an interest in her students outside of her classroom.
“She takes every student very personally so if they aren’t growing, she thinks of what more she can do for them,” Damm said. “She emphasizes being positive with the kids. She rewards them for being good.”
Dromensk worked with the other sixth grade teachers to find a way to keep the kids focused on academics towards the end of the school year. They now have a reward day during the last quarter of school – a day for fun, games and treats during the last week before summer vacation – if they stay focused on their work.
“She’s involved in whatever she believes is going to benefit students,” Damm said. “She was instrumental in doing something to keep the kids on track.”
The teacher also strives to continue learning herself. Recently, when the Gilroy middle schools received a grant, Dromensk tackled the use of e-mail and the Internet to help her students.
Dromensk now posts homework assignments on the Internet for her students and keeps in touch with parents by e-mail. She is also learning to use Microsoft Power Point and will make use of it with the LED projector that the school has purchased with the Enhancing Education through Technology grant shared by the three middle schools.
It is her commitment to her students and her school that netted Dromensk another award earlier this year. Senator Elaine Alquist chose Dromensk out of all the teachers in Santa Clara County’s district 13 to be honored as Teacher of the Year. She received her commendations on the state senate assembly floor in May.
“I don’t expect these things,” Dromensk said, after her visit to the Capitol. “I am not a reward person.”
