Teacher of the Year:
Mr. Duarte
By Natasha Muller
Congratulations to David Duarte for being named Teacher of the Year! He has been an essential individual to the Westmont family for the past 17 years, teaching Agriculture Biology, Veterinary Science, Agriculture Mechanics and Fabrication 1 & 2, Agriculture business and economics, and Agriculture Physics. I asked Mr. Duarte some questions regarding his acknowledgment of being awarded as the Teacher of the year.
What do you love about teaching here?
I love my students first, and then I’ve got to go with my fellow teachers.
How do you feel about being selected as teacher of the year?
Humbled, overly appreciative, and shocked. I really feel that there are many more teachers more deserving than myself.
What part of the Westmont farm are you most proud of?
The students succeed in so many different areas. I have some that really are drawn to the leadership side and become officers, compete in speech contests, and job interview contests, and then we have the other side where students excel in their entrepreneurship projects raising ag products such as plants and animals.
How did you survive teaching online?
I was very fortunate to receive my community college/online teaching credential 2 years before the pandemic, so I had a fairly firm grasp on how to construct a class.
Thank you for all your magnificent contributions to Westmont Mr. Duarte!
Previous Teachers of the Year (Still at Westmont)
2001: Wendy Lawson
2002: Dianne Leo
2003: Andy Evans
2004: Jeff Bengford
2007: Chris Haskett
2010: Brett Petersen
2011: Jeff Poppinga
2016: Daniel Coonce
2017: Liz Jarrett
2018: Sheri Crutcher and Paula Smith
2019: David Becker
2020: Chris Mock
Article Highlight:
It’s Just Like Running The Mile
By Madilyn Zanardelli
Some of you reading this are runners and understand the strategy I’m going to lay out; this may apply very well to you. Some of you have never run before, and to you I say try it. I first joined cross country my freshman year and loved it. You may feel the same. You may not. To those of you who hate running; no worries, running isn’t for everyone, but the tips and methods applied to this analogy can still help. Continue reading on the Senior Reflections Page.
Article Highlights:
Do Social Media Breaks Work?
By Emma Kidger
MCU: Marvel Continues the Universe
By Sophia Christensen
Life as a Lifeguard
By Makenna Adams
Adopt Don’t Shop
By Olivia Pocat
This Day In History: May 27
By Makenna Adams
1660: Denmark and Sweden end the Second Northern War by signing the Treaty of Copenhagen.
1703: Russian Tsar Peter the Great found Leningrad, Russia (now Saint Petersburg).
1796: James S McLean patents his invention of the piano.
1916: President Woodrow Wilson urges the world to enforce peace amid the carnage of WWI and advocates for a league of nations.
1933: Walt Disney’s animated short film Three Little Pigs debuts—the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Film in 1934.
1937: Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrians.
1940: British and Allied forces begin the evacuation of Dunkirk.
1958: Ernest Green becomes the first African American graduate of Little Rock Central high school in Little Rock, AK.
2018: South Korean boy band BTS tops the US Billboard 200 chart as the first time k-pop group to do so, with their album Love Yourself: Tear.
Section Highlight:
Senior Reflections
Read about graduating Westmont journalism students’ high school experiences.
The Shield is an independent publication of the Journalism class at Westmont High School. Editorials reflect the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Westmont High School, its Board of Trustees, faculty, administration, or students. The Shield welcomes all opinions, editorials, poems, artwork, complaints, pictures, advertisements, and letters to the editor. Submit all material to Room 58 and/or aevans@cuhsd.org. We appreciate articles from students, faculty, parents, and subscribers. The Shield, Westmont High School, and CUHSD do not endorse any advertisements that run in the newspaper.