There’s a new hero in our midst in Beaumont-Wilshire. On May 31, Emmanuel Aquino, for nine years an 8th grade English-Spanish immersion teacher at Beaumont Middle School, took home one of only three Educator of the Year awards from OnPoint Community Credit Union’s Excellence in Education program. Winners have their mortgage or rent paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for their respective schools.
In choosing Mr. Aquino for the honor, OnPoint’s press release noted this about him:
“Emmanuel Aquino is a bilingual educator who stands out for his efforts to help Spanish-speaking students and their families feel welcome and seen… .
Part of his success in the classroom comes back to his goal of making his curriculum relevant to his students. He proactively answers the common question, ‘Why do I need to know this?’”
Mr. Aquino was quick to point out team members who help make it possible.
“One of the greatest pleasures has been the development of the Spanish immersion program with my colleague, Anabel Muñana,” Mr. Aquino said. “We have seen it grow from a handful of students to becoming an integral part of the Beaumont school community, which would not be possible without the support of other teachers at Beaumont and Rigler and some of our district staff.”
It is Mr. Aquino’s hope that the OnPoint grant will strengthen the school’s dual language program through the purchase of novel sets in Spanish, classroom resources, and potential future field trips.
Dr. Harriette Vigmenon, Beaumont Middle School principal, supported Emmanuel’s award.
“Mr. Aquino is a stellar professional,” she said. “His passion for teaching and learning is coupled with his love for his students, and we applaud his dedication to the teaching profession—his award is well deserved!”