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1st ever animatronics instructor is final Riverside County Teacher of the Year
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iverside County schools Superintendent Edwin Gomez made his final Teacher of the Year announcement when he stepped into a Winchester middle school classroom Thursday and surprised Misty McBee as this year's fourth and final honoree. McBee, who teaches at Harvest Hill STEAM Academy, is the first animatronics teacher in Riverside County to receive a teacherof-the-year honor, according to the Office of Education. “Ms. McBee’s innovative spirit is exemplified in her development of a middle school animatronics program,” Gomez said during the surprise announcement. “This program which started with just a set of state standards and laptops, was
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Reports: Ex-Assemblyman Brian Nestande died of drug overdose By City News Service
By Staff
Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez congratulates Misty McBee on being selected as one of the 2024 Teachers of the Year. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Office of Education
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popular elective courses. McBee's classroom is characterized by "facilitated learning, real-life problemsolving, adaptability, and other vital skills transferable to any 21st century career pursuit," according to the Office of Education. "She regularly integrates exhibitions of learning that simultaneously foster a spirit of collaboration and creativity, while enhancing school culture and showcasing student achievement and recognition." McBee also does a lot of extra-curricular work at the school. She coordinates pet adoption efforts and leads Harvest Hill's Saturday STEAM Academy, which is an optional learning activity that has become popular with students.
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ormer Palm Desert Assemblyman Brian Nestande's death in March was the result of an overdose of drugs including fentanyl and cocaine, an autopsy determined, according to reports Tuesday. According to results first reported by Uken Report and later confirmed by the Desert Sun, the 60-year-old Republican former legislator's March 6 death was caused by "multiple substance intoxication," including both fentanyl and cocaine. The autopsy also identified chronic hypertension and heart disease and potential contributing factors to the death, which was ruled accidental. According to the Riverside County Coroner's office, Nestande was found dead at 2:10 p.m. March 6 at his home in the 73000 block of Vermeer Way in Palm Desert. Nestande previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Sonny Bono, then Rep. Mary Bono. He served in the Assembly from See Brian Nestande Page 15
Corona eighth grader advances in National Spelling Bee By City News Service and Staff
A Bob Mauger receives his Teacher of the Year certificate from Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Office of Education
crafted to provide students with hands-on, project-based learning experiences that prepare our students for the future.” After hearing the news, McBee said in a statement, “I just love what I do and working with all of my students. Everyone here just makes this job so fun and
actually very easy sometimes. So to me, all of this just feels like a normal day.” McBee describes her current job as a STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — teacher as a dream come true, according to the county. When Harvest Hill needed a course to imple-
Amy Torres. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Office of Education
ment the Menifee Union School District’s investment in a new Garner Holt Animatronics Lab, McBee developed the curriculum, wrangled volunteers for supplies and recruited students into what is now among the school's most
Her colleagues describe her as “a teacher leader who not only teaches and leads with passion, but also inspires the curiosity and desire to learn for her students,” according to the Office of Education. "Her principal describes how
See Teacher of the Year Page 31
n eighth grader from Corona advanced to the fifth round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Wednesday by correctly spelling procellous, an adjective meaning stormy. Avijeet Randhawa was among the 148 spellers advancing to the quarterfinals from the original field of 245, the largest since 2019, by correctly spelling two words and answering a vocabulary question. Avijeet Randhawa advanced to the quarterfinals by correctly spelling palynological, an adjective related to a branch of science dealing with pollen and spores, in Tuesday's third round at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The Auburndale Intermediate School student began the bee by correctly spelling raclette, a Swiss dish of melted cheese, typically eaten with potatoes. He then chose the correct answer to the vocabulary question, "What is a moratorium?" by selecting "a delay officially set by some authority." There were 54 spellers eliminated in the first round, 15 in the second and 28 in the third. See Spelling Bee Page 32