Each year, CHS students and faculty select nominees for Teacher of the Year. For the 2016-17 school year, Spanish teacher Gail Plumeri won the award for the first time.

Principal James Gleason said the winner is selected at the district level.

“I put out the request for letters of support to the students and faculty of Communications, and from there I collect the letters and send them to the central office of Monmouth County. There, the committee at district level reviews all the given information and ultimately, they make the decision,” Gleason said.

Plumeri noted that she uses various teaching styles centered around the communications field to keep her students engaged in her lessons. Junior Felicia Aschettino of West Long Branch said she enjoyed Plumeri’s Spanish ll class because of the variation in their day-to-day class routine.

“Mrs. Plumeri has helped me grow so much with the language over the past two years and I was really excited when I heard she had won,” Aschettino said. “She puts tons of effort into her classes everyday and I always look forward to going to Spanish.”

Plumeri said she was honored yet completely shocked when she discovered had won the award.

“We just have such amazing teachers here that come to the school and work hard everyday, so it was very surprising,” Plumeri said.

Plumeri said her goal in teaching is to share her personal connection to the language with her students.

“I just love the language, and I try my best to pass that love and passion on to all of my students,” Plumeri said.

Plumeri will attend a luncheon at the school in May and receive $500 from MCVSD for classroom supplies and professional development.