By Alex Lippa
alippa@hgazette.com
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John Rumore has had a considerable impact on the Whittier Regional High community in the 17 years he's been there.
Now, as he approaches retirement, the community has had an impact on him.
Rumore was honored at the end of the school year with Whittier's Educator of the Year award, an honor that is voted on by the Whittier teachers union, the Whittier Regional Education Association.
Rumore bested six other teachers for the award, which goes by the slogan, "To the best from all the rest."
"That Friday afternoon when I was given the award is as good as it gets," Rumore said. "It was an honor to receive this award from my peers and equals."
Rumore, a telecommunications instructor who will retire in December, started at Whittier in 1995 as a long-term substitute in both shops and academic areas, before becoming a teacher's assistant in the masonry, electrical and carpentry shops. After two years, he was hired as an electronics instructor specializing in electronic robotics.
That job led into the position of telecommunications instructor, which he has held for the last several years. Rumore teaches students about coaxial cables for utilities such as telephone, cable TV and the Internet. He also teaches about networking cables, which allow for wireless Internet. Rumore and his students work with the wireless cables in the Whittier building to help provide Internet for the entire school.
"The kids are trained in the determination of cable," Rumore said. "They then go on to some small personal computer repair so that when kids graduate, they have enough to be successful."
Rumore teaches the exploratory program, which is for ninth-grade students as they get a sample of all of the shops Whittier has to offer. He also has 20 students in his shop who have chosen telecommunications as their major.
Rumore said the qualities he has encouraged his students to attain are among the reasons he received the award.
"One thing that I can pride myself on is that I try to instill in my kids on a daily basis to make yourself available to everyone who walks through the door, no matter how small or large the request may be," he said.
Rumore's direct supervisor, Beverly DeSalvo, said Rumore is very deserving of the award.
"He is an excellent vocational technical instructor," DeSalvo, the school's vocational technical coordinator, said, adding she is not looking forward to his retirement. "John's talents and dedication to the community will be missed."
In addition to Rumore, one other member of the Whittier staff was honored by the union. Jeannette Berube, a teacher's assistant at Whittier since 2004, won the Support Staff of the Year award. Berube works primarily with special needs students at the school.
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