Rochelle named Educator of the Month

 

Helping children one-on-one in a school setting is nothing new to Rick Rochelle – he’s been a coach and a teacher for over 38 years with Los Olivos School District.

Now, his years of dedication are being recognized. He’s been honored as Educator of the Month by Valley Oaks Branch of Montecito Bank and Trust.

“It’s quite an honor to be listed with the teachers who have received this award,” Rochelle said.

 

“I love working with kids and seeing them graduate – having a part in their education. It’s a choice experience.”

Rochelle graduated in 1970 from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a teaching degree in elementary education and started working that year with the Los Olivos School District. The school had 89 children and four teachers.

He picked elementary education because of a positive experience he had as a volunteer with kindergarten students during college.

 

A few years ago, when the Olive Grove Charter School began, he decided to transfer to that school and has been working with high school students for the past five years.

In addition to being a teacher, he also is a coach and has taken his teams through seasons of volleyball, flag football and basketball for the past 22 years.

Recently, he and a co-worker, Karl Hatch, completed their master’s degrees in education with an emphasis on reading at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

“We drove up after school for two years, but it was a good experience,” he said. Karl also has been his mentor for teaching at the charter school.

“Karl went in first and was smiling at the end of the year, so I decided to give it a try and I have to say, it’s been a wonderful school,” Rochelle said.

 

Rochelle and his five brothers and sisters grew up in Santa Barbara, where his father, Rene Rochelle, was a professor and basketball coach at UCSB.

Rochelle raised his own three children in the Santa Ynez Valley, and they all are graduates of the Olive Grove Charter School, which has an independent home study program for K-12 students.

The school helps children acquire self discipline and become more responsible and organized, and it helps parents become involved and connect with their children and what is being taught at the school.

 

The school has five locations and approximately 500 students enrolled.

He said helping students make career decisions has been a very satisfying experience.

“Our students are also fortunate to have access to so many quality institutions of higher learning within a short driving distance,” he added.

Many high school students also take college credits while they finish their high school requirements.

 

“The program is very flexible for the students and allows them freedom to pursue a wide variety of activities, including work, sports competitions, and college courses,” he explained.

When he isn’t teaching, Rochelle enjoys spending time with his children: Lisa, who also is a teacher at the school; Becky, who is finishing a degree in nursing; and Brian, who is an engineer with a San Diego firm. Rochelle also has a granddaughter, Ella.

Besides traveling between Alaska and Hawaii during the summer, Rochelle likes to golf and is trying to organize high school competitions for students who would like to learn the sport.

He also is learning to surf and said he greatly admires those who learned to surf when they were young. “It’s a challenge, but great exercise,” he said.

 

The award he received includes a wall plaque and a gift certificate to a local restaurant of his choice.