Spanish teacher receives countywide honor

Tory LeVitre, a Spanish teacher at Corona del Mar High School, was named one of Orange County’s teachers of the year today, making her the third Newport-Mesa district instructor in five years to receive the honor.

Officials from the Orange County Department of Education visited LeVitre’s classroom to present her with flowers and a statuette. LeVitre, who has taught at Corona del Mar High for 20 years, got recognized in front of her Spanish 3 honors class — the same group of students who saw her honored as a district teacher of the year in January.

After the county officials left, LeVitre’s students paid their own tribute to her: They scrapped their in-class essay topic for the day and instead wrote essays on why she was their favorite teacher.

“Some of the kids wrote that I inspired them to continue their Spanish studies,” LeVitre said. “I love to hear that.”

LeVitre is the second Corona del Mar High instructor to win the county award in the last three years, following physical education teacher Ted Williams in 2005. Pauline Maranian, an English and drama teacher at Estancia High School, was honored in 2003.

Corona del Mar High’s foreign language department nominated LeVitre for teacher of the year. She received $15,000 for the county award and will be eligible for statewide recognition later this year.

“Tory is first-class all the way,” Newport-Mesa teachers union President Jim Rogers said. “I’ve known her ever since she came on the campus 20 years ago, and she’s always been a delight to work with, very professional. I know her students absolutely adore her.”

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.