Each year, the teachers in the three academic departments of Diamond Bar High School name a teacher of the year within their divisions. From those three, the entire staff votes which teacher will be Diamond Bar High School's Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced during the Staff Appreciation Luncheon put on by our Magnificent Seven parent's organization on Friday, April 24. 
This year's nominees are:

HOWARD ALCOSSER (DIVISION: Science, Technology, Math & Science)

• An original Brahma, Howard’s lessons are still filled with as much enthusiasm, energy, and entertainment as they were the day DBHS opened its doors. He makes math exciting for all of his students, and he always has.
• Howard is the architect and leader of our Calculus program that gets phenomenal results year after year. The 2013 results: Calculus BC – 285 exams, 280 passing scores of three or higher, with 217 fives; All Calculus – 673 exams, 613 passing scores of three or higher, with 414 fives.
• Howard is an ambassador for Diamond Bar High School; both as an AP reader and presenter at conferences, workshops, and summer institutes. He takes our strategies that are aimed at making math the favorite class of every Brahma on the road and shares them with teachers all over the country.
• Howard continues to advise the Math Team, Mu Alpha Theta, and supervise numerous math contests like the American Math Competition, the American Invitational Math Exam, the California Math League (in which DBHS came in 1^st place this year), and has even started entering new competitions like the Math Madness competition earlier this year.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHRIS BUCCOLA (DIVISION: Health & Humanities)

It is no secret that Chris is efficient, effective and always present for her students. She is also a tireless and faithful support to her coworkers.

• Spanish AP and Honors preparation
  
• Spanish Club Advisor
  
• Great mentor and colleague
  
• Passionate and Inspiring
  

SHE HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING ROLE MODLE FOR THE STUDENTS FOR YEARS.

Her colleagues have shared the following comments:

“I still remember the Spanish I learned in her class 15 years later and she inspired me to be a creative teacher!”

“I’m so sorry she’s retiring and it’s a huge loss for the foreign language program here at DBHS.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DENISE MESDJIAN (DIVISION: English, Career Education and the Arts)

At school currently:​

• Teaching 21 years, 11 in the district
  
• Sheltered sophomore English teacher for 11 years (and 100% pass rate for students sheltered students)
  
• AP Language & Composition teacher for 7 years
  
• DBHS Girl Scout troop leader 
  
• WASC Co-chair
  
• District leadership seminar participant
  

At school in the past:

• Assistant cross country and track coach
  
• Key Club advisor
  
• American Red Cross advisor
  
• Bustling Brahmas advisor (running club)
  
• Mentor teacher
  
• BTSA support provider
  

Outside school:

• Girl Scout troop leader (for daughter's troop)
  
• Girl Scout Brownie Consultant (administrator for 12 brownie troops)
  
• Pace leader in running club (assist adults in training for and completing marathons in So. Cal. Pacers Running Club)
  
• Completed 3 trail marathons between November-March, running in a 50K in May