Each year our teachers go above and beyond what’s expected of them, and each year Lone Star celebrates one teacher whose work ethic, practice, and students’ outcomes stand out. Here are are the winners of Lone Star’s annual Teacher of the Year Award.
DARCI STELZNER
2012-2013 TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Darci Stelzner is an 8th grade physical education, fitness, and health teacher. She is a coach, Girls on Track leader, 4th R Master Teacher, and had a hand in adding the 4th ‘R’ to our Lone Star philosophy: Relationships. Darci received a CapEd grant this year and was a co-recipient for another CapEd grant, as well as a Fuel Up to Play 60 grant. She was also the co-creator of Lone Star’s Wellness Program. This program benefits staff and students by having them participate in a walk/strength activities every morning before first period to help get the blood flowing in their brain, promoting and encouraging concentration, prepares them for a day of learning, helps keep away the blues, and enables them to live a healthy lifestyle. She empowers her students and expects their best.
Darci joined the district in 2002, moving from Montana. She has had the opportunity to teach at Lone Star since its opening in 2008. She received her bachelor’s degree from Montana State University in physical education and health, K-12, with an emphasis on fitness, wellness, and coaching. She received her Master’s from Boise State University in biophysical kinesiology.
During her down time, Darci enjoys running, riding her bike, cruising the farmer’s markets, gardening, and camping with her husband and 2 year old son.
CHUCK FOSTER
2011-2012 TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Chuck Foster is a sixth-grade reading teacher and has been with Lone Star Middle School since it opened in 2008. He is an advisor for the Leo Club, a service organization, which sponsors the Valentine’s school dance and the Spring Carnival for LSMS. Dedicated to teaching his students the skills and benefits of reading, his enthusiasm has been recognized by all who meet him. He has a passion for teaching students and inspiring them to gain a passion for reading. His success and inspiration led him to be awarded the Idaho Middle Level Association’s teacher of the year for this region for the past school year (2011-2012).
He received his bachelor’s degree in 1974 from Northwest College in Kirkland, WA, and a master’s degree in 1988 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. After working in church ministry and running his piano business for 23 years, he decided to change careers and become a teacher. In 2001, he received his teacher’s certification from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and began teaching the same year. He felt the pull to come back home to Idaho and moved here with his wife, Kim, in 2004.
When not teaching, he loves to scour the thrift stores and used bookstores for books to fill his shelves in his classroom. His shelves at home are too full to hold any more books, and he has been gently encouraged by his wife and kids to use his Kindle more often. He loves board games as much as he loves reading, and they often compete for his attention.
TED CARRICO
2010-2011 Teacher of the Year
Ted Carrico was raised in Gooding, Id. and graduated in ‘76 from Gooding High School. He then attended Northwest Christian C., U. of Oregon and Lane C.C. in Eugene Or. ‘76-’79 focusing on music as much as possible. He studied percussion with Charles Dowd and other private teachers in the Eugene area. He then married his wife Becki and they moved to George Fox C., Newberg, Or. ‘79-’81. He studied Music Education and studied percussion privately with Steve Lawrence of the Oregon Symphony. Upon graduation he taught band and choir in two small communities middle schools in northern Idaho (Pierce and Weippe) and he also taught at Timberline High School ’81-’83 (Orofino School District). In the fall of ‘83 he started his thirteen years of teaching and rebuilding of the music program in McCall-Donnelly Schools. While in McCall his bands and choirs toured the West and earned many superiors at District III Festivals. Ted also started the marching band and jazz bands and won competitions and went to festivals with these groups. Ted did graduate work in the summers of ’90-’93. In ’94 Ted had a series of eye problems and unplanned surgeries resulting in the loss of his left eye. This coupled with a move to Nampa hampered the finishing of his Master’s Degree from the U. of I.
‘96-Present, Ted was asked to come to Nampa to teach band at West Middle School and assist with the Nampa High Band program under the direction of Tom Stone. His programs have continued to receive high ratings and win competitions. Ted taught at two middle schools: West M.S. and Lone Star M.S. in Nampa from ’08-’10 and in the fall of ’10 Mr. Carrico was given the opportunity to teach at Lone Star Middle School full time; this move was the first time in his teaching career where he was in one building for the entire day. Mr. Carrico presently teaches about 250 students a day in only one school. Mr. Carrico was chosen as Music Educator of the year for District III (all the Treasure Valley music teachers) for 2009-2010. Teach was chosen as Teacher of the year for Lone Star Middle School in 2010-2011. These are awards he is very humbled by and honored.
Ted is proud to teach in the Nampa School District and specifically at Lone Star Middle School. He has enjoyed getting to know one staff again and appreciates feeling welcomed as a member of the team of LSMS. Ted is proud to be an Idaho Music Educator and he is grateful to the many mentors that he has had in his career. Ted enjoys working with middle and high school students. He and his wife (Becki) have three children (all three are married) and five grandchildren. He enjoys making music, teaching, family, church, golf, fishing, games, reading, hiking and camping.
DIANA FUSARO
2009-2010 Teacher of the year
Ms Fusaro was chosen as the 2009-2010 Lone Star Middle School teacher of the year. She has taught at the middle school level for 10 years and has served as the Special Education Dept. Chair for the last 7 years. She received her Master’s Degree in Special Education and also received her Educational Specialist Degree in Administration. She enjoys the outdoors flyfishing, road biking and cross country skiing and has been involved in the Ladies American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars for the past 25 years.
AARON MOISO
2008-2009 TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Mr. Moiso was chosen as the 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year for Lone Star Middle School. His enthusiasm for student-learning and the ability to bring his experiences to the classroom are just a couple of reasons that Mr. Moiso was chosen. Congratulations!
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