LOS ALAMITOS, CA — At the Los Alamitos Unified School District board meeting on Tuesday, May 23, Dr. Pulver, superintendent, announced this year’s staff retirees. Los Alamitos High School teachers Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Brucculeri, Mr. Ford, and Mrs. Post are retiring this year, along with many other teachers and staff members in the district. 

Mr. Kennedy

Mr. Kennedy has been part of LAUSD for 37 years. He currently teaches AP Literature and expository writing, but he has also taught history. 

“I really enjoyed how in-depth he was throughout the entire course, and I think what his assignments demanded of us bettered me as a student,” said Aleina Tu’ufuli, a senior in Mr. Kennedy’s AP Lit class. “One of my favorite memories was when we spent a class period talking about imagery and describing beer bottles.” 

Mrs. Brucculeri

Mrs. Brucculeri, or Mrs. “Brucc,” has taught math at Los Al for 26 years. She worked in engineering, then changed careers to become a teacher. Currently, Mrs. Brucc teaches Algebra 2/Trigonometry, but she has also taught geometry, Advanced Math Trigonometry, and precalculus. She most enjoys geometry, and her favorite project is making Sierpinski pyramids. 

“Geometry is how the world is perceived; it’s practical application,” Mrs. Brucc said. Her favorite age group to teach is juniors because they’re old enough to appreciate her teaching. She said that sophomores usually don’t realize the benefits of her methods until later. 

Mrs. Brucc added that what she will miss most about teaching is the students. One of her favorite memories from Los Al is when a group of her precalculus students honored her in an assembly, giving her a letter and a poster of a griffin in a NASA astronaut suit. Although this was in May 2011, almost exactly 12 years ago, Mrs. Brucc still has this poster up on her classroom wall, along with a picture of her and the students.

“Mrs. Brucculeri never failed to make me laugh, and I was always shocked by how interesting her life was,” said sophomore Olivia Inanaga, who had Mrs. Brucc for Algebra 2/Trig last year. 

“I swam away from a sea plane crash and survived a robbery at knifepoint,” Mrs. Brucc said, describing something her students might not know about her. She added that these unrelated incidents both occurred in New Orleans. 

In retirement, Mrs. Brucc looks forward to exploring “a new unknown.” She plans to travel on an Alaskan cruise with her sisters and mentioned that she has two new chickens, making a total of four. Mrs. Brucc goes out to her chickens every morning and said that they’re “constant entertainment.” 

“You can never work hard enough when it comes to education,” Mrs. Brucc advised her students. “Be curious—curiosity is that line of thought that helps you develop your intellectual capacity.”

Mr. Ford

Mr. Ford has been teaching for 36 years, and this is his 34th year at Los Al. Currently, Mr. Ford teaches Algebra 1 and 2, but in the past he has taught Math A, Algebra 2/Trig, geometry, and consumer math. His favorite class to teach is Algebra 2, he said, because juniors are still college prep students, but they’re not as stressed out as honors students. Mr. Ford also coached basketball at Los Al until 2003; now he coaches at Cypress College.

In retirement, Mr. Ford looks forward to more traveling, coaching, and spending time with his team. Something his students might not know about him is that he went to college on a vocal music scholarship.

“You have to get your work done, and don’t put yourself in a hole,” Mr. Ford said to his students. “You don’t have to get out in front, but you don’t want to be last.”

Click here to read a more in-depth Q&A with Mr. Ford.

Mrs. Post

Also in the math department, Mrs. Post has been with LAUSD for 27 years and taught at Los Al for 20 years. She taught SDC (Special Day Class) and RSP (Resource Specialist Program), and she was an instructional assistant for special education at Oak Middle School. Previously, Mrs. Post was Los Al’s student records clerk, and now she teaches Algebra 1. Although she’s also taught English and reading, her favorite subject is math.

“I’ve always loved math. You can check your answers, and its use of logic makes me happy,” Mrs. Post said. 

“Mrs. Post is such a great math teacher because she is patient with her students and willing to help them through any problem and sit with them through it step-by-step. She was so kind and funny, and she always had a motto of never giving up and to always keep trying your best,” said freshman Katie Arnoult, who has Mrs. Gahungu for Algebra 1. Mrs. Post helps out in some of Mrs. Gahungu’s classes. 

Mrs. Post’s favorite activity is bowling, and she looks forward to not having any meetings in retirement.

One of the highlights of Mrs. Post’s career was when her student, Samantha Moody, won the Scholastic All-Star Award in 2013. Scholastic gave the honor to four outstanding U.S. students in their READ 180 program, which Mrs. Post used to teach. 

“I’m proud to report that this student just received her bachelor’s degree from CSULB, and she continues to shine like an All-Star,” Mrs. Post said. 

Click here to read a more in-depth Q&A with Mrs. Post.

The following Los Al staff members are also retiring this year. A complete list of this year’s LAUSD retirees can be found in the YouTube video of the board meeting.  

• Ronald Shaeffer, LAUSD bus driver, three years
• Patricia Williams, Los Al student supervision assistant, four years
• Carolyn Kosearas, Los Al food service assistant III, 11 years
• Ben Ceniza, LAUSD painter and custodian, 15 years (Students might recognize Mr. Ceniza from his murals on LAUSD campuses.)
• Mary Forbes, Los Al special education instructional assistant, 24 years

As these staff members prepare to leave Los Al, the Griffin Gazette wishes them congratulations and a happy, healthy retirement. Los Al will miss you, but once a Griffin, always a Griffin!