The Lakers are proud to announce January's Student of the Month winners: Kevin De La Riva, Jasmine Viramontes and Lorenzo Parra and Teacher of the Month winners: Nicole Cradoc, Nicole Matloff and Regina Bituye. This month's winners demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.
 
Kevin De La Riva is a 6th grader at Hill Classic Middle School.  Kevin is a scholar athlete, dedicated to community service. He is a straight A student and leader in the classroom. Outside the classroom, Kevin plays football and has challenged himself to complete nearly 50 hours of community service while in middle school.  
 
Jasmine Viramontesis a 6th grader at Ramona Elementary. Jasmine is a stellar student with high grades and advanced test scores in math and language. Jasmine is also Student Council President, and a member of the school newspaper staff.
 
Lorenzo Parra is a 4th grader at Birney Elementary. Lorenzo is superior student, scoring in the advanced level on both language arts and math tests. He volunteers as a peer-tutor, and is a member of the Student Council. Outside of school, Lorenzo volunteers at Santa Isabel Church and plays basketball and baseball.

Nicole Cradoc is a 3rd grade teacher at Kellogg Polytechnic Elementary.  Ms. Cradoc was instrumental in helping Kellogg students double their state achievement targets and win the 2009 Title 1 Achievement Award. She also leads many projects at school, including: The American Heart Association fundraisers, Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Education classes, and the NBA Read To Achieve "Reading Challenge".

Nicole Matloff is a 7th and 8th grade teacher at Village Glen School. Ms. Matloff is a dedicated and compassionate Special Education teacher for students with Autism and severe behavioral difficulties. She has been teaching for over 20 years and is a great resource for her colleagues and administrators.

Regina Bituye is a 3rd grade teacher at McKinley Elementary.  Ms. Bituye is a bi-lingual teacher who works tirelessly to improve her students' reading and writing skills. She tutors students after school and educates their parents during Saturday School. Ms. Bituye also helped develop an environmental awareness and recycling campaign for all McKinley Elementary.
The Students and Teachers of the Month were invited to the home game on January 11th against the Miami Heat. They were honored during a halftime presentation where they received a plaque and a $50 gift certificate to Staples. The nominations for the January Student and Teacher of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.