Lester Chun
Crocker Band Teacher for 33 years
Band room named for him in 2015
May 6, 2015- The Crocker band room was named in honor of Lester Chun. Mr. Chun retired at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.
Lester Chun started his 33 year career as band director at Crocker in 1981. One year later, he brought his passion for teaching music to Hillsborough's elementary schools. He taught 4th and 5th graders instrumental music for the next 32 years. In addition to his duties teaching band, Lester also taught journalism for eight years, from 1983 to 1991. He and his team of students published the "Viking Weekly News" and won two prestigious awards for their work, the Kent Award from San Mateo County in 1990 and the Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Foundation. In 1993, Lester won the Community Care Award for his dedication to his students in HCSD. Lester also taught guitar as an elective for two years. He worked on a Hillsborough Incentive Plan (HIP) that updated the Gold Card system that calculated the award points for the end of the year an graduation awards. The Crocker Yearbook staff dedicated the 1996-1997 yearbook in his honor for all of his efforts for the students.
His long band director career including many impressive accomplishments. He was honored with the BRAVO Award in 2011, which honors leading figures in the artistic community in the Bay Area. He won the TONY, which is presented by the HCSD Board to one staff member each year who exemplifies the qualities of Tony Novak (Teacher Outstanding at Nurturing Youth). His students won awards at 30 CMEA Festivals. He put on 33 Winter Concerts and 32 Spring Concerts. His band played at 32 Crocker graduation ceremonies, 16 times at Disneyland, two times in Hawaii, and once at Disney World. Throughout his career, he taught over 10,000 students. Marilyn Loushin-Miller reported that he once taught a class with 72 students at one time.
The HCSD School board voted to name the band room in honor of Lester for his long service to the students of the district.
Mr. Chun received the Community Care Award in 1993 from APG President Pauline Beare.
The Chuns at Crocker Graduation 1997- Lester, Clarissa, and Janet
Lester was featured in an article from the San Mateo County Times on January 22, 1992
for his work in Hillsborough.
*The article gives the incorrect name for his daughter. His daughter's name is Clarissa, not Camilla.
2014 Hillsborough Memorial Parade
US House of Representative member Jackie Speier honored Lester on the House floor to mark his retirement in 2014.
Jackie Speier came to Crocker to honor Mr. Chun as well.
Sources:
Crocker Yearbooks
San Mateo Times Archives
Original Photos of the Chun Family
US House of Representatives Congressional Record
Interview with Marilyn Loushin-Miller