Teacher Feature: George Metropulos of Central Elementary

Whether it's his infectious smile, his ever recognizable license plate “GTMETRO” or his Greek last name that rings a bell from his former days as mayor, George Metropulos has left a lasting impression in the hearts of many Belmont residents.

George has resided in the hills of Belmont for more than 50 years and attended Belmont schools: , and .

He's remained in the classroom for more than two decades, occupying the third grade class of Belmont’s .

When asked why he chose the third grade, he replies, “Children in third grade are starting to see the world from their own perspective. They act like sponges and are curious about how things work, all while gaining a sense of independence.” His teaching influences come from Harry Maravelias and Mel Johnson.

Being a former pupil of George’s, I can personally say his style of teaching throws away the traditional lesson plans based around finite tests and evaluations and offers a more holistic approach. He teaches the student how to learn and evaluates their physical, emotional and mental learning capacities.

“By teaching a form of Socratical learning the students are required to engage consistently in the process of coming to answers on their own, rather than being given the answer by the teacher,” George declares. 

All his hard work has paid off. George has been awarded Teacher of The Year: Ralston Middle School (1993) and Educator of The Year: Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (2010).

Besides time logged in the classroom, George spends hours giving back to the Belmont community by volunteering at his alma mater Carlmont High, participating in Belmont’s Notre Dame de Namur theatre projects and holding an upstanding role on the Board of Directors for the Lesley Senior Communities.

George has been announcing Carlmont basketball games, emceeing crab feeds and helping the boosters club for more than 15 years. His impact on the Scot society is expansive as he was awarded "Top Scot” in 2000 as well as inducted to the Carlmont High School Hall of Fame in 2005. 

When you’re not hearing his voice broadcasting through the mic, you can hear him echoing on top of NDNU’s stage. “The Christmas Carol is my favorite performance; we call it “the gift”, the community benefits so much because we collect canned food and toys for the underprivileged all donated to the Samaritan House and Second Harvest Food Bank,” says an optimistic George.

Giving back to the less fortunate also emerges in his efforts to help extremely low-income seniors find housing through the non-profit organization Lesley Senior Communities. LSC includes four senior communities, operated in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), located throughout the San Mateo area, including Belmont. 

George’s Belmont fan base is widespread; from his favorite barista at Peet’s to the students in his class, he is loved throughout the neighborhood. George’s home will forever be Belmont because he loves the small town feeling with the big city attitude, the people, businesses and open space.