For Immediate Release
1401 W. Valencia Drive
Fullerton, CA 92833
714-447-7480
February 24, 2022
FULLERTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Five Fullerton School District Finalists Revealed
(Fullerton, CA) – Fullerton School District (FSD) is excited to announce that five staff have been selected as Finalists for ParentingOC Top Teacher/Leader/Employee selection. Out of over 200 nominees, three teachers, one Leader, and one Employee in FSD were selected as finalists competing for the top spot. FSD finalists include:
- Penny Endicott, Kindergarten teacher at Fisler School. Ms. Endicott’s students speak highly of the joy she brings to the classroom and the love that she has for each one of them. Everyday is a new adventure for discovery and she ignites a passion for learning for all her students. Ms. Endicott is a wonderful educator, colleague, and friend to whole Fisler community.
- Veronica Krause, 3rd grade teacher at Maple School. Ms. Krause was nominated for this award, because she continually creates magic in her classroom. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Ms. Krause has inspired her students to make great leaps in achievement while also building strong relationships and connections with them and their families. Ms. Krause is truly a hero to her students, our school, and the Maple community.
- Elizabeth Zoellner, 1st grade teacher at Commonwealth School. Ms. Zoellner is the type of teacher that kids remember fondly throughout their schooling years. She does more than just teach, she gets her students excited about learning! She is creative and teaches not only reading and math but also life lessons. She has many former students who loved being in her class and her students always know how much she loves them. Elizabeth has been at Commonwealth for 26 years and has built strong relationships with families over the year. She is an asset to the Commonwealth community.
- Dr. Helene Morris, Director of Administrative Services. Dr. Helene Morris has been a leader at the Fullerton School District for 16 years. She has created positive change and made a true impact in her various roles as a Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal and currently serves as the Director of Administrative Services. She provides a whole child focus to encourage academic success and social emotional development. She is a very detailed, organized, and supportive educator who always provides excellent customer service to staff, families and community members. She currently guides and oversees the recent launch of a district-wide Social Emotional Learning team to provide programs and support that focus on student well-being and building positive relationships with teachers to increase school connectedness.
- JoAnne Declaro, Account Technician in Business Services. Joanne was nominated because she works to ensure all employees are treated fairly by being an active part of our union. Many changes at our district have been implemented because of this. Joanne is always helping with events and offering to assist in any way. Her ideas to improve our work environment have made FSD a great place to be.
The five FSD finalists participated in a virtual celebration on February 23, 2022 during which the top spots were announced. FSD is proud to announce that Dr. Helene Morris was selected as a Top 5 Leader by ParentingOC. Additionally, Penny Endicott, Veronica Krause, and Elizabeth Zoellner were all selected as a Top 25 Teacher. It is with great pleasure to announce that Elizabeth Zoellner was announced the overall 2022 Top Teacher by ParentingOC.
“Fullerton School District is honored to have so many finalists in our District and pleased that others are able to hear about the wonderful effort by our amazing staff. These honors are a testament to the hard work and dedication our staff have to serving the students and families in our community. Congratulations to all the FSD finalists and to Elizabeth Zoellner for being selected as the 2022 ParentingOC Top Teacher,” stated Dr. Bob Pletka, Superintendent of Fullerton School District.
The Fullerton School District is located in northern Orange County, California and serves over 11,100 students in grades TK – 8th. The Fullerton School District includes 20 schools, 15 elementary schools, two K-8th grade schools, and three middle schools. The mission of the Fullerton School District is to work collaboratively with the community to provide an innovative, high-quality educational program for all students in a safe learning environment. The District motto, “Great Schools - Successful Kids” exemplifies the belief that all students will achieve academic excellence, acquire interpersonal skills, and develop technological expertise to contribute as productive citizens in a democratic society. For more information, call 714/447-7400 or visit www.fullertonsd.org.
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For more information, please feel free to contact Dr. Chad Hammitt/Assistant Superintendent of Personnel at 714/447-7450
