Elna Flynn Outstanding Volunteer Awards: Inspiration & Dedication

The Elna Flynn Outstanding Volunteer Awards are inspired by the life of Elna Flynn (1930-1987). Elna Flynn was the consummate Pacifica volunteer who spent her time in classrooms and served as president of the PTA at Portola School and of the Laguna Salada PTA Council, served on the 17th District PTA for San Mateo County, and was a founder of the Oceana Scholarship and Activities Foundation.

The Elna Flynn Awards Banquet will take place on Friday, May 11, 2018. It is typically a sold out event. Please contact the PTO board of your child's school if you are interested in attending.

This award celebrates those individuals who volunteer countless hours of time in the name of education.

Listed below are the commendations of those who received peer recommendations. Information was provided by school representatives:

Cabrillo’s Michael Day, is “honored to be the recipient of this years Elna Flynn award.

I am taken aback as I am the father of an 8th grader (Emily) at Cabrillo. My daughter Lindsay graduated Cabrillo in 2016, now attends Mercy Burlingame as a sophomore.”

He and his wife, Christine, have enjoyed volunteering at Cabrillo over the last 11 years. “This has been gratifying for us.”

Mr. Day continues, “From instructing the lower grade PE Programs, to coordinating and scheduling the volunteers, chairing various fundraisers, as well as reading to the kids at the book fairs. All of this has been fulfilling for me as it allows me the opportunity to give back.

Cabrillo is a great community with dedicated parents and staff, I am honored to have had the help of many parents as we raised funds by throwing dinner parties and even selling hot dogs and hamburgers at many of the different school fairs.

Most memorable times chaperoning Marin Headlands trip, week long Yosemite Camp, as well as parent career day where as a Firefighter I had the opportunity to bring in my turnout safety gear, allow the kids to try it all on, and talk to them about fire safety and 911.

I have always enjoyed supporting the absolute best teachers and the Cabrillo community that provides an incredible environment for our kids to learn and thrive.”

Mary Norr is “both honored and humbled to be receiving the Elna Flynn award. I feel fortunate to have been a part of the Cabrillo community and have learned so much along the way. I learned how to make the tastiest fried rice, as well as the most delicious latkes. I also learned what colors you mix to make brown, learned some California history along the way and I now know how to travel with fifty six 8th graders on a plane. But most of all, I have learned that it really does take a village to raise a child. I want to thank you for the memories and lasting friendships I have made. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of my children’s education. After 14 years, it is bittersweet to thing that we will no longer have a child attending Cabrillo. Thank you for letting me be a part of this amazing ride, Cabrillo.”

Esther Im has been a constant force at Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School for the past seven years, and is very deserving of the Elna Flynn Award for Outstanding School Volunteer. When her son Mathew first arrived at IBL, she quickly joined the IBL PTO board, taking on the busy role of Fundraising Coordinator. Esther has continued in this position through this, her final year as an IBL parent, as her daughter Stephanie will graduate 8th grade at year’s end. Prior to her years at IBL, she was one of the driving forces on the Ortega Elementary PTO as Fundraising Coordinator, so much so that she received the Elna Flynn Award during her time there as well, so this makes her a two time winner.

Ocean Shore School is happy to honor Jennifer Mitchell. Jennifer has not only been a dedicated Ocean Shore parent for the last 13 years but also has been a beloved kindergarten teacher at our school for the last 21 years. Jennifer’s girls both attended Ocean Shore. Over the years she has served many roles on the PTO board, including the exhausting job of fundraising coordinator, which speaks to her passion for the program. She has been an invaluable teacher and student voice on the PTO, making sure their needs are understood. She also a built-in historian for the PTO, especially as the program has evolved. She often tells wonderful stories about other Ocean Shore teachers and families. Equally they have impressive stories of all of her dedication and energy, her get-the-job-done-well, take-one-for-the-whole-team spirit. A fellow parent stated “I have seen Jennifer rally classroom parents to volunteer for an event in the morning and be one of those parents working into the night to prepare for the same event. She arrives with her own family to work the booth or auction as well." Jennifer's efforts mirror Elna Flynn’s. The school is incredibly lucky to have such an amazing teacher and parent.

Ocean Shore School is equally happy to honor Mary Sue Baldassarre, parent of two Ocean Shore students, for hundreds of hours of volunteerism since 2007. Mary Sue’s whole family contributes to the school. Mary Sue’s mother, Katie Weitz, frequently volunteers and no doubt played a role in Mary Sue’s wonderful qualities. Mary Sue is valued for her incredible work ethic and getting the job done right. She is clearly passionate about the importance of education and equitable opportunities for all children. The students she has helped during art, field trips, theme days and other school activities learn from her dedication and spirit of collaboration and fairness. It is an understatement to say the children are excited when she is present on their overnight field trips such as Sutter’s Fort and Point Reyes. She was the field trip coordinator for the upper grades, which included planning for the week-long Yosemite trip. An Ocean Shore teacher stated “A good field trip coordinator is an unsung hero. If everything goes well, no one really notices, but if something falls through the cracks, it's a disaster. Nothing ever fell through the cracks with MarySue!”

For four years, Denise Gonzalez has used her organizational skills, artistic ability, and enthusiasm to produce the newsletter for the Ortega PTO. This sleek weekly publication provides a snapshot of all Ortega activities. When parents have a question, the answer is usually “check the newsletter!”

“In the PTO, sometimes we assume that everyone knows about school activities just because we spend so much time discussing them,” Denise says. “But we need to get the word out however we can.” That goes beyond the newsletter; she also produces informative signs, posters and flyers to help publicize events. Denise coordinates the art projects that each class creates for the annual auction. She helps organize and display all donated items, and she writes them up in the auction catalog.

Initially, Denise just wanted to get involved in a new community, but today her motivation is even clearer: “It’s simple,” she says. “I love Ortega!”

As a new Ortega parent, Leonard Lim was recruited to serve as the PTO treasurer. Little did he know that he would hold the position for six years! Despite his accounting experience, the learning curve was steep, but before long he was the PTO’s financial expert.

Leonard was available at all hours when a check was needed. He annually presented the budget to parents, but most of the job occurred behind the scenes, and Leonard was okay with that. “People don’t realize how much hard work is involved,” Leonard said. “The treasurer is never noticed if things are running smoothly. Some families who have been at Ortega for years had no idea that I was in the PTO.”

“It’s a tough job,” says Leonard, “but it’s important work and it benefits the entire school.” After six years, his final task as treasurer was to train his replacements, including his wife Shannon.

The 2017-2018 Elna Flynn Award recipients for Sunset Ridge are Amy Cole-Farrell and Karolina Garrett. Amy is currently the PTO President and Karolina is the Vice-President.

Dedication is a word that best describes both Elna Flynn Award Recipients. Amy and Karolina have both led and been involved in some of our school's major events. Amy has been involved with organizing our annual Boo Fest, Movie Night, and is the developer of our school’s famous Sunset Ridge Coloring Book which portrays school activities for kids to color. She has participated on school tours and is an advocate for STEAM and performing arts. Amy is also an active member of our district’s Steering Committee, which develops and reviews the Local Control Accountability Plan aka- LCAP.

Karolina has been instrumental in reinvigorating our garden program. She has worked with classroom teachers in planning gardening experiences for the kids. She has been instrumental in getting our Food Abundance Program up and running. It has been a huge success with over 2000 people getting food. Karolina has also introduced some very nutritious items to our Friday snack bar. She is a strong advocate for providing children with healthy food options like strawberries and apples.

Whether they are leading a project or volunteering in other areas, their genuine hard work, kindness, and dedication always shows.

We can’t thank them enough for having such a huge impact at Sunset Ridge.

Vallemar School is proud to announce our dynamic duo, Antonia Urbina and Brandy Vazquez as our 2018 Elna Flynn recipients. Working side-by-side these amazing ladies have completed many projects throughout their years at Vallemar. Both have been dedicated Vallemar parents for nine years! Antonia’s two amazing children are Milani (8th Grade) and Orion (6th Grade). Brandy’s two wonderful children are Lexi (8th Grade) and Vincent (6th Grade).

When asked to describe Antonia and Brandy, this is what was said by our community:

There isn’t a day I don’t see Antonia or Brandy on campus. They are always willing to lend a helping hand. They do it all!

Antonia knows nearly every child, not just their name but truly knows each child, their likes, dislikes, their favorite book, and what makes them happy! She has dedicated nearly a decade to making our library shine! She willingly volunteers to help manage each and every book fair, reads to each class during their visits to the library and keeps kids engaged and excited about reading! She had made a great impact on the PTO and fundraising efforts, by coming on board as the Activities and Programs Coordinator. Her efforts brought an array of enrichment classes that have become the fabric at our school!

Brandy has been an amazing leader, to not only students but parents, families, and fellow staff. How lucky are we to have a dedicated teacher and parent volunteer in one amazing person!??! Brandy contributes her heart and soul to every fundraiser, and activity, is the first to arrive, and the last to go home. She has truly gone above and beyond to make Vallemar the best school for all who have the honor to attend!

This year, they took on an even bigger role, as Co-Presidents of the PTO. Brandy and Antonia have encouraged volunteerism and direct donations, making the PTO efforts more successful than ever!

Antonia and Brandy are dedicated to making our school the best place for staff, students, and our parent community. These women are amazing super-moms! They are selfless in every way and they inspire us on a daily basis to be better and work harder. There positive attitude is infectious and makes us all what to be the best we can be. They are truly an inspiration to us all. We are very fortunate to have them and their children as part of our school family.