Elna Flynn 2012 Award Winners Honored at Annual Dinner

The awards are inspired by the life of Elna Flynn (1930-1987), 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 dinner has been moved from Fall to Spring. According to organizers, this year they will be doubling up to get on cycle for the 2013-14 recipients. The first dinner for 2012-13 will be held this Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, starting with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. at Nick’s Seafood Restaurant. The second dinner will be held on Friday, May 31, 2013. 

This award celebrates those individuals who volunteer countless hours of time in the name of education.  Below are the peer recommendations provided by the school representatives:

Cabrillo School

Dedication is an adjective that describes one of the wonderful character traits that Cabrillo’s Elna Flynn Award Recipient Ann Rudorf displayed at Cabrillo over the past eight years.  Ann led and participated in some of the school’s major events, which include the dinner/auction, the Read-A-Thon, and the Creative Arts Program.  Ann brought her career as a professional chef into many of her volunteer positions including creating delicious menus around each auction’s theme and then catered the auction dinners, which she did for six years.  Ann brought in a mobile Woodstone Pizza Oven for the staff appreciation luncheon and she also cooked green eggs and ham for 125 people! For years Ann helped in the classroom and worked in the library. Whether she volunteered with something big or something small, Ann’s genuine kindness and dedication came through in her volunteerism.

When Ann was asked about her experience at Cabrillo, this is what she shared:

My daughter Hope Nelson attended Cabrillo School from 2003-2012, and I was happy to participate in everything from helping her kindergarten class cook their way through the alphabet to catering the dinner/dance for the same class as they celebrated their 8th grade graduation in high style.

Both of the public libraries in town were incredibly important to Hope and me during her pre-school years, so when she got to Cabrillo, I was excited to share that rekindled love of children's books and storytelling by helping on the Literacy Committee and in the school library. Seeing new books on the library shelves purchased with monies raised by the annual Read-A-Thon and Book Fair and then being able to help kids choose those books to check out every week was a real joy. 

Cabrillo has amazing teachers who are not only world class educators, but also generous enough to go the extra mile to facilitate having parent helpers in the classrooms.  Such great fun for those of us fortunate enough to be able to spend that time participating first hand in our kids' education! My 9 years as a Cabrillo parent were enjoyably spent in the company of talented, creative and selfless parents, grandparents and friends who were all driven by the desire for not only the best possible education, but the best possible community for the children who are lucky enough to attend this school. 

Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School

The Elna Flynn Outstanding Volunteer for 2012 at Ingrid B. Lacy (IBL) Middle School is Julie Smith!  If you’ve been to IBL, you have probably seen Julie around the campus helping in the library, the front office or in the classroom.  Those who have worked with her say she is the “ultimate volunteer” and she is always smiling, happy and ready to work.

Julie has volunteered with numerous events and committees over the last several years, including Greek Fest, 8th grade graduation reception, the 8th grade dinner/dance, Chocolate Fest, and multiple book fairs.  While her eldest daughter was in the band, Julie attended every band performance and always went the extra mile to make the band experience enjoyable for the students.  Whether that was cooking, cleaning, driving or helping get students ready, Julie was there to help with a smile on her face.  She is generous with her time, talents and resources.

Julie is a busy mom with three kids who are all actively involved in different schools.  Despite this, she still finds time to serve at IBL as a Parent Council Representative, a member of the School Site Council, and an extraordinary library volunteer.  If help is needed, Julie will gladly lend a hand.  She has been a class scheduler, a field trip driver, chaperone, and has participated on interview panels for two different principals.  People who know Julie well give high praise for the many hours she has spent in the school library.  Whether it is getting a recommendation for a good book, researching new books, fixing the computers, or just checking in a book return, Julie is a true subject matter expert and makes the library a haven for the students who use it.

Julie’s warm personality makes her a joy to work with, but it is her willingness to help, combined with her skills and talents that makes her such a versatile and capable volunteer.  The example Julie sets as a volunteer is truly inspirational! 

Ocean Shore School

Debbie Kimball has been a parent and volunteer extraordinaire at Ocean Shore School for 12 years.  Her youngest child will graduate this year and it is hard to imagine Ocean Shore without Debbie.  For three years she served as the Alternative Service Chairperson.   Additionally, Debbie has served on the School Site Council for six years, meeting the challenges of an ever-shrinking SIP budget.

Debbie has done exemplary work holding all these jobs but what has made her an indispensible part of the school is her contribution as PTO treasurer.  She has served as the PTO treasurer for a record seven years.  As the school has grown and expanded, the duties of the treasurer have grown exponentially.  Debbie has met every new challenge with grace and fortitude.  She has spent years patiently battling the IRS to resolve longstanding issues and, as a result, she has been able to get some long overdue tax refunds.  Her tireless efforts on behalf of Ocean Shore PTO are commendable.

In addition to her work as PTO treasurer, Debbie and her husband Jim have helped in the school in other capacities.  Debbie has generously volunteered her husband to drive field trips for their children’s classes.  She planned the graduation party for her son’s class in 2010 and brought her famous chocolate fountain. 

Perhaps the most notable thing about Debbie is her pleasant and cheerful disposition.  As the demands of her volunteer position have increased and district budgets have been cut, Debbie has managed to stay positive.  Thank you Debbie for all you have brought to Ocean Shore.

Rhona Kabakoff is the kind of person that no job or project it too big for her to conquer.  Rhona always sees the big picture and looks at the full student body, K-8, as individuals to consider and support when working at school.  An example of this thinking is when she would purchase BART tickets, they were not just for her own family, but for any class to use if needed for a field trip. 

Children always come first in Rhona's book and she works tirelessly to make any special project, field trip, or literature group not only successful but the BEST it could possibly be.  Working with Rhona is always a fun positive experience.  Rhona's team approach to working with teachers, students and parents gives all involved the opportunity to share her diverse knowledge and expertise from Environmental Science to Pioneer History.  Children love being with Rhona during any project or trip because they know they will leave with an abundance of new information and will have lots of fun in the process.

Rhona loves to work behind the scenes!!  In fact she is a master at staying out of the spotlight.  She feels the center of attention should be on the children and when working with Rhona that's where it stays!! Rhona's commitment to Ocean Shore School has never wavered in all the years she has been with us.  Rhona epitomizes the dedication, respect and hard work that the Elna Flynn Award transcends in our community.

Ortega School

Tiffany Hanna

The morning drop-off at any school is not for the weak.  Hurried parents, back-pack-toting children, delivery trucks, school buses, city buses…which is to say:  cranky, impatient drivers, jaywalkers, sleepy children, traffic jams, truck/bus/bad drivers blocking the driveway, parents where they shouldn’t be, children where they shouldn’t be, cars parked where they shouldn’t be.

It takes a strong person to whip this madness into a smooth-running operation, and only a near-saint would volunteer for such a challenge.  But that’s only part of the reason that Tiffany Hanna is one of two women who will be honored with the Elna Flynn Volunteer Award from Ortega Elementary School at the annual awards banquet on Jan. 25. 

A native of San Francisco, Hanna moved to Pacifica to help care for her father in 2004. Shortly afterwards, she gave birth to twins Tyler and Talia.

Hanna started school at Ortega even before her children, having been recruited into volunteer service by her sister, Noel, whose children already attended Ortega. Babies in tow, Hanna helped out at the school’s annual walk-a-thon carnival and field day.   Soon, her twins were old enough for pre-kindergarten camp and then kindergarten. 

“I would just stay every day because it was so much fun,” Hanna recalls.

Hanna served as room parent during her children’s kindergarten and first grade years, working almost as many hours as the teachers.   She prepared all manner of things for classroom projects and helped children in the library.  Sometimes Hanna took care of another mother’s baby so she could help in her child’s classroom. 

Before long, Hanna was setting up science labs. And the next thing you know, she was selling popsicles after school.  She worked on innumerable school-wide projects and activities.  Hanna also walked precincts and made phone calls in support of PSD’s Measure L campaign.  And she’s been known to bring teachers’ produce from the farmer’s market.

Finding she had a few minutes available in her day, Hanna stepped up to fill a vacant seat on the Ortega PTO board.  Being highly functional draws attention.  More recently, the PTO hired Hanna to teach physical education to students in kindergarten through second-grade.  She was also hired by the district to be a one on one aide and Play Works instructor.  When she’s not at school, Hanna can be found at youth sports events. She sits on the board of Pacifica American League Little League, where she helps to operate the snack shack.  #

Karena Zamagni

Like most schools in Pacifica, Ortega Elementary School thrives on a network of dedicated parents who pitch in to keep all manner of things running.  For more than seven years, Karena Zamagni was an integral part of that effort in the “Ottertown” community, keeping countless balls in the air. 

Zamagni will be honored as one of two Elna Flynn Volunteer Award recipients from Ortega, at the annual award banquet Jan. 25. 

A native of San Francisco, Zamagni grew up in Marin County before moving with her husband Joe to Pacifica some 15 years ago.

“I’m totally drawn to the water,” Zamagni said. “I love Pacifica and we knew there were good schools here.”

Zamagni’s children Tony and Gianna are only a grade apart. And by the time they were both in school at Ortega, their mother was too, supporting their classrooms as room parent.  That role quickly grew to include assisting in art class and in the library.  When there was a need for extra hands on the school’s basket auction, Zamagni jumped in there too, and by 2008 she was part of the PTO executive board, where she served for four years.

For two of those years, Zamagni co-chaired Ortega’s massive fundraising operation, which includes the school’s annual basket auction and also myriad smaller fundraising activities like cookie dough sales.  That’s not to mention helping with the school’s annual walk-a-thon and carnival, and the all-school field day.  Zamagni also co-chaired the activities of fifth-graders leaving elementary school and periodically worked at Ortega’s book faire. 

There was a lot of fun along with the hard work.  And Zamagni’s favorite activity was operating the school’s holiday boutique, a pseudo-retail operation set up in the school before Christmas, where students could shop for small gifts for family and friends.

“I loved helping the kids pick out stuff,” she recalls, “It was like running a little store.  Kids would say things like, ‘Oh, my mom is going to LOVE this,’ and it would be something like a bouncy ball.”

Zamagni’s volunteerism is clearly contagious. Her husband, Joe, periodically led Ortega students in physical education classes and served as PTO treasurer for two years.  Both are also active volunteers in Little League and tournament baseball and youth soccer.  

Principal Lorenzen was very appreciative of Karena’s help.  “Karena was so helpful to me my first two years at Ortega, she was my “go to” parent for so many things, her help was integral to my success as the new principal” 

 Now that her children have moved on to middle school, Zamagni serves on the PTO board at Ingrid B Lacy Middle School, along with several other veterans of Ottertown. 

Sunset Ridge School

The dictionary definition of the word ‘VOLUNTEER’ reads: a person who offers herself/himself for a service or undertaking without being asked and receiving no compensation.  When considering our recipients of the Elna Flynn Volunteer Service Award, this definition falls woefully short.  It needs to be expanded greatly to include words such as: caring, unselfish, dedicated, and tireless.  These traits only begin to describe the two well deserving recipients that Sunset Ridge Elementary has the pleasure of honoring:  Janeen Castaneda and Sue Chavez.

Mrs. Castaneda began volunteering when her eldest son, Jacob, entered Kindergarten in 2004.  Her youngest son, Joshua, is currently in Third Grade.  Mrs. Castaneda is a loving and devoted mother who cares deeply about the success and well being of all the students at Sunset Ridge.  She has worked endless hours to ensure that every child has an outstanding educational experience.  Through her PTA volunteerism, which includes holding every key PTA Executive Board position, Mrs. Castaneda has helped to raise and distribute funds needed for everything from field trips to technology.  She is also instrumental in coordinating community-building activities including, but not limited to, our annual Variety Show, Boofest (Halloween Carnival), and Family Reading Night.  Mrs. Castaneda has an infectious smile and a wonderful way of welcoming others.  By encouraging school families to become involved in events and projects she accomplishes amazing things and helps to strengthen our school community.  Mrs. Castaneda joined the staff at Sunset Ridge in 2010 and has become an integral part of making positive changes that benefit our students.

Sue Chavez has a long history of community service in Pacifica.  Her grown children attended Westview Elementary, which is where her numerous years of dedicated service in the Pacifica School District began.  Mrs. Chavez has worked closely with children in many capacities and is best known for her love of the environment.  This love can be seen in every aspect of her life, from her work at the Wilderness School to her dedication to teaching our children about composting and recycling.  Mrs. Chavez can often be heard reciting her mantra, “Share the Love”.  That is the essence of who she is and how she lives her life.  Her son, Emilio, is a Fifth Grader at Sunset Ridge and Mrs. Chavez has volunteered countless hours over the years.  She has been instrumental in securing donations for many school activities as well as crucial fundraisers like our Pancake Breakfast Extravaganza, Boofest, and staff sponsored Spaghetti Dinner.  Mrs. Chavez attends every school function and is always willing to help with every aspect, including arriving early to set up and remaining late to clean up.  No task is too great or small for her.  Mrs. Chavez cares deeply for all of the children at Sunset Ridge and constantly works to improve and enrich their lives through her volunteer efforts. 

Vallemar School

This year, Vallemar School is proud to announce Ofelia Lee as our Elna Flynn recipient. Ofelia has been a dedicated Vallemar parent for eleven years. She put her full-time career in Human Resources on hold to raise her two sons with the goal of being fully involved at school.  Mrs. Lee's son, Owen, graduated from Vallemar in 2011, and is currently a sophomore at Terra Nova High School.  Her younger son, Connor, is graduating eighth grade from Vallemar in June.

During her eleven years at Vallemar, Ofelia has served as PTO President, served as Room Parent, PTO representative, Eighth Grade Parent Committee Chairperson, and guest lecturer in classes.  She has also created art projects for the school auction, helped Kindergarten teachers with reading groups/academic support, participated in Kindergarten tours, and much more. Ofelia has volunteered district-wide, serving on the Pacifica School Volunteers Board for three years and has been instrumental in revamping the annual Read Across America Book Sale.

Ofelia gives a tremendous amount of credit to her volunteer partner and close friend, Vallemar parent Christina Solomon.  In fact, they work so well together, they are commonly referred to at Vallemar as the Dynamic Duo.  An example of this would be when they made over one thousand paper cranes for the “Million Cranes Project”.  These cranes were sold at Vallemar to help raise money for the tsunami victims in Japan.

Ofelia sees the big picture. She started giving back to the school in order to support her sons, but has ultimately impacted our classrooms, school, and our entire Pacifica School District. Ofelia is truly an amazing leader. We congratulate her sons’ success, but we will feel the loss of her in every aspect of our school community.