IRVINE : This Mom Is First in Her Class

Los Naranjos Elementary School has been a part of Sue Williams’ life since the campus opened nearly 20 years ago.

Over that time, at least one of her four children has always attended the school. Williams, too, has become a familiar face, volunteering her time to a variety of tasks from raising money for special programs to typing and collating files.

The Irvine Education Foundation this month named Williams as the group’s parent volunteer of the year.

“This is not a mother with a lot of time or money on her hands,” said Elizabeth Thomas, head of the foundation. “But she always has time to help the schools.”

The association, a nonprofit organization that raises money for Irvine schools, presented Los Naranjos with a $500 grant in Williams’ name. She was selected from about 20 parents nominated by teachers, school administrators and parents.

Williams, 51, lives in the Ranch village, where she runs a small day-care business out of her home. Her youngest child, 12, recently graduated from Los Naranjos, but Williams continues to volunteer at the school.

“I think it’s important to help the community and the schools,” she said. “You can’t just take from a community. You have to give back, too.”

Williams has spent much of her volunteer time raising money. She’s organized carnivals, jog-a-thons, book fairs and other events aimed at collecting money for classroom programs and field trips. She and other parents helped save the music program by purchasing instruments and loaning them out to students.

“I don’t think the teachers can do it all anymore,” Williams said. “We see all these cutbacks every year. The schools need help from the community.”

Williams said an added benefit of her volunteer work was getting to know her children’s teachers and understanding the classroom curriculum.

“It helps to know who the principal is and who the teachers are,” she said. “It helps to communicate with them.”

In addition to Williams, the Irvine Education Foundation selected three parent volunteer finalists. They are:

* Shari Bodensteiner, who works at the University High School switchboard two days a week.

* Donna Grady, who started a successful scholarship program at Bonita Canyon Elementary School.

* Paula Ota, who helped create a center at Sierra Vista Middle School where parents can receive information on how best to deal with their teen-age children.

Each finalist’s school received a $300 grant.