Civic Group Names Its Teacher of Year
The Ventura Police Activities League has presented its teacher of the year award to Sheridan Way teacher Jenine Willsrud.
Willsrud has taught more than 500 students at Sheridan Way Elementary School in west Ventura over the past 17 years.
“To see the joy in the faces of young parents who had her as a teacher as they bring their own children into her classroom is a key indicator of the influence that she has on the lives of students as they grow into young adults,” Sheridan Way Principal Trudy Arriaga wrote in her nominating letter.
“I am often asked by students in the community, ‘Is Mrs. Willsrud still there?’ . . . Mrs. Willsrud has created lasting memories for hundreds of young people in our community.”
Willsrud received a plaque and a check for $500 to spend on her classroom.
The two runners-up were Jane Merino, a bilingual teacher representative from Montalvo Elementary School of the Ventura Unified School District, and Suzanne Shull-Mayfield, a teacher at Poinsettia Elementary School.
The two runners-up received plaques and checks for $100 for their classrooms. The Friday dinner was held at the Ventura Holiday Inn.
The Ventura Police Activities League is a nonprofit organization with members from civic, business and law enforcement organizations who organize programs for youths in the community.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
