Huntington Beach City School District names Elena Spencer its Teacher of the Year
Elena Spencer has been teaching for half her life in the Huntington Beach City School District.
While Spencer, 45, calls that fact “weird,” she is definitely appreciative of spending the last two decades teaching at Smith Elementary.
“I feel very inspired by the people that I’ve had a chance to work with,” said Spencer, who teaches fifth grade at Smith. “I’ve met a lot of people over the past 22 years. I’ve met so many families. I am who I am because of the way that I was raised, and I try to surround myself with people who bring me up. I feel very supported in my job.”
Spencer was recently named the 2024 Huntington Beach City School District Teacher of the Year. Additionally, the district named two Classified Employees of the Year, Sowers Middle School food services supervisor Jolene Stout and Dwyer Middle School registrar Jacqueline Hayes.
District consideration for Teacher of the Year is based on the quality of instruction, teaching philosophy and contribution to the profession. Spencer contributes much to the campus at Smith, Principal Maria Ashton said.
“She really feels for her students, takes their success and their struggles very personally,” Ashton said of Spencer. “She can’t sleep at night thinking about them, trying to figure out ways to help them be successful. We have a lot of very strong and empathetic teachers, but Elena really takes all students on campus as being her students. I think that really sets her apart from a lot of other educators. Just because you’re not in her classroom doesn’t mean you’re not her responsibility.”
Stout, who has been in the district for 30 years, said she was shocked to earn the Classified Employee of the Year accolade. As part of her responsibilities at Sowers, she plans and orders daily meals for breakfast and three different lunch periods, as well as preparing and serving the meals.
“I always try to keep it very positive,” she said. “It’s a really fun job and I really enjoy it, and being with the district for 30 years is a testament to that.”
Ashlin Connelly, district director of food service, said that Stout enjoys the customer service part of her job.
“Her interaction with the students is a big part of their day,” Connelly said. “She definitely is one of our top employees that represents good customer service within our food service operation.”
Hayes, who has been in the district for 15 years, said she plans to retire after this school year. Her duties include registering and withdrawing Dwyer students, but also organizing the end-of-the-year awards ceremony for them.
“This is my last year, so to have that honor and recognition was huge,” she said. “I was really taken aback by it and very humbled. What I love about this school is the camaraderie and the teamwork we have.”
Hayes is a big part of that team, Dwyer Principal Christa Glembocki said.
“One of the best things about Jackie is that she’s just so kind and friendly, and open to helping everyone,” Glembocki said. “She spends extra time with families, and she really is their first stop here at Dwyer. She’s the first person they meet, many times, so she takes extra care to make sure they feel welcome and comfortable.”
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