‘She’s not just your teacher’

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Betty Della Penna will be giving her kindergartners

their last “cheek tweaks” as they walk out of the door of their Tamura

Elementary School classroom in June.

Della Penna, 59, plans to retire after 36 years of teaching -- 33 of them

at Tamura.

“She’s not just your teacher, she’s your family,” said June Marini, a

parent whose two children were taught by Della Penna.

During her career, Della Penna has taught kindergarten through second

grade. She spent her first year teaching at Bryant Elementary School in

Garden Grove, then moved to Newland Elementary School. Two years later,

she was transferred to Tamura and has been there ever since, spending 25

years in Room 1.

“It’s my second home,” Della Penna says fondly of the school.

Already, parents and other teachers are shedding tears over Della Penna’s

planned departure.

“I’ll miss her daily hugs,” teacher Patti Pitaccio said.

Friends, co-workers and students know about Della Penna’s dedication to

her students. Each morning, before her kindergarten class starts, she

spends 40 minutes in the fifth-grade classroom to help students who don’t

speak English well.

“We’re going to have a difficult time filling her position,” Kathleen

Selleh said. “She’s invaluable.”

Over the years, Della Penna has collected a number of memories -- from

spending a year teaching in the shower room to a bomb scare in her own

classroom. Her life was once threatened by a parent who was bothered by

her concern over a student.

But her most precious memories are of the children.

She gave a red balloon to each of her students on the first day of

school. And every day, Della Penna says “good morning” to each child. She

ends their day with a cheek tweak, pinching their cheeks on the way out

as she says goodbye.

Her experience touches generations -- Della Penna taught the parents of

two of her kindergartners this year.

Sherryl Musser, a parent whose son was a student of Della Penna’s,

recalls when the teacher had braces.

“She would wear pink and red rubber bands for Valentine’s Day, and green

and red ones for Christmas,” Musser said.

Her fun-loving ways and big heart bring former students back to visit her

year after year. The ever-smiling teacher has a great sense of humor that

teachers will miss during their staff meetings.

“She’s a softie, but she’s straightforward,” Pitaccio said. “She adheres

to standards with a loving hand.”

If managing a classroom full of 5-year-old children doesn’t show enough

bravery, the teacher is also a survivor of breast cancer. She’s been

supportive of other teachers who have had the same diagnosis.

“We’re all thinking about moving in with her,” said Musser, who is sad to

see Della Penna’s teaching years wind down.Teaching wasn’t Della Penna’s

first career choice. An animal lover, she originally wanted to be a

veterinarian -- until she found out about all of the science involved.

The same happened with her plans to become a pharmacist.

“Science got in the way, so I chose teaching,” she said.

Originally from Huntington Park, Della Penna and her husband, Mimmo,

moved to Surf City in 1967. The two have been married for 35 years and

have a daughter, Danielle, who is following her mother’s footsteps,

working to become a teacher.Della Penna’s husband retired in January, and

the two are looking forward to spending more time together.

“Though, we may drive each other crazy,” she said.

They bought five acres of land in Arroyo Grande, where they plan to build

a house. Della Penna hopes to have a petting zoo with llamas, tortoises,

snakes, rabbits, dogs and cats. She also wants to plant a pumpkin patch

and invite children to pick pumpkins in the fall.

The couple also hope to travel. And she might volunteer at a school just

“to keep [her] finger in.” She also wants to pick up some of the hobbies

she dropped over the past 36 years -- ceramics, flower gardening and

camping.