Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland.   Nederland Elementary School’s fifth grade teachers, Tammy Forrest and Brenda Theodorakos, have been honored with Boulder Valley School District’s Impact Award. For many years, BVSD only honored a small number of teachers and staff in the entire district. Now they give schools the opportunity to select Impact Award winners in their building. They are the superstars of the school.

A committee led by Principal Laurel Reckert chose the fifth-grade team to receive the award. Ms. Reckert says, “These veteran teachers are constantly willing to reflect and improve on their teaching practice. They are completely dedicated to the kids and the community.”

Reckert also added, “They are a cohesive unit. They have a growth mindset and have such a positive attitude.”

Tammy Forrest has been teaching for 31 years. She grew up in the Northeast and came to CU Boulder to race on the ski team and earn a degree. She found her way to teaching. During her career she has taught Kindergarten, even in the old Black Forest Restaurant, as well as fourth, fifth and sixth grades.

Brenda Theodorakos also grew up in the Northeast. After graduating from State University College in Oswego, NY, she came West to work at Yellowstone National Park. She then found her way to Boulder and then Nederland Elementary. Ms. Theodorakos has been teaching for 29 years. She has taught third through sixth grades.

Both of these teachers have taught at Nederland Elementary their entire careers. They have been the fifth-grade team for 21 years and counting. They are a team in every sense of the word. It is hard to talk about one without the other. They earned their master’s degrees together. They eat lunch together every day. They finish each other’s sentences.

When asked what keeps them teaching, they both smile and in unison say that the kids do. These mountain kids keep them feeling young. It is always a joy for them to see their students’ accomplishments. Ms. Forrest and Ms. Theodorakos agreed whole-heartedly that teaching is fun and interesting. Throughout their years at Nederland Elementary they have really enjoyed the outdoor education programs, the dream home project, space science and the spaghetti dinners.

Jesse Seigal-Gane, a former student of Ms. Forrest says, “Ms. Forrest always had a funny story to tell and was always willing to help anyone in need.”
Morgan Lake, a former student of Ms. Theodorakos says, “Ms. Theodorakos made school fun for me. She incorporated fun into the lessons. She was always in a good mood. That good mood lifted up the class and we got a lot of work done.”

Perrine Breche is currently in Ms. Theodorakos’ classroom and says, “She is funny. She tells us funny stories about her childhood. She makes learning interesting.”

Halle Peiffer is a second-generation student of Ms. Forrest. She says, “School is fun with Ms. Forrest. That’s all there is to say.”

Ms. Theodorakos and Ms. Forrest are deeply committed educators. They say how appreciative they are of the Nederland community and the families. This community and the families are extremely fortunate to have these two dedicated teachers in our lives. They could have moved on to different schools years ago, but they didn’t. For 25 years Ms. Theodorakos has commuted from Golden to our elementary school at 1 Sundown Trail.

Student after student has sat in their classrooms and they hope they have and continue to impart curiosity and the love of learning to each of their students. They want the young people in their lives to gain confidence and feel a positive connection to the school community and the larger Nederland community.

BVSD’s Impact Award is presented to teachers and staff who have a positive impact on their school and students year after year. Ms. Theodorakos and Ms. Forrest are completely dedicated to their students and school. They share their love of learning and positive attitude every day. These two teachers are truly deserving of this honor.

(Originally published in the January 24, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)