Excelsior Elementary School

This is Marianne Appelbaum, but the staff and students at Excelsior call her Mrs. Appelbaum. She was born and raised in Roseville, CA and she’s been a teacher at Excelsior since 1999 which is around the time that the school had officially opened. When Mrs. Appelbaum was asked why she started teaching, her answer was that she used to teach her little brother and she loved it. Her parents always said to her that they think she would be a really good teacher, and true it was that they technically predicted her future. Ever thought about her favorite sport? Her favorite sport is swimming and she probably absolutely loves it. She has said though that she’s not a very sporty person but everyone has their likes one way or another. Mrs. Appelbaum loves swimming and dolphins since they are cute. She's decided that her favorite sports team is the Miami Dolphins. When she was asked to specifically say what she loved most about Excelsior, she answered that she loves how the staff is like a family and how loving the teachers are which is 100% true. Here is a message from Mrs. Appelbaum which is quoted, to all of the students— Jiminy Cricket: “Always let your conscience be your guide.”

This is Becca Linn, also known as Mrs. Linn at Excelsior. She is one of the sixth grade teachers at Excelsior and has been since the year of 2021. From the information accumulated from her, it is said that she has always wanted to be a teacher because she loves being surrounded by kids. Mrs. Linn is originally from Pacifica, CA and moved here two years ago.  She is probably one of the most spontaneous teachers we have ever had. Her colored hair really brings out her “true” colors, clearly labeling her as ‘friendly.’ Everything surrounding her really seems colorful, like her classroom. Her classroom is filled with so many colors and has art displayed on her walls made by all of her students. If you ever ask her what her favorite sport is, you’ll get two different answers. “Volleyball to play, and baseball to watch.” It is said by her that if she had to choose one thing that she loves about Excelsior, it is the supportive community. Last but not least, here is a message from Mrs. Linn to the 6th grade Excelsior students: “Be prepared for a big change. It’s going to be different, but not bad. It’s going to be a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too.”

This is Caro Nordyke, known as Mrs. Nordyke at Excelsior. She’s originally from Roseville, CA, and she’s a fan of all of the UCLA sports teams. Her favorite sport is volleyball and she definitely enjoys it. We might have gotten more hints if we knew the exact sports team she liked. She seems to praise all of them. Anyway, changing the topic, she started teaching at Excelsior in 2018, and she was actually encouraged and inspired by her parents who were also teachers and followed their passion. Now, it seems to be a part of her passion, too. Mrs. Nordyke is a really fun, “trendy”, and outgoing teacher as you might have heard from the students who have met and talked to her, or maybe you’ve talked to her yourself. She loves all the teachers she works with, and of course, the students, too. The most important thing to know is that she is an amazing teacher who cares about others like all of the other teachers. Here is a message from Mrs. Nordyke herself: “Always put your best effort into things.”

This is Heidi Williams, commonly known as Dr. Williams at Excelsior School. She is the principal of our school and has been since 2012. She has said that she’s a native Californian. From the information collected for her, she taught fifth and sixth grades in the San Juan School District, and joined the Eureka district in 2004. Her long years working here has really shaped the community surrounding her. She not only teaches things from the perspective of a teacher and principal, but also like a parent. Dr. Williams has brought us together like a big family, yet happy. If you ever wonder what are some of her favorite things you can always ask her freely. Here are some of the things that we know about her: she likes the sport basketball and loves the sports team Sacramento Kings. She isn’t really much of a sporty person though, as said by herself. Lastly, here is a message from Dr. Williams herself to the staff and students: “Always be kind to others.”

This is Nancy Ferraro, but the students call her Mrs. Ferraro at Excelsior, and she’s been working here since the year of 2017. She’s originally from Sacramento, CA, is one of the teachers here at Excelsior, and is known to be really strict. The students think that she is the strictest teacher of all the teachers who teach at Excelsior, but they’re wrong. Now, the saying that she’s strict is true, but she’s a whole lot of fun, too! She always loves playing games with her students, and most of them are educational as much as they are fun. She’s only strict when her students are doing what they’re not supposed to otherwise, she’s really cheerful. If you want to know what she likes, here are some things about her: Mrs. Ferraro’s favorite sport is baseball, and she is a fan of the Oakland Athletics. From the information accumulated from Mrs. Ferraro herself, said that she had wanted to teach so she could help underprivileged children learn to read. Now, Mrs. Ferraro teaches children just about anything. In addition as a fun fact, Mrs. Ferraro has taught classes from kindergarten to eighth grade. We can bet on that as a really epic journey, meeting different people and getting to know them. Mrs. Ferraro has said that she loves the community of Excelsior because it is so caring and helpful. If anyone disagrees, they better have a good reason to explain why, because Mrs. Ferraro is absolutely right, and no one can argue with that true fact that has been, is, and hopefully will be true forever. Lastly, here is a stimulating message from Mrs. Ferraro: “Don’t be afraid to be different. Different is awesome!”

This is John Montero, also known as Mr. Montero at Excelsior. He is one of the sixth grade teachers here. He’s originally from Roseville, CA, where our school is located. We’re told that he started teaching at Excelsior in the year of 2010. The main reason he’s teaching, he said, is that he was actually a football coach in the past and surprisingly, a principal. Maybe being a principal and football coach at schools interested him into teaching, but Mr. Montero is the only one who knows why he really started teaching, so we will never exactly know unless he decides to let it out. Some people might think he’s one of the strictest teachers in the school, but you can’t really judge people like that. If you ever feel scared to talk to him, remind yourself that you shouldn’t judge people before you get to know them. He’s actually pretty fun to talk to! He’s an amazing teacher and his students probably praise him a lot. Ever wondered what his favorite sport is? Is it football? Nope. It’s golf! You would have guessed his favorite sport was football since he was a football coach, but things aren’t always what they seem. He’s said that his favorite sports team is the Giants, and who doesn’t love them, right? Mr. Montero is said to absolutely love the relationships between all the fellow teachers at Excelsior, and yes; the teachers at Excelsior are very warm-hearted and welcoming to anyone. Last but definitely not least, here is a message directly from Mr. Montero to all of the students at Excelsior: “Try your best no matter what you do.”

This is Julie Smith. She goes by Mrs. Smith at Excelsior. She is one of the “oldest” teachers at our school, meaning she has worked at this school ever since it opened. She originally grew up in Stockton, CA which is one hour south of Roseville. When Mrs. Smith was asked why she wanted to be a teacher, her answer was that since the age of twelve, she played a game where the kids in her town acted like students and she, the teacher, taught them what she knew. She had, without a doubt, loved teaching as a kid and has now pursued her dream. Next, is her favorite sport which is yoga. Yoga is definitely good for calming down and Mrs. Smith probably finds it soothing. Who doesn’t? Well probably a lot of people, right?  Have you ever wondered what Mrs. Smith’s favorite sports team is? It’s the San Francisco Giants, of course. She probably has the team’s shirts displayed on her classroom walls! One thing that Mrs. Smith loves about Excelsior is that the students are well-behaved, though some can be challenging, as said by her. She has really helped the other teachers, too, helping them set up most of the sixth grade stuff since she is the grade level leader for the sixth grade activities at Excelsior. Lastly, here is an inspiring message directly from Mrs. Smith: “Be the best person you can be. You are awesome. You are you!”