Briefly in education

Danette Goulet

An Andersen Elementary School teacher and three school volunteers

received the California PTA’s highest honor Thursday night.

The annual Honorary Service Awards were presented at the Harbor View

Homes Community Club in Newport Beach.

Second-grade teacher Taja Hughes, the only teacher to receive the

award, has been on the school’s staff since it opened and has been with

the Newport-Mesa Unified School District even longer.

The school’s PTA also recognized three parent volunteers who have

donated thousands of hours of service.

Jan Zucker, who has served on the school’s PTA board for many years in

several positions, donates many hours to the scrip program and has served

as Harbor View Elementary School’s swim team president and treasurer.

Also a PTA board member for many years, Kristy Maurer has headed many

projects and has been involved with the Boy Scouts and AYSO boards.

The PTA also recognized the contributions of Lisa Giger, another

parent who has donated thousands of hours to various PTA programs, events

and positions.

“Although these are not the type of people who are always leading the

charge or taking the podium, they work tirelessly and silently behind the

scenes, shunning credit or accolades for anything, yet without whom many

programs and projects would surely not be successful,” Nancy Best of the

Andersen PTA wrote in a prepared statement about the honorees.