Theresa Cayous was presented the Shaffer Elementary School Certificated Employee of the Year (also known as Teacher of the Year) award by the Atwater Elementary School District at its board meeting on Dec. 8. Cayous has been teaching at Shaffer Elementary School in Atwater for over 11 years. She also taught one year at Lake Don Pedro Elementary School and seven years at White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona.

Shaffer Elementary School Principal Roger Jackson told those in attendance Cayous was selected unanimously by her peers from 18 other individuals. He listed a number of Cayous’s attributes that led to her selection. These included dedication, commitment, caring for her students, hardworking, tireless, and mentoring two new staff members. Cayous is also a Relay for Life team captain and the historian for the Daughters of the American Revolution, Merced River Chapter.

Cayous is the student council advisor which includes the recycling program and the Box Tops for Education program. These two programs bring in money for student activities. She is the grade level lead and site administrator for the Renaissance Place Program. This critical computer program assesses skill levels and allows individualized learning plans for math and reading. She is also a UC Merced Writing Fellow.

Theresa stated she was “honored to be selected for this award. All my life, I have wanted to teach children. My dream came true twenty years ago. I enjoy watching my students learn the skills that will make them successful in their future.” She failed to mention her first success. When she was a 6- year-old, she experienced success in teaching her 4- year-old sister to read and this was the introduction to her career path.

Cayous is the daughter of Connie Waldron; granddaughter of Bud and the late Clydette Waldron and sister of Andrea Summerlin, all of Mariposa. Her children, Cassie Cayous, attending college in Maryland, and Michael Cayous currently stationed with the U.S. Navy in Bahrain, were unable to attend the ceremony.