Balboa Elementary School 6th grade teacher Narine Yapundjian has been selected as Glendale Unified School District’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.
Yapundjian will represent the district at this year’s Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year competition.
An alumna of GUSD herself, Yapundjian has served the school community as an educator for more than a decade. In addition to being an exceptional teacher, she has demonstrated influence beyond the classroom as a mentor teacher and student adviser.
“Mrs. Yapundjian is known for her positive attitude and her tireless dedication to her students and our entire Balboa Elementary School community,” said GUSD Board of Education President Nayiri Nahabedian. “Her deep love and commitment to her students truly shines.”
“Mrs. Yapundjian creates a student-centered classroom environment, where every child actively engages in learning,” said GUSD Superintendent Vivian Ekchian. “Every day, she goes above and beyond to foster a culture of care and find meaningful ways to connect with every child in her classroom.”
“Mrs. Yapundjian has proven herself to be an incredible teacher with a clear vision and mission for educating all children and for making a positive difference in the lives of our kids,” said Balboa Elementary Principal Sona Arakelian. “She deserves all of the praise and recognition for her dedicated service to our school and our entire Glendale Unified community.”
Each year, GUSD selects an outstanding educator to advance to the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year competition. Nominees are submitted by administrators and educators from across the district. Selections typically alternate between teachers at the elementary and secondary levels.
The finalists for GUSD Teacher of the Year were Matthieu Hamo of Glenoaks Elementary School, Rebecca Lopez of Columbus Elementary School, Celeste Maeshiro of Lincoln Elementary School and Kelly Schroeder of Mountain Avenue Elementary School.
First published in the April 15 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
