Ms. Pollette with her students

Wendy Pollette’s connection to Anne K. Wallace goes back further than the award named for the former educator: Wallace was Pollette’s fourth-grade teacher. Now the Fredonia Elementary instructor is the winner of the award named for Wallace.

Pollette, a Pre-K teacher, was announced Tuesday as winner of the Anne K. Wallace Award for Excellence in Teaching.

NISD and Fredonia administrators and staff surprised Pollette in her classroom Tuesday morning.

“On behalf of the Anne K. Wallace family, her children and NISD, I want to say congratulations to you for the outstanding dedication, the teaching excellence and for the instruction of our students at NISD,” Executive Director of Human Resources Harold Whitaker told Pollette during the presentation.

“Ms. Pollette is an amazing teacher, and her students truly love her, as you can see,” said Melinda Wiebold, principal at Fredonia Elementary, motioning toward the excited commotion going on in the classroom. 

The award is presented annually to a Nacogdoches ISD teacher by the children of Anne K. Wallace, a longtime NISD teacher, in recognition of outstanding dedication to the instruction of NISD students and in recognition of exceptional teaching performance. It comes with a $1,000 cash prize, which is funded by an endowment established by Mrs. Wallace’s family.

NISD teachers apply for the award, and the submissions are judged by a committee from outside of the school district.

“This is just the essence of what we do in Nacogdoches ISD and in classrooms around the state,” said Dr. Gabriel Trujillo, Superintendent of Schools. “Here, at the end of the school year, you can see firsthand the connection between Ms. Pollette and these precious children. We’re all grateful to her, and I’m incredibly proud of what she’s done.”