A Los Osos preschool teacher, already the Teacher of the Year for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District,which covers Morro Bay, Los Osos, SLO and Avila Beach – will also be honored by the County Office of Education, the District announced last week.
Fiona Lloyd-Moffett, who teaches at Baywood Elementary School, was named Teacher of the Year and will be feted as part of the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education’s “School Employees of the Year Dinner” on Sept. 25 at Cuesta College.
As a preschool teacher, she works with children 3-4-years old whose families have “demonstrated economic need,” under the District’s program.
“Fiona is an exemplary educator,” Baywood Principal Jennifer Dinielli said, “who makes everyone around her want to be better as a result of seeing her professional practice. Her preschool classroom is a magical mix of all the things we want for young children starting their educational journey — joy, language rich, play based, rigorous, child-centered, full of student voice, and family based.”
District Superintendent, Eric Prater said in a news release, “San Luis Coastal has a bright, extraordinary educator on its team. “Ms. Fiona’s” passion and genuine love for her preschool students builds their capacity and confidence every day.”
In addition to teaching preschool, Lloyd-Moffett is also active in the community making home visits to every one of her students and attending weekend soccer games, dance lessons, and special events to get to know her students and families better, the District said.
She also volunteers with Hospice, “where she has the privilege and honor of being with her patients as they transition out of this world.”
Lloyd-Moffett described her Hospice work as, “fostering within herself a sense of peace and love, which she brings into the classroom, opening her heart even wider and teaching in a more responsive, empathic, and connected way. She has also spearheaded a community food program that she runs monthly along with her two sons.”
When Dr. Prater brought in the “need-based” preschool programs to the district, Lloyd-Moffett “jumped on the opportunity to serve a vulnerable and historically underserved student population; and she worked with the district’s early literacy team to develop and open the doors to the Baywood Elementary preschool program 5-years ago.”
Prior to teaching in San Luis Coastal, Lloyd-Moffett taught in Southern California and Santa Barbara, as well as in a non-profit organization whose mission is to “enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.”
Asked what she loves most about teaching preschool, Lloyd-Moffett said, “Access to high-quality early education changes the lives of our youngest students by providing them with a strong foundation of social and academic skills that will serve them throughout their lives. My goal is for every child to be known, to feel safe, and to feel loved. I am committed to building strong relationships with all my students and their families.”
Lloyd-Moffett lives in San Luis Obispo with her sons, Basil and Phineas. She grew up in Seattle and spends many summers and holidays in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She graduated from Whitman College with a bachelor’s degree and received her master’s degree from Wheelock College.
As the County Teacher of the Year, Lloyd-Moffett will represent SLO County as its nominee for “California Teacher of the Year.” The California Department of Education is expected to announce the State Teacher of the Year in October.
