At the Jan. 11 FHN staff meeting, AP Literature and English II teacher Shelly Parks was awarded the Teacher of the Year award. FHN staff and administration voted in December to give Parks a place on the final ballot next to math teacher Timothy Besse and ESOL teacher Anne Freeman.

“I’m really fortunate to have really great kids who work hard and who are just kind, good people,” Parks said. “The colleagues I work with are just incredible. I can’t believe I am on a list of top teachers out of all the amazing people we have in this school.”

Parks says FHN is one of the friendliest schools she’s heard of, compared to her friends who have taught at other schools.

“I would just say that from the teachers to the principals to all the support staff, I just legitimately think we work in the nicest, best school that I’ve ever heard about from all my friends who are teachers,” Parks continued. “I feel really thankful.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that Courtney Freeman was a nominee. The nominee was actually Anne Freeman.