Nesbit Teacher Honored by 49ers, Wells Fargo

It just so happens that Nesbit teacher Jocelyn Perlow is a huge San Francisco 49ers fan. So all that red and gold came in handy on Friday when Jocelyn, who teaches the special day class at the Belmont elementary school, was honored by the 49ers with the Heroes in the Classroom Award.

The 49ers, Wells Fargo Bank and Symetra have teamed up to highlight local teachers who are making a difference in the classroom. 

Monique Perkins was pleased that Perlow was selected for the award. Perkins's son Jabri, a fifth-grader, has been in Perlow's class for the past two years.

"She's a dedicated teacher and she treats each and every student as if they were her own child," said Perkins.

In a lunchtime ceremony Friday led by Nesbit principal Robin Pang-Maganaris, the student body, teachers and staff gathered to watch "Ms Jocelyn" pick up her award, which was presented by 49ers representative Tyson Lamp and Amir A. Ghassemzadeh of Wells Fargo. Two members of the 49ers cheerleading squad were also on hand to honor Perlow, who dressed the part and did a few cheers herself during the ceremony.

"The San Francisco 49ers, Wells Fargo and Symetra are pleased to present you with two VIP tickets to next week's game vs. the New York Giants, and you'll be invited onto the field before the game to meet some of the players like Frank Gore, Patrick Willis and Randy Moss," said Lamp.

Lamp told Perlow she, and 69,000 other fans, would see her name and photo on the Jumbotron during the game. In addition to game tickets, Perlow was given a Frank Gore autographed football, a personalized jersey, a plaque, and a $250 gift card to Office Max to purchase supplies for her classroom.

According to Tyler Lamp, the Heroes in the Classroom is given out to Bay Area educators16 times per year--two awards per home game.

"The teachers are nominated by parents of current or former students, and we like to recognize them by taking them to a game and giving them a gift card to purchase things for their classroom," said Lamp.

Ghassemzadeh then presented Nesbit with check for $1,000 in further recognition of Perlow's service to the school.

According to the Heroes in the Classroom nomination form, to be considered for the award, teachers must balance the core curriculum with students' individual needs, build trust among students, parents and the community, and invest in their students' long-term success.