After 41 years as an educator, Margaret Fanourgakis – known affectionately as Ms. Fan – is still learning from her students.
She credits them with teaching her “not to judge a book by its cover, and respect is one of the most important aspects to have in the class.”
“If I respect them, they will respect me,” Fanourgakis said. “It is a wonderful two-way street.”
The state Department of Education recently recognized Fanourgakis as the 2024-’25 Burlington County Teacher of the Year for Shawnee High School, where she is a health and physical education teacher. Twelve teachers from the Lenape Regional High School District have received the county distinction, the last in 2014.
An alumna of Shawnee High School, Fanourgakis has coached the girls’ volleyball, boys’ volleyball, cheer, and girls’ lacrosse teams and is an advisor for the Shawnee student council and Blue Crew. Fanourgakis was the 2005 class advisor and a former SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) advisor, and served as Disney trip chaperone.
“I am very honored and grateful but also very humbled to receive this award,” she noted. “It reinforces to me that I am still doing the best for my students in the classroom and around the school.”
Shawnee Principal Matthew Campbell said Fanourgakis “shows up for the kids, shows up for the staff, shows up for the administration – and supports us all.”
“If being a dedicated faculty member were not enough, Ms. Fan is highly regarded as a pillar in the community,” he observed, “spearheading various school service-related projects throughout her career, most notably the annual Dig Pink and Teal volleyball fundraiser.”
The volleyball team has held that fundraiser for 14 years. Every October, members sell T-shirts; host a bake sale; and collect monetary donations during a game against their sister school, Seneca High School.
To date, the team has helped raise $80,504 in donations for The Side-Out Foundation for breast cancer research and the American Cancer Society for ovarian cancer research. As a health and phys-ed teacher, Fanourgakis approaches the school’s curriculum with the student’s well-being in mind.
One of the classes she has taught for years covers heavy topics in mental health, sex education, reproduction systems and drug abuse. It’s an eye-opener for the next step in her students’ lives, and Fanourgakis wants to prepare them for the real world.
“With some of the material I teach, the subject hits a little too close to home,” she pointed out. “My students know that they are able to express how they feel, and I will make sure they are comfortable with what we are doing for the day.
“I make sure that all my students feel included in our discussions and that their thoughts and ideas matter and they are comfortable with the topic.”
Fanourgakis often receives emails from former students thanking her for teaching them about certain topics, including AIDS and how to stop a friend from driving under the influence. Having taught that curriculum for most of her career, Fanourgakis finds she is especially in tune with seniors, their thoughts and needs.
“In our high school, like many, the senior year brings plenty of decisions, studying and activities for the student,” she said.
So Fanourgakis, with her experience, is on hand to mentor and guide graduates so they can make the best decisions as they navigate the next steps in life.
