Helpful Honda Guys Surprise Vista Teacher with $5,000 in Classroom Supplies

On Friday, May 8, Grapevine Elementary School teacher Teresa Heck was the focus of a special on-campus surprise celebration that included receiving $5,000 in classroom supplies, provided by ther Helpful Honda Guys and the San Diego Honda Dealers. Grapevine is part of the Vista Unified School District.

Vista Mayor John Franklin was on hand to read a proclamation naming the day as Teresa Heck Day in the City of Vista. VUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Doyle, who has known and taught with Mrs. Heck for more than 30 years, was also present to honor Mrs. Heck on behalf of the district. The celebration took place on the final day of Teacher Appreciation Week - an appropriate way to cap the week.

“This is such an amazing thing for our students,” raved Mrs Heck. “Especially for Read Across America and our focus on reading. I'll have more books and more access for guest readers to come.” The school invites guest readers from across the county, including firefighters, members of the military, Vista City Council members, and more.

Bilingual Books Offer Expanded Opportunities
Grapevine is a Dual Language Immersion (DLI) school, teaching its students in both English and Spanish. The gift from the San Diego Honda Dealers provided classroom supplies and books - lots of books - for Mrs. Heck’s class. The new book additions include books in both English and Spanish, which is especially poignant for the school.

Explains Mrs. Heck, “Bilingual books are very important and very rare. Our library actually is in need of them, and it's wonderful for us to have these new books. Our guest readers can come and read in Spanish and English to students, since we are a dual-immersion school.”

Mrs. Heck was nominated by her community and selected with the help of school leadership. Reading is the foundation of learning and a core motivation for Mrs. Heck. “It's my passion to teach reading. I've been teaching for 30 years now, and all the years in Vista, including 26 years of first grade; literacy is by far my inspiration for being a teacher in first grade.”

The surprise happened during the school’s monthly Family Reading Friday, where parents and family members are invited to join their children for a school-wide reading event outside on the school’s campus. VUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Doyle highlighted Mrs. Heck’s influence as a teacher in the district and the impact her passion for reading has had.

“Your love for literacy is fantastic, and it spreads across our entire district,” said Doyle, addressing the crowd of more than 500 people. “We have 24 schools in our school district, and because of Mrs. Heck and the great love she has for literacy, all the schools celebrate literacy every day, and in particular, we celebrate Read Across America Day. You have been such a guiding light for all of us. Thank you so much for being a leader, most importantly, a leader of literacy.”

Vista Mayor John Franklin then expressed gratitude for Mrs. Heck and read a proclamation naming May 8, 2026, as Teresa Heck Day in the City of Vista.