Hello! I am Denise Bakkar, a 2nd grade teacher at Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, where I’ve been teaching for the past 8 years since moving to Fair Oaks Ranch. Teaching is my passion, and I feel incredibly fortunate to work with such amazing students, families, and colleagues in a district I deeply care about. My children and I absolutely love being part of this close-knit and supportive community. 

My son, Collyn, is 18 and is an Aerospace Engineering major at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He plays the violin and is an active member of a campus car club. My daughter, Maya, is 13 and attends Voss Middle School. She participates in the robotics program and plays the viola. We have two dogs, Lilly and Charlie, who are also part of our family. For us, “Ohana means family—no one gets left behind or forgotten.” That quote is more than just words—it’s how we live our lives every day.

We love the small-town charm of Boerne and Fair Oaks, from walking the trails and waving at neighbors to attending Boerne Market Days. Our favorite local hangouts include El Marisol (their mole is absolutely to die for!), Las Palapas, Torchy’s, or an after-church breakfast at La Panadería with my parents. 

One of our favorite family memories happened during COVID. To entertain my kids and spread a little hope, we began painting rocks with uplifting messages and placing them along the trails. At the time, I was teaching 5th grade and shared this idea with my students. Soon, they began looking for our rocks during walks with their families and even started painting and adding their own. It was a beautiful ripple effect. It reminded us of all that even the smallest gestures can shine brightly.

I attended Florida Atlantic University and Saint Martin’s University, where I earned my degree in Elementary Education with a minor in ESL. I began my teaching career as an ESL itinerant teacher, serving Title I schools with high-need student populations. After a series of moves we relocated to Fair Oaks Ranch, which has been our family's favorite place to call home, and we’re grateful for the community we’ve found here.

I began teaching in BISD in October 2017. Since joining Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, I have been awarded at least one Boerne Education Foundation (BEF) grant every school year. In total I have been awarded 22 Teacher Innovation Grants from BEF, along with several PTO grants. I have been recognized throughout my teaching career with numerous accolades. I was a state finalist for the PAEMST (Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching) in 2022 and also received a PAEMST Math Honorable Mention. I am a recipient of the District Superintendent Excellence Award, have been nominated for the BEF Educational Excellence Award, and was recognized with a nomination for KSAT’s Cash for Kindness. Most recently I was honored by my peers as the 2025 Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary Campus Teacher of the Year. Following this, I became the first elementary teacher awarded the Boerne ISD District Teacher of the Year and am now a candidate for the TASA Region 20 Teacher of the Year.

I take great pride in being an active leader in our school and district, participating in school glow runs, flash mob dances, and school spirit events. I also coach and complete fundraisers for Girls on the Run, a program that blends running with confidence-building and service learning. This past year, our girls chose to wash every Fair Oaks Ranch police car and provide a homemade taco lunch for the officers. In the summer, I lead STEM camps through the Science Mill/Boerne STEM Camp. 

In our family, we always make it a point to decorate and create lasting memories around the holidays. We make tamales as a family and host a Christmas cookie party for friends. We hide a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree, and the first person to find it on Christmas morning gets to open the first gift. Most importantly, we give back by helping with the Saint Vincent de Paul distribution. 

For my family, giving back isn’t just something we do—it’s part of who we are. We volunteer at the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Food Bank and work with St. Vincent de Paul at our church to help organize and distribute donations to local families. My daughter is an altar server at our church, and we create homeless care bags filled with essentials to keep in the car, ready to hand out whenever we see someone in need.

My favorite part of living in this neighborhood is exactly that—the sense of community and connection. Whether it's through shared projects, supporting one another, or just saying hello on the trails, there's a warmth here that makes it feel like home.