COUNTRYMAN TO GET HONOR STATE PICKS TOP TEACHERS.Byline: Daily News Dawna Countryman, a fifth-grade teacher from the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. , will be honored tonight in Sacramento as one of the state's five teachers of the year. Countryman teaches at Tesoro del Valle Elementary School elementary school: see school. in the Saugus Union School District The Saugus Union School District is a school district in the Santa Clarita Valley that serves the Saugus, Valencia, and Canyon Country communities within the city of Santa Clarita, California. As of March 25,2006, it has 15 elementary schools. . State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell
Jack T. O'Connell (born October 8, 1951) is a California politician. will offer the keynote speech at a special reception and dinner for the five teachers. The event is being hosted by the California Department of Education The California Department of Education is a California agency that oversees public education. The Department oversees funding, testing, and holds local educational agencies accountable for student achievement. , the California Teachers of the Year Foundation and sponsors. O'Connell will speak about how these teachers serve as role models for other educators and will congratulate the winners. ``I chose Dawna Countryman because of the success she has achieved in engaging her students in the process of learning,'' O'Connell said in a statement. ``Mrs. Countryman reaches out and inspires young people through her dynamic teaching approach, positive learning environment, and enthusiasm for each and every lesson she teaches.'' In Countryman's application for the honor, she wrote: ``Although I cannot speak for my students, throughout the years, my students have spoken to me. My measurement of success is the feedback that I continue to get. Students often reflect on how they looked forward to coming to school each day and how much they learned from being in my class. I am always proud to learn of the impact that my teaching had on their lives. My students know they mattered to me.'' Countryman, a UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX graduate, is working on her doctorate in the Educational Leadership Program at UCLA. She began her career in 1988 as a first-grade teacher. Countryman is active in the community as well as the classroom. She and her husband sponsor and coach and a youth football team. In 2004, she co-founded the group SCV SCV Santa Clarita Valley (California) SCV Sons of Confederate Veterans SCV Santa Clara Vanguard SCV Singapore Cable Vision SCV Special Category Visa (Australia) SCV StarHub Cable Vision FACES, which brings together minority families to discuss issues in education. She also founded her school's ``Make a Difference Day,'' where students assist teachers and also beautify the campus on weekends and after school. |
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