Congratulations to Mrs. Joan Summers, for being The Magazine of Santa Clarita’s Teacher of the Month for June.  I had such a wonderful time visiting with Mrs. Summers and her 2nd grade class.  Her students were very engaged in their kite project, and were very friendly to talk to.   The classroom was filled with wonderful work, and it’s no surprise that she is very dedicated to her class. 


Mrs. Summers teaches the 2nd grade at Meadows Elementary School in Valencia.  This is her fifth year at the school, but has been teaching off and on for the past 20 years.  She stated, “I love interacting with the kids.  It is the greatest joy and challenge to be able to teach such a diverse group of students and really connect with their minds.”  On April 17, 2008, Mrs. Summers received the SCV Education Foundation Teacher Tribute Award for Meadows Elementary School.  She, along with other teachers, was honored for their excellence in teaching and dedication to building an excellent community.

Here is the letter we received from Patti Fleetwood, a parent of a student in Mrs. Summers’ class:

I have known Mrs. Summers since the beginning of the current school year -approximately nine months - when my daughter, Kristina, entered second grade. Mrs. Summers made it quite clear early on, that she took great pride in her teaching and really cared for her students. Upon assessing each student’s abilities, she designed a curriculum to keep each and every student challenged, even if it meant bringing in outside materials at her own cost. I can’t tell you how difficult it is to keep a bright child challenged, while still helping others master the basics of their particular grade level, but Mrs. Summers seems to handle it quite easily. Being an advanced reader and loving to share things related to school topics, my daughter loves creating extra work for herself. Upon seeing this, Mrs. Summers has encouraged her love of learning by giving unique assignments to her reading group and allowing her to share her self-made assignments, for example, her own research projects or teaching the kids their numbers in French. Upon talking to both my daughter and her friends, it is quite apparent that while Mrs. Summers demands respect from her class, she still knows how to have fun; something I believe is quite important, considering the amount of information these kids are expected to learn at such an early age. I, along with another parent, volunteer to teach art in the classroom once a month, and absolutely marvel at the way Mrs. Summers works with her students. Mrs. Summers has been a great pleasure to work with and I can only hope that my daughter’s future teachers be as kind, caring and responsive.

Do you know a teacher who deserves recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty?  If so, please send me an e-mail at selgin@santaclaritamagazine.com including the name of the teacher, grade they teach and school they work at, along with why you think they should be nominated.