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PTJH 2008 Teacher of the Year Margaret Clark |
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Reading teacher Margaret Clark was recently named the 2008 Pine Tree Junior High teacher of the year. Mrs. Clark received her bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her master's from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Clark has taught for over 20 years in several different types of schools including elementary in Spring, Texas, as well as junior and senior high school math and business classes at the American school in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. She also taught at a Christian junior high school in Auora, Illinois. Clark has been teaching language arts and reading for the past 11 years in East Texas with 6 of those at Pine Tree Junior High.
"I'm very glad to be a part of this school and proud of being elected the junior high's teacher of the year," said Clark. "It's humbling to be elected since I know there are so many teachers who do so much for the school." Mrs. Clark and her husband, Fred Clark, have two married sons.
"Pine Tree Junior High is the best junior high in the world!" said Clark. "We’re blessed with wonderful students, staff, and administration. I’m very glad to be a part of this school."
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PTJH Teacher Receives Letter from White House |
First Lady Laura Bush recently sent a congratulatory letter to Pine Tree Junior High life skills teacher Janet Francisco for being such an "amazing teacher."
Francisco said, "It is an honor to receive a letter from the White House," especially from Laura Bush, an educator herself." But Francisco insists that she was just doing the job that she loves...nothing more.
Katherine Sweat, the mother of one of Ms. Francisco's former students, wrote a letter to Mrs. Bush explaining that Francisco helped her son "achieve more goals than we ever dreamed possible."
The White House letter thanked Francisco for "her devotion to her students." Mrs. Bush continued, "President Bush joins me in sending best wishes for many more fulfilling days as an educator."
Francisco served in the Navy before becoming a teacher. "I have received many awards and recognitions but this one is close to my heart," she said. Francisco has been at Pine Tree for 10 years and taught special needs children for the past 4 years. "I believe that we are all called by God to the mission field," said Francisco, "and teaching special needs students is what I was called to do." Her two children graduated from Pine Tree and she is the proud grandmother of three grandsons with another grandchild due in the fall. In her spare time, Francisco spends time with her family, reading, and quilting as she looks forward to many more years of teaching at Pine Tree.
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