Linda Kirkendall, first grade teacher at Hugo Reid Primary, is the December 2009 Rotary Teacher of the Month.  Linda has been an educator for 28 years, earning her BA from UC Riverside and Masters from Grand Canyon University. 

In her classroom, Linda’s first graders make multimedia technology presentations demonstrating what they’ve learned in writing, social studies and science.  The class also makes the “Magic School Bus” which merges the study of dinosaurs and a large refrigerator box to make an informative and fun crawl-through learning tool. 

Linda utilizes “Character Counts” in her classroom and every Friday students are recognized in some way for exhibiting the six traits of Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

As a school leader, Linda is the Hugo Reid Primary Lead Teacher, a technology advisor and the Family Reading Night Coordinator.  She has earned grants from the Arcadia Educational Foundation and Rotary, was selected for PTA’s Honorary Service Award, and named a school district “Profile in Excellence.”

Linda lives in Arcadia and has two daughters and one son – all of whom went through Arcadia schools.  She has one granddaughter and expects her first grandson in June.  She loves to read and is a foster mom to kittens from the Pasadena Humane Society. 

The January, 2010 Rotary Teacher of the Month is Mindy Pfeiffer, Special Education teacher at Holly Avenue Elementary School.  Mindy’s class consists of 13 students with special needs in grades 3, 4 and 5.  Mindy tailors the language arts, social studies and science work of her students to parallel the academics of a regular classroom.  Her class has a pen pal relationship with students in Europe and they also regularly watch the “Pete’s Pond” web cam in Botswana to see wild animals drinking.  (Mindy has personally visited this animal sanctuary.)  The benefits for students are that they learn geography and animal recognition as well as promoting writing skills and use of technology as they communicate with the camera operator via email. 

Mindy has been an educator for 30 years and 25 have been with AUSD.  She earned BAs from UCLA and UC Riverside and her Masters from Cal State Los Angeles.  She says her biggest reward in teaching is seeing her students mature and improve, both academically and socially. 

Mindy, her husband and 3 cats live in Pasadena.  They love to travel, play French music and support orphans and schools in Botswana and the Sudan.  She loves to cook using organic produce and is an expert on where to find the best farmers markets – personally recommending Hollywood, Santa Monica and South Pasadena.