The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara recently recognized Adams Elementary School teacher Mallory Price for her demonstrated excellence and significant contributions to public education. It is the third of four such awards the Rotarians will present to area educators this academic year.
Price has been a kindergarten teacher at Adams for five years. Prior to teaching at Adams, Price was an instructional assistant at Summerland School.
Since 1986, the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara has honored outstanding teachers from South Coast schools each year. It awards a high school, junior high, elementary, and special education teacher with a certificate and a $1,000 check to spend on classroom needs.
“We appreciate the vision, caring, and commitment of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara in making annual awards that recognize the contributions of outstanding teachers, while providing resources that enable them to enrich their classroom environments,” said County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone, whose office coordinates the recognition with the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara. “Our teachers are second to none and perform daily heroic acts on behalf of students and families.”
“The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara is committed to supporting the Santa Barbara County Education Office, and it gives us great pleasure to recognize the efforts of outstanding teachers like Mallory Price,” said Mike Bieza, chairman of the Teacher Recognition Committee of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara. “Rotary of Santa Barbara and Rotary International members know that educators like Mallory have a tremendous impact on their students, who one day will be the leaders of our community.”
Education is a family tradition for Mallory. Her mother is long-time local educator and current Cold Spring School District Superintendent Dr. Tricia Price. “We are a family full of educators,” Mallory says. Price earned an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Washington in Seattle, and her teaching credential and Masters in Education from Antioch University in Santa Barbara. She is currently working on her doctorate in education from Fielding University, following in her mother’s footsteps. Her dissertation focuses on supporting English learners with writing.
“I am passionate about teaching reading and writing, which makes kindergarten the perfect place for me,” Mallory says. “I get to participate in the literacy development of my students every year, watching them grow from being eager to read and write to being enthusiastic and confident readers and writers. I have a particular passion for teaching writing.”
That passion is evident, says Mallory’s principal, Amy Alzina. “Mallory believes in providing all students a highly rigorous and engaging curriculum that involves hands-on learning through all the senses,” Alzina says. “Mallory uses her communication and interpersonal relationship skills to serve as an advocate for low socio-economic and minority children in the community.”
The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara meets at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara for lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. Recipients of the club’s Teacher Recognition Awards are made with the assistance of the Teacher Programs and Support department of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
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| Mallory Price |
