Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, December 13, 1993                   TAG: 9312140055
SECTION: NEWSFUN                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

\ Rhonda McDonald wanted to become a language/arts coordinator in the Roanoke County Schools. So she went back to school and got her Masters in reading at Radford University. When she was hired this year at W.E. Cundiff in Vinton, she was thrilled to have reached her goal.

Now McDonald has set a new goal: She wants to be published as a children's author. "Rebecca's Pal," a book written by McDonald about her daughter and dog, has been submitted to a publisher.

McDonald encourages her pupils to set goals, too. "It teaches them with hard work, their dreams can come true," she said.

McDonald also is an advocate of "whole language" learning, where she incorporates social studies, for instance, into the teaching of reading. "I try to take a book and let the kids really get to know the author and the characters," she said. "We don't bury our noses in books. We do fun, exciting things," said her nominators.

Married to a pharmacist and the mother of three, McDonald lives in Botetourt County with her family, three dogs, four cats and a pony. She is active at her church.

If you have a nomination for Teacher of the Week, send the name of the nominee, his or her school and why you think that teacher should be honored. Include your name, telephone number and school and send to NewsFun, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491. The Science Museum of Western Virginia will award each Teacher of the Week a gift certificate for $50 to be spent at the museum's Teacher Resource Center.

I U ION PHO O: headshot of Mc onald