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Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
During Women’s History Month, we honor teacher Mary Mirada Knight
Mary Miranda Knight of Washington state was a true pioneer. She served as the Superintendent of Schools in Mason County. Photo credit: William Knight.
Many intrepid pioneers in American history were also talented educators. One of these was Mary Miranda Knight, a teacher who earned accolades as an innovative educator in the state of Washington.
Mary was born on Sept. 2, 1854, in Ingham County in southern Michigan. She was one of seven children born to immigrants from Scotland. During her youth, her parents moved from Michigan to Dakota, and then to Washington State.
Mary was just a high school student when she declared her intention to become a teacher. She was 16 years old when she realized her dream and stood in front of her first classroom. Originally, she taught in Eaton Falls, Michigan, next in Huron, Dakota, and later in the cities of Shelton and Bellingham in Washington state. Her career as an educator spanned the years from 1870 to 1921, a total of 51 years.
In 1900, the pioneer teacher was elected to serve as the Superintendent of Schools in Mason County, Washington. She served in this position for 18 years. During her tenure, Mary worked diligently to consolidate the five small school districts along the western border of Mason County. Mary believed that one large school district could offer students greater educational opportunities than five small school districts could. The new school district was built in 1924, and was named Mary M. Knight School District #311 in her honor.
For her work in Washington schools, Mary was recognized with a school named in her after her, the Mary M. Knight High School. The school was built in then unincorporated area of Matlock, Washington.
Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion passed away on Jan. 31, 1940, in Seattle, following a lengthy illness. She was 86 years old. To learn more about her, see this online biography entitled Mary M Knight School District 311.
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Read Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles over Spring Break
The upcoming Spring Break is a terrific time to relax and read leisure read a pleasant book. I suggest my most recent book, Unleashed! The Dog Park Chronicles, which is now available in both paperback and ebook versions from amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. This is my first novel for young people. But the volume has also garnered praise from adults who have read it and loved it!
In the book, I have created a charming cast of animal characters and their human companions who live in or visit the local dog park. Each event which takes place holds an essential message about kindness, community, inclusion, or personal responsibility. There are also messages of anti-bullying and anti-prejudice.
In addition, the narrative includes commentary about how young people can appreciate nature, even if they live in a suburban environment. I explore themes related to the migratory patterns of Canada geese, the natural instincts of the animal characters, and the progression of the seasons.
The dog park described in the novel, Vila Borba, really exists! It is located not far from my home in Chino Hills, California. And depicted on the cover of the book are two of my very own pets! The little white terrier mix on the front cover is Kurby, whose rescue story is described in Chapter 4. (In the book the Kurby character is named Bowser.) The elegant black and white tuxedo pictured on the back cover is my own ladycat, Licorice.
This 156-page book would make a terrific book for your children or their teacher to read. If you have already purchased the book, thank you so much! I hope you would consider writing a review of the story on amazon.
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Victoria Soto: A Chalkboard Hero of Sandy Hook Elementary
First grade teacher Victoria Soto lost her life while protecting her students from during the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Photo credit: My Hero Project
It is a sad fact that a number of American educators have been put in the unenviable position of protecting their students from active shooters. They are sometimes injured or killed while sheilding their students. One of these teachers was Victoria Soto, a first grade teacher who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
Victoria Soto was born on November 4, 1985, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 2003, she graduated from Stratford High School located in Stratford, Connecticut. Following her graduation, she enrolled in Eastern Connecticut State University. There she earned a dual Bachelor’s degree in History and Education, with honors. She also took courses towards her Master’s degree at Southern Connecticut State University.
Once she earned her teaching credentials, Victoria accepted a position as an elementary teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. On December 14, 2013, Victoria was engaged in teaching her first grade class when gunman Adam Lanza burst into the school wielding several weapons and looking for victims. He started shooting. Staff and students heard Lanza discharging his weapons over the school public address system. By the time the gunman made his way to her classroom, Victoria had been able to hide her children in a closet. When confronted by Lanza, Victoria told him the students had been sent to the school gym. But some of the children were too afraid to stay hidden. When they ran from their hiding place, the shooter began to fire at them. In a supreme act of heroism, Victoria threw herself between Lanza and the children. In so doing, she sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
Victoria was only 27 years old when she was killed. Her career spanned five years. The Chalkboard Champion was laid to rest in Union Cemetery Stratford in Fairfield County, Connecticutt.
In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Victoria a Presidential Citizens Medal posthumously. The medal honors Americans who have performed “exemplary deeds of service” for their country or fellow citizens. The medal is is the government’s second-highest civilian award.
Read more about this amazing educator in this online article entitled “The Teacher as Hero.”
