GF music teacher named National Teacher of the Year

Andrea Peterson travels to Washington
D.C. to claim prize
BY PAM STEVENS | EDITOR After becoming Washington State’s Teacher of the Year last fall, Andrea Peterson, a music teacher at Monte Cristo elementary school was selected from four finalists to be awarded National Teacher of the Year.

On April 26, Peterson attended a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House where President and Mrs. Bush honored all of the finalists.

“This is a special day for all who care deeply about education, because we fully understand that without a good teacher it’s hard to achieve national goals and objectives. And so the Teacher of the Year ceremony is a chance to pay homage to some really fine public servants and great Americans,” President Bush said.

Granite Falls School District Superintendent, Joel Thaut along with Community Relations Director, Kathy Grant were able to attend the ceremony with Peterson and her husband.

“The Rose Garden was beautiful,” Grant said in a phone conversation from Washington D.C. adding that it has been an exciting week for the district.

As part of the Teacher of the Year award, Peterson will take a one-year hiatus from teaching to travel the country giving speeches, visiting schools and serving on advisory committees.

Peterson was born in British Columbia, Canada and moved to the U.S at the age of eight. She graduated from Onalaska High School in southwest Washington.

She received her bachelor’s degrees in music education and arts music from the University of Washington in 1996. She was also the first National Board Certified Teacher in early and middle childhood music in the state.

She has spent her entire teaching career in the Granite Falls School District.

The Granite Falls School District will be honoring Peterson in a celebration upon her return.

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