A delegation, led by Lance Yarner, manager of the Wal‑Mart at Tatum Boulevard and Bell Road, paid a surprise visit to the classroom of Catherine Malina, a kindergarten teacher at Desert Willow Elementary School in Cave Creek and presented her with the award on May 8.

Needless to say, Malina was surprised and delighted to be honored by the community.

“I’m shocked,” she said. “To be honored for something I love to do is totally unbelievable. I think this is the most rewarding occupation you can have, especially at this level. They’re like little sponges, so eager to learn everything. I get to teach them how to read. Teaching this age group is my passion. I wouldn’t trade jobs with anyone.”

Malina credits strong community support for a good part of  her success.

“The parent component is critical to the kids’ development,” she said. “I’ve got great parental involvement.”

She sends weekly treasures home so students can place them in their treasure box to remind them of the story or book of the week. They keep journals as they learn to read and write. Malina created “Reading Night” for parents to learn to teach their children to read. She continually strives to engage parents and students in all aspects of the developmental process.

Desert Willow Principal Jana Miller says she’s lucky to have Malina on her staff.

“She’s very creative,” Miller said. “She’s just outstanding. She ties something into every learning activity so the kids will remember. Everybody wants to be in her class. When the parents hear about her they want their children in her class. She’s a quiet leader with an excellent following. She’s been a leader in the district in implementing our full‑day kindergarten program. She’s very deserving of any recognition.

“If you’re in her classroom for a little while, you want to be in kindergarten again,” Miller says.