Congratulations to Alex Algones, December’s Teacher of the Month

We are thrilled to announce that Alex Algones, a seventh and eighth grade language arts teacher at Everett Middle School, is our December Teacher of the Month. This distinction is accompanied by a $1500 award for the recipient to spend outsideher/his classroom.We have worked with Mr. Algones for years through our Writers’ Room at Everett. For the past two years, Mr. Algones has been our partner teacher for the Straight-up News, and his students work with 826 Valencia weekly to produce this publication.

The student journalists from the Straight-up News nominated Mr. Algones this month, and they surprised him with the award at the release party of the newspaper last semester. In his letter of nomination, eighth grader Gabriel Rojas wrote, “In the two years that I’ve known Mr. Algones, he has been strict but helpful. If you look back on last year’s test scores, you will see that our test scores were high because of him.” Another student wrote, “Not many teachers can do what he does best: motivate children. Reading hasn’t always been my interest academically. Now I can’t [remember] that I used to be like that. I spend a lot more time reading, and Mr. Algones’s room contains a variety of books that kids tend to be interested in.”

Letter after letter from Mr. Algones’s students wowed us here at 826. We already knew we loved working with him, but it was the support of so many of his students that helped us understand just how positive an impact their teacher has made. Congratulations, Mr. Algones, and thank you for all that you do! Know a teacher you want to nominate? Check out our guidelines.