[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MS. DANA SIMON

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dana 
Simon, who is being honored today by the Napa County Office of 
Education as a 2017 Napa County Teacher of the Year.
  Ms. Simon grew up in Lafayette, California and completed her Bachelor 
of Arts in English at the University of Southern California. After 
completing her English teaching credential at San Francisco State 
University, Ms. Simon began teaching at Pleasanton Middle School in 
1996, and has worked with middle schoolers ever since. She completed 
her Master of Science in Education focusing on Curriculum and 
Instruction in 2007, and has been working with students at Robert Louis 
Stevenson Middle School in St. Helena, California since 2010.
  Ms. Simon makes her classroom a creative and fun environment to 
inspire students to become engaged learners. She sets high expectations 
for her students and provides them with the support and encouragement 
they need to achieve great results. Outside the classroom, Ms. Simon is 
a member of the school's Technology Committee and the Advancement Via 
Individual Determination Site Team, ensuring all students have access 
to the resources they need to succeed.
  Even with her busy teaching schedule, Ms. Simon has found time to 
engage with important civic causes. She serves as a member of the Napa 
Family Law Justice Center's Strategic Planning Committee, and she 
previously sat on the board of Congregation Beth Shalom.
  Mr. Speaker, Dana Simon has dedicated two decades of her career to 
inspiring students in our community to learn and strive for excellence, 
both through her engaging work in the classroom and as a community 
leader. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor her here 
today.

                          ____________________