Faculty Member

Catherine McDonald

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Schedule

Major (hon) Catherine McDonald has completed two years as a teacher at Summerlin Academy teaching English and Reading. This year she will be teaching English and AP English Literature.
A Polk County native, McDonald was born and raised in Lake Wales, FL where she attended schools from pre-school through high school, making a name in the community for being a bagpiper.
Upon graduating from LWHS in 1993, she attended the University of South Florida in Tampa. McDonald studied Engineering for two years before switching paths drastically and majored in Special Education. This complete change in focus was due to working at the Florida Lions Camp for the visually disabled. While a student in the College of Education, McDonald worked for the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) where she organized, edited and published teacher written technology lesson plans on the organization's website. She also managed the computer labs for the CoEd and assisted instructors in integration of technology to their lectures through PowerPoint and authorware presentations.
Graduating from USF in 1997, she immediately began teaching in her field at Edgewater High School in Orlando. Her move to Orlando was due in great part to membership in Rosie O'Grady Highlanders, a competitive pipe band. She only taught in Orlando one year, because she soon realized she is a small town girl at heart and doesn't like living in a city.
McDonald returned to Polk County where she taught in Haines City, Lake Wales, and Frostproof. During her five and a half years at Frostproof Middle Senior High School, McDonald earned her Graduate Degree from Grand Canyon University in Reading Curriculum and Instruction.
McDonald also holds the title of Pipe Major for Rosie O'Grady Highlanders where she is the Pipe Major for the Grade V competitive band and competes frequently in solo competitions at Highland Games around the southeastern US. McDonald also teaches bagpipes at Summerlin and for the Lake Wales Highlander Band as well as private lessons at home.
Major McDonald currently holds certifications in Emotionally Handicapped K-12, Exceptional Student Education K-12, ESOL K-12, Reading K-12, and English 6-12.