Hi! I’m Katy Andersen and I have been the principal at Joan MacQueen Middle School since 2003.  I was raised in East County and went to Grossmont High School. I attended the University of La Verne and began teaching in 1982. In March of 1989, I started working in the Alpine Union School District as a substitute teacher.  In September of that year I was hired as a 5^th grade teacher at Shadow Hills. I taught grades 3-4-5 at SHS for 8 years.  Back then I was Mrs. Woodward.  I started at MacQueen as a sixth grade humanities teacher in 1997 and then became Assistant Principal in 2001.  One of the greatest things about being in the same district for so long is that I am now having ‘grandstudents’ come through JMMS. Former students as successful parents is so great to see!

My core philosophy of education is that I truly feel that every child can learn and it is our job as educators to figure out the how for each child.  All students really want to be successful, some need more support than others in that endeavor.  Academics are only a part of what the middle school child needs – meeting the social and emotional needs are also critical. 

I absolutely love my job as principal – every day is unique and offers new challenges! I also enjoy photography, card making, gardening and Jeeping with my husband. I was married just over three years ago – thus the transformation from Woodward to Andersen. (My husband actually proposed to me during a staff meeting I was holding in our computer lab.) I have a 27 year-old daughter that attended Shadow Hills, Joan MacQueen, Granite Hills and recently graduated from City University of New York. She is now pursuing a career behind the camera in film in Austin, Texas.  Hopefully the role of grandmother will be in my not-too-distant future!