And while the term "schools" takes in buildings and grounds, hard-working administrators, and dedicated support staff, none of that would mean much without excellent teachers.

On Thursday night the community paused from its usual routine to honor those teachers - one from each school in the valley, selected by their peers for their excellence in mentoring other teachers, their excellence in developing outstanding curricula, their excellence in engaging young minds and in reaching out to family members.

In short, these teachers were honored for their innovations and dedication that help build the excellent communities in this valley.

A lot of "community building" is done in public by elected or appointed officials, such as city council or planning commission members, who approve or quash new neighborhoods - or the overhaul of old ones -  in the spotlight of public and media attention.

But the community building that involves helping a youngster see alternatives to gang membership, guiding a youth to discover gifts that can set him on a rewarding career path, reaching out to parents to show them how to support their child's academic pursuits, or challenging an adolescent to turn from drugs - this oh-so-important community building goes on outside the spotlight, behind classroom doors.

And too often, it's overlooked.

So we pause on this Sunday as we near the end of the school year to thank the Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation and business sponsors who made Thursday night's 2008 Teacher Tribute possible.

But most of all, we salute these teachers for their dedication to building an excellent community for all of us:

Castaic Union School District
Dana Mazzocco, grade 1, Live Oak Elementary School

Kenneth L. Hooker II, grade 6, Castaic Middle School

Laura Kubler, kindergarten, Castaic Elementary School

RuthAnne Murthy, grade 3, Northlake Hills Elementary School

William S. Hart Union High School District
Audrey Asplund, grade 7, Rio Norte Junior High School

Daniel Cota, grades 7 and 8, Placerita Junior High School

David DeLong, grades 9 through 12, Canyon High School

Harlan Perlman, grades 9 through 12, Learning Post High School

John E. Ahart, grade 9, William S. Hart High School

John Salapatek, grades 11 and 12, Golden Valley High School

Julie Huffman, grade 8, Sierra Vista Junior High School

Mary Krumrich, grades 7 and 8, Rancho Pico Junior High School

Patricia Hibbert, biology and earth science, Sequoia Charter School

Sandra Geyer, grades 10 and 11, Bowman High School

Sean O'Brien, grades 9 through 12, West Ranch High School

Seth Groller, grades 9 through 12, Saugus High School

Shirley Colvin, grades 7 and 8, La Mesa Junior High School

Susan Peterson, grades 9 through 12, Valencia High School

Victoria Anne Rubay, grades 11 and 12, Academy of the Canyons

Von Hougo, science and video production, Arroyo Seco Junior High School

Newhall School District
Carla Hicks, kindergarten, grades 1 and 3, Oak Hills Elementary School

Carolyn Baresi, grade 5, Pico Elementary School

Carrie Boyd, grade 4, Stevenson Ranch Elementary School

Cindy Schmidt, grades 3 and 4, Old Orchard Elementary School

Jennifer Avilla, grade 5, J. Michael McGrath Elementary School

Joan Summers, grades 1 through 5, Meadows Elementary School

Joanna Kawamoto, grade 2, Valencia Valley Elementary School

Judy Nicol, grades 4 through 6, Peachland Elementary School

Molly Cop, all grades, Wiley Canyon Elementary School

Tay Riemer, grades 1 and 4, Newhall Elementary School

Saugus Union School District
Adina Neale, grades 2 and 5, North Park Elementary School

Connie Arbogast Lindsay, grades kindergarten through 6, Rosedell Elementary School

Dena Rusk, all grades, Mountainview Elementary School

Donna Soliz, grades 1, 2 and 6, Charles Helmers Elementary School

Gail Knipp, grade 1, Highlands Elementary School

Ingrid Boydston, grades kindergarten, 1 and 6, Bridgeport Elementary School

Katherine Squires, kindergarten, Rio Vista Elementary School

Kathleen Perdisatt, grades 2 and 5, Bouquet Canyon Elementary School

Leslie Rose, kindergarten, grades 3, 5 and 6, Plum Canyon Elementary School

Robin Payre, kindergarten, Cedarcreek Elementary School

Sarah Faulkner, grades 3 and 6, Tesoro del Valley Elementary School

Shari Lewis, kindergarten, Santa Clarita Elementary School

Theresa Smith, all grades, James Foster Elementary School

Tiffany Holliday-Desmond, grade 3, Emblem Elementary School

Virginia Terracciano, grades 1 and 2, Skyblue Mesa Elementary School Sulphur Springs School District

Amy Strassner, grades 4 through 6, Mint Canyon Elementary School

Celeste Gardina, grades 2 and 3, Pinetree Elementary School

Julie Speak, speech and language, Valley View Elementary School

Kristina Puth, grades 4 through 6, Leona H. Cox Elementary School

Laurie Morris-Curtis, grades 5 and 6, Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary School

Michelle Schmitt, grades 4 through 6, Mitchell Elementary School

Penny McRea, grade 1, Canyon Springs Elementary School

Rosarie Compton, grade 2, Sulphur Springs Elementary School