Recipient: Connie Foran

School: St. Elizabeth’s Catholic School

Number of Years Teaching: 29

Grade: 2

 Inspiration for being a teacher of excellence:

 We caught up with Connie in the middle of her grade 2 classroom.  It seems that there has never been a happier group of students...big smiles, a feeling of community and a deep love of their teacher.

 Connie loves children.  She is inspired by their energy and the great effort they put forth to learn something new.  She gets excited when after trying and trying the student finally gets it and lights up with pride.  She also loves watching her students take new information, learn more about it, grow it and then apply it in their lives.  Connie truly believes that each individual is special with potential.  She teaches these little people respect, making positive and right choices and thinking of others so they will be successful and contributing people.

 A group of parents and students put together a beautiful nomination package about Connie.  They wrote:

 Mrs. Foran is a calm, patient, committed, motivating, kind, caring, enthusiastic, dedicated, gentle, incredible, inspiring, spiritual, respected and respectful teacher and individual.  She has taught the average student to be well rounded, the special needs student to reach their full potential, the child with a low self esteem to feel good about themselves.  She has taught the forgotten child to feel important, a frightened child to feel safe, the aggressive child to always use their words and the curious child to continue to be curious. 

 My son, in the middle of his year in Mrs. Foran’s grade 2 class said, “Mom, remember when I asked Daddy where I came from and he told me that he went up to heaven to pick me out?  Well, if that really was true than I bet Mrs. Foran was picked in heaven to be a teacher, like I was picked to be your son.  She is the best teacher and I love her.”