Recipient: Kymberly Wand              

School: Christ the King Catholic School, presently at St. Matthew's Catholic School

Number of Years Teaching: 5

Grade: 2 (presently teaching grade 1)

Kymberly Wand is in her 5^th year of teaching.  She has just moved from teaching grade twos at Christ the King Catholic School to teaching grade ones at St. Matthew's Catholic School. 

Kymberly is inspired when she sees how far her young students can come.  She sets high expectations for them and gives them many chances and opportunities to reach high goals.  By believing in them, she teaches them to believe in themselves.  Knowing she believes in them helps them to extend themselves. 

Kymberly gets excited with and for her students.  She loves their honesty, their excitement and the way their faces light up when they "get it".  She says that she can be having a bad day but then she sees her students' faces and it puts it all in perspective.

Both Kymberly's mom and husband had negative school experiences.  As she heard their stories she thought that she could be a teacher that would leave a positive and lasting impact in her students' lives.  She loves what she does and loves that she is in a role that can make a difference.

Theresa and Kevin's foster son was a student of Kymberly's.  They wrote:

We are nominating Kymberly Wand because she is the type of teacher who recognizes that she needs to touch the life of her students and their families academically, emotionally and spiritually. 

She takes the time to note our foster son's successes daily in his agenda and thanks him and us for bringing him into her life and sharing his smile and view of the world. He strives to improve on not only being a good student but also a good person.  He has experienced many challenges this school year yet with each new challenge feels more connected to his teacher.  He feels loved and cherished by her and as parents we recognize that.

Kymberly is always reframing situations for him so that he can walk away with the positive.  He may not be at the top of "his" class but he feels that she thinks he and every other student in the class are at the top of "her" class.  Students recognize when teachers believe in them. 

He will be leaving grade two a more confident little boy and because "he thinks he can", he will.

Thank you Mrs. Wand.  None of us know what effect that will have on him in his future and those people whom his life touches.