Teachers Rock Nomination: Lara Figueroa

Name of the teacher who rocks!: Lara Figueroa
School in which she/he teaches: Ellis Memorial Pre- School

Lara came to Ellis a little over two years ago, with a Master in Early Education, she took over the Pre- K classroom. Her first class graduation class was fantastic all of the children were highly prepared for k1 class in the public school system. Her teaching style is best describe as one with a constant smile , patience, always at eye level, creates exciting activities to engage children, completely on top of all child assessments and stages of development. She is creative and finds ways to engage parents in the classroom, children are always asking parents to take books from Ellis home to read with their parents. Last August during Pre-K graduation ceremony one of her students (4.5year old) read a poem about children out loud in front of 50 parents and guess, the entire room was in amazement and joy there was not a dry eye in the room. A recent letter from a parent with a disable child wrote about Lara's classroom and I quote:

"Like many parents, my husband Kevin and I were apprehensive when selecting a summer program for our four-year-old. Because our daughter Delilah has Down syndrome, our trepidation may have been a bit more acute. However, those fears were quickly allayed during those early weeks in July. We have been hugely impressed with the level of academic rigor and nurturing that all children, including Delilah, receive at the Ellis. We saw staff and volunteers foster an unparalleled sense of community despite the challenges of working with such a diverse group of children. It is because of our fondness for the Ellis that I am writing to express our appreciation and gratitude.
Delilah was welcomed to the Ellis with open arms. It is our understanding that Delilah was the only child in her program with Down syndrome, and it seemed that her teachers and other staff members saw it as an opportunity to learn about working with someone new. She was treated like any other precocious child, and the classroom expectations and curriculum were the same for her as for her peers. Consequently, her peers treated her as any other kid in the class, not as someone "special." Another reason for this may be the Ellis's commitment to servicing families of different racial and socio-economic backgrounds; with so much diversity, students see what unifies them as well as what makes them so obviously unique. The Ellis teaches that it is okay to be different because we all bring something new, and that is one of the rewards of living in an urban community.
At the Ellis, Boston is the classroom. Every day at the school was a new adventure for Delilah and her classmates. They regularly walked to the Boston Public Library, the fountain at the Christian Science complex, and Titus Sparrow Park. Their journeys familiarized them with their hometown, exposing them to the rich sights and sounds of busy Boston mornings. The kids had to practice patience and cooperation on these outings (seriously, I am forever in awe of how Delilah's teachers negotiated these long walks with a group of three- and four-year olds!) In addition, there was a field trip to the aquarium that seamlessly tied into the children's classroom curriculum. These experiences helped Delilah transition into her Kindergarten I class in Boston Public Schools".

In closing I believe the Children of Ellis Memorial are truly fortunate to have a special Teacher like Lara. Please give this teacher a careful review. Thank you.