This week, we’re showing our #CPSDPride by giving a #SuperSchoolShoutout to Early Learning Program (ELP) educators Sarah Frye and Midori Hardwick.
Sarah has been part of the ELP for 28 years and has been with Evergreen Elementary School for the past 20 years. “My dad was a lieutenant colonel here on JBLM, so I love working with military families and giving back to my community,” she said.
Sarah enjoys building academic and social foundations in young children and giving them their very first experience of school. “I love teaching hands-on activities to spark their curiosity academically while they learn how to make friends and understand their emotions,” she said.
Sarah is proud of her years of experience and is now thrilled to help others as a mentor. “My daughter is now an ELP teacher at Dower, and I’ve helped others become teachers as well,” she said. “Being able to share my knowledge while seeing what they’ve experienced helps me be a lifelong learner too.”
Midori is an ELP teacher at the Early Learning Center who teaches more than 20 students alongside her teaching assistant, Nilza Galindo, and family support specialist, Jazmin Nunes. “My team is fantastic,” she said. “We emphasize respect between students and teachers and the importance of loving one another.”
Midori is proud to begin her students’ educational journey outside of the home and creates individualized lesson plans for each student in partnership with their families. “Families are our most important partners,” she said. “They trust us with so many important experiences and it’s exciting to be a part of that.”
Midori gets to see student growth firsthand and is driven by watching her kids blossom. “Seeing them naming their feelings and helping them find solutions to their problem is so rewarding,” she said. “You get to watch them master that and become independent, respectful people.”
Go Tigers!