Four teachers win in annual awards
While many were celebrating an impending snow day last night, a joyful group of educators and students braved the cold with zeal to celebrate the parish's teachers at the Heymann Center for the annual LEF Teacher Awards.
Each year hundreds of the area's educators are nominated - this year more than 350 - in categories including elementary, middle, high school and an inspirational teacher. Those teachers are surprised during the annual Pin Patrol from Lafayette Education Foundation as volunteers head to each school to announce the nominees. The field is quickly narrowed to 16 who arrived in their best on the red carpet last night to applause and camera flash a la Hollywood awards season.
The Teacher of the Year Awards went to:
Lynn Mcelroy, Woodvale Elementary School
Victoria Landry, LJ Alleman Middle School
Kirk Baudoin, Lafayette High School
Rachel Allen Gaspard, Paul Breaux Middle School (inspirational category)
The top 16 LEF 2014 Teacher Awards Finalists
Elementary School Category
JoLynn Dean, J. Wallace James Elementary, 2nd Grade
Lynn McElroy, Woodvale Elementary, 2nd Grade
Jessica Mouton, Evangeline Elementary, Librarian
Lindsay Nardini, Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School, 3rd Grade
Middle School Category
Josie Abington, Youngsville Middle, 7th Grade Math
Annette Chapman, Paul Breaux Middle, 7th Grade Science
Michelle Lakhotia, Judice Middle, 7th Grade Math
Victoria Landry, L.J. Alleman Middle, 5th-8th Grade Choir
High School Category
Kirk Baudoin, Lafayette High, 10th-11th Grade Health Sciences
Sandra Broussard, Comeaux High, Speech and Debate
Matthew Canone, Comeaux High, 11th Grade English
Kevin Martin, W.D. Smith Career Center, Cosmetology
Inspirational Category
Rachel Allen Gaspard, Paul Breaux Middle, Special Education
Catherine Harper, Judice Middle, 7th Grade English and Language Arts
Lisette Henderson, Comeaux High, Spanish and REAL Program
Amy Ruddock, Lafayette Christian Academy, 3rd Grade