On April 20, 2004 Kathy was recognized as the National Teacher of the Year.
Photographs of the national awards ceremony will be available shortly. The
celebration of her selection as the RI Teacher of the Year which was announced
in October is found below.
Click here for news articles announcing Kathy's selection
Click here to view
photos of the DMS assembly celebrating Kathy's selection.
Kathy Mellor, an ESL teacher at Davisville Middle and Hamilton Elementary Schools has been named Rhode Island Teacher of the year for 2004. On Thursday, October 30th she was surprised by a visit from RI Commissioner of Education Peter McWalters and Governor Donald Carcieri who notified her of the award. Students, colleagues, and representatives of the North Kingstown school administration were on hand to offer their praise and congratulations. Earlier this year Kathy was selected as the North Kingstown Teacher of the Year. She was recognized on October 8th by the North Kingstown school committee.
Kathy, who originally studied French, decided to combine her facility with language with a desire to work with younger children, and chose a career in the area of ESL (English as a Second Language). She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary education from Rhode Island College; she also received a masters degree in English as a Second Language and Cross Cultural Studies from Brown University. Thoughout her years in North Kingstown, Kathy has had students from virtually every part of the globe. This year her students represent Laos, Korea, Bolivia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. The purpose of her class is to raise students' level of English to a point where they can read, write, and be academically successful. She works closely with classroom teachers providing support which allows her students to thrive academically.
In addition to working with students to increase their English language proficiency, Kathy recognized that some of her students' parents could benefit from instruction in the language. To meet this need she and two other teachers formed a group called the Ladybugs. Each week the teachers met with mothers and grandmothers to teach them English. These women wanted to learn English so they could become more involved with their childrens' education and become a more integral part of the community.
Each spring Kathy hosts an International Picnic where her students and their families gather to celebrate their achievements during the school year and to enjoy an wonderful variety of international treats. Members of the entire school community anxiously await the coveted invitations!
In addition to her work in the classroom, Kathy is an active member of the Davisville Middle School community. She serves on numerous committees and has been an active participant in the school reform initiative at DMS. Her hard work and countless contributions have earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues who nominated her for this award. We are all extremely proud of Kathy and celebrate this most deserved award.
Click here to see more photos of the awards ceremony