If you’ve got a Windsor Elementary in Loves Park student, you might already know the name Kimberly Slick. But if not, let us introduce you to a third-grade powerhouse making waves for all the right reasons.
97ZOK Teacher of the Week
Congratulations, Kimberly Slick from Windsor Elementary School in Loves Park, Illinois
Allison Maliszewski nominated Kimberly, she writes,
Ms. Slick is our son’s 3rd grade teacher at Windsor Elementary. Every day, she gives 100% to each and every one of her students. In my son’s classroom, which is part of the STP program at Windsor, each child has unique needs. Our son has autism, and school can sometimes be a challenge for him. This year, he has grown more than we have seen any other year, and I know this is because of Ms. Slick and her dedication to him, as well as every other child in her room.
She is constantly communicating with us, letting us know what new ideas and plans she is trying with our son to help him succeed and be his best self. She goes above and beyond to make sure that we are aware of what is going on in the classroom, which is SO important for a family when our son isn’t always able to find the words to tll us what he is doing in school or how his day went. She not only is helping him academically, but socially as well. She is very patient with him and helps him work through lots of different social situations at school, which can be difficult for a child on the spectrum.
What I am most impressed with, though, is the relationships she makes with her students in her class. My son played in a special needs basketball league this winter, and she came out to a couple games to show her support. He was so excited to see her, she got a hug before I did! As a teacher myself, I know how important it is for a child to feel safe, loved, and supported in the classroom. I know without a doubt that each day I send my son to school, he is in a room where he is supported, safe, and loved. He has started to use a saying that Ms. Slick uses at school, and often reminds his dad and I of this as well, “I can do hard things!” Thanks to Ms. Slick, my son has had a phenomenal year, and we are secretly hoping she moves up to the next grade level so he can have her again next year. I have worked with and currently work with some amazing teachers, but I cannot think of another educator more deserving of Teacher of the Week than MS. Slick…