FAIRHAVEN, Mass. — Earlier this year in February, St. Joseph Middle School teacher Laurie Plante broke her foot in two places while training for spring running events. The severity of the injury required major foot reconstructive surgery, requiring weeks of medical leave. One month later, while still on leave and recovering, Plante learned of the need for classes to be taught remotely due to the COVID-19 crisis. She immediately contacted the school principal and offered to return to teaching with a full course load. Without hesitation, Plante met with all of her students every day via Zoom and continued teaching the math and science courses for her 53 middle school students. This is one example as to why Laurie Plante has been named the “99.9 the Q” Teacher of the Month for June.
On June 5, Rebecca Romo of “99.9 the Q” interviewed Plante about her passion for educating children. “I feel so good about our future because my students represent the future,” explained Plante. “During this very difficult time, our school is still open, just the building is closed, and these kids are thirsting to continue to learn, even during the summer. My students love the fact that we still have a schedule and some sense of normalcy. They truly do not want their math and science classes to end!”
Faith Piazza, the principal of St. Joseph School, added, “It is no surprise that Mrs. Plante has received this award. We constantly have received such great feedback from parents and students about her enthusiasm, her dedication, as well as her commitment to teaching middle school students. Math and science are such important subjects, and Mrs. Plante has always been so creative at teaching these concepts with everyday activities.” This is in reference to the making of pizza dough via Zoom to demonstrate the chemistry between yeast and warm water.
Sandra Cambra initiated the nomination of Plante and communicated her nomination, which quickly spread throughout the school. “Mrs. Plante is the most energetic and enthusiastic loving and creative middle school teacher a parent could ask for. She has transitioned from in-school to virtual learning easily — even doing video lessons from her wheelchair after leg surgery. Nothing stops her from being with her children.”
The Teacher of the Month contest is sponsored by Ryan’s Ten Pin Eatery. The interview can be found on the school website and Facebook page or at the following link: https://soundcloud.com/feelgoodmornings/may-teacher-of-the-month-laurie-plante-st-joseph-school-fairhaven
For more information about St. Joseph School, please go to https://www.saintjosephschool.org/.
For more information about the Catholic School Alliance, please go to https://www.catholicschoolsalliance.org.
The Catholic Schools Alliance comprises administrators, teachers, staff, parents and clergy joined in partnership to educate the children of the Diocese of Fall River in Catholic faith and values. Our schools have a demanding educational culture that helps students from across the academic spectrum reach their God-given potential. With an emphasis on service and respect for the dignity of every person, we prepare students to meet the challenges of today’s diverse world and become meaningful contributors to society.
