Nominations for HiMama's Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award 2017. These are the top 10 most votes nominees.

1. FINALISTS

2. Ellie Ferrier | TowerLight Child Care | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nominated by: Michelle Jirik, Center Director
Ellie has been working for TowerLight Child Care since the first day it
opened. She has been instrumental in developing and implementing our
Intergenerational Curriculum. On a daily basis, Ellie makes the
environment for the children and grandfriends her top priority. Her
passion for excellence in education for the children is so clearly
demonstrated in the children she has impacted. Our children and
families are drawn to her love for everyone who enters her room. Ellie
has been a Teacher at TowerLight for 5 years in our young preschool
room.
She has a degree from North American Montessori School, and is an
Early Childhood Educator. Ellie has taught English as a second
language at Wizard Idioms School and her home country is Brazil. Ellie
has countless colleagues, parents and friends who are a strong
advocate for this nomination and all her hard work.
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3. Julia Hardy | Ferris Lane Community Daycare | Barrie, Ontario
Nominated by Michelle Goss, Center Director
Julia Hardy has been a Registered Early Childhood Educator for the past
10 years. She is a well-rounded teacher who is always willing to try new
and exciting activities and experiences with the children in her care. She is
responsible for our before and after school program and also runs our
nursery school program in the mornings throughout the school year. The
children in her care have incredible experiences like no other; from dress-
up, dramatic play, science, sensory, creative and so much more. Julia
always has something going on in her class, big or small.
Julia isn’t afraid to test and try new approaches in early education. She tries
it all and is never afraid to get dirty herself! What I admire about Julia is that
circle time is her specialty! She loves to sing, dance, read stories with
props, even dress up in character so the children have the full experience.
Julia has more than 10 years of experience in the field of childcare. She
started with Ferris Lane Community Daycare when she was still studying at
Seneca College. She graduated in December, 2007 and was hired as a full-
time permanent RECE in January 2008. She has worked with children from
toddler age to school age. She is married with a toddler-aged son and
another one on the way!533

4. Brenda Holmes |Madison Montessori Academy |Kemptville, Ontario
Nominated by Ashley Graham, Parent
Each morning when I drop off my daughter in
Miss Brenda’s Toddler Montessori class, we get
a tremendous smile and a big warm greeting! It
is not easy to leave your child each day but
having her in Brenda's class feels right as I
know she will be safe and loved. To see my
child naturally reach out to grab Brenda's hand
and go play, fortifies why we made the decision
to have her at that daycare. Even with two
young children of her own that attend the same
Montessori, she has a natural gift to make each
child feel special and important to her. Whether
it is getting down to their level and asking about
their new shirt or a small toy in their hand, her
genuineness is felt by the kids and their parents.
It is often the little things that add up. Just one
small example of many exemplary things she
does is she is hardly ever gone but if she is
going to be away, Brenda sends an email to
the parents and will let us know. A simple detail
such as this is so comforting as she takes the
time to keep parents connected. She is always
thinking of us even on her time off to keep us
aware and prepared for upcoming events and
activities.
She is a knowledgeable educator and has the
ability to observe and assess each child.
Brenda provides new creative and fun material
for children to work on when they are in need of
a challenge or will continue to encourage them
until they have mastered that skill. She sets
these children up for success through fun and
play! She always takes the time to talk to
parents and never rushes us whenever we have
a concern. She also tells us little details of our
child's day during pickup, even at the end of her
day, as she gets her own children ready to go
home. It will be a sad day when the time comes
for our toddlers to transition into the next
program of Casa leaving behind a wonderful role
model.
I can confidentiality say that how I feel about
Brenda as my child's Early Years Educator is felt
by the many children, parents and families she
has enriched. I just don't want to nominate
Brenda, I want to praise and thank her for going
above and beyond for our children! Brenda is an
exceptional Early Years Educator. She is truly
deserving to be acknowledged as a professional
in her field of Early Education.
Brenda is one of the Head Toddler Directresses
at Madison Montessori Academy in a small town
outside Canada's Capital. She has been with
MMA since 2007. Brenda has wanted to work
with children ever since she was a little girl.
Brenda remembers inviting the neighbourhood
kids over when she was young to play school in
a classroom that she made.
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5. Heidi Lacroix | Madison Montessori Academy | Kemptville, Ontario
Nominated by Melissa Button, Parent
If you were to look up the definition of what an ECE should be, there
would be a picture of Heidi. She isn’t just an ECE, she is a mother to
these kids when we are at work.
She goes above and beyond to ensure every one of those kids feels
loved and nurtured. She thinks outside of the box for activities and I’m
pretty certain she gets just as excited, if not more so than the kiddos –
ha! Heidi isn’t just one our child’s providers. She has become family. She
is going through an uphill battle currently as she is sick and instead of
focusing on that, she’s asking how the kids are. Please consider her for
this. She is so deserving. Heidi has worked for 2 different centres and
has been with Madison Montessori for a few years. She currently works
in the Kingston Mills Toddler class.
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6. Ebony Mayham | Impact Learning Center | Jacksonville, Florida
Nominated by Star Postell, Center Director
Ms. Ebony a passionate, dedicated, and hard-working teacher! She has
been working with us at Impact Learning Center for the last two years
and has grown so much as an educator during that time. Her students
have made excellent growth as well. She started as a “Two Teacher”,
then was promoted to the “Three’s” and is now is the Lead VPK Teacher.
The students that have transitioned with her during this time are
exceeding their VPK benchmarks, reading and writing on a kindergarten
level! During these last two years, Ms. Ebony has completed her
National CDA and is now one semester away from completing her
Bachelors' Degree!
We can’t think of a better person for this award! Ms. Ebony has been
working in childcare for almost 10 years. She has a National CDA, with
staff credentials, and is one semester away from completing her
Bachelor’s Degree. She has two daughters of her own and hopes to
show them that with hard work you can accomplish anything!
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7. Brittany Nelson | Goshen Learning Center & Pre-K | Augusta, Georgia
Nominated by: Shannon Tharpe, Center Director
I have been here at Goshen for 28 years and Miss Brittany is the BEST I
have seen! She goes way beyond her daily duties. She helps ALL of the
teachers with everything and is always pleasant and willing to
help...EVERY DAY. Parents even ask before school starts, "Is Miss
Brittany still there?" And I HAPPILY tell them yes!! Our children are the
luckiest in the world, but I am biased (:
She studied at Augusta State, has a Bachelors degree, is in school now
going for her Masters. Brittany just bought her first home and she has
worked at the Ronald McDonald House. In her spare time, she is always
spending time with other children, and it’s per passion to help them.
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8. Kecia Nunn | Discovering Me Academy #1 | Houston, Texas
Nominated by Tanisha Butler, Head
Teacher
Mrs. Kecia has been a wonderful addition to
Discovering Me Academy. A native
Houstonian, Mrs. Kecia has worked for
several corporate childcare centers in
administrative positions before joining the
Discovering Me Academy Team in 2013.
Since her tenure, she has assisted in
growing the center from approximately 80
children to over 200 children, and from one
location to two locations. She has
pioneered our Texas Rising Star success,
has been a veteran liaison between
Discovering Me Academy and the Texas
School Ready project, and recently worked
with the Directors on implementing a new
nationally recognized curriculum. In 2015,
Mrs. Kecia was promoted to Lead Teacher
and assisted in growing the Pre-School
Program from 30 all day children to over 70
all day pre-school children.
Mrs. Kecia is a firm believer learning begins
on the carpet. She assists in creating tools
and find resources to aid in making the
Teacher’s and Assistant Teacher’s jobs
innovative and enjoyable. In her role as
Lead Teacher, every day was different and
never boring! She has
a true passion for leading the school
ethically, challenging and supporting not
only the staff but the children as well.
Mrs. Kecia builds a sense of community,
self-awareness and focuses on the core
beliefs of early child development while
encouraging children to be the best they
can be. Mrs. Kecia was recently promoted
to Curriculum Coordinator and continues to
assist Lead Teachers and both facilities.
She strives to make every day pleasant and
enjoyable for the children and staff. She is
passionate about sustainability and goes
the extra miles on days Discovering Me
Academy experiences staff shortages. She
is a true role model in professionalism and
leads by example. Over the past year, Mrs.
Kecia has facilitated Saturday training on
classroom management, teaching
techniques, literacy, and most recently
conducted a training on Helping Children
Cope in the Wake of Traumatic
Experiences a training she conducted to
assist staff help children affected by
Hurricane Harvey.
I am very proud Discovering Me Academy
as a role model of best practices on our
team. Not only do we value Mrs. Kecia our
fantastic parents and school community
partners value Mrs. Kecia pleasant attitude,
warm and genuine demeanor. When
parents partner with us and look forward to
working with staff it makes a big difference
on the impact we have on children during
their early years. The dedication and
commitment Mrs. Kecia has exemplified not
only to the school but children and parents
are one of the vital reasons Discovering Me
Academy is able to stand by our mission.
Her back to basics approach to the early
learning environment and 100 percent
dedication makes her a true leader in the
Early Childhood Industry.
Mrs. Kecia Nunn is from Houston, Texas.
She received her associate degree in Early
Child Development from Houston
Community College. She has over 30 years’
experience in Early Childhood Education
and has held several administrative
positions at corporate childcare facilities but
finds her true passion working directly with
children in underprivileged areas. She has
been married to her wonderful husband
Randy for 15 years, and enjoys spending
time with her three granddaughters and
German Shepard Peppa.
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9. Jenny Rahm | Elegant Child Early Learning Center | Ballwin, Missouri
Nominated by Meg Saak, Lead Teacher
Have you ever heard the term "Act in such a way that if anyone spoke ill of you, no
one would believe them"? Well, that quote was most likely coined because they
met Miss Jenny. Having worked with Jenny for 40 hours a week for a long while, I
can tell you that there is not one minute of that she wasn't caring, nurturing,
enthusiastic and most importantly KIND. She would go over and above for each
child and would take time out to really, REALLY learn each child's learning style.
She would format her curriculum around each child, and be excited while doing it.
She always does the right thing not just because it's the right thing to do, but
because she sincerely wants the best for each child and parent she meets.
My life is different because of her, each day just seems a bit sunnier to each
person she is around. She teaches a classroom full of 4-year-olds and basically
comes running in each day. She goes around the room and individually says good
morning to each child every.single.day. I have never met someone quite like Jenny,
but I sure am a better person because of it. I just cannot imagine a better person
for an award such as this...she exudes perfection as an example and teacher.
Jenny attended BYU in Idaho where she studied Early Childhood Education. She
now lives in Saint Louis and is happily married to her darling husband Jordan. She
enjoys photography (which she is incredibly good at) and spending time with her
big family!
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10. Johanna Richardson | Christian Life Academy | Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Nominated by Kathleen Megahan, Center Director
Johanna is very patient with all types of learners. She meets them
where they are, and gently encourages them to grow. She is kind, and
loving, yet firm and creative in all she does.
She has a true passion for helping children believe in themselves and
their potential, especially children that are struggling to find their way.
Johanna has been with us since 2011 as a Pre-K4 teacher but has
been teaching since 1998.
She is a mentor teacher in our school and is highly requested by
parents. She has a Bachelors in Early Childhood and Elementary
Childhood from Kutztown University
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11. Leah Sawadski | Childventures Early Learning Academy | Burlington, Ontario
Nominated by Lily Nicholson, Parent
Leah forms warm and loving relationships with all the children at
Childventures. She continually puts their safety as a top priority
while enhancing their learning and development with new
opportunities every day. Every morning my boy gives Leah a huge
smile and it makes me so happy to see what a positive
relationship they’ve developed. She goes above and beyond each
day by keeping parents informed of their child’s day to day
activities.
I love seeing how proud she is of her students daily
achievements. We love Leah, and we are so happy to have found
such a fantastic role model for my boy! Leah has been with
Childventures for three years and has nine years total experience
as a Registered Early Childhood Educator in Ontario
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