Lindsay Stuart

Year: 2016 – Province: Saskatchewan

Certificate of Excellence Recipient

Lindsay Stuart

Henry Braun School
710 Graham Road
Regina, Saskatchewan  S4N 7A5

Contact information
Telephone: 306-791-8548
Email: henrybraun@rbe.sk.ca
Website:
http://henrybraun.rbe.sk.ca/
http://msstuartskinders.blogspot.ca

Type of setting: Kindergarten for children ages 4 to 6 years

An experienced educator, whose classroom is a destination for educators from across Western Canada, Lindsay Stuart approaches school as a learning adventure rather than a prescribed set of activities.

Philosophy of care

"Ms. S." is a true facilitator of learning, and an unyielding advocate for the power and potential of "little people." She focuses on the well-being and long-term development of her young learners, believing that Kindergarten is about more than just preparing for Grade 1.

Support of child development

  • Creates authentic opportunities—inside the classroom and elsewhere—for children to develop, master and model age-appropriate skills, facilitating their learning and development, as well as their teacher's assessment.
  • Empowers students to change the world: a class project to make Christmas cards for a terminally ill girl led Kindergarten students to get the entire school involved, resulting in 500 cards being sent.
  • Establishes a strong focus on self-regulation by teaching her students a variety of strategies to respond to any situation they encounter in life.

Involvement with parents, families and the community

  • Seeks to integrate school and home: children share daily accomplishments through online portfolios; the Friday Folder goes home with samples of work and materials to work on skill-building; text messages provide parents with reminders and real-time updates during the school day.
  • Engages community leaders, industry professionals and family members to be class experts whom children may contact electronically (through FaceTime, for example) to answer questions.
  • Hosts Family Days, Literacy Nights and Family Games Nights to bring multiple generations of families together for activities and to build connections.

Rave reviews

"The kids in Lindsay's class come to believe that the best part of being in her room is learning that they can change the world."

Nominator

"There is in Lindsay a deep sense of curiosity that … inspires her pedagogy, as well as an unequivocal belief in, and respect for, young children and their families."

Associate Professor of Education