At Chapelle, a tradition named Spotlight Teacher recently began. Every month, our Assistant Principal (Mrs. Panzavecchia) collects nominations submitted by both parents and students for a teacher who they think does an outstanding job. This past month, our Eighth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Savoie won this award. Our students and parents recognized Mrs. Savoie for her amazing work. Eighth-grader Molly Jerrigan interviewed our beloved teacher!

Molly: What do you like most about teaching at Chapelle?

Mrs. Savoie: “It feels closer to home, especially because I came here as a student. It’s fun to see students go through things that I did when I was here, but it’s also exciting to see all the new things since I’ve taught here. It’s just really cool to see how the school continues to keep some traditions from when I was still here, but grow at the same time.”

M: Why did you choose this subject to teach?

S: “I’ve always loved the writing aspect of English, but I didn’t discover a love for reading until about after college. When I was in high school, I was often bored by the things I had to read. Once I started picking what I wanted to, I realized that I really do like to read. So as a teacher, I think I would like to find that one book for a student while she is still in high school. But, my favorite part of English has always been the writing. I love to write. I just try to encourage my students to enjoy what they do and be creative and inspire them to express themselves in their writings.”

M: Why did you choose this grade to teach?

S: “I love teaching eighth-graders because most of them are still enthusiastic about learning new things. They are so sweet because they always want to help me in some way with class, and they are willing to help each other if one of their friends needs it. Eighth-graders find joy with everything that’s happening in Chapelle. It makes me almost share my excitement and enthusiasm for Chapelle.”

M: If you could tell your students one thing, what would you tell them? (Life advice)

S: “I feel like the most important thing I would want students to know is that everyone has something she is really good at. I just hate seeing some people beat themselves up over something they may not be the best at or they’re not perfect at because no one’s perfect.” 

M: How did you react when it was announced that you got Spotlight Teacher?

S: “My eyes definitely filled with some tears. I was extremely excited, and humbled, and just genuinely happy.”

M: What made you decide you wanted to be a teacher?

S: “As a kid, I had aunts who were teachers, and I looked up to them. I’ve always loved school, and even when I wasn’t in school, I would be at home ‘playing school’. Sometimes I would visit my aunts’ classrooms, and I always saw how much their students loved them, and that was just something I really wanted to experience. The only thing that ever held me back was that I was shy, but once I actually started doing it, all the nerves went away.”

M: What type of student were you when you were still in school? 

S: “I was a straight-A student. I took all honors and AP classes. I think I was ranked about number twelve in my class out of about 200 students.”

M: What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

S: “Spending time with my family. Everything I do for fun is with my family, I love playing with my kids. We’ll all hang out and go places, just doing things that the kids enjoy.”

M: How long have you been teaching? 

S: “This is my fifteenth year teaching. And it has all been at Chapelle.” 

Students Gabriella Ruffino and McKenzie Jones interviewed some of Mrs. Savoie’s students to hear what they love about their teacher. Those interviewed were, Sarah Veitinger, Meghan Muller, Harlie Stevens, Jamie Bates, and Jocelyn Caceres.

 Gabriella and McKenzie: What are your favorite characteristics of Mrs. Savoie?

Sarah Veitenger: “She is really, fun, and energetic”

Meghan Muller: “She is nice, and she is funny”

Harlie Stevens: “She is loving and very motherly”

Jamie Bates: “She is sweet and always wants to help with any kind of problems someone has.”

Jocelyn Caceres: “Some of my favorite characteristics of Mrs. Savioe are her motherly love. She will take the time to talk to you even if it isn’t about school. She has a great way of building caring relationships with her students. She has an amazing teacher/ mother, she’s someone you can count on.”

Q: What has Mrs. Savoie taught you?

S: “English verbs, pronouns, about to start picking out a book”

M: “Subject-verb agreement and about clauses”

H: “How to find the perfect book for you.”

J0: “Academically, she has taught me how to become a better writer, and she has taught me how to comprehend what I am reading, whether it is a small passage or a novel. Personally, she has taught me how to manage my time and to become a better woman, overall.”

Q: How does Mrs. Savioe run/ manage the class?

S: “Group projects are very helpful and study groups and lots of stuff about our computers”

M: “We do Nearpods, quizzes and she lets us work in groups.”

H: “We pray and do Nearpods and IXL”

Ja: “She is very organized, and she reminds people about what needs to be done”

Jo: Well, she usually starts off the class with a bellringer (usually 5 minutes of IXL.) She would go over any homework that was assigned; after that, she continues with the lesson until the bell rings. She likes to put us in groups sometimes if we are working on projects. When it is time for review, she likes to work with the class to make sure everyone is on the same page” 

Q: What are three words to describe Mrs. Savioe?

S: “Caring, funny, and creative”

M: “Nice, funny, and caring”

H: “Sweet, fun, and caring”

Ja: “Loving, understanding, and overachieving.”  

Q: Why does Mrs. Savoie deserve the Spotlight Teacher Award?

S: “She always makes sure every student gets the help she needs…one-on-one teaching. I can connect to her like a mother way” 

M: “She is so funny and nice, and she teaches the class well and whenever you need help, she will help you”

H:  “She makes sure that you’re good with what you’re doing and will listen to you no matter what “

Ja:  “She is an amazing teacher”

Jo: “Where do I start? I think Mrs. Savioe is one of the best teachers at Archbishop Chapelle High School. She is an amazing woman and is always there for you. She will take time to make sure you understand what you are doing in class and if there is anything you need to talk about. I think she deserves the Spotlight Teacher Award because she is the most amazing person you will ever meet”

Thank you, Mrs. Savoie, for all you do for the Chipmunk family!