A sudden, secret assembly had Ame Keefer wondering what was in store. It turned out to be something she wouldn’t have ever guessed.
She first thought it was something the students at Foundations Academy had put together for teachers in middle school but was thrown for a loop by the size of the gathering and the presence of a gift box. When a video played asking “what would the world be without teachers” she assumed her first instinct was correct. But after a slide proclaimed that NHA® has three figures worth of schools, teachers in the thousands, “but only one Ame Keefer,” it hit her – she was named an Excellence in Teaching winner this year as part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA) Excellence Awards.
“It was super sweet,” she said. “I was out of it. I did not know what was going on. It was like an out-of-body experience. I think it was pretty amazing that the principal and all my deans had something to say about me, and they also had a video of students talking. That was really cool.”
Keefer, a Language Arts teacher, is in her seventh year at Foundations, which has earned the highest performance ranking in the state. At previous schools she had taught Moral Focus virtues such as gratitude and self-control but has found her true home at Foundations with a curriculum focused on nurturing those qualities.
“I am a true believer in bringing the virtues to kids,” she said. “I didn't have anything to go off. I just found things wherever I could.”
Keefer enjoys that Foundations is a K-8 school, allowing her to bring her daughter with her. Having a dean who offers support and coaching has allowed her to grow as a teacher, as well. She previously taught all levels from pre-K to eighth grade and now is able to teach grades 7-12, which she wouldn’t have considered without a dean helping her to see it was possible.
“I love that no matter who your dean is, you can go to anybody and you just feel so bonded,” she said. “There’s just so many great people here. I love how the team dynamic is, and I feel like I can go to my dean for anything. I just love how it trickles down like that.”
Keep up the excellent work, Mrs. Keefer!
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About Foundations Academy
Foundations Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Brighton, Colorado, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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