Ms. Amy Nartowicz will never forget the first time she taught a child how to read.
“I try to inspire them to want to read. He overcame being scared and struggling and tried. This led him to high school graduation and beyond,” said Ms. Nartowicz.
There are countless lives that have been changed through Ms. Nartowicz’s guidance. Growing up she had thought about becoming a teacher, but when she started college in Vermont her major was psychology. By her sophomore year she was pursuing an education degree, and after student teaching she was hooked.
“I love seeing the kids being proud of themselves and what they can accomplish,” said Ms. Nartowicz.
Ms. Nartowicz began her teaching career in Vermont. She’s been with HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op, in the role as a Title I Reading Specialist, since 2011. In 2012, she earned her Masters in literacy from the University of Colorado Denver.
“My passion is being a reading teacher,” Ms. Nartowicz commented.
During her time at HOPE, Ms. Nartowicz has seen the value in the HOPE model. She has worked in many of HOPE’s learning centers and appreciates how it is helping the students and families served.
“There is a real welcoming feeling and ownership in what happens here,” Ms. Nartowicz said.
Shortly after Ms. Nartowicz started with HOPE she implemented a book program. This has taken on different forms throughout the years, such as earning book bucks for reading minutes at home to book exchanges, swaps and giveaways. Ms. Nartowicz collects books for this program from different community resources, but every student involved in the program is always given the opportunity to acquire books at no cost. She even incorporates book bags as needed for the students to transport items home.
“The greatest thing you can teach a child is to read. It’s really a survival skill. Without it, life will be hard,” said Ms. Nartowicz. “The kids really like this program. It’s boosted scores. When I get kids to a point where they always want to read, and motivate each other, I have a good problem on my hands.”
Ms. Nartowicz is a real gem to the HOPE reading program. She values the amazing group of educators she gets the opportunity to work with at HOPE. However, these same individuals see her hard work and dedication as invaluable.
“I find Ms. Nartowicz to be an efficient and knowledgeable reading teacher who employs many strategies to help her students, whom she calls friends, get excited about reading and learning. Students who are not scheduled to meet with her on a given day constantly ask her to work with them.
Her book giveaways and checkouts are something our students really like,” said Ms. Amener Williams, Director, HOPE’s Victory at Hillcrest Learning Center in Denver, one of the HOPE Learning Centers where Ms. Nartowicz works.
“She goes above and beyond to support the students she works with, as well as their families. Ms. Nartowicz holds high expectations and students demonstrate this vote of confidence in their drive to excel,” said Ms. Heidi Shaver, HOPE’s Literacy Coordinator and Ms. Nartowicz’s supervisor.
One of HOPE’s 2016 Apple Awards representatives is Ms. Nartowicz. This is an honor which recognizes outstanding educators in the Douglas County School District. Ms. Nartowicz will be honored at an event on March 5 at the Sheraton Downtown Denver.
HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op is proud of the thousands of lives that have been changed during their 10 year history. There are nearly 30 HOPE Learning Centers throughout the state. Students attend Learning Centers five days a week and rotate between online lessons and face-to-face classroom instruction. HOPE offers an alternative education pathway to students who may be struggling in a traditional school setting. A recent research report prepared by Dr. Carolyn Haug with the University of Colorado Denver found students who stay with HOPE for more than two years improve their academic performance. In addition to academics, HOPE runs an extensive student activities and athletics program, which grows each year and positively contributes to the academic success of students. HOPE is a charter school of the Douglas County School District and serves 2,000 students in K-12th grade. Applications for the 2016/2017 school year are now being accepted. For more information, visit www.hopeco-op.org or call 720-402-3000.