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TO COMMEND KIMBERLY FREEMAN, WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER AT LEXINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, FOR HER COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDREN OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO CONGRATULATE HER UPON RECEIVING A COVETED MILKEN EDUCATOR AWARD.
Whereas, it is with distinct pleasure that the South Carolina House of Representatives recognizes educators who approach teaching with passion, creativity, and infectious enthusiasm, along with appropriate academic preparation for their fields; and
Whereas, Kimberly Freeman, an outstanding world languages teacher at Lexington Middle School, is indeed such an educator and richly deserves the honor of being granted a Milken Educator Award. Ms. Freeman received the award, which carries a $25,000 individual award, at a surprise ceremony on February 9, 2016; and
Whereas, this dedicated educator, who teaches Latin to students in grades 6-8, frames her classes so that students not only acquire critical knowledge of a driving language for so many other subjects but also learn to be global citizens; and
Whereas, she plans her lessons and assessment practices around collaboration and critical thinking and has helped guide the district to a shift in performance-based curriculum for world languages. She developed a new system of proficiency assessment using a scaled model based on performance rubrics, self and external assessments, and Socratic seminars; and
Whereas, Kimberly Freeman propelled the once-struggling Latin program to high enrollment at the school and expanded its reach to twenty-three thousand students districtwide through virtual courses. She has opened the door for learners to discover an ancient language and culture through a blended curriculum that links to modern tools and learning goals. This includes capitalizing on student interest in Harry Potter and mythology, as well as The Hunger Games. Another creative strategy is having students read a Latin wedding song to understand the importance of children in Roman families, after which the students write letters in Latin to Roman children. She also designed and now instructs a project-based learning course called 702 North Lake (Lexington Middle's address), in which students use social media tools to confront local and global issues; and
Whereas, Ms. Freeman's students are thriving with work beyond their years. They routinely score above the national average on the National Latin Exam and outperform high school students in world language courses. Her Latin academic team placed first at the South Carolina Certamen Competition in spring 2014; and
Whereas, as chair of the world language department and teacher leadership team, communications officer for the school, and frequent presenter at local and national conferences, she has made a significant impact on teachers, students, and administrators alike. Among her numerous accomplishments, Ms. Freeman is an International Baccalaureate Middle Years certified teacher. She serves as a member of the American Classical League, National Junior Classical League, South Carolina Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and South Carolina Foreign Language Teachers Association; and
Whereas, the House, with great admiration and appreciation, is pleased to honor this exceptional educator, Kimberly Freeman, as a recipient of the Milken Educator Award, and the members join with her colleagues, students, family, and friends in extending best wishes for continued success. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, commend Kimberly Freeman, world languages teacher at Lexington Middle School, for her commitment to providing quality education for the children of South Carolina and congratulate her upon receiving a coveted Milken Educator Award.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to Kimberly Freeman.
This web page was last updated on February 23, 2016 at 1:02 PM