AB-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, Ociober 4, 2005 487 Laurierm Ail 878-2881 n _ Teacher of the Month Mrs. Wettlaufer caring and considerate By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion t 's al scary experience, leaving rn for the first tinie. Your Lknees arc shaking, under your new school pants and one ol the laces mnom tied so carefully on your running shoes is corning undone. Who's going to re-tie il? lresa se.ias ic'e% laces al 1 .assiid s iu, anio il sciiis iliss es erxssii eIse i hi "ger aic brasvei. YoRu ihink ýssu re gAnis Is cr5. AIllsu.lh soie k i dii t 55ait tssor their I irsi, day isI Jsîîiîssr kinderLTailei tRi heszin. ishers like D)uncani MeCalur his.)N îîss 'sren i sîs sElle. lis i)îiicaiis case. fls dniiXi'5 resulied l i liais Iea,sr fsîr tise 1-irsi te%% ssee ksý ofii oo issriiflaReI. he liait ais ali his ic liese. Isaitli Vseiilasiter, %ss lîi.%s.istrii. 5 ls 55 ere alusa>, tssrilicAsingii. anid s'0lise lap 55 ,as aIs~sreadý. m a sakes. lier spes. aI sý lier kiiid andi car- ig atitude isswards tire c idrcii.' 55555ke Dunic aiss issisi. D anielle, ii a eiscs Io 'lise (iiaipissn. "She s is' a>shere liir 'ssiis.'5le %%hos : crsin,, lssr montîs tosi t ssi her li And she ai%% ays eîis Ris lie (Rse ,tel) aRead rit ais> disaster thai sisigisi arise. Ms Mc('alluui w5rîsie. -She aîways has ais extra snack ai lier desk toîr the chîld sshs IirýTiR his/hers. and a change of' clothes. sshich she hrîngs herselI su case sîl ais> accidensts. Ms Weitlauter is thîs iisnîh's Tcacher of fie Mssnth. and iixsk a lgess msomsent., ai rccss Io chai ssitl Thbc Chamspison ahout the jasys sf' heing a teacher. 'his ls hcr thîrd year teaching iwsî spi juis iEr/senior kindergarten classes aS Martin Street Public SchEool. Children in each ciass attend full days for two or three days each week, dcpending on Ehe wcek. "I have i.hemrn for two ycars. i sec se, much change front when they walk in Uhec door ai thrcc or four (years oid) and leave ai five," she said. White sorte kids adapi weil to kindergarten. for others lit takes turne. And thcrc's only oRne way to be able to simultaneously pay attention 10 the child painting his face insiead of the papier, the child cxying for momn and the child ycllîng ai another: "Have 10 hands, 10 arms and 10 legs.' Ms Wettlaufer joked. When an emotional four-year old Duncan firsi arnived in her class last year, he dîdn'î knmsw what 10, expeet. Ms Wettlaufer said. "He had to feel hîs way into the situation. It look him a while to feel comfortable." Ms McCailum sid Ms Wettlaufer was always Marin S<rst Publie Scho>l's Kathy WeMelufer &its wlth«e Tescw of the &*nid nominator, Duncan McCallum. Photo ib, GRAH-AM PAINE there tsi comiori Duncan and hand hîns a wel needed teddy bear lis cuddle. "Be had a hardi lime gsîing lis school ail day and being away trsom home. If il wasn'tl'for her (Ms Weitlauferl, he neyer would've made i., He uscd 10 say, 'Mssmmy, she's so kînd lis me." When September rsîlled arsiund this year, Duncan was a différent boy, hîs moîn said. He knew he'd be gssîng back inte Ms Weîîlauler's cla.ss, and he csîuldn't he happier. 'He was 55A excited tsi gis hack this ycar," Ms McCalluni said, adding she thinks the other kîds goîng iss senior kindergarien feel the saine way. Ms Wettlaufer saîd Uic change in Duncan ls litige. tIle he hig kid lion. aisc wsaists tss iîclp usle yssungcr kids:' she said. l)uncarn's the pcrlc'ct exansple of' a sindent whîî natured helore Ms Wetilauler's very cycs. shc saîd. Kindcrgartcn can't last lorever, hut D)uncan dcxssn'i seem ts he worried. "Nexi ycar l'l e in grade one," he said nsaîter-ti'I facily. "But l'Il always gei 10 see her in the halls." Ms Wetîlaufer didn'î stan Eout as a icacher. But alter spcnding 10 years working in an office. sue decîded she wasn*î where she waîsîed tus hc. -11 reahizcd I wanted its wssrk wilh children and make a differencc. SEs I quit îssy jobh and wcnt hack itA school," she said. '1'he native Paleonîs resîdent taught aS Robibc Baldwin Public School f'or a year befitre mov- ing tsi Martin Street school. Teachers havc huge responsibiliiies Io hcar, she said. Aîîd kindergaruen teachers feel the bruant of' usas rcspssnsihslsîy ail the mîore. shc said, hecause they can sel the fonre f'or the sshole sehotil expericisce. 'You'rc the firsi pcrsmn thcy sec when ihey stais school."' Ms Wciîlauler saîd she hopes her studenîs xviii take wiîh themn the "joy of learning" svhen Shcy move up tcs grade one. and be more willîng 10 lace challenges and Sake risks. For young kîds, shat risk inighl be askîng sonicone to play, putiing Eheir hands up to answcr a qucstion or noS besîsg afraid 10 îalk about ihensselves iii class. Whcn lt cornes io necessary qualities fcor a teacher Ms Wettlaufcr sncludcd on her list a sense of' humour llexihiliiy " You neyer know wlîat's going to happen" -and patience. A lot tsf patience. As Ms McCalluns put il, "She has the patience of a god." Stephanoe Thtessi con be recsed at sf/iiiesseiiemiltnisstcssnciciaii-iinp,,o<.<st W1\COGECO Coco Cal hne 4 Porm ing Schedule T Tuesday, October 4 - monday, October 10, 2005 Wii Local bOVwm e wgon1 sops Haisissllon Tss Mss iI~y ao os Tm GSSKATARSlia IC sA tm RtnRlSSss 6 0» - 9 Ispo MMM Ini EXTRA sdira Aayorsal iesav Fotal Mio s W 3 2005 www.cogeco.ca il1m Pkqudlut EXTR 16Iss 0iSt-8 PkWsslie , EXR 1 Migm.-u.PI ETACsrato Pearson iAmiSmPgîssETA i.Xip. p..sti I a AsiO 8 0p Bodr Lne ~ ac Sips fioei bàn2 o TOC Spot AS EStp lit Cao ultXIRaSsAT NORTHI HALTON STUDIO l 8 53iss Taq Case ofI you MW"55 Peason Annoversp liSten PlsgedI!TA Fuurie '9MIAY ens 9Ispm - Mnigt WOMIn EXTRA 1Cleb aason 81DO 1 =55 1iei Cdei T0p -s MAnçnt Plged ln EXTRA Laurier Plaza At Eçrt 1î RAngs0ssgen M" iin In EsXTRA ETR 50W Laurier Avenue u. IIIA II Milton, ON L9T 4R3 905-878-9306