CA PRIDE - Kim Bikowski

I have known Mrs. Bikowski, our 4th & 5th grade language arts and social studies teacher for quite a while. And I have always been impressed by the genuine joy she has for teaching. I think what she loves most is getting to know each child as an individual and then doing her best to help that child flower into the best person he or she can be.

You may not know that Mrs. Bikowski first taught at CA (then known as The St. Christopher School) as a Pre-K teacher when her daughters were students here. She also taught elementary art in the afternoons.One year I had the job of assisting her in 2nd and 3rd grade art. That was when I got to know first hand what a wonderfully creative teacher she is as well as how caring she is. She moved to Portsmouth Catholic when her daughters transferred there. Over the years she gradually returned to teaching elementary students (as she had taught in the beginning of her teaching career) and specialized in middle school language arts and social studies.

When I heard that Mrs. Bikowski had decided to leave Portsmouth Catholic, I jumped at the chance to talk her out of retiring and into returning to us. And I am so glad that she did. She brought with her a wealth of experience with upper elementary students that was so valuable in developing (along with Mrs. Terry) the very successful fourth and fifth grade program we now have.

I so enjoy stopping by Mrs. Bikowski's class when she is discussing a social studies or literature topic. It is so evident that she is really listening to the students and validating their thoughts and ideas. It is also interesting to visit her classroom when students are working on a writing project. Mrs. Bikowski actually enjoys teaching grammar as well as inspiring expression through writing. As a result students are developing excellent writing skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

Best of all Mrs. Bikowski finds a way to connect to each individual. It is not unusual to walk into her room and find students working in different configurations with some working independently while others may be with a partner or small group. She quietly moves around offering assistance and encouragement as needed. This feels like such a warm, nurturing learning environment.

Fostering confidence in oral language is another area in which I think Mrs. Bikowski excels. She helps students develop and plan their own presentations whether for classmates or a school audience. She helps them find something they will be both excited about and comfortable doing. I always look forward to the creative ideas that her students have for programs such as our "Celebration of Grandparents and Grand Friends" and ,of course, the 4th grade talent show is always a highlight of the year. Now that is what I call fostering a love of learning.