Who Am I:

Christine S. Cooper

email: christinescooper@yahoo.com

Graduation Year: 1996

What I am doing now:

After graduating from Fremont, I attended Eastern Michigan University where I graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Special Education (K-5 regular education, k-12 self-contained in the area of Emotional Impairment). 

While at Eastern, I was a resident advisor for three and a half years, played in the marching and basketball pep bands, was a member of Phi Sigma Pi (co-ed national honor fraternity), Golden Key National Honor Society, Residence Hall Government, Residence Hall Boards, worked for the athletic department as a tutor, served in the Comer Project in the Detroit Schools and worked in the Student Union bakery as the morning supervisor.

For the last five years, I have been teaching in the Waterford School District at the Waterford Day Treatment Center for Severely Emotionally Impaired Youth.  This is a county-based program for students who have not been successful in regular education or in a self-contained classroom.  Kingsley Montgomery School is the opportunity that SEI students have to either work their way back to their home school, go to juvenile detention or the psychiatric hospital.  I have a sixth and seventh grade classroom where I teach all subjects.

When I am not teaching at Kingsley Montgomery School, I tutor for the Lerner Group - Professional In-home Tutors and take graduate classes at Wayne State University where I am pursuing a masters in Library and Information Science with an endorsement for my teaching certificate in School Library Media.  In the summer, I nanny for a family of three boys and teach swimming lessons at peoples' homes.

What Fremont Public Schools did for me:

Though I am not a NASA rocket scientist like the valedictorian of my class, Jennifer Deuling, an engineer for the Big three or a doctor like other people I went to high school with, I am proud of where I am today and it is all because of what Fremont Public Schools and its staff did for me.  Every staff I came in contact with always had the best interest of students at the forefront of their mind and heart. 

Every custodian, from Mr. DeKryger at Pine Street in the 80’s, who always had a smile and kind word to say to everyone, to Mr. Derks and the crew at the high school, who I would check in on me during the years I ran a.m. lap swimming from 5:30-7:30. They all had students in mind. 

Every secretary, from Mrs. Milner at Pine Street, to Mrs. Kolk at Daisy Brook, to the ladies of the middle and high school, they all made me feel welcomed and listened to.

My bus drivers, from Mrs. Knorr and Mrs. Dorreen in elementary school to Tony Vandelaar and Walt Vanderwall, who got me through my middle and high school years, all were there for the students. 

Finally, teachers - I never had a bad one, a mean one or one that did not believe in the best in me and all of my classmates.  I have a special place in my heart for every single one of them.  Mrs. Featerstone, who will always be my favorite "little lady" just as I will always be, "one of her kids."  Mrs. Ward, who I had for first and second grade, who made me feel that I could do anything and believed in me to play the role of Annie in the school play.  Mrs. Anderson and I shared a love for the show McGyver and a love for the outdoors and the Upper Peninsula.  Mr. McGrath who was my first male teacher and helped me be OK on the first day I had to wear glasses, by wearing his glasses too.  He made adding new features to your face OK, and never let anyone be teased.  Mr. Pinder encouraged me to research and write and helped me develop a detailed project on the Florida Manatee that I still marvel at today. 

In Middle School, there was Ms. Hite, Mr. Robinson and Mrs. St. Peter who made 6th grade academically enjoyable though socially devastating.  Mr. Slootmaker, Mrs. Datema and Mr. Gates encouraged and challenged me to push myself academically more than I had before.  In 8th grade, Mrs. Conn supported me in my lust for reading and shared my love of history.  Mr. Parkhurst supported me in the new math program and helped me keep up in an honors class I probably should not have been in.

In high school, the teachers continued to be fabulous from Ms. Werner in English and Latin and Hack in German and Advanced U.S. History who pushed me to be more than I thought I could be.  Z, who was my English teacher for three years and my theatre director for four suffered through me being his stage manager and properties coordinator for three years cheerfully.  I know he made me props lady because he wanted access to my Grandma's house, for which she gave to him willingly.  Kostowny was my math god (he helped me when I continued to be in classes where my peers were significantly more mathematically advanced than I) and Mr. Wessling was my humor partner.  I enjoyed Mr. W's jokes when no one else did.  Mr. Hickman and Mr. Switzer hold a double amount of joy for me as they were my teachers, my soccer coaches and my friends.  They trusted and believed in me to play on their teams, keep their soccer record books and help keep their players in line. 

I have to admit, some of my favorite people in school were the media specialists.  Mrs. Tubman was my first at Pine Street and I remember her showing me all of the Beatrix Potter, Little People and Amazing People series.  Mrs. McDaniel at Daisy Brook let me read what I wanted and encouraged me to always read more.  Mrs. Simons at the middle school used to let me preview books before she put them on the shelves and give her my summary and evaluations as to how I thought kids would like the books.  Ms. Brennan did the same, along with asking me to be her assistant my freshman year and saving me from having to sit through a study hall.

I know I have missed a few along the way, but everyone at Fremont has made an impact on me.

My staff recommendation:

With all of these wonderful staff it was hard to narrow it down to one to recommend.  I, of course, wanted to choose my mom, Gail Cooper, since she was my first and most important teacher, but she told me I couldn't since she was never my formal teacher, though she was my substitute many times as a kid.  So, after much thought I select the teacher that I spent the most years with and knowingly or not probably influenced me the most.  I select Mark Breza, my band director from 5th through 12th grade.

Mr. Breza is an amazing man.  He is the type of man that no matter how busy he is, or how many things are on his plate, or how close the concert is, always has time to talk to you and listen to you.  I could always depend on him for good advice, a good attitude and a good push when I was slipping in my own personal standards.  He believed in the best in me and all of my classmates.  He pushed us to be our best and appreciated us for what we did and didn't bring to the band stand.  He believed in our talents and the power of practice.

I never once sat first chair in the trombone section (except maybe in 6th grade) but he always supported me and trusted my fundementals and my leadership.  In high school he always recommended me for tutoring positions of middle school students whose parents wanted them to have a little boost.  He had me be trombone section leader my junior and senior years and trusted me to control and lead ten teenage boys.  He even let me babysit his daughters on numerous occasions.

I never went on to be a music major, but Mr. Breza's encouragement and confidence in my marching and playing ability let me to try out for and play in the Eastern Michigan Marching Band and basketball pep bands for three years.  This was an invaluable experience.  Just as High School Marching Band Camp introduced me to kids, and allowed me to make connections and friends, thus making the transition to high school easier, marching band camp at EMU did the same thing.  I went into my freshman years at both FHS and EMU already knowing reliable, trustworthy and wonderful friends that I treasure to this day.  This, as an oldest child who was the first one to try the waters was crucial.  I never would have done this without the support and confidence that I felt Mr. Breza had in me.

At my high school graduation Mr. Breza gave me a card with 10 tips for success.  I framed that card and kept it on my desk during my college years.  I actually have that card sitting on my desk today. Among those tips are things that I remember and encourage my students to believe in today.  They include:  Be true to and believe in yourself; Treasure and honor your parents; Shoot for the stars; and Always do your best.

After eight years as his student Mr. Breza earned and burned a place in my memory that will never dull.  I appreciate, treasure and reflect fondly my time as his student and respectfully submit his name for consideration as the educator how made the biggest impact in my life. 

Thank you for your time and all of your efforts.

Chris Cooper