Centennial School District R-1

Audrey Rael has been a fourth grade teacher for the past nine (almost ten) years at Centennial. During that time, she has used the rich, cultural traditions of the community of San Luis to engage her students and build a sense of pride in them and where they come from. She works closely with her colleagues to ensure that all students have the supports they need to be successful. This includes keeping parents abreast of their student’s progress, using data to guide instruction, and working one-on-one with students.

As an advocate for students across the building, Audrey has been part of our PBIS team for several years and has helped keep it alive through various transitions in our building. Audrey works closely with the parents of her classroom and helps connect them to services within the community and school when their family is experiencing hardships.

This year, Audrey stepped up to organize our local science fair when the organizer fell ill just a few short weeks before the event. She worked tirelessly to support students finalize paperwork, recruit and coordinate judges, create and manage the judging and scoring systems, and set-up and break-down the event. Her efforts made the event a success when it was feared the event would need to be cancelled. This is a typical example of how Audrey puts the interests and needs of her kids first in all she does.

Audrey’s greatest strength is her responsiveness in the classroom to the needs of her students. She has clear routines that keep their focus on academic growth at all times, yet has deep relationships with each of her students. When they don’t get it, she slows down and reteaches in a new way; she models effectively and has the students explain her nonexamples. However, she does this with a natural ease and insightfulness that is only found in your strongest veterans. Her classroom is warm and inviting and students thrive under her care. She is an essential part of what keeps Centennial strong.