LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kristine Douglas was nominated by a student.

Mrs. Douglas is an outstanding teacher who deserves tremendous amounts of praise and awards. Mrs. Douglas has dedicated her life to her students, to whom she has become more than a teacher. In many cases, she is a godmother, mentor, and guide who stays in touch with her students beyond graduation. She still calls them, and many come to school to see her and call her daily.

For the past 10 years, Mrs. Douglas has used her own money to feed, clothe, and care for her students. She has financed her school's homecoming events and has helped them win a national award as the advisor of the National Junior Honor Society. Through the years, Mrs. Douglas has taught students how to drive, open bank accounts, set up businesses, and manage budgets.

Mrs. Douglas is more than a teacher; she is a mother, an aunt, and a beloved family member. Mrs. Douglas uses her instruction to help students understand one another and build strong relationships by giving them tasks to complete, read, and explore.

Last year, Mrs. Douglas encouraged several students to enter into a Convention Invention Program. She bought supplies and told students to dream beyond, find a need, and fill it. Every day for four months, she worked with students to create inventions, teaching them how to weld, helping them learn how to make blueprints, and building prototypes. The result? Her students won second and third place in the Western New York Invention Convention Competition. Mrs. Douglas encouraged her students to learn how to patent their ideas and to follow through with their inventions- and they won!

Mrs. Douglas also encourages students to reach beyond by volunteering. With that, she urged the National Junior Honor Society to volunteer in many parts of their community: raising money for schoolwide activities, creating The Masked Reader, Friday Face Paint, Tattoo Tuesday, Autism Awareness, Compassion for Veterans, and Uplifting Kids and Adolescents. The National Junior Honor Society students at Waterfront Elementary School created special acts of community service that align with the National Junior Honor Society's pillars. The NJHS students focused on Autism Sensory Packages developed specially for students, parents, caretakers, and loved ones affected by autism.

The NJHS students mapped out the Central Office of the Buffalo Board of Education, restaurants, businesses, banks, and other local places. The students went to the Superintendent’s Central offices to discuss autism, handing out autism sensory packets and sharing expectations for people with autism at every stage and age level, as well as how to understand behaviors and actions in public spaces. NJHS members made 100 packets and aimed to have 100 conversations to better understand how people with autism live and to see things through the perspective of parents/caretakers who accompany them. The training that went into creating the sensory packets helped students develop a deeper understanding of autism. NJHS members listed numerous agencies with referral phone numbers, definitions, Autism Services, and other relevant information that people should know.

The impact of raising awareness was successful. Over 100 conversations and impromptu presentations with strangers and the School District's Superintendent were conducted, along with the gifting of over 100 Autism Sensory packages. This project was special, as the advisor for the NJHS, along with a French Teacher from Waterfront Elementary, a child, and relatives were autistic. NJHS members then scheduled times to go into the early elementary classes to talk with younger students in the school about autism, how to be kind to other kids with autism, how to make friends with other kids with autism, and how to understand the many different characteristics and mannerisms of other students or people with autism. NJHS members made small sensory bags for early elementary students and passed them out after their presentations.

Additionally, as part of a health equity initiative, NJHS members raised money to buy special hospital socks for Veterans at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The NJHS raised money to purchase special surgical socks for hospitalized veterans who cannot wear shoes for various reasons. Over 50 pairs of special medical socks were packaged up with inspirational notes/letters and delivered by NJHS members. NJHS reached its goals of distributing socks, connecting with the community, and learning that the service of society is bigger than the scope of school.

Students raised money for socks by hosting Face-Paint Fridays for younger students during lunch, charging a small fee for the face paint. This activity was designed for NJHS members to connect with younger students while serving as role models, uplifting kids and adolescents, promoting good citizenship, character, scholarship, and service, and fostering social-emotional connections with younger students. Members also provided counsel, advice, and positive reinforcement of behavior, school expectations, and friendship. The NJHS piloted this activity to build stronger bonds with all students and serve as role models.

Mrs. Douglas brings in the authentic Erie County Voting System Board of Elections for students to learn how to vote each year and understand their civic duty by voting on Homecoming King and Homecoming Queen. She advises the National Junior Honor Society to teach students how to vote and to orient them to the importance of making decisions that affect their lives.

Mrs. Douglas helps students understand real life and how school relates to many aspects of life. Mrs. Douglas understands her calling as a teacher who seeks to improve and cultivate the school's culture and climate. She is inclusive of all of the kids and shows so much love to all of the students. She buys clothing and food, pays the family's household bills, has been an advisor to numerous clubs and organizations within and outside the school, and finds ways to support her students in all their endeavors. Before transferring to middle school, Mrs. Douglas taught high school and helped her former high school students secure over $300,000 in college scholarships.

Mrs. Douglas is a powerhouse of love, affection, caring, and tenderness. She is an excellent teacher who understands what excellence in the classroom looks like. She teaches students the importance of communicating through TED Talks, conferencing, and public speaking. Mrs. Douglas is a force of positive energy inside and outside of the classroom.

"What I love about her most is the fact that she is certified to be a building principal but refuses to leave the classroom as she feels there is so much to teach, so much to learn, and so much growth and potential in all of her students, that teaching is the only way to help her students open doors," said the student.

Mrs. Douglas is pure excellence, the epitome of perseverance, and the clearest example of the definition of a teacher! Mrs. Douglas is a maker of change! Throughout the school year, Mrs. Douglas pushes students to create a better school climate and culture by having her National Junior Honor Society students participate in the Masked Reader, Christmas Caroling, and funny costumes with the younger students. Mrs. Douglas seeks opportunities to help students be the best they can be and to understand why education and being a good person are the quintessential definitions of being human. There are so many events, clubs, and organizations that Mrs. Douglas creates for the students of Waterfront Elementary School.

Mrs. Douglas is a LifeChanger; she teaches every student that everyone's life should be richer, more special, and more uplifting after having met them.