Ida Fiore
Position: Eighth Grade Science Teacher
School: Northwood Jr. High School
School District: North Shore School District 112
City, State: Highland Park, IL
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Ida Fiore was nominated by a friend since kindergarten who wishes to remain anonymous.
Ms. Fiore is such a wonderful person, teacher and mentor. This past summer, she experienced the closing of a junior high school that she was a part of for over 20 years, packing up and transferring to a different school in the same district, the passing of her father, and recovering from major back surgery.
On her free time, she runs a not-for profit organization called SaLT Student Travel which combines meaningful educational programming, significant service activities and exciting local attractions of unique world-class locations. (www.saltstudenttravel.com). She is a selfless person who gives back to the community in Illinois. On Saturdays, her students have helped at a variety of organizations, including
- Misericordia - care and service for people with developmental disabilites;
- Equestrian Connection - Horse Therapy Services (cleaning out cages at the barn), and;
- Heller Nature Center - clearing out brush and maintaining paths in the woods
"I believe Ida Fiore is an excellent candiate for the LifeChanger of the Year Award. She makes any situation fun, and the kids just love her," her nominator said.
Ida Fiore loves changing lives. She combines the art and craft of teaching into magic. She is passion. Her career began at Elm Place Middle School, one of the three middle schools in the same district where she attended school as a child. As a member of the community, her heart and soul was palpable throughout everything she did...in and out of the classroom. Her science classes exploded, shocked, and pushed hypotheses. Outside of school, she was the Washington trip queen. Students waited as sixth and seventh graders for this right of passage. She worked tirelessly to make the trip was accessible to all, finding scholarship funds to include students who may not have otherwise been able to attend. This was life altering. Students remember the trip and not the day they learned how to summarize a piece of text. Inside and outside of the classroom she made learning come alive with humor and charisma. Ida Fiore is a lifechanger whose gifts keep on giving in ways she could never conceive. LSSJ
Growing up with Ida, I had never seen her in her educator environment. The day I went to meet her during her lunch hour at school I was truly impressed. I went in for a quick meeting, and she was spending her lunch supporting students that needed extra help with their studies. Both Ida and the students give up their lunch/recess hours to focus on their studies. Ida makes sure they have access to all the resources they need. She is truly selfless when it comes to students and her community. She is constantly arranging and attending opportunities to get more involved - and to get her students more involved - with their community. Ida knows how important it is to support your town and all of its residents, and she strives to share that ideology with the students and families she works with. Ida is a caring, selfless, energetic leader and educator, and is more than deserving for this honor.
Ida Fiore exemplifies Lifechanger of the Year. Ida has earned the respect and trust of her students allowing her to provide a “revolving door” to offer them assistance with any of a myriad of middle school concerns. Ida works tirelessly to insure everyone feels like they are a part of the Northwood family. She has spent hours on the phone soliciting donations from the community as she has for the last several years to help send several students on SALT trips (Student and Learning Team) to promote the importance of giving back. These trips are an opportunity for students to learn more about themselves and others; will providing service for those in need. Ida’s personal investment allows children who can’t afford the trip to be a part of this event and bring them closer to their Northwood family. Ida’s maternal instinct doesn’t end with SALT trips, her investment is year-round. She contributes her time to help with the Northwood Breakfast Club providing a nutritious meal to those who would otherwise go hungry. Ida goes above and beyond to assure all students feel a part of the school community. In fact, with the collaboration of a few other colleagues, she has created a group of 7-8 graders called, Northwood Gives Back, that have given their time voluntarily to provide service for several different local facilities. The students not only give back to their community, but learn through journaling, the effects these experiences have on themselves and others. Ida’s heartfelt investment extends beyond her students, to reach a variety of individuals. For these and countless unsaid reasons, I am honored to nominate Ida as a Lifechanger of the Year.
I have known Ida since kindergarten. She has been very focus and dedicated to her kids in her classroom. Giving back to the community. Advocate for SALT (service and learning together) raises money for students to be able to go on these service trips, rebuilding communities. No matter what obstacles she may encounter she always finds a way to overcome them with a positive outlook. I feel that Ida is an excellent candidate and representive of how an educator can influence her students and their future.
Knowing Ida for a very long time, my entire life actually, it is amazing to get a first hand look at how she supports her students, and community, and encourages such growth. From the dedication in her classroom alone, to the countless hours supporting her school, students, and fellow teachers - it is incredible what Ida is able to accomplish. She has such an open heart, and will take care of anyone in need. Even through her own struggles, she puts on a brave face and will always put others ahead of herself.
A truly incredible woman, and an incredible role model.
