Napoleonville Head Start Teacher Named Semifinalist for Louisiana Early Childhood Teacher of the Year
Janie Clement’s passion for developing young children propels her efforts.
Janie Clement, Head Start teacher at Napoleonville Primary School, has been named a semifinalist for the Louisiana Early Childhood Teacher of the Year.
Janie Clement, Head Start teacher at Napoleonville Primary School, has been named a semifinalist for the state's top Early Childhood Teacher of the Year. Clement is one of five teachers from across the state, and one of only two Louisiana Head Start teachers, who will be honored at the 16th Annual Excellent Educators Awards Gala in New Orleans on July 30, 2022. The event is co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education and Dream Teachers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and rewarding exceptional educators in Louisiana.
"To be recognized among the state's top Early Childhood Teachers is quite an honor for Ms. Clement and our Early Childhood Program. The recognition speaks to her ability to impact student achievement during early development," Assumption Parish School Superintendent John Barthelemy said.
Clement has more than 14 years of experience as an educator in Assumption Parish. After high school, she attended Louisiana Technical College, earning an associate degree in Applied Science in Care and Development of Young Children in 2007. Upon completing that degree, she began teaching Head Start in Assumption Parish at Napoleonville Primary School.
Clement said her passion and dedication to the development of young children inspired her to continue her education to seek a bachelor's degree. And in 2014, she completed the requirements for the degree, earning a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Degree with a Minor in Social Sciences. Clement also received an Ancillary Certificate in 2016.
Clement proudly stated that teaching early childhood allows her to foster the whole child's development. "I facilitate the growth of children in not only the area of cognitive but also in the areas of social-emotional and physical development. This allows me to make deep connections with all the children in my classroom," she said.
Clement became a trainer for Assumption Parish on Implementing Teaching Strategies GOLD online in 2015. In addition, she has been showcased as a model classroom teacher for best practices on the LASARD (Louisiana Autism Spectrum and Related Disabilities) website.
In addition to being a very dedicated teacher, she shares her leadership duties and time as the President of the Parent/Teacher Organization for Napoleonville Primary and represented the district as an early childhood presenter at the Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans in 2019.
"We can always count on Janie to help our program, staff, students, and families. She is extremely knowledgeable of all aspects of the Head Start Program and very generous with her time to support others. Her caring attitude and superior curriculum knowledge make Janie truly stand out as an outstanding teacher. She is well-deserving of this honor," Assumption Parish Preschool Coordinator Rachel Dugas said.