The Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana’s Children Proudly Recognizes
JANE WATSON of Lincoln Parish
with this month’s FIRST LADY’S AWARD

The Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana’s Children is proud to announce the first recipient of the First Lady’s Award: Jane Watson, Literacy Coach for Ruston Elementary.  This award will be given monthly to an outstanding individual who is making a positive difference in the lives of children in Louisiana. First Lady Supriya Jindal said “After learning about the work Jane Watson has done for the students of Ruston Elementary and others, it is my honor to present her with this award. In education for over 25 years, the work Jane has done is reflected in the words her students and coworkers use to describe her – advocate, selfless, inspirational and passionate, to name a few.” Jindal continued, “We look forward to honoring exceptional people throughout the year, and awarding one with a grand prize which includes airline tickets and hotel stay in a city of their choice.”

Jane Watson is recognized by many as a selfless person who is a true advocate for the children of Ruston Elementary.  Kristen Telford, third grade teacher at Ruston Elementary, explains, “There is no doubt in my mind that Jane is deserving of the First Lady’s Award.  In addition to her work with children, she is always willing to share her knowledge with other teachers for the benefit of the children.”

Close to 25 years ago, Watson began her career as a classroom teacher and traveling military wife. “After being in the classroom and having the responsibility of student learning – I knew the sometimes overwhelming feeling a teacher has,” said Watson.  “From those experiences I knew what some of the services I could provide teachers as a Curriculum Strategist. Among those being finding resources, sharing research, providing information, helping with data analysis, and modeling lessons. In this role, a teacher has a partner in helping students gain academic success – sharing ideas, celebrating learning, and collaborating.”

Watson recently constructed a summer enrichment program to promote and enhance nonfiction literacy skills. The students who participated in the program saw tremendous improvement. Using the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency Benchmark Test (ORF), the students’ assessments showed improvement by 61% of the first graders, 60% of the second graders and 89% of the third graders. The summer enrichment program students were then tracked during the following Fall: first to second grade increased 53% on ORF, second to third grade increased 72% and third to fourth grade increased 70%. When asked about the program, Pamela Harris, Principal of Ruston Elementary stated, “Jane is such an excellent reading coach. Her program for reading enrichment targeted children’s weaknesses and truly helped pick up students scores.”

Watson’s dedication does not end there; she also helps coach the cross country team at Ruston Elementary and is an active volunteer, aiding parents and students throughout the parish. Melinda Killin, Ruston Elementary kindergarten teacher, commented, “Jane Watson is the most deserving of this award. She is constantly dedicated to researching new strategies for teaching and, as a result, her dedication inspires me to do my best.”

Many say that Watson truly cares about each and every child she encounters and is constantly thinking of new and creative ways to aid them. Sonja Walker, a previous co-worker of Watson and current principal at I. A. Lewis Elementary, says, “Much of our (Ruston Elementary) success was a direct result of her tireless hours of research, collaborative planning, and modeling for teachers. Her passion is evident everyday as she looks for ways to make our students better citizens. She is truly an award winner!”

“Receiving the First Lady’s Award is a true honor,” said Jane Watson.  “The success of our summer enrichment reading program would not be possible without the combined efforts of many people and their talents.”  Jane also added, “I applaud the parents who have participated in the program to help strengthen their child’s reading scores and I look forward to this summer’s program.”

Ms. Watson will receive a certificate of appreciation, a gift basket from Raising Cane, 4-tickets to a New Orleans Hornets home game, a gift card from Chili’s Grill & Bar Restaurant, and a $100 gift card from Wal-Mart.  At the end of the year, the monthly winners names will be placed in a drawing in which one winner will be randomly chosen to receive the grand prize which includes two airline tickets complements of AirTrans and a 4-night hotel stay in the continental U.S. city of their choice.

About The First Lady Awards

All award recipients have been nominated due to the devotion and kindness they show to the children of Louisiana.  If you would like to nominate someone for the First Lady’s Award, please visit www.jindalfoundation.org.

About the Foundation

The Foundation, a 501(c)3 non profit organization, seeks to aid Louisiana’s children in all aspects of education, with special emphasis on mathematics and the sciences, while also giving teachers new tools that will foster an innovative and enriching learning environment. The Foundation seeks to harness the power of technology in Louisiana classrooms, to emphasize the importance of science and math, and to help develop the Louisiana workforce of tomorrow.

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