Teacher of the Year JENNIFER FRYE

By Adrienne Minor

Along the coast of Mississippi in the shadow of Gulfport and Biloxi lies a hidden gem — the city of Pass Christian. Featuring majestic homes dating back to the 1800s on Scenic Drive and a World War Memorial Park, Pass Christian, or the “Pass” as locals call it, has a rich history.

At Pass Christian High School, another gem can be found in Jennifer Frye, a Family and Consumer Science educator. Recipient of the 2023 Mississippi Association of Career and Technical Educators (MS ACTE) Teacher of the Year Award, Frye is making a lasting impact on the future of her students, ensuring that they are college and career ready.

Creating Real Experiences for Students

“My goal is always being open minded and looking for ways to make a positive impact through innovative projects and partnerships,” Frye says.

One such project involved creating a partnership between her child development students and a kindergarten class. It involved taking the children’s illustrations of a monster and bringing them to life as stuffed animals. The students then presented the animals and read the books they created based on the kindergarteners’ monsters.

As a result, Frye explains, her students “learn about the importance of play, toy safety, literacy skills, characteristics of good children’s books, the importance of reading to children and so much more. The kindergartners are exposed to a new, fun reason to read a story with a character they created.”

Additionally, students were paired as pen pals with nursing home residents. Frye thrives on creating authentic assignments for her students.

For instance, Frye reached out to Gulfport Center of Nonviolence, for whom her Family Dynamics class created public service announcements (PSAs) on dating violence. Frye also transformed her Hospitality and Tourism class into “Hospitality Agency.”

Beyond this, she connected her students to work as volunteers with local nonprofit community leaders, or “clients,” who expressed their needs to the students. Frye took on the role of coach and supervisor as her students found solutions.

“Instead of students completing a project just to turn in to me for a grade, they create a product for the school, community or an individual,” Frye explains.

“When given an authentic assignment, students see the connection of the material to real-world situations, put more effort into them and get more out of seeing their work in real life outside of the classroom.”

Investing in Future Leaders

An active advisor in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Frye is unyielding in supporting students as members in the organization. While Frye provides mentorship to her students — many of them competing at the local, state and national levels — she has coached several students who have run for state office and has provided advice for elected students.

Samantha Humphries is one of Frye’s former students and a Special Education Teacher at Lake View Elementary School. Recounting how Frye supported her in FCCLA state conferences, Humphries states, “Mrs. Frye is the reason I became a state officer for FCCLA. Not only did she teach me things like cooking, planning events and more, but she also taught me how to communicate and lead people. Mrs. Frye played a major part in helping me be who I am today.”

Frye’s impact does not stop there. Through collaboration with an advisory committee member, Frye found and was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund her local FCCLA chapter for the 2021-2022 school year.

“Not being one to simply take the path of least resistance that others routinely choose to follow, Mrs. Frye instead embraces challenges and strives to accomplish the lofty professional and personal goals she sets for herself,” says Dr. Robin Killebrew, Pass Christian Public School District’s Assistant Curriculum Director.

Leveraging Community Involvement

What’s more, Frye seeks out ways to bring industry partners and community organizations into her classroom. “Mrs. Frye is a machine who never cuts off… she won’t stop until you understand,” says Narissa Behrens-Brown a parent volunteer and local realtor.

“She allows our youth to have a deeper understanding of personal personal development, providing opportunities to become inspired to either pursue career and workforce skills, personal finance, nutrition and parent and child development.”

The relationships Frye develops with community organizations, like “Let’s Go Gulf Coast” and with Ochsner Health’s “Eat Fit CHOP Kids in the Kitchen,” provides many opportunities for students to be exposed to potential career options. She also developed Guest

PCHS Celebrates National School Lunch Week

We had a blast celebrating National School Lunch week October 14th-17th 2023 at Pass Christian High School. National school lunch week is an opportunity to raise awareness about healthy school lunches served at school, increase student participation, and share success stories. This week we were able to have fun celebrating healthy school lunches with activities each day in the cafeteria during lunch. Family and Consumer Science students enrolled in Nutrition and Wellness class as well as FCCLA members worked with the school district Nutrition Specialist and FCS Teacher to head up this weeks activities. They designed the activities and facilitated them during lunches. Students were very positive, receptive and engaged duirng all the activities. On Friday one student said that "We need to do these sorts of things again!"

Students who ate a school lunch received a sticker and the following trivia questions were asked each lunch wave for prizes: What is the most popular school lunch item nationwide? Chicken nuggets, What year was the National School Lunch program developed? 1946 and What are the 5 components of a healthy lunch? Protein, dairy, vegetable, fruit and grain.

We decorated and advertised school l nch week During lunch students competed at “building a burger” and learned h h n be included in one item such as the gra tomato slices, vegetables in the lettu

Speaker Influencers program, which offers opportunities for students to learn about a wide range of careers through short yet engaging presentations.

Frye demonstrates her passion for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and finds resourceful ways to showcase CTE programs.

“Not only does CTE teach career skills, technical skills — it also teaches life skills.” A yearly keynote speaker in her community’s rotary club, Frye shares about her program and the significance of CTE.

At least once a year, she welcomes the

Students being Neighbors, Friends, Collaborators

ol FCCLA members have been learning how to be neighborly in h Louisiana school, Larose-Cut Off Middle School The students ther, helping each other with community service projects, and kick off the partnership, they designed and decorated a tree in n in the Oaks with the Toy Story Theme You ve Got a Friend in e School students made and sent ornaments for the tree Pass dents made ornaments and put the tree together on Tuesday ets of students are excited to work together, learn from each nership! This entire collaboration and partnership is a great d Consumer Sciences (FCS) education and Family, Career, and erica (FCCLA) teaches students: leadership skills, teamwork, ife skills and more! Celebration in the Oaks is open November New Orleans City Park Visit and see our tree in person!

mayor into her classroom to share with students about the local economy and government and uses this opportunity to discuss the importance of CTE. She even leads a month-long celebration during CTE month to raise awareness and to share relevant information for students.

For Frye, her purpose is clear: “It is important for me to prepare students for life after high school. Whichever path a student chooses, I hope to have instilled in them the skills and knowledge that will help them be successful. From study and test-taking skills for those pursuing higher education to career readiness skills for those who will enter the workforce — I will strive to prepare them for their future.”

Receiving the 2023 MS ACTE Teacher of the Year Award is not something Frye takes lightly: “I am very humbled and honored to have received this award as I know I am one of many hard-working, dedicated and passionate CTE teachers. I am much more comfortable in the background supporting my students with them being recognized. It is nice to be recognized for the hard work, time and passion I put in, and it is good for my program.”