For today’s #SundaySpotlight, the Lafourche Schools Spotlight is on Danielle Naquin.
Danielle is a Pre-K and Kindergarten special education teacher at Bayou Blue Elementary School. She has been an employee of the Lafourche Parish School District for 17 years, and was honored as Teacher of the Year in 2022.
She graduated from Thibodaux High School in 2005 and from Nicholls State University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Birth to Five Intervention.
“Ms. Danielle is one of the most passionate, dedicated special education teachers,” says Tina Guidry, principal of BBLES, who nominated her for the Spotlight. “She works tirelessly at meeting all of her students' needs and pushes her students to reach all of their goals. She has an enormous love for what she does which shines through in everything she does with the staff she works with as well as her students. Everyone loves her and has the greatest respect for all that she accomplishes with students that face sometimes many challenges. We are blessed to have her at BBLES.”
Danielle says BBLES has an amazing and supportive staff, and she thoroughly enjoys working with them and her students there.
“Being a part of a team that focuses on not just the academic progress, but on the independence, happiness, and joy of the students makes this job even more enjoyable,” she shared. “For the students, I enjoy seeing their unique personalities. Learning what works for them and what doesn’t. Often my students are full of knowledge, but struggle with communicating it. I enjoy figuring out the best ways to teach them how to share what they are capable of.”
Sharing in her students’ milestones is extremely rewarding for Danielle, but realizing just how much of an impact she made on one of her students was one of her fondest memories.
“I often worry that because the students are so young, they won’t remember me,” Danielle said. “That worry changed a few years ago. At the end of the year for grad walk, one of my very first students walked through the doors. He spotted me way down the hall and came running, yelling my name and waving. He was so excited to see me. The paraprofessional with him said he talked about finding me for the entire bus ride to school.”
Please join us in thanking Danielle for her many years of service to the children of the Lafourche Parish School District and for her passion and tireless dedication to helping students reach their full potential.
#lpsdproud #SchoolSuperstar