HMS Teacher of the Year 2019

HMS Teacher of the Year 2019
Posted on 01/12/2019

Gina KayMs. Gina Kay
M.Ed., Educational Leadership – The College of New Jersey, 2004 M.A.T., Marygrove College, 2002
B.S., Health & Physical Education – Trenton State College, 1997

Gina Kay began her career in education in 1997 as a teacher of Health and Physical Education for both 7th and 8th grade with Hillsborough Middle School.  In addition to her work in the classroom over the last 22 years, Ms. Kay has been actively involved in numerous leadership activities in education as well as sponsoring extra-curricular programs for students at HMS.  
Ms. Kay has served as an evaluator with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and as an adjunct instructor with Mercer County Community College as well as a panelist on sex education for Raritan Valley Community College. She is past chairperson of the Hillsborough School District's Local Professional Development Committee, participated on many curriculum development committees and still serves on the District Evaluation Advisory Committee in addition to the HMS Digital Citizenship and school Health & Wellness Committee. She is also the adviser to the HMS Yearbook and has been a mentor to both students and novice teachers throughout her career.

In recent years, Ms. Kay has been instrumental in securing grants to fund new CPR training equipment and worked with the Hillsborough Rescue Squad to provide CPR and First Aid training to hundreds of HMS students and staff. In 2018, Ms. Kay brought Lambertville artist Kelly Sullivan to HMS as part of a unique international art & empowerment project known as The Mighty Fingers Facing Change.  During the program, Sullivan led a group of female students through a day of artistic activities and self-discovery discussion to empower themselves and be the change they want to see in the world.  The day culminated with each of the girls adding their finger print to a large global finger paint canvas touring around the world.

When asked about her teaching, Ms. Kay noted:

Being a kid today is much harder than when I was their age. With constant access to the Internet and social media sites, young people are so much more vulnerable to the meanness of others and the pressures to fit into a certain type of mold that is considered acceptable by their peers and by society.  It’s these challenges that inspire my work in the classroom. I strive to provide opportunities that help my kids to feel confident and powerful, to become critical thinkers, have comfortable face-to-face interactions with others, and to be unabashedly proud of who they are and the things they accomplish.”

 

For her incomparable teaching style, for her creativity and advocacy for students, teachers and education, and for her truly dedicated hard work each day that brings out the best in young people today, HMS is proud to name Gina Kay as HMS Teacher of the Year 2019.