RIVER FOREST, Ill. — Parents describe Mrs. Alexia Filice as a beam of sunlight inspiring her student to shine brightly.
From hugs to high fives, her kindergarteners choose how they start the day. And once they get going, they’re going!
Francesca LeDoux’s on Jaxon’s is on of Filice’s students.
“You know when you leave your child at school with her, she will do everything she can to treat your child as her own she protects them,” she said. “She nurtures them and she’s amazing.”
Filice was a student teacher at St. Luke school in River Forest and she’s spent her entire career there, more than twenty years. She helped to launch the school’s pre-school program and her own kids attended the school too.
“St. Luke is an amazing place. I am truly blessed to be here,” she said.
She followed in her mother’s footsteps teaching kindergarten.
“I like to have fun, hands on-based learning and give them multiple different styles of learning,” she said. “I like to adapt as many different possibilities just so they can feel like they can do it.”
Virginia Ryan says she’s seen the growth in her daughter, Isabella.
“She has this gift of bringing out the best in them in a way that challenges them and excites them,” she said.
Ryan spearheaded a group effort to nominate Filice for WGN’s Teacher of the Month calling her a legendary educator.
Award sponsor Ankin Law recently delivered a $1000 check to the school.
“I’m very touched and it’s a beautiful thing,” she said. “I want them to love school. I want them to want to come to school. I want them to have passion for learning. I want them to most importantly feel confident loved and enjoy every day of their life.”