Mercer Island Pixie Hill preschool director and lead teacher Jennifer Headrick was recognized with the 2015 Exceptional Educator Award by the Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA).

Jennifer Headrick (right) with students at MIPA Exceptional Educator Award ceremony

Headrick became involved with Pixie Hill in 2004 when the first of her four children entered the school as a preschooler. She served on the school board as Special Events coordinator, Fundraising Committee member, Registrar, Treasurer, President, and acting Administrator. She has a Master’s in Teaching from Seattle University.

The surprise award ceremony was held on May 12 and was attended by students, parents, colleagues, MIPA board members, and her parents, who flew in from California for the event.

In a letter to MIPA members, Jessica Apodaca, Exceptional Educator Award chair, wrote: “We received so many passionate and remarkable nominations from parents and colleagues describing how their family, children or workplace was so positively impacted by Jen.  Many nomination forms and letters we received described Jen as an engaged, awe-inspiring, nurturing, and caring educator.

One parent wrote, ‘Jen‘s abundant love and devotion towards children as well as her genuine desire to nurture and support children are tremendous markers of her exceptional ability to instruct and guide some of Mercer Island’s youngest learners.’  Another, and one of our favorite passages from another nomination letter, stated, ‘My only regret is that she set an unreasonably high bar for just how fun a child might expect school to be.'”

MIPA, established in 1937, is a private non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to enhancing the lives of children from newborn through kindergarten in Mercer Island and the community at large. MIPA has awarded the Exceptional Educator annually to a teacher, assistant or administrator who has made exceptional contributions to our preschool community through their dedication to early childhood education since 2006.

Pixie Hill Preschool is located adjacent to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and one block from the North Mercer Campus and future location of the Mercer Island School District’s fourth elementary school. Learn more about Pixie Hill by visiting their website.