When Kelley Strout’s oldest son started fourth grade at Bangor’s Fairmount School, she worried that his test-taking anxiety would make an accelerated math and reading class too difficult.
“I remember he failed his first math test and I tried to pull him out of the class, and he told me, ‘if you pull me out of Ms. Soucy’s class, I will never speak to you again,’” Strout recalled. Over the following year, fourth and fifth grade teacher Marcy Soucy helped him develop his test-taking strategies and his confidence, Strout said.
Soucy went above and beyond to support Strout’s two sons who went through that class — which is why Strout nominated their teacher for Penobscot County teacher of the year. Soucy was awarded the honor on Friday by the Maine Department of Education.
The announcement highlights the Fairmount School’s beloved teachers and tight-knit community amid a challenging few weeks after Bangor’s school department announced the school would temporarily close next year due to asbestos. Families concerned about the closure and its implications have repeatedly emphasized their appreciation for the school’s teachers.
“We are a very close family at Fairmount,” Soucy said. “Even though my name might be on the award, to me, it really feels like a collective reflection of the amazing school and district and the community.”
The 16 Maine County Teachers of the Year, including Soucy, will collaborate on projects to advocate for students and teachers in the state, and one of them will be selected this fall as the Maine State Teacher of the Year, according to the Maine Department of Education.
Soucy’s favorite thing about Fairmount School is the students, she said, adding that she loves watching them grow as the co-supervisor for two after-school clubs. Along with fellow teacher Rachael Rowland, she runs the Soar Store, a student-run store in the school that raises money for gifts the students give out to their peers.
It also supports the school’s Care Closet, a project for which Soucy secured a grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation two years ago that provides basic hygiene items, clothes and snacks for students in need, she said. She also co-runs the Falcon Council, a student-run advisory council that helps plan celebrations at the school and resolve conflicts like playground issues.
“It’s been such a joy to see students become leaders” and to show them that “their voice really does matter,” Soucy said.
Soucy herself grew up attending Bangor schools, as did her father and her son, she said. She worked as a teacher in Atlanta after graduating from the University of Maine before returning to Bangor 11 years ago.
When asked why she gravitated toward teaching fourth graders, Soucy remembered her own teacher at Bangor’s Mary Snow School.
“Mrs. Stanley was my fourth grade teacher, and she made learning come alive, and I just remember blossoming in her class because she really believed in me,” she said. “Her belief in me really made me love learning and I really wanted to pass that on to others.”
After Strout heard the news that Soucy had won Penobscot County teacher of the year, she sent out a message to other families Sunday morning asking them to stop by her house to sign a banner celebrating the achievement. In just eight hours, 40 kids who had been in Soucy’s class signed, she said.
“A class is more than what kids learn. It’s about how they’re made to feel and that they’re challenged and that they belong and that’s really the environment she creates,” Strout said of Soucy.
When Strout’s younger son finished fifth grade, he wrote a comic book about Soucy’s class, warning future students to get on her good side by listening and remembering to bring in their homework.
“I know this book might intimidate you, but Ms. Soucy is the best teacher ever. Honestly, I wish I never had to leave her class,” he wrote.
Soucy emphasized her and her colleagues’ commitment to continue taking care of their students’ needs regardless of where their classrooms are located next year during Fairmount’s closure.
“I care very deeply about the Fairmont community and as educators, I feel like it’s our purpose right now to be a guiding light to them during this time,” she said. “Our goal is just to make sure that we have this consistent place for them where they feel safe and know that we are doing the best we can to support them.”
She added, “I keep saying, if I’m with students, I’ll be fine.”
