Ms. Jessica Perkins is just one of the sixteen new teachers that have joined the Fraser High School staff this year. However, her positive attitude and contagious spirit may be what set this new teacher apart from the rest.

Ms. Perkins teaches American History, Ancient World History, and English 12 in classroom 1307. When students step into her classroom, there is a bright, positive energy. Ms. Perkins resonates a similar energy. Her presence is reminiscent of that of a face character at Disney World. She is very smiley and willing to share all of herself with students. She is from this area originally. She went to Chippewa Valley High School, where she says she was most influenced to become a teacher.

“In high school, I loved to do musicals and choir. I was a good student, I worked really hard, I was ‘nerdy’, I guess. I had a lot of great high school teachers, specifically my history teachers. They had a positive influence on me. I wanted to be able to do that for kids. I love being able to share my passions with them about these subjects,” Perkins said.

  Ms. Perkins, like all new teachers, has a mentor. Mentors are chosen based on which personalities would mesh well, and who is in their department, perhaps someone who is nearby. Ms. Perkins’ mentor, Mrs. Scopas, had only glowing things to say about her new friend.

“Mentors check in, answer questions, and try to make new teachers feel welcome and more connected within the building. She’s a lovely person, very thoughtful and pleasant. She has a bright personality. She greets her students at the door everyday, which is such a nice thing to see. She has a fresh perspective, a nice way of incorporating Fraser’s modern methods,” Scopas said.

One of Perkins’s English 12 students, Lauren Churley, opened up about her classroom experiences with Ms. Perkins at the helm.

“She makes sure we understand the lesson before moving onto another topic. She helps you understand if you’re having trouble with something, she will explain it differently.  After a test or a paper, she will make a slideshow of pointers and things for us to improve on, telling us how we can improve on it.  You can tell that she genuinely cares about her students, the quality of their grades and the class as a whole,” Churley said.

Outside of school, Ms. Perkins has kept busy by attending Oakland University, working for her master’s degree in history. She loves to travel. She visited Salzburg, Munich, London and Paris over the summer.

Fraser is the third school that Perkins has worked in, but it is clear that she belongs with us Ramblers through and through.

“I love Fraser. It’s the best school I have ever worked at. The staff has all been so nice and helpful. They’ve made me feel very welcomed here. The students are very driven. It’s a great working environment for me,” Perkins said.

“She’s a great addition to the school. Any teacher with that type of spirit is wanted by any school. I can see her teaching here for years to come,” Her mentor, Scopas, said.

Ms. Perkins possesses a contagious happy spirit. She’s very kind and open, and very passionate about her work here. With that positive attitude under her belt, she will surely become a teacher all students adore and think of fondly for years to come.