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  • Marie Vayo-Greenbaum
    Wow! Congratulations Leigh. Our department, and my children, are lucky to have you! Marie
  • Maura Edmonds
    Congratulations! A well-deserved honor!

Leigh Thompson Named High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year


Upper School teacher Leigh Thompson has been named the High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year for Delaware by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Thompson will be recognized at the annual education awards banquet for the Delaware ACS on Thursday, September 27 at the DuPont Country Club.

Thompson received her B.S. in Chemistry at the College of William and Mary and her M.S. at the University of New Mexico. Her career in chemistry has expanded over two decades. For the past nine years, she has taught at Tower Hill School.

Last year Thompson created a local networking forum for chemistry teachers in public and private schools to discuss curriculum and share best practices.

To remain at the forefront of science education, Thompson participates in national workshops and conferences and is an active member of the ACS. She has previously received outstanding teacher awards from Tufts University and the University of Chicago. In 2010, she was honored to receive the Charles Arrington III Endowed Faculty Chair in Science Award for her exceptional teaching.

Thompson holds high expectations for her students and commented, "In my opinion, chemistry is not a spectator sport. I want my students to be actively involved in the class." She incorporates innovative approaches into her classroom teaching. A favorite demonstration at Halloween includes igniting flammable gases to detonate jack-o'-lanterns.

In addition to teaching, Thompson has sponsored students in national competitions such as Toshiba Exploravision Project and the DuPont Challenge. She participates broadly in student life as a coach, advisor and prom coordinator.
 



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