Belmonte science teacher feted

SAUGUS – The Saugus School Committee recognized Belmonte Middle School teacher Kim Martino last week for winning an award for her efforts in teaching science.Martino was one of 10 recipients to receive the North Shore Science Supervisor?s Association for Exemplary Science Teachers Award and was honored at a dinner at the Danversport Yacht Club last month.?I really enjoy sharing the knowledge I have of science with the students at the Belmonte,” said Martino at last week?s School Committee meeting. “I feel as if, if you love what you do, then you?ll never work a day in your life. I truly feel that I love what I do and I love sharing it with the students of the Belmonte.”Science Director Frank Woods said Martino “consistently demonstrates the creativity and diligence” that are the signs of an “outstanding teacher.”?She makes use of a variety of materials and methodology in the classroom to engage all of her students,” said Woods. “Mrs. Martino is an asset well beyond the classroom. She?s been an active and valuable member of all the department activities, and has consistently shown a willingness to make contributions to the science department.”Woods also commended Martino for her work outside the classroom.?The real reason she got the award was she voluntarily started an after-school middle school science club,” said Woods. “We didn?t have one and it?s not a stipend position. It?s organized to provide students with an after-school opportunity to explore science in more depth than the regular classroom environment.”School Committee member Frederick Doucette said Martino?s award shows how much she cares about her students.?To do an after school club with no stipend because you love kids and you love what you do, that just says so much about you as a person and the quality of the educators we have in Saugus,” said Doucette. “That?s fantastic.”Martino has been teaching sixth grade science at the Belmonte since 2008, which she said is based mostly on the life sciences.?We basically go through the six kingdoms in science like animal, plant, fungi ? we spend the year going through the kingdoms then we do the chemistry unit at the end of the year,” said Martino in a phone interview on Monday.Martino said her favorite unit is on bacteria, which she said her students “really enjoy,” especially since she recently had them make cells out of cookies and candy.Her next lesson will be on forensic science, where her students will have to do lab testing to identify an unknown white powder.?I do a lot of hands-on activities with them,” said Martino. “They have a lot of fun with it. They?re learning and they don?t even realize it.”Martino said she also makes up songs to go along with her lessons, which she noted helps when it comes to certain topics that are hard to understand. One recent song taught students about symbiosis, the interaction between living things.?They?re science concepts but the tune goes with nursery rhymes,” said Martino. “One I did was on the five characteristics of animals and another was a really hard concept for them to remember which is symbiosis. They were having a tough time learning the types of symbiosis I wanted them to learn so I came up with the song that dealt with mutualism, parasites and commensalism.”Martino said she comes from a “long line of teachers,” including her mother and uncle, and noted that her award for teaching science was an “honor.”?I was very surprised,” said Martino. “It?s 10 science teachers per year. I was really honored to receive it. I really love what I do so that kind of just symbolized, for me, a real love for science.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].