By Tyler Dahlgren

NCSA Communications Specialist

A full year of storytelling is in the books, and while NPSA can't wait to visit more of Nebraska's public schools (the content schedule is filling quickly, so contact news@ncsa.org with any good leads!), we thought we'd revisit some of the most moving insights from administrators and teachers to date.

1.) ESU 13 Director of LifeLink Pam Brezenski

*From Nov. 7, 2016 NPSA article “Working Towards a Future: Alternative education at ESU 13 leaves no student behind”

“That may seem small to some people, but for us it’s the world,” Brezenski said. “It means that student has a voice now. They’re able to live the life everyone else can. There is no better feeling in your heart than when you get that moment. Even just the smile of one of our students can change your day. To significantly change the course of their lives, that touches our lives.”

2.) Hastings High School Drama Teacher Katie Funkey

*From Nov. 4, 2016 NPSA article “The Power of Giving: The proof is in the pantry”

“I’ll be unloading my car with supplies and a student will say ‘Wow, Mrs. Funkey, that’s a lot of soup! Who needs that much soup?’,” Funkey said. “And I answered ‘Well, almost 60-percent of your classmates.’”

“The kids were super excited to trick-or-treat, and even more excited to bring that food right back into the school and put it on these shelfs,” Funkey said. “That warmed my heart, and was really great to see.”

3.) Seward High School English Teacher Clark Kolterman

*From Oct. 28, 2016 NPSA article “Mr. Seward: Kolterman’s commitment to school and community awes peers, inspires students”

The respect between the students at Seward and Kolterman is mutual. This generation, the one that perceivably lacks in interpersonal communication due to a dependence on technology, draws Kolterman’s admiration.

“I have to admire them, because they have to do so much more,” Kolterman said. “Not only do they have to carry on a conversation, but they have to do all the technology and be proficient in that, too.”

4.) Norris High School Government Teacher Scott Harrington

*From Oct. 24, 2016 NPSA article “Norris teacher goes extra mile to inform, engage government students

“It feels amazing,” Harrington said. “When you see the kids take an interest and take value, and when you see they’re getting something out of it and they’re changing the way they’re thinking and changing the way they’re going to behave as they become old enough to vote, that’s an awesome feeling.”

5.) Wakonda Elementary Principal Ebony Harvey

*From Nov. 22, 2016 NPSA article “Greatness on the Horizon: An emergence of hope at Wakonda Elementary”

“My big thing was finding teachers that really have a heart that wants to help the kids,” Harvey said. “Anybody can go into a classroom and be a teacher, but the ability to see the whole child was important to me. That’s probably why it took us as long as it did, we wanted to make sure people were in it for the right reasons.”

“Every kid is important and every kid has greatness inside of them,” Harvey said. “It is our jobs to pull that out.”

6.) Huntington Elementary Teacher Krista Couton

*From Dec. 16, 2016 NPSA article “The Hub of the Neighborhood: Huntington’s Holiday Headquarters spreads cheer to those in need”

“Children are children everywhere,” Couton said. “They deserve to be safe and loved, but they also deserve to be challenged and inspired. Our teachers and staff work relentlessly to make sure school is truly a place for every child, no matter where they’re coming from outside the building.”

7.) Ashland-Greenwood Kindergarten Teacher Diane Starns

*From February 14 NPSA article “Building a Bluejay: Ashland-Greenwood’s culture shift opens doors to kindness”

“The kids are absolutely fabulous and they love coming to school every day, just as I love coming to school every day.”

8.) Cedar Bluffs Principal Kevin Janssen

*From May 1 NPSA article “All Hands on Deck: Standards and opportunities soar as Cedar Bluffs enrollment spikes”

“Our motto is ‘Kids First’ here, and we are going to do everything we can to benefit the students,” Janssen said. “Our teachers treat them like they’re their own, which I think is helpful in the success they’re having here. They are not a number, and they are not just a student sitting in a classroom. They are a person, and we treat them that way, with respect.”

9.) Lyons-Decatur Northeast Science Teacher Paul Timm on Student Brock Vetick

*From May 5 NPSA article “The Science of Serving: Lyons-Decatur senior finds passion, purpose in the lab

“Our motto is ‘Kids First’ here, and we are going to do everything we can to benefit the students,” Janssen said. “Our teachers treat them like they’re their own, which I think is helpful in the success they’re having here. They are not a number, and they are not just a student sitting in a classroom. They are a person, and we treat them that way, with respect.”

10.) Milford Secondary Principal Brandon Mowinkel

*From Aug. 15 NPSA article “Eagle Pride: The Story of a School”

“I think the premise of a story is easy to understand,” Mowinkel said. “You have chapters, and, as a teacher, every year is a chapter. You go through these things which are easy to relate to a story. You’re going to have conflict in a story, but you’re also going to have joys and sadness, and that’s all a part of the big picture.”