Foundation awards teachers funds for programs

Felicia Frazar The Seguin Gazette

Christmas came a month early for several Navarro ISD educators, as Santa’s elves made an early, special delivery last week.

The Navarro Education Foundation dug deep into its sleigh and delivered 16 grants and four principal grants totaling $21,603.

“I love it,” Navarro Education Foundation President Holly Hagen said. “It is exciting to see the excitement and to see the creativity that comes through on some of these grants. I’m always surprised on what they are thinking of next.”

Members of the organization visited the Navarro ISD complex on Friday to hand out the grants.

Due to COVID guidelines, the surprise committee decorated a pillar at the end of Navarro Intermediate School’s walkway with a balloon arch and photo backdrop listing all of the sponsors. They called the educators out individually or as a group to surprise them with the funding requested.

Among them were fifth-grade teachers Celeste Nored and Kristi Monkerud, who together received three grants totalling $3,643.

“They are so generous it is unbelievable,” Nored said.

The pair were given $1,275 for Rocking Through History, $870 for Full STEAM Ahead! and, with fellow teacher Christy McCaig, $1,498 for an Outdoor Game Room.

“This brings science and social studies to life for the kids,” Monkerud said. “When they build stuff … it makes learning fun. When you can attach meaning to the lesson, then they will remember it for forever.”

With Rocking through History, the teaching duo plans to emulate another teacher’s idea of getting students excited about learning and retaining that information through music videos using modern day songs.

“Mrs. Nored said we can make these videos ourselves,” Monkerud said. “This grant will get us the costumes necessary and the equipment stuff that we need to produce our own social studies and history videos for the kiddos and have them be in it, along with Mrs. (Wendi) Russell, (Navarro ISD superintendent).”

Full STEAM Ahead! brings STEM lessons to life for the students. The pair have planned several lessons that bring together science, technology, engineering and mathematics together with children building hover boards while learning about friction, force and motion or how light works and build a light maze similar to Mission Impossible for the children to complete.

“We are not just going to look at pictures of things, we’re going to bring it to life,” Nored said. “This will let them have science and social studies and be kids all at the same moment.”

The Outdoor Game Room will come complete with oversized board games like checkers, connect four and a 16-foot by 12-foot foosball pit, Nored said.

“It will have PVC pipes going across and the kids will actually stand and become the players,” she said. “They’ll have to kick the soccer ball only moving side-to-side and there’ll be soccer nets on the end where they are trying to work as a team. It is going to be amazing.”

In a year that has taken a lot away from the children, the teachers felt this is giving them something back.

“It is important in any year to have these hands-on lessons, but this year with COVID, it is even more important because they have lost a lot of the things that they would normally get,” Nored said. “I know the kids are going to be excited, but we may be a little more excited.”

The Navarro Education Foundation provided funding for a digital microscope, author visits, flexible seating, Magic of Science assembly, recirculating water trough and funding for woodworking.

Due to the the cancelation of DuckFest because of the pandemic, funding and sponsorships were a little down this year, Hagen said. However, that did not stop the organization from fulfilling teacher wishes. The group gave each principal a $500 grant in place of the annual Principal’s Challenge.

The Navarro Education Foundation was created 15 years ago to give educators additional support in the classroom through technology, supplemental educational supplies, special guests and more. In the past 15 years, the organization has raised and distributed about $600,000.

This year, the group took the opportunity to honor a pair of long-time supporters — former Navarro ISD Board of Trustees member Rick Martin, who recently died, and parent Donna Grobe for her years of dedication and support.

“Rick gave selflessly to his country, the Geronimo community and our school district,” Hagen said. “(Donna’s) son is graduating this year, so we thought it was appropriate to salute her now for the countless hours she has given throughout the years. Donna has logged hundreds of hours volunteering throughout all of the Navarro campus PTOs, working in concession stands and is a fan to many students.”

Each of the teachers was surprised and appreciative as they were presented their awards.

“There are not words to express how thankful and excited we are about this amazing opportunity to put these cool ideas into action for these students at Navarro,” Monkerud said.

The children were just as excited as the educators, Monkerud said.

“A student in my class said, ’Dreams really do come true, Mrs. Monkerud!’” she said. “I smiled and told him, ‘Yes, they sure do! Our NEF is truly amazing!’”

Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com

Reag article on SeguinGazette.com