The halls were filled with feelings of high honors last Thursday, April 17, when the Gretna Public Schools Foundation awarded three Griffin teachers with the third annual Educational Excellence Awards, which were voted on by the GPS community.
The three winners were Justin Haberman for Specialist Educator of the Year, Kiley Luchsinger for 9-12 Educator of the Year and Nathan Wallace for Rookie Educator of the Year. Members of the GPS Foundation and Gretna East administration surprised the honorees by presenting the awards during their class periods, unbeknownst to the recipients.
“It is an honor to receive this award,” Haberman said. “There are so many amazing specialist teachers in the district. [I am] blessed to work with amazing students and colleagues.”
Aside from being a P.E. teacher, Haberman serves as the head varsity football coach and has led the team to their first district championship and playoff appearance in school history this year.
“I feel learning how to best meet the need of our students and athletes to help them be successful is very important,” Haberman said. “I will continue to work the be the best teacher/coach that I can be for the students and administrators of Gretna Public Schools.”
Additionally, English teacher Kiley Luchsinger shared similar sentiments about receiving his award.
“It feels pretty cool to be honored for sure,” Luchsinger said. “Gretna Public Schools has a phenomenal staff across the board, and the educators in this school district put me in awe every day. I have other educators I look up to, so it feels extraordinary to be congratulated and respected by them.”
Luchsinger teaches three English classes and is the sponsor of the Thespian Troupe and the Drama Club. Now, this award has revitalized her love of her work.
“I think above all, this award tells me I must be doing something right,” she said. “However, being stagnant by staying the same is dangerous, so I’ll keep growing and trying to become better. Teaching is really hard. Not only that, the world, tech, students and education are always changing. It feels so tiring to think about how much more learning I have to stay relevant and engaging in the class. But this award is that extra oomph to keep trying.”
Rounding out the list of awardees was vocal music teacher Nathan Wallace.
“Honestly, I was blown away when I heard that [the award],” Wallace said. “It’s one thing to feel like you’re making a difference, but to have that affirmed by students, families and colleagues in such a big way—it means everything. I’m incredibly grateful for their support and encouragement.”
While this is Wallace’s first year in the Gretna district as a vocal music teacher, he is no “rookie” when it comes to education. Formerly, Wallace served as a music director at Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School for two years. Since arriving at Gretna East, he co-directs the varsity concert choir, and he heads the Treble/Bass and varsity show choir, Equinox, leading the group to be ranked among the top 20 in the nation.
“I think the biggest thing has been building strong relationships with students and creating a space where they feel seen, heard and challenged,” Wallace said. “Whether it’s through choir, show choir, or just day-to-day interactions, I’ve tried to show up every day with purpose and positivity. Helping students find their voice—literally and figuratively—has been a highlight of this year.”
The three winners will be honored on May 20th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. during an award ceremony in the Gretna East commons, where the recipients will receive a physical and monetary award. The event will be open to the public to attend, and appetizers and refreshments will be served courtesy of the Gretna Public Schools Foundation.
“This is our third year giving out the Educational Excellence awards, and our first time hosting a ceremony honoring all award winners,” GPS Foundation Executive Director Holly Radke said. “We want to fill the commons with as many people as possible to show their support for our GPS staff who show up day in and day out for our kids.”