December 16, 2011
Top NCEA award for Kim Elpers, teacher at Sts. Peter and Paul
Kim Elpers struggles with her emotions as she learns she is to receive a major NCEA award. Seated next to her are her husband, Roger; her daughter, Paige, and her father, Larry Georges. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
“One of the most effective lessons that I have taught is about plate tectonics,” said Kim Elpers. Her answer came in response to one of a series of questions posed by the National Catholic Education Association.
Elpers teaches science at Sts. Peter and Paul School in Haubstadt, and her school nominated her for an NCEA award.
Kalyn Herrmann, the principal, presided over the announcement Dec. 12 that Elpers had been selected as one of 12 tea-chers in the United States to receive the NCEA Distinguished Teacher Award. Family members, diocesan school office leaders, media representatives, school staff and the entire K-5 student body were in the school gym to surprise Elpers with the announcement.
She will receive her award at the NCEA conference, scheduled in Boston April 11-13.
Elpers described the lesson, in her response to the NCEA question — one of several that impressed judges and led to her distinguished award.
“The fifth graders began by following where earthquakes were occurring around the world on the United States Geological Survey website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/).
“Each day the children printed the map page from the In-corporated Research Institu-tions for Seismology Seismic Monitor (www.iris.edu/seismon) and posted them in order so they would notice there were specific places, along the Ring of Fire, where the earthquakes were occurring.
“After a week of observations, we began discussing plate tectonics and how the Atlantic Ocean is widening as the Pacific Ocean is narrowing. We also discussed one of the effects of oceanic earthquakes was the possibility of tsunami waves.
“That same week after this discussion there was a tsunami that struck Japan. The children were immediately interested in the news announcements about the terrible destruction. They asked to pray for the victims and then requested if there was some way they could help the families.
“They brainstormed options and decided to raise money through a bake sale and collecting money after church that weekend. Our pastor [Father Tony Ernst] agreed and suggested they speak to the congregation after each Mass to explain why they were collecting the money.
“The fifth graders decided on two classmates to speak at each Mass and together wrote what they would say. They sent the money collected to Catholic Relief Services. I was so proud how the children mastered not only the science lesson but extended the lesson to live out their Catholic faith.”
The top NCEA honor in 2012 follows a similar honor awarded in 2010 to Benedictine Father Gregory Chamberlin at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, for his role as pastor of a parish with a Catholic School.
Elpers and Father Chamberlin were each selected for top honors in NCEA Region Seven, which includes 1,656 schools in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The schools in Region Seven include almost 23 percent of all Catholic elementary school students enrolled in the United States.