The North Platte Public School Foundation has named their 2014 Staff Member of the Year, Administrator of the Year and Teachers of the Year.

The awards recognize and encourage superior professional efforts to improve instruction and cultivate the continuation of educational excellence at North Platte’s schools.

This years recipients are:

Trisha Hasty-2014 Teacher of the Year-PreK-5th

Trisha Hasty teaches Preschool at Jefferson Elementary.  This is her third year in the district.

Hasty obtained her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education from Iowa State University.  She received endorsements in Spanish, English as a Second Language and Special Education.  She is currently working to obtain her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Doane College.

Her family includes her husband, Forrest, her mom, Lisa, her dad, Andy, and her brother, Trevor.

“I see Trisha put students’ needs over her own, her flexibility and willingness to help others is truly amazing” said Jefferson Elementary Principal George Schere.

Hasty said she enjoys reading, spending time with her friends and family and being at the lake.

 

Leah Purdy-2014 Teacher of the Year

Leah Purdy is the Director of Choirs at North Platte High School where she directs the Mixed Choir, Concert Choir, Blue and Gold Singers Jazz Choir and teaches Music Appreciation.

Purdy is also an adjunct faculty member for MPCC, offering her Music Appreciation class for dual credit.  She is developing an online version of the class.

Additionally, Purdy directs the musical each year for NPHS.

Musicals under her direction have included “West Side Story,” “The Sound of Music,” South Pacific,” “Into the Woods,” “Footloose,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Cinderella,” “Anything Goes,” “Children of Eden,” and “Wizard of Oz.”

She has also held lead roles in a number of musicals, including, “Into the Woods,” “Cinderella,” “Ruddigore,” “She Loves Me,” “Seussical” and “The Marvelous Wonderettes.”

Purdy regularly performs throughout the state, having served as the soprano soloist in “The Messiah” with the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra three times.

In 2007, Purdy was chosen as Nebraska Wesleyan University’s Outstanding Young Alumni for her accomplishments in teaching high school choral music.

She conducts honor choirs across the state, most recently serving as the director for the Festival Choir at the University of Nebraska at Kearney Honor Choir Clinic.

Purdy is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Nebraska Music Educators Association.

Purdy holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

She lives in North Platte with her husband Ryan and their three children, Elliott, Carly and Addisyn.

 

Corene Richards-2014 NPPS Staff Member of the Year

Corene Richards is a Paraprofessional at Adams Middle School.

Richards, a lifetime resident of North Platte, has been employed at Adams Middle School for nine years, serving seven years in the classroom as a paraprofessional and two years as a behavior paraprofessional.

She is a three-year Adams Family Relay for Life team captain and has assisted with summers school at Adams.  She is also employed at the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte.

“It is hard to explain how valuable Mrs. Richards is to our building, she performs so many duties that go unrecognized, yet these duties keep our building operating in an efficient manner,” said Adams Middle School Principal, Jeff Steinbeck.

Richards has been married for 19 years and has four children and three grandchildren.

Richards says she enjoys working in tourism in North Platte and loves the challenges and rewards of working with middle school students.

She said her goal is to build relationships, assist students in becoming successful in the classroom and support staff in their roles at Adams.

 

Dr. Midge Mougey-2014 NPPS Administrator of the Year

Dr. Midge Mougey is the Principal at Lake and Osgood Elementary schools.

Dr. Mougey received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Dakota in 1976, a Master’s in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1998 and a Doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004.

She has taught at McDaid Elementary and Madison Middle School and has served as the Principal at Jefferson Elementary.

In 1991, Dr. Mougey co-founded the and taught at the alternative school, TLC, in North Platte.

Dr. Mougey said, aside from her professional accomplishments, she is most proud of her family.  She has four children and is married to her husband Charlie.

Foundation officials said nominations poured in for Dr. Mougey.

 

These individuals will be honored at the Foundation’s “Education After Hours” event on Friday, April 4, at the Holiday Inn Express from 5:30-7:30.  The public is invited to attend.

Also being recognized at the event will be this year’s 2014 NPHS Distinguished Alumni award recipients.

Tickets are $25 and can be reserved by contacting the Foundation office at 696-3325.