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Numa Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Kristina Lee has been recognized by the Disney Imagination Campus.
By Kaitlyn Ritchie Churchill County School District
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Kristina Lee, a fifth-grade teacher at Numa Elementary School, is being recognized by the Disney Imagination Campus.
Lee received the news earlier this month.
“I am thrilled to announce that I am being recognized by Disney Imagination Campus as one of 50 teachers from across the country who are passionate about using the tool of imagination in their classrooms,” Lee said.
Lee said she’s is a huge Disney fan and found out about the contest because she follows quite a few Disney social media pages.
“I saw a post on one of the pages I follow that Disney was looking for teachers who use imagination in their classrooms, and that sounded right up my alley, so I figured it was worth a shot,” she said.
The application required teachers to submit a short essay explaining the importance of imagination in the classroom, and how they use it to inspire their students. Lee wrote about how she believes students will rise to the bar one sets for them, and how she works to help them believe they can achieve big things.
For example, in 2010 and 2011, Lee’s students won a national contest hosted by the Enel Green Power, which earned each group of students a trip to Boston for a tour of the city (Enel has its United States’ headquarters near Boston at Andover Landing), and then on to Rome, Italy, for the international award ceremony.
In addition, Lee detailed how she loves to “add a little magic” into her day-to-day classroom routine.
“It helps me inspire kids to want to show up, because they never know what they will miss out on if they're gone,” Lee pointed out.
This year her classroom "sank,” and students spent several weeks learning from the bottom of the ocean.
“We also threw a party for fractions, the CIA turned our classroom into a spylab, and we trained as secret agents to help us get ready for our SBAC testing,” Lee said.
She is always looking for innovative ways to teach her students and make them excited to come to class every single day.
“Even right now, we are learning how to adapt a book into an animated show because they (students) were disappointed because a novel we read together didn't have a movie, and they thought it deserved one.”
Numa Principal Shawn Purrell said Lee is a great teacher who has always been very creative in her classroom.
“It does not surprise us here at Numa that Kristina is being recognized with this award. She is very deserving and we are so proud of her,” Purrell said.
As an award, Lee will visit the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. She will be able to enjoy inspirational talks with Disney leaders and receive an inside look into the reimagined Disney Imagination Campus workshops. In addition, Lee will experience all the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary celebration.
Lee said she’s eager for her trip to Florida. The Fallon teacher said she is most excited for the chance to meet with and learn from the Disney Imagineers and other teachers from across the country, and to have the chance to bring some of that Disney magic back to her students.
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