Murray School District honors outstanding employees

Murray School District recently named Parkside Elementary’s Matt Nelson as teacher of the year and Murray High’s Kari Sturgeon as employee of the year. About 10 other nominees were honored for their outstanding contributions to students.

“I was totally shocked when they all came in my classroom,” special education teaching assistant Sturgeon said when school board members, district administrators and others announced the honor. “I was just working with students, helping them in the process to graduate when they walked into the class.”

Sturgeon began working in the schools at Riverview Junior High when her son was in the at-risk program.

“I wanted to be close by, to support him when (now superintendent) Steve Hirase said he could hire me for similar work I was volunteering to do,” she said.

Since then, she went to Murray High, where she has been known to help drive students to prom or get them a notebook needed for class.

“I was so honored and happy I was chosen. I was just crying and the students all clapped for me,” she said.

Special education teacher Dan Aragon said she was deserving of the award.

“She’s fantastic and just loves the kids like her own,” he said. “She does whatever she can to help them and for that, they respect her.”

Special instruction teacher Matt Nelson said that when he was 20, he worked with adults who had disabilities and enjoyed it so much, he decided to turn it into a career in special education.

“The best part is seeing the change in students and watching them grow and become valuable members of their school, classroom and peer groups,” he said. “It’s developing and maintaining the friendships between students are the most rewarding.”

Nelson also has a key role in creating a Parkside teacher-specific podcast library of instruction with a $50,000 grant he received from the Utah State Office of Education. With technology, Nelson instructs teachers to create videos of lessons.

“The videos can be used by teachers who wish to view a lesson and see ways their peers teach or help one another,” Nelson said. “Students who miss school or are pulled out for individual instruction and need to catch up or need it for review can check them out. The podcasts also will be available for parents to use at home. It will benefit and change the way we teach and learn.”

“These two are top-notch,” former Superintendent Richard R. Tranter said. “Keri is extremely energetic and outgoing with an inviting personality that makes kids feel welcome and that they’re part of the program. Matt is very insightful, caring and a motivational teacher. He’s a deep-thinking teacher who works really hard to meet the needs of the kids.”

Both Sturgeon and Nelson were honored at Murray Board of Education meetings where they were awarded a clock, a plaque and $500.