Batesville, In. — Genesis: Pathways to Success (GPS) is pleased to announce two STEMstars for the month of May, Mrs. Krista Konradi and Mrs. Amanda Farmer, who are Kindergarten teachers at St. Louis Catholic School in Batesville.
“We at Genesis are inspired by teachers like Mrs. Konradi and Mrs. Farmer,” said Cheryll Obendorf, GPS Director. “Young children have a natural curiosity about the world around them – experimenting, building, absorbing it all. Enthusiastic teachers help them to spark the desire to learn more. They are at the beginning of their educational journey, and we celebrate the teachers who inspire them to succeed.”
These two educators use a “tag-team approach” to inspire their young students to explore STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) in a fantastic and hands-on way. This year, for example, their kindergarten students have experienced STEM through making leprechaun traps, parachutes for Santa to land on rooftops, and building bridges with cups, craft sticks, and yarn. They have been introduced to coding with Bee-Bots, Code and Go Mouse, Osmo, Cubetto, Ozobots, and Magformers. One of the children’s favorite science experiments includes the incubation and hatching of baby chickens – they even get to care for the chicks for a short time after!
“Mrs. Konradi and Mrs. Farmer believe it is never to early to introduce children to the world of STEM,” commented Jane Lieland, who nominated the team. “Kindergarten has evolved a lot in the past few years, but Mrs. Konradi and Mrs. Farmer have embraced the changes and are engaging the children at St. Louis Catholic School.”
Mrs. Konradi graduated from Purdue University with a BA in Elementary Education, concentration in Reading and a minor in History. She has been teaching for seven years, two of those at St. Louis.
