At the beginning of the year the staff and students at Dakota Elementary set proficiency goals for math and reading and tracked the progress of each classroom as the worked to reach and surpass those goals.
Dakota Elementary Principal Kathryn Lenertz gathered students together Friday, February 28 to award those classrooms whose efforts had paid off with proficiency marks above the original set goals.
Kindergarten Teach Mrs. Grace Holm and Miss Kayla Kircher accepted an award for their classrooms as they reached a reading proficiency of 82%.
First Grade teachers Mrs. Jessica Foerster and Miss Melissa Axelson accepted awards for their classroom as they had a reading proficiency of 89%.
Second Grade teachers Mrs. Meagan Espeseth and Dr. Melvina Murray had guided their classrooms to a reading proficiency of 76%.
Fourth Grade teachers Mrs. Ashely Ferguson and Miss Dinah Seastrand heard their names call out twice as they not only reached a reading proficiency of 89%, but also a math proficiency of 84%.
Finally, it was Mrs. Lory Keller’s turn to accept awards for her Fifth Grade students also reaching a double goal of reading at 81% and math at 87%.
Principal Lenertz noted that the assembly had a dual purpose as she called Dr. Melvina Murray to the front. Dr. Murray just recently received her PhD after 4 years of dedicated work and study. “This is a first for me after 20 years at Dakota” said Principal Lenertz.
“I started my PhD in 2021” said Dr. Murray who is originally from Guam and has been at Minot Air Force Base for 5 years.
“Originally born and raised in Guam, and I was in the Army for about 9 years, met my husband and that’s what brought me to Minot.”
Dr. Murray said that getting a routine and structure down was needed to successfully work on and finish her PhD. “I wanted to make sure when I started this program that I wouldn’t split myself up. Instead, I would give 100% to whatever I was doing. I made sure that I did my absolute best when I was teaching, made sure that I did my absolute best with my family…we still went on vacations, we still did things as a family. I didn’t want them (my family) to lack that experience, because I’m the one who is in the program, not them.”
Her dissertation title was “The Nexxus of School Leadership and Teacher Retention. It’s about leadership and how it affects teacher retention.”
Dr. Murray plans to continue to teach second grade at Dakota Elementary. She has 19 kids in her classroom. “Going forward I want to teach at the elementary level as long as my kids are at that level. I do eventually want to teach at the collegiate level. I would love to teach the future teachers of America.”
Michael and Avery echoed that the Murray family got to do all of the fun things like “going on vacations and having fun.”
“Now that I am done I am a little more flexible, but I still like to have a structured routine in the house.”
And what is your advice to young teachers looking to do the same as Dr. Murray? “I would say to them that it is fully attainable. You can make it happen. If it’s something you want you will make it a priority.”
