Maternity leave was on the horizon and the school year was winding down for Katie Larson, so any deviation from the plan for her last few days at Taylor Exemplar Academy wasn’t on her radar.
Just before she was set to welcome a baby boy to the family, her work family had a surprise for her that required some maneuvering. Her leave was moved up a few days, which required the administrative team to bump up the assembly planned in her honor that wasn’t just for her upcoming sabbatical.
There on the soccer field were her husband, parents, and sister-in-law along with each staff member with an individual flower to celebrate her being named an Excellence in Teaching winner this year as part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) Excellence Awards.
Katie Larson is a winner of this year’s Excellence in Teaching award.
Former students and fellow teachers shared their fond memories and appreciation. Larson, a second-grade teacher, was grateful for the moment that served as a bridge between her 10 years at Taylor Exemplar and her own family growing by one.
“That was really special being able to hug each staff member because I have obviously been there for so long, so I have a lot of great relationships with other staff members as well,” she said. “It was something I'll cherish forever.”
Creating a sense of belonging is one reason Taylor Exemplar has outperformed the district for 16 years. Larson said the connections that principal Zemen Marrugi and dean of lower elementary Shirin Huwih form with families motivates her year after year to make Taylor Exemplar the best choice for parents and students. She credits them for supporting her behaviorally and academically while giving her the freedom to do what’s best for the building, making her team a tight-knit bunch.
“I have the best K-2 wing; we’re so supportive of supportive of each other,” she said. “We’re super collaborative. Whenever one of us needs help, whether it is curriculum or grades or something with a parent or a student, we just really support each other.”
Katie Larson and her family at the Excellence in Teaching celebration.
That strong foundation has allowed Larson to teach every sibling in a family and watch them progress and achieve future success academically, morally, and professionally.
“It’s incredible to see students who are in my second grade class go all the way through eighth grade and then they go to Taylor Prep,” she said. “It has been amazing to have that community aspect with the students as well as the families.”
Helping students pursue greatness is easier when they are eager, collaborative, and support each other, which has been the case for Larson recently. She said many students reached their oral reading fluency end of the year goal almost halfway through the year, able to read 100 words per minute.
“I’ve had so many amazing groups throughout the years, but I would say my group from last year were some of the highest achieving and hardest workers that I've ever had,” she said. “Even though I had a really high performers, they still wanted to keep growing and they were very encouraging of each other.”
Dean of Lower elementary Shirin Huwih, left, and Katie Larson.
Keep up the excellent work, Mrs. Larson!
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About Taylor Exemplar Academy
Taylor Exemplar Academy is a free public charter school in Taylor, Mich., serving students in Young 5s through high school in partnership with Taylor Preparatory High School, a school that falls under National Heritage Academies (NHA®) portfolio. NHA is a charter school management company in Grand Rapids, Mich. which has more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 60,000 students in kindergarten through high school. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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