CHS Anchor Alumni

Thank you to Bob Markham, Class of 1976 and his wife Chris for partnering on this amazing annual award that celebrates those who support our teachers and administrators everyday. The operations staff are the glue that hold it all together. The 2026 Operations Employee of the Year is Karen Kuhr, paraeducator at the Cassette House!

Congratulations to Karen Kuhr, Cassette House paraeducator, on being recognized as the 2026 Operations Employee of the Year!

The CPS Foundation in partnership with Bob & Chris Markham were honored to celebrate Karen yesterday at the CPS Employee Celebration. Her dedication, compassion, and the positive impact she makes each day for the students she works with is truly amazing!

One nominator stated, " Karen's ability to innovate and continuously improve her methods of supporting students is remarkable. Her passion is perhaps best illustrated by her work with a student facing significant sensory challenges. This student struggled deeply with various textures and with water — barriers that often limit opportunities in community work settings. Rather than allowing these obstacles to persist, Karen drew on decades of expertise to craft a tailored solution that met the student's specific needs."

"Because of Karen's persistence, that student is now thriving at a job site they truly love, successfully navigating a "wet and dirty" environment they once feared. They have opened up socially and emotionally, gaining a level of independence that once seemed unreachable. A once-daunting barrier was dismantled through Karen's compassionate advocacy."

Thank you for the difference you make through service, kindness and advocacy.

Thank you to Brian Christensen, Class of 1976 and One Nebraska Federal Credit Union for your partnership on this amazing annual award that celebrates teachers who are doing great things for our students in their first 3 years of teaching. The 2026 New Educator of the Year is Kristin Sky, 1st grade teacher at West Park Elementary!

Congratulations to Kristin Sky, 1st grade teacher at West Park Elementary School, on being named the 2026 New Educator of the Year!

The CPS Foundation, in partnership with OneNebraska Federal Credit Union, proudly announced this honor during the CPS Employee Celebration yesterday afternoon. This award recognizes outstanding new educators who are already making a meaningful impact through their passion, dedication, and commitment to students. Kristin’s work in the classroom is helping young Mustangs and Discoverers learn, grow, and thrive each day.

Thank you to Brian Christensen, Class of 1976 and One Nebraska Federal Credit Union for your partnership on this amazing annual award that celebrates the greatness that happens in CPS classrooms each and every day! The 2026 Educator of the Year is Anne Noviki, 5th grade math teacher at Columbus Middle School!

Congratulations to Anne Noviki, 5th grade math teacher at Columbus Middle School on being named the 2026 Educator of the Year!

Announced during the CPS Employee Celebration, this honor recognizes Anne’s outstanding dedication to students, passion for education, and commitment to excellence at Columbus Public Schools.

Through her leadership, encouragement, and daily impact inside and outside of the classroom, Anne continues to inspire students to grow, achieve, and discover their potential. Her commitment to making a difference reflects the heart of what it means to be a Discoverer.

One nominator said, "Anne represents the gold standard of dedication, blending high academic expectations with an unmatched level of personal support for her students. In her classroom, mastery isn't just a goal — it's a guarantee. She has made it her personal mission that no student leaves fifth grade without a deep, functional understanding of fractions. Recognizing that this knowledge is a critical foundation for higher-level math, she refuses to let any child fall through the cracks."

Her work day doesn't end with the final bell. Every day you will find her after school providing one-on-one intervention for students who need more time. She then makes herself available online every evening to ensure her students have a lifeline as they work through their homework at home.

"As a Professional Learning Community leader, Anne balances the demands of leadership with her own continued growth. She approaches every training session as an opportunity to sharpen her craft, constantly seeking new strategies to better serve her classroom. This year, she has worked diligently on the fifth grade math pilot, putting in tremendous extra effort to ensure her entire team can educate students to the best of their abilities. Her colleagues describe her as someone who never ceases searching for, finding, and implementing new approaches to deepen her students' understanding of mathematics."

The CPS Foundation in partnership with One Nebraska Federal Credit Union is proud to celebrate and recognize educators like Anne who help shape the future of our schools and community.

We want to hear your stories! Tell us in the comments how these amazing CPS staff members impacted you!

Congratulations to all of our employees who have given 25 years of service to Columbus Public Schools! Thank you for supporting and inspiring our Discoverers.

Scott Bethune
Jeffrey Bures
Joni Ebel
Brandi Fleming
Teresa Hausmann
Melissa Jelinek
Janelle Muntz
Kristine Spawn
Suzanne Stevenson
Liliana Velasco
Craig Williams

Alumni share your favorite stories of these amazing educators in the comments below!

Congratulations to Michelle Edzards, Jackie Eickhoff and Amy Jahn on 30 Years of Service to Columbus Public Schools. Thank you for helping our students grow and succeed!

Alumni -
Share your favorite stories of Mrs. Kwapnioski and Mrs. Magg in the comments!

Congratulations to Cathy Kwapnioski and Laura Magg on 35 years of Service with Columbus Public Schools! Thank you for investing your time, talents, and heart into the students of CPS.

Alumni if you had the privilege to work with this amazing employee place one of your favorite stories in the comments!

Congratulations to Karen Kuhr on 45 years of service to Columbus Public Schools. Thank you for the positive impact you continue to make with our students each and every day!

New this year! The Discoverer Athletic Hall of Fame is hosting a golf tournament to help raise more funds to support scholarships. Foursomes for golf are SOLD OUT, however, you can still support the event by becoming a corporate or hole sponsor.
You can secure your sponsorship online at https://www.cpsanchor.com/news-events/event-calendar.html/event/2026/09/03/discoverer-athletic-hall-of-fame-golf-classic/561016 or contact Nicole Anderson at 402-563-7000 x 12847.

You'd like to make a donation? You can do so online at https://www.cpsanchor.com/get-involved/donate.html .

Go Discoverers!

One of the best days of the year is when we get to host our annual Discoverers of Distinction Inductees at Columbus High School. Inductees began their afternoon at CHS where they saw their plaques before speaking with the Senior Leadership Class. Later that evening they were officially inducted at the banquet held at the American Legion.

If there is someone you wish to nominate for the consideration of Discoverer of Distinction you can do so online at:
https://www.cpsanchor.com/what-we-do/discoverer-academic-hall-of-fame/