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Portrait of a Graduate MVP: Kristi Henry

By Crystal Hayduk

[Under Superintendent Mike Kapolka’s leadership, the Chelsea School District began awarding Portrait of a Graduate (POG) MVP awards this year as one way district staff can commend each other and highlight the ongoing efforts to incorporate POG competencies into the work with students. Currently, anonymous nominations are made by district staff.]

Kristi Henry will always remember Beach Middle School’s (BMS) Ugly Sweater Day, Dec. 19, when district administrators showed up in her classroom with the Portrait of a Graduate MVP award.

Henry, an eighth-grade social studies teacher, had nominated several colleagues for the special award earlier in the school year, but never expected she would be the middle school’s first recipient.  

The award recognizes the work of district faculty as they help students acquire the skills of the 21st century learner: communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

This is Henry’s 22nd year teaching at BMS, where she has taught English or social studies to seventh or eighth graders over the years. She thrives working with students of this age. “Every day brings new adventures because the kids are always different and changing,” said Henry. “Middle schoolers have a great sense of humor, and it’s a good time in life to make mistakes and grow.”

Henry’s students notice her dedication and look forward to her class each day. Zora Ziolkowski and Marlo Gobba appreciate the time and effort Henry puts into creating a classroom that is “…the best environment for her students … and she has such a spectacular way of teaching her class. She greets us with a smile on her face, [and] treats her students with respect and benevolence.”

According to her colleagues, Henry matches her students’ energy. Susanna Miller said Henry’s dedication, organization, and creativity keep the students engaged.

She is both a leader and a team player. Meg Emlaw described her as “collaborative, open, and flexible; she sees teaching as a team endeavor and all who work with her benefit from her knowledge, years of service, and professionalism. She’s wicked creative too.”

Henry grew up in Saline, where she realized she had a gift for teaching when she was still in high school. She tutored students as a requirement for membership in the National Honor Society. She enjoyed the way tutoring sessions began with questions and confusion and then students would have an “aha moment” when the concepts took hold.

As a student at Eastern Michigan University, she took courses to teach English and history. “These stories of people over time were my favorite classes when I was in school,” said Henry.

Henry completed her student teaching in an eighth-grade classroom at Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor with mentor teacher Diane Cupps, “a pragmatic veteran.”

When Henry graduated from college, she accepted the position in Chelsea, and she’s been happy here ever since. She said besides having wonderful students, the administration and parents in the district are very supportive.

When she’s not teaching, Henry loves to read. She finished 100 books in 2022, so “love” is not an exaggeration. Together with her husband and children, reading is a regular family pastime.  

Even though Washtenaw County is her “part of the world,” Henry also enjoys traveling. Her family recently returned from San Diego, a trip originally planned for spring break 2020, but delayed when the pandemic hit. “Our vouchers were going to expire so we had to go,” she said. “It was rainy, but we bought rain ponchos and did all the things anyway—just with no crowds.”

The dedication and energy Henry brings to her personal life is evident in her classroom. Andrea Franco, assistant principal at BMS, said Henry’s “spunk and hilarious flare,” and “innovative, globally, and culturally conscious lessons … help students connect history with our lives today in a very real way. From role-playing royalty to demonstrate how life was in the early times of American History to engaging students’ creativity and strategy with her Historical Skills class, Mrs. Henry is a dynamic asset to Beach’s history, present and future.”

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