Meet Westonka's December Feature Teacher: Kristi Henkels

By Lorrie Ham

Kristi Henkels, a fourth-grade teacher at Shirley Hills Primary School in the Westonka School District, has been selected as the Lord Fletcher’s Feature Teacher for December.

Kristi has worked in the Westonka District for 15 years, all of them at Shirley Hills Primary School. She was hired at Shirley Hills as a Media Specialist in 1997. After spending seven years in that position, she moved on to teach fourth-grade, where she has been for the past eight years.

Prior to coming to Westonka, Kristi was a media specialist for two years at St. Alphonsus Catholic School in Brooklyn Center and a general studies teacher for fifth and sixth-grade girls at Lubavitch Chedar in St. Paul for one year.

Kristi received a BA degree from St Catherine University and a Master’s degree in education from St. Mary’s. Since she went to college after having a family, she also spent time working at McDonald’s, Target and Avis. She also worked as a travel agent, marketing assistant for a technology company and in her family’s bar.

Kristi was a student council advisor for eight years. She also was on SIT for two years, Shared Decisions for four years, the 21st Century Committee for one year and District Tech Committee for eight years. She is on the Shirley Hills Tech Committee as the chair for seven years and grade level rep for eight. She is the grade level rep for Language Arts (five years), Science (four years) and Social Studies (one year) committees.

For the last year, she has been the building’s site rep for Westonka Education Minnesota. She was also named a TIES Exceptional Teacher in 2006.

“Mrs. Henkels is a real technology wizard,” said Principal Ann Swanson. “She enjoys finding new innovative and exciting ways to teach the curriculum to the students. We are proud to have her on TEAM Shirley Hills.”

Each Feature Teacher receives a certificate for brunch for two from Lord Fletcher’s.

“I feel very fortunate to work in a community that supports and recognizes its teachers with this kind of award,” said Henkels. “I am honored (and humbled) to be included with all of the dedicated previous Lord Fletcher’s Feature Teachers.”