1-R Welcomes New Staff
New faces abound in the halls of 1-R this year. One of those new faces is Mrs. Elizabeth Harwart. After traveling to many parts of the world, Mrs. Harwart has returned to her hometown of Grand Island. Mrs. Harwart completed her teaching degree at the University of Nebraska–Omaha and has since spent her time substituting throughout Grand Island, Cairo and in sunny southern California, as well as assisting at one of the largest high school vocal programs in the state—her alma mater Grand Island Northwest. Her teaching certification extends beyond Nebraska to the states of California and Oregon but is happy to be where the weather is “interesting.” Mrs. Harwart feels blessed to be at 1-R School and looks forward to discovering music with every student she encounters.
1-R School welcomes Mrs. Vanessa Steinkraus to the position of fifth grade teacher and assistant volleyball coach. Mrs. Steinkraus grew up on a farm near Osmond, Nebraska, and graduated from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont. Mrs. Steinkraus was married this summer, and she and her husband, Allan, live in Wood River where he is a supervisor at BioFuel Energy. Mrs. Steinkraus enjoys spending her free time playing sports, reading, traveling, and cooking.
1-R School is also happy to welcome Mrs. Jenny True to the position of third grade teacher and head volleyball coach. Mrs. True grew up in Minden, Nebraska, and is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Kearney. After her marriage in July, she and her husband, Jed, moved to a farmhouse near Grand Island. Her husband is a credit analyst for TierOne Bank. In her free time, Mrs. True enjoys playing volleyball and basketball, going fishing and wakeboarding, and spending time with family and friends.
Although Mrs. Cindy Olsen is not necessarily a new face to 1-R staff and parents, she has taken on the new roll of 1-R paraprofessional, as well as 1-R parent this year. Mrs. Olsen has a daughter in seventh grade at 1-R and a son who is a sophomore at Northwest. Mrs. Olsen enjoys watching her kids participate in sports (especially soccer) and looking for unique antiques and crafts for her home. Having previously worked at St. Libory School, Mrs. Olsen celebrates her sixth year with the district.
