District 49 thanked community and staff members who go above and beyond for military-connected students during the Fantastic 49 presentation on Nov. 10 at Creekside Success Center.

The evening kicked off by recognizing Victoria Henderson, school liaison program manager at Peterson Space Force Base. Henderson partners with D49 to provide assistance with life transitions such as moving to a new school and with helping fund STEM programs for schools that serve military families. “District 49 understands the different transitions students go through,” said Henderson. “I thank you for supporting the different challenges that military students endure while supporting their parents who serve.”

Three educators— Kristen Billingsley from Springs Ranch Elementary, Jen Newberg from Falcon High School and Brett Coddington from Remington Elementary —received accolades for their leadership with the IGNITE Grant. The grant, funded by the Department of Defense Education Activity, promotes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) courses in schools with a sizable military-connected population.

“These teachers exemplify our vision and mission every day … they get students to problem-solve in real-world scenarios in hands-on activities,” shared Mary Velasquez, DoDEA project manager. “The love of STEAM is truly being ‘IGNITED’ in their classrooms.”

Fantastic 49 is the district’s recognition program that celebrates fantastic staff, students, parents and community members before the board of education meetings. A sincere thank you to Air Academy Federal Credit Union, Dion’s, and Texas Roadhouse for donating gift cards for honorees.