New Year Opens With New Faces At Banner County School

Banner County School opened the new academic year with a number of new staff members and the distinction of being the first Panhandle school to establish the JAG NE program for students to explore career options.

Superintendent Evelyn Browne told the Observer on Tuesday that JAG NE, which stands for Jobs for American Graduates Nebraska, is a program supported by United Way of the Midlands.

Browne said JAG NE students in grades 7-12 take part in problem-based learning activities to help them explore career options, identify interests, and develop skills that help prepare them for post-secondary education and entry-level careers.

Here’s the lineup of new educators and other staff members:

• Troy Holmberg, principal.

• Kindra Olsen, school secretary.

• Mark Steer, kindergarten.

• Megan Sinks, second grade.

• Olivia Terrones, third grade.

• Ray Lemoine, grades 7-12 science teacher.

• Kinsey Groves, grades 7-12 math teacher.

• Larry Adams, JAG.

• Carla Goranson, paraprofessional.

• Cassi Parker, health paraprofessional.

• Ron Vella, custodian.

Principal Holmberg introduced himself to the school community with the following words that appeared in the July 2023 edition of the school’s The Scratching Post newsletter:

“My name is Troy Holmberg and I will be the principal in the upcoming school year. I am excited to begin my new role at Banner County Schools. Over my 32 years in education, I have held a variety of teaching and principalship positions. This past year, I taught 7-9 science and physics at Wakefield Community Schools.

“My formal educa­tion training includes a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“While my hometown is Council Bluffs, Iowa, my entire educational career has been in the great state of Nebraska. Joining in my journey is my wife Patti.

“We have two children, Alicia (20) and Kyle (19). Alicia lives in Columbus, while Kyle will be a fresh­man at Wayne State this fall.

“For downtime, I enjoy walking, listening to music, and watching sports with football being my favorite.

“If the weather is nice, there is a good chance you will see me walking around Harrisburg wearing a Green Bay Packers shirt. I look forward to meeting everyone in the Wildcat Nation!”