NEISD collaboration brings elementary and middle school students together

Ms. Von Buettner’s Kindergarten class is up bright and early.

The class is ready to brush up on reading and spelling.

Today, this Steubing Ranch Elementary class is getting a hand from some special helpers.

The ‘Harris Helpers’ come every Thursday and it’s a great opportunity for the kindergarteners to get to see the older students and interact with them,” Von Buettner said.

The group of student ambassadors is from neighbor Harris Middle School and the dedicated bunch doesn’t let a little rain stop them.

12-year-old Brooke Martinez is a seventh-grader at Harris.

“We help with reading skills, their writing skills, and how to improve to succeed in the class,” Martinez said.

Brooke said she wants to be a pediatrician one day and she’s picking up skills in the classroom that she hopes will help her in the future.

“Communication and how to interact with people; I think that’s really helpful in the long run,” she said.

Ms. Von Buettner has been an educator in NEISD for more than twenty years.

This is her first year at Steubing Ranch and previously taught at Wetmore Elementary, Regency Place Elementary, and Oak Grove Elementary.

“I’ve always wanted to work with kids and I haven’t been disappointed yet. A lot of what keeps me going is my own personal kids and when I’m in my classroom I think ‘how would I want my own kids taught?’ That’s what I have tried to do with all the kids in my classroom; love them like my own and teach them like my own. It’s just a very rewarding job,” she said.

6-year-old Jon Gonzalez is a kindergartener at Steubing Ranch. He said he loves having Ms. Von Buettner as as his teacher.

“It’s because she’s nice,” he said with a smile.

Jon said Steubing Ranch is one of his favorite places because it has his most favorite place of all, the playground.

 Ms. Von Buettner said she just loves being a part of the NEISD family.

“Everyone is super supportive and wants to work together and you can just see that on our campus and with the partnership with Harris and the continuation through North East with these families.”

Discover the NEISD way, where our educators are constantly collaborating and provide students with one-on-one learning experiences every day.