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Meet Your Neighbor: Meet the Neighbor: Paula Naegle
By: Callie Thomas
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats
The very essence of what a good teacher does is to motivate, inspire and engage children in the excitement and joy of learning. That passion for education is at the very heart of what motivates Paula Naegle, Principal of Del Webb Middle School. She not only uses her enormous talent and enthusiasm for teaching to make a difference through education, but also to improve the health and welfare of children in the community. Naegle has played an instrumental role in establishing and implementing an awareness campaign and new procedures and guidelines within her school and beyond to protect children from food allergens.
When Naegle’s own children were young, she began teaching English in high school. She also served as a faculty advisor for a number of extracurricular activities, which introduced her to community service projects that integrated her students. Considered an innovator within the industry, Naegle launched an internship program with KLVX Channel 10. Her students at Chaparral High School were exposed to television production and later were some of the first to use that technology to televise morning announcements across campus. Naegle would be an innovator again after meeting Scott Gordin, a sixth grade student with severe food allergies. As food allergens are a life threatening disease, Gordin’s parents met with Naegle to talk about their son and how best to protect him. It was through her meetings with the Gordins that she first became introduced to and involved with the Food Allergy Research Education (FARE) organization. Paula talks about her support of FARE, her love of teaching and why it will always be a part of life as a native Las Vegan.
As a principal, how do you stay connected with students today?
“Beyond the administrative duties and paperwork I lead monthly book chats, participate in classroom discussions and mentor struggling students. For example, I try to show students that service to the community and school is fun and rewarding, whether it’s fundraising with our faculty to raise money for Nevada Childhood Cancer Camp Cartwheel or serving on the committee for the Las Vegas FARE Walk for Food Allergy, I try to give back wherever I can.”
You were introduced to FARE through one of your students?
“I met with the Gordins to discuss their son Scott’s life-threatening food allergies in an effort to be pro-active in keeping him safe and ensuring that he was included in the full realm of school activities. Mr. and Mrs. Gordin were so positive and helpful in teaching me and Scott’s teachers what we could do as a school to protect the lives of children with food allergies. They introduced me to FARE, a non-profit organization that ensures the safety and inclusion of individuals with food allergies while seeking a cure.”
You’ve spread the word about food allergies throughout your school.
“At Del Webb Middle School, we began implementing new procedures and guidelines to keep students with food allergies safe. Students and staff have participated in the Las Vegas FARE Walk for the past four years. This year’s event is on November 2 at the District Green Valley Ranch. Mr. and Mrs. Gordin, Scott and I also met with former School District Superintendent Dwight Jones to discuss the need for district-wide Food Allergy Guidelines so that all schools will adopt safe practices. That meeting led to a great opportunity: working together with school district leaders to provide training for every CCSD employee on recognizing the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and emergency procedures to help a student who is having a serious allergic reaction. These events were made possible, in part, due to the grant, ‘Educate Las Vegas,’ that CCSD received from funds raised at the Las Vegas Food Allergy Walk.”
What do you think makes you successful?
“Knowing that I can make a positive difference in the lives of students is a driving force, but mostly that I was able to raise both of my daughters, Megan and Catherine, send them off to college and watch them create beautiful families of their own, all while working hard at a job that I loved.”
