Thanks to Mississippi Valley Montessori School for their support. Located in West St. Paul since 1967, they’re an AMI-accredited Montessori school serving children up to age 6. Email us for more info.
The Optimist Club of West St. Paul named Brianna Havir, the magnet coordinator at Heritage E-STEM Magnet School, their Optimist of the Year for 2026. Nominated by Heritage Principal Heidi Koury and Instructional Coach Chelsea McCabe, the Optimist Club “prize patrol” surprised Havir at Dodge Nature Center last week.
“My reaction to receiving this award was pure surprise, and I am so honored,” said Havir. “I feel incredibly lucky to be in the Heritage community—we have the best families, students, and staff, which makes it easy to try to create new opportunities for our school.”
As the magnet coordinator, Havir works with students across all grade levels. She helps lead 300 students in Marine Team, coordinates field trips, oversees vegetable and pollinator gardens as well as the outdoor classroom, and has brought in over $100,000 in grant funding.
Here’s what the nomination by Koury and McCabe said about Havir:
“If America runs on Dunkin, Heritage E-STEM truly runs on Havir.
“Whether she is guiding fifth graders in constructing greenhouses, mentoring seventh graders in food truck design, teaching ‘Teenager 101’ students to cook using the harvest from our school garden, or helping language arts students bring complex inventions to life, Brianna remains a constant, empowering presence in their lives. …
“Brianna Havir is the ‘magic maker’ of Heritage. She is a friendly-to-everyone leader whom every student knows and loves. Her expertise, humor, and relentless energy are the reasons our school flourishes as an E-STEM magnet.”
More: Learn more about past Optimist of the Year recipients and the Optimist Club of West St. Paul.
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(Photo courtesy of ISD 197)
