Natomas Cares: Remembering Teacher Mr. Humphries

Memorial being built in memory of Natomas Charter teacher Gregory Humphries. / Photo: B. Silveira

BY TRINA DROTAR
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

Math teacher Gregory Humphries. / Courtesy Photo

A memorial is being created at Natomas Charter School in memory of beloved math teacher Gregory Humphries.

Humphries, who taught at the school 12 years, died in 2012 as the result of injuries suffered in a hang-gliding accident.

“His biggest passion was his students and teaching,” teacher Rachel Kanowsky said. “He loved teaching.”

Senior Austin Phillips proposed the memorial as his senior project in August. Phillips had taken classes from Humphries and was close to the teacher at the time of his death.

“I took on this project to help my school community,” Phillips said. “I wanted to thank him for everything he gave the community while also allowing the community to be a part of it.”

Natomas Charter School seniors must complete a project as part of their graduation requirements. Projects are meant to fulfill a need in the community through the arts such as teaching dance and art at schools where these classes are not offered and scoring music for theater productions.

The memorial is a dodecahedron – a 12-sided geometric shape which was Humphries’ favorite. It is located near a classroom where he taught.

“One of the things that Austin really wants to do is make sure that the memorial is reflective of the person that Greg was,” said Kanowsky, who is Phillips’ project adviser.

Kanowsky describes the project as “excellent” and Phillips as “a trooper.” The dodecahedron, she said, requires a great deal of work, more than would be expected for a planter-box sized memorial.

“(Humphries) was a very popular teacher her. He made math something enjoyable,” said Kanowsky. “That’s a pretty talented thing to do.”

Natomas Charter School executive director Ting Sun recalled Humphries’ love of math, music, astronomy, poetry and photography. She said the memorial reflects both the teacher’s interests and personality.

Phillips realized that he could not do the project alone, so he enlisted the help of many people from the campus community, in addition to people outside of the school.

“Something that has been really important to me is incorporating people in the project,” Phillips said.

He requested announcements in the school’s daily bulletin and spread the word the old-fashioned way, by talking to people about Humphries and the memorial. Phillips also created a website where he invites the community to monitor the project’s progress and donate what they can.

The memorial is comprised of several elements including a planter-box, Zelkova serrata tree and artwork as well as mini time capsules and notes which all embedded in the structure.  The time capsules include items from his classroom and dozens of notes were written by students and teachers.

Kanowsky said several people, both on and off campus, have pooled their talents and resources to make the memorial a reality.

“Steve Stombler Landscaping donated all of the planter materials and brickwork labor,” she said. “And Tyrone Benson Tile donate

d all of the tile work labor.” Daltile, she added, donated most of the tile.

Chelsea Greninger, visual arts instructor at Natomas Charter School, is one of the artists assisting with the design process.  She is silk screening some of Humphries’ drawings around the tessellation designs which decorate the memorial. The drawings are from Humphries’ own sketchbooks.

“Mr. Humphries was also very into tessellations so that is one of the reasons we chose them for the repeating patter in the mural,” Greninger said.

Students on campus have also helped Phillips’ project by donating money and collecting the items needed for the project. Already about $1,000 has been spent for brickwork and planting materials.

“The staff and students collectively have supported this project,” Kanowsky said. “Everyone is determined to get this finished. (The project represents) the legacy that he left this school and his students.”

The memorial is expected to be nearly complete by the time Phillips graduates in June. A dedication will be scheduled when the project is finished.

Natomas Charter School academy coordinator Tammy Lee said that Humphries embodied the idea that arts and academics make the whole individual.

“We’re all invested in memorializing Mr. Humphries because he was such a big part of our campus community,” she said.

Check out Austin Phillip’s project online at http://donatetohumphries.weebly.com/.

Photo by Austin Phillips

Photo by Austin Phillips

Photo by Austin Phillips

Photo by Austin Phillips

“Humphries Tribute” appeared in the 2013 yearbook is made up of small pictures of all students who had Mr. Humphries as a teacher over the course of his career at Natomas Charter School.