The Smith’s were there to say “thank you” from a very special cause in a very special way. In fact, the Smith’s offered special “thanks” to nine Thornapple Kellogg educators and staff members as part of their “Thank You Project” through their foundation, the Merritt Matrix founded in 2025 in their daughter, Merritt’s name.
“We’re looking to celebrate those who bring patience, creativity, and heart to their work every day - the ones whose kindness, encouragement and dedication make a lasting difference in the lives of students…Through ‘The Thank You Project’ our hope is to give back just a little of the love you share every day, because we believe gratitude can be just as powerful as the voices you help bring to life,” the Smith’s wrote on their Thank You Project nomination guidelines.
Fletke was quiet and smiled gratefully as they presented him with this year’s top thank you gift. The nomination letter read in part, “Mr. Fletke has now worked with all three of our children, whether through girls’ wrestling, science class or woods. They are all unique…but each one thinks of him as one of the best teachers they've ever had. The reason? He sees them. He doesn’t try to make them fit a quiet, cookie-cutter mold - he meets them exactly where they are. They leave his classroom and his practices feeling seen, appreciated and proud of who they are.”
Third-grade teacher Vikki Boersma nominated Fletke for the recognition, saying it’s his work, especially with her son, Nate, that has made such a difference in his life. Nate suffered a spinal cord injury when he was 5 years old and has limited mobility from the chest down. But he’s been a part of Fletke’s middle school woods class where he made a CO2 car.
“Nate is proud of his work - and rightfully so. But he wouldn’t have had this opportunity without Mr. Fletke creating a safe, relaxing classroom environment and making small, thoughtful adjustments so Nate could participate fully. Those “little things” add up to life-changing confidence for a child who often has to sit on the sidelines.”
Nate sat beaming as he watched his teacher receive the award. But he beamed even brighter when Kristi Palmbos, his para-pro, was also honored after he nominated her himself.
“This has been the best year of school yet,” wrote Nate. “She is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. She always says what she’s thinking, says hi to everyone and gives out so many compliments. She doesn't just make my days better - she makes everyone in the 7th grade feel happier.”
Nate shared in his nomination letter that Palmbos kept encouraging him to attend his friends’ football game. “My buddies are all football players. I'm proud of them and always listen to their game stories. I know I’ll never get to be part of their team, but it is what it is. They are my friends and they always invite me to come watch their games.”
But he never attended. Palmbos continued to encourage him to go throughout the season. “Finally, for the last game I realized Mrs. Palmbos was not going to take no for an answer. She even sent home an actual jersey so I could match the team and told me to meet her before the game. When I got there, she said we had to hurry. We went down to the sideline and the coach came up to me and asked if I wanted to be an honorary captain.”
Nate got to go out on the field with the other captains, talk with the referees, shake hands with the other team and stay on the sideline for the game. “My friends supported me, the whole community seemed to cheer, and for the first time, I felt like part of something big.”
What Nate didn’t know was that he was going to get something special from the Smith’s as well. “Your letter touched us so much we just wanted to make sure you had something as well,” said Kenan handing Nate a Miami Dolphin jersey and an autographed football.
Nate was totally taken off guard and smiled with pride as his teacher and para-pro stood by his side.
In all, the Smith’s delivered nine awards of thanks to Thornapple Kellogg teachers and staff, including another of the top three honors to McFall’s para-pro Margaret “Mo” Slane.
“She (Slane) jumps in to help without hesitation, includes every child without being asked, and lifts others up with genuine warmth. She sees the best in students long before they see it in themselves, and she helps them shine,” wrote the nominating letter.
This year the organization received about 26 nominations and honored 10 people - nine at TK Schools. Fletke, Palmbos, and Slane were the top three award recipients. Also honored by the foundation were Vikki Boersma, Lee Elementary teacher; Jennica Richards, ECC/McFall/Lee Occupational Therapist; Mike Bremer, TK bus driver; Danielle Jahnke, Lee Elementary special education teacher; John Pearson, ECC/McFall/Lee speech and language pathologist; and Alicia Pearson, ECC/McFall/Lee, speech and language pathologist.
The Merritt Matrix was founded in 2025 after the Smiths’ daughter, Merritt who is now a 4th grader at Page Elementary School. Merritt was born missing a large portion of her genetic code, leading to many developmental and learning difficulties. The foundation's mission is to help children, like Merritt, find their voice through augmentative and alternative communication devices and offer these AAC devices to schools in West Michigan.
In their first year, the Merritt Matrix raised nearly $40,000 and has gifted 17 AAC iPads to students in Thornapple Kellogg, Byron Center and Caledonia schools. They’re also working with a partnership with Helen DeVos Children's Hospital to support children in clinics without access to devices.
“Our mission is to empower and unite individuals with rare genetic conditions by raising awareness and fostering meaningful connections. Through The Merritt Movement, we strive to shed light on the unique challenges faced by these individuals and their families, while promoting understanding, compassion, and inclusivity,” states the foundation’s webpage at themerritmatrix.com.