Peabody
In Peabody, Joseph Credit will teach math for grades seven to nine as his first contracted teaching job after substituting for four years and also working in drop-out recovery at Clay Center High School.
?This is my first contract where I?ll be seeing the same people everyday and watching them progress and helping them out,? he said. ?It?s just a whole new experience that I?ve really been looking forward to for several years.?
After being informed of an opening for a high school Spanish teacher at the Peabody farmer?s market, Courtney Dealy accepted the position for Peabody High School.
?I?m just really excited about the activities you can do with Spanish,? she said. ?I?m really looking forward to delving into the curriculum with the kids.?
A 2006 Wichita State University graduate, Kathy Ensey steps into her first teaching role as the Peabody grades three to 12 vocal music teacher.
? I am looking forward to hopefully getting the kids motivated and excited about choir, and the little kids excited about music class,? she said.
After moving from Crawfordsville, Ind. with her husband, Mike Gottsch, Tabor College head football coach, Elizabeth Gottsch will begin her new role at Peabody as the first teacher of a new success center in the high school.
?It?s an alternative type of classroom,? she said. ?We are going to use an online program, mostly for credit recovery for kids.?
A 2006 graduate of North Western Oklahoma State University, Cindy Sattler begins her first teaching role as a Kindergarten to 12th grade math strategies teacher at Peabody.
After six years of substitute teaching, Sattler is looking forward to ?getting to know the kids and getting them to love math.?
Danny Shipman comes to Peabody after teaching 18 years at Bluestem High School in Leon.
Shipman will teach high school social studies.
?I heard the community as a whole was just a good community to teach in,? he said.
Rita Voth comes to Peabody Elementary School as a social worker.
?I am looking forward to working with students and their families in the Peabody/Burns community and to be able to be a part of the community and support the progress and efforts within the school,? she said.
Canton-Galva
Diana Costello, former Marion High School English teacher, transferred to Canton-Galva to become the Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade library media specialist.
?During my years teaching English in the high school classroom, I became very concerned about children losing their love of reading for pleasure before they made it to my level,? said Costello.
?The school library offers a world of opportunity to students and teachers,? she said. ?I look forward to helping them use the resources to enhance learning. I especially want to model my love of reading to help children turn into life-long learners.?
Carol Dreiling will teach high school English for Canton-Galva.
Previously a journalist for the McPherson Sentinel, Dreiling is looking forward to returning to education.
?I truly missed the young people,? she said. ?I?m looking forward to getting to know them and being part of their lives, because as teachers you become part of their lives.?
Shawna Herrera, a Tabor College graduate, will teach Kindergarten at Canton-Galva.
She previously served as a substitute teacher for the district.
?After subbing in this district, I was able to get to know the staff,? she said. ?I saw that they have a genuine interest in each of their students. I wanted to be in a district which valued both its students and its teachers.
?I feel Canton-Galva District does that.?
Arriving at Canton-Galva after teaching Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade band and vocal music at Bern school district, Samantha Koelling will teach Kindergarten through fifth grade music and seventh and eighth grade music appreciation for USD 419.
Koelling received her bachelor?s degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, and ?enjoys this part of the state.? This will be her second year of teaching.
Tina McMannis, middle school language arts, comes to Canton-Galva from the Moundridge school district where she taught seventh and eighth grade language arts, as well as ninth grade English for the last several years.
?My husband and I live north of Canton,? she said, ?so we live in the community and know a lot of the people and already go to a lot of the activities here with the school.
?It just made sense to work in the district, too.?
A 2002 Canton-Galva graduate and a recent Bethany College graduate, Angela Peppiatt will teach fifth grade at Canton-Galva this year.
Peppiatt is looking forward to ?coming back to my district and working with some of the people I?ve worked with before, in a different aspect, and getting to know the kids again here.?
Vickie Schmitz arrives at USD 419 to teach middle school and high school social studies.
She previously taught seventh through 12th grade social studies in Natoma and Jennings.
Randy Skiles will teach high school math at Canton-Galva.
He earned his bachelor?s degree from Newman University and his master?s degree from Baker University.
He is looking forward to ?getting involved in the community, getting students to do well on the state assessment in math and getting to know the students.?
?They are great kids,? he said.
An employee of the special education co-op in McPherson, Adrianna Stucky will work with special education students in USD 419.
A 2006 Bethel College, North Newton, graduate, this is Stucky?s first teaching job. She looks forward to ?getting to know new people and having fun.?
Jessica Daniel will join Stucky as another employee of the McPherson County Special Education Co-op working for Canton-Galva.
?I wanted to be in a small district that I knew cared about the success and achievements of its students,? she said. ?I look forward to growing professionally, seeing the students progress and seeing myself learn from my students.?
Arriving from a previous teaching role in the Dighton School District, Chris Walters will teach high school science and will serve as the activities director at USD 419.
Also teaching high school science for Canton-Galva is Jennifer Wiens.
She comes to the district from McPherson High School where she taught various science and health courses. She earned both her bachelor?s degree and master?s degree from Kansas State University.
When asked what attracted her to the Canton-Galva school district, she said, ?the smallness and the ability to interact with the entire student body.?
Gayle Williams will serve as the new middle school counselor this year.
She received both her bachelor?s degree and master?s degree from Emporia State University.
STILL TO COME: New teachers from the Centre, Goessel and Marion districts.
