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Several new educators on board at St. David School this year
Adam Bernal/San Pedro Valley news-Sun
The St. David School District has hired 10 new additions to the school staff to instruct students in a variety of classes and perform other duties for the 2008-2009 school year.
The district's new hires are Rachel Homerski, first grade; Beverly Kartchner, first grade; Susan Mayberry, fifth grade; Krystle Amman, elementary music; Alan Birkemeir, middle school social studies; Anne Schmidt, middle school and high school science; Marshall Gillette, middle school and high school math; Lean Haymore, physical education and business; Lisa Lewis, transition specialist; Melanie Larson, district nurse.
St. David Schools Superintendent Kate Mueller said the district had no problem filling vacant positions and had a group of highly qualified candidates to choose from. The new hires reflect the district's views of who they felt would be the best overall choices for what the current staff is looking for, she said.
With a high number of students already praising the new staff, Mueller said it has been one of the most successful school openings she's been involved in. The new hires have all embraced the school's values and mission to be a positive environment where students will be motivated to learn.
"It's a very positive, high energy group," Mueller said of the district's new hires.
Kartchner has 10 years of teaching experience working in special education and with the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.
When she had an opportunity to teach first grade at a school where her children attended, Kartchner wanted to try a different kind of teaching where she could become directly involved with students who are just starting out their education.
"I just wanted to go into the classroom and see it from a different perspective," Kartchner said.
Kartchner said she has been excited to have a chance to teach first-grade students and believes the foundation of education takes place at the younger levels.
Homerski came all the way from a large school district in Pennsylvania and decided to apply for the first grade position after hearing good things about the district.
After she was hired for the position, Homerski said she was looking forward to coming to a smaller, more intimate community where families are close and have a lot of involvement with the school.
"I was really excited to come to a school that has a real family-oriented community," Homerski said.
Homerski said she has enjoyed getting to know her new students and continuing to build on that closeness throughout the school year.
Haymore attended St. David schools from K-12 and is currently doing her student teaching at the school. Haymore is teaching seventh grade typing and K-8 physical education until the second semester, when she will take over the school's entire physical education program.
After spending her youth growing up in St. David and graduating in 2004, Haymore said she is very familiar with many people at the school and knew what to expect coming in.
"I know it's a good environment and the kids are eager to learn things," Haymore said.
Haymore's family has been settled in St. David for some time and said she is part of a fourth generation of teachers at the school. Haymore said she also still has siblings attending the school and a lot of her students know her on a personal level.
Gillette has been teaching on and off for 20 years and has a large amount of experience teaching on Indian reservations such as Fort Thomas, San Carlos and Ganado. Gillette's wife, Shirley, also teaches at St. David.
Gillette said he had been waiting for a position to open up at St. David and was glad to have it finally happen this year. Gillette is also eager to start teaching mathematics, which is what he went to school for.
"This is exciting to be teaching for the first time what I'm qualified for and I'm looking forward to it," Gillette said.
The St. David School District has hired 10 new additions to the school staff to instruct students in a variety of classes and perform other duties for the 2008-2009 school year.
The district's new hires are Rachel Homerski, first grade; Beverly Kartchner, first grade; Susan Mayberry, fifth grade; Krystle Amman, elementary music; Alan Birkemeir, middle school social studies; Anne Schmidt, middle school and high school science; Marshall Gillette, middle school and high school math; Lean Haymore, physical education and business; Lisa Lewis, transition specialist; Melanie Larson, district nurse.
St. David Schools Superintendent Kate Mueller said the district had no problem filling vacant positions and had a group of highly qualified candidates to choose from. The new hires reflect the district's views of who they felt would be the best overall choices for what the current staff is looking for, she said.
With a high number of students already praising the new staff, Mueller said it has been one of the most successful school openings she's been involved in. The new hires have all embraced the school's values and mission to be a positive environment where students will be motivated to learn.
"It's a very positive, high energy group," Mueller said of the district's new hires.
Kartchner has 10 years of teaching experience working in special education and with the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.
When she had an opportunity to teach first grade at a school where her children attended, Kartchner wanted to try a different kind of teaching where she could become directly involved with students who are just starting out their education.
"I just wanted to go into the classroom and see it from a different perspective," Kartchner said.
Kartchner said she has been excited to have a chance to teach first-grade students and believes the foundation of education takes place at the younger levels.
Homerski came all the way from a large school district in Pennsylvania and decided to apply for the first grade position after hearing good things about the district.
After she was hired for the position, Homerski said she was looking forward to coming to a smaller, more intimate community where families are close and have a lot of involvement with the school.
"I was really excited to come to a school that has a real family-oriented community," Homerski said.
Homerski said she has enjoyed getting to know her new students and continuing to build on that closeness throughout the school year.
Haymore attended St. David schools from K-12 and is currently doing her student teaching at the school. Haymore is teaching seventh grade typing and K-8 physical education until the second semester, when she will take over the school's entire physical education program.
After spending her youth growing up in St. David and graduating in 2004, Haymore said she is very familiar with many people at the school and knew what to expect coming in.
"I know it's a good environment and the kids are eager to learn things," Haymore said.
Haymore's family has been settled in St. David for some time and said she is part of a fourth generation of teachers at the school. Haymore said she also still has siblings attending the school and a lot of her students know her on a personal level.
Gillette has been teaching on and off for 20 years and has a large amount of experience teaching on Indian reservations such as Fort Thomas, San Carlos and Ganado. Gillette's wife, Shirley, also teaches at St. David.
Gillette said he had been waiting for a position to open up at St. David and was glad to have it finally happen this year. Gillette is also eager to start teaching mathematics, which is what he went to school for.
"This is exciting to be teaching for the first time what I'm qualified for and I'm looking forward to it," Gillette said.
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