G-R Welcomes New Teachers

Superintendent News & Views

G-R Welcomes New Teachers

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

The 2019-2020 school year started on August 23, and the first five weeks of school have been GReat!  We welcomed five new teachers to the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Rebel family this school year, and I’m pleased to introduce them to the community in the paragraphs below.

MS. LAURIE SEIDL, 7-12 SCHOOL COUNSELOR:  Laurie Seidl is the new 7-12 School Counselor at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Jr./Sr. High School.  A native of Urbandale, Iowa, she is a graduate of Dowling Catholic High School.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services from Iowa State University and is completing a Masters of School Counseling degree program at the University of Northern Iowa.  She has two years of teaching experience, having taught special education at the preschool level. 

Commenting on the positive, welcoming environment at G-R, Ms. Seidl said, “The people at GR seem like a family and have been nothing short of welcoming to me so far!” 

MR. HUNTER HAMILTON, HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURE TEACHER/FFA ADVISOR:  Lone Tree, Iowa native Hunter Hamilton joined the G-R staff as the new High School Agriculture Teacher & FFA Advisor this past summer.  This is Mr. Hamilton’s first teaching position, as he graduated from Iowa State University last spring.  Just before graduation, he completed his student teaching experience at Wester Dubuque High School in Epworth, Iowa. 

Mr. Hamilton’s schedule is a busy one...he spends half of his day at G-R and the other half at Dike-New Hartford, where a new agriculture program is being established.  He’s also advising a new, joint FFA chapter that is shared between the two schools.  When asked about his initial impressions of Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Mr. Hamilton said, “I am excited to be back in small-town Iowa!  Even though I haven't been here long, I can already feel the community support.” 

MS. AUDREANNA BEDNARZ, EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER:  The district’s new Early Childhood Special Education Teacher joined the district this fall with three years of experience as a preschool teacher.  Ms. Audreanna Bednarz was raised in the small community of Springville, Iowa and is excited to join the positive and caring community at G-R.  “I am from a small town in rural Iowa where everybody cares about everyone,” she stated recently. “G-R seems like a very tight-knit community where everyone supports each other, and I am excited to be part of such a positive and caring community.”

Ms. Bednarz is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.  She previously worked in the field of social work, but eventually realized that she could have the most impact on the world around her by working directly with students. 

MRS. HEATHER MARA, ELEMENTARY SPECIAL EDUCATION: The new special education teacher at G-R Elementary is already quite familiar with the school and the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community.  Heather Mara is returning “Home” to G-R schools where she previously taught 1^st and 4^th grade.  She re-joins the district with over 20 years of teaching experience. 

Speaking about her return to G-R, Mrs. Mara said, “Last year I subbed at GR and got to know the staff and students.  I was excited to be back teaching in a small-town district and elated to have the opportunity to meet a new generation of students/parents here.   The way the whole community has welcomed me back, has warmed my heart and confirmed my decision of returning ‘home’ to GR."

Mrs. Mara was raised in Hampton, Iowa.  She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa where she majored in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. 

MR. SAMUEL ROGERS, K-12 TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR/TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATIONIST:  Sam Rogers joined the G-R district this summer as the new K-12 Technology Coordinator and Technology Integrationist. He is a native of Cedar Falls, Iowa.  Mr. Rogers most recently taught 7th Grade Literacy at Central Middle School in Waterloo. Prior to that, he taught various English courses at Waterloo West High for while coaching a variety of sports at the middle and high school level.

Excited about his new technology-related role at G-R, Mr. Rogers said, “Technology plays such an integral role in our students' learning experience as well as their everyday lives, and I am excited to help teachers continue to provide those experiences, help them learn new skills, and generally make our students' learning experience the best it can be.” 

Mr. Rogers holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Teaching and a master’s degree in educational leadership. 

MORE FUN & INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OUR NEW TEACHERS:  Which of these new teachers threw up during the dissection of baby pigs during their high school years?  Which one minored in horticulture?  Which one was once sent home from school for smelling like a skunk?  What are our new teachers’ favorite books of all time?  Why did these teachers decide to pursue a career in education?  Find the answers to these questions and more on my blog, as we discover more in-depth information and learn additional fun and interesting facts about each of our new teachers in my series of blog posts.  Just type tinyurl.com/NewGR19 into a browser window to be taken directly to this blog post, where you can find links to a separate, more detailed article focusing on each of the new teachers:

Introducing Ms. Bednarz

Introducing Mr. Rogers

Introducing Mrs. Mara

Introducing Mr. Hamilton

Introducing Ms. Seidl

I’ve always believed TEACHERS are a school’s greatest resource, and G-R employs some of the very best in the business! These new additions to the Gladbrook-Reinbeck teaching staff have been carefully selected for the skills, abilities, and aptitudes that they will bring to our educational community. We’re excited to have these new Rebels on board, and I encourage everyone in our educational community to help them to feel welcome and supported in the important work they do. Welcome, new Rebels!

You are welcome to visit my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where this column and all columns I submit to the Northern Sun Print and Reinbeck Courier are posted. I also welcome you to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill.

Update on the SAVE Statewide One-Cent Sales Tax for School Infrastructure

Superintendent News & Views

Update on the SAVE Statewide One-Cent Sales Tax for School Infrastructure

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

This past spring, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that will truly make a positive difference for Iowa’s school districts, students, and property owners. House File 546, signed by the Governor after receiving bipartisan support in the Iowa legislature, extends the statewide one-cent sales tax for school infrastructure for an additional 20 years while providing additional property tax relief for property owners.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed HF546, the SAVE extension, into law on May 24, 2019 at the Sioux City Career Academy. The law extends the penny sales tax for school infrastructure to January 1, 2051.

Commonly called the “statewide penny,” the official term is SAVE, which stands for Secure an Advanced Vision for Education.  Since SAVE became law in 2009, it has allowed Iowa’s school districts to maintain and upgrade their facilities and to provide students with increased school security, safer transportation systems, and better access to modern technology as well as the necessary technology infrastructure without increasing the burden on property taxpayers. 

Since the SAVE became law, Gladbrook-Reinbeck has used these revenues to improve daycare and preschool facilities in Gladbrook and Reinbeck, purchase buses and vehicles, improve student safety by installing controlled-access systems and video security, provide 1-to-1 computing devices, improve technology infrastructure, repair and replace roofs, and to provide numerous other improvements to our academic and athletic facilities in both Reinbeck and Gladbrook.  During the same time period that all of this has been accomplished, the burden on G-R’s property taxpayers has been reduced.  G-R’s current property tax rate of $10.06 per thousand is the lowest it has been in many years, and it is certainly one of the lowest property tax rates in our region. 

The current statewide penny had been set to expire in 2029. The year 2029 may seem like a long way off, but that time frame is short enough to impact school districts’ ability to issue bonds against future revenues.  Realizing this, leaders in the Iowa Statehouse had been working to achieve bipartisan support for extending SAVE for the last few legislative sessions.  A compromise was finally reached this year. 

The new SAVE law isn’t identical to the previous one.  Among other differences, the new SAVE commits additional funds for property tax relief.  Depending on the annual growth in statewide sales tax revenues, the amount dedicated to property tax relief will increase each year by up to 1% until it reaches a cap of 30.0% of the funds generated.  Another change in the law requires a public hearing before SAVE revenues are spent on athletic facilities that are not attached to a school building.

Consumers won’t notice a change at all -- sales taxes paid on purchases throughout Iowa will remain the same.  Funds generated by the SAVE go into a statewide pool that is distributed to districts based on certified enrollment...this makes the distribution of funds more equitable for school districts, regardless of whether it is an urban district with a lot of retail business or a more rural district with fewer retail transactions. 

In the coming years, SAVE revenues will continue to be vital for G-R to maintain our buildings, complete our cycle of roof repairs, and to continue upgrades to facilities, technology infrastructure, student technology, and transportation equipment. In addition, our facilities need better accessibility for handicapped individuals. Furthermore, SAVE revenues may be necessary for the G-R district to responsibly dispose of a former school building that has been unused since the summer of 2015.

The price tag for the improvements mentioned in the preceding paragraph is likely to be high. Accomplishing these items within a reasonable timeframe may require bonding for a period of more than ten years.  The extension of SAVE makes that possible. 

When SAVE first became law, G-R voters approved a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) that gave the district the greatest amount of flexibility allowed by law when using SAVE revenues.  G-R’s RPS ballot measure in September 2009 received 85% voter approval. Voters at that time realized that a “Yes” vote didn’t cost them anything and gave their school district the flexibility to use SAVE funds to meet the needs that had been prioritized locally.

Now that SAVE has been extended by the legislature, school districts must pass another Revenue Purpose Statement ballot measure before bonding against future revenues beyond the original SAVE sunset date.  At the September school board meeting, the G-R board will be considering whether to have a Revenue Purpose Statement measure included as part of the November election ballot.

Whether it is on our local ballot this November or not, I’m sure voters across the state will be voting on Revenue Purpose Statements over the next few years as the sunset of the original SAVE approaches. It is my guess that voters across Iowa will once again vote in support of these measures, as it really is a “no-brainer.”  Consumers statewide will pay the sales tax either way, and school districts statewide will receive the revenues either way -- the RPS just gives districts a little more flexibility with the dollars they are already receiving. 

If you’d like to hear the school board’s discussion as they consider this topic, consider attending the September school board meeting on Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Jr./Sr. High School Vocal Music Room.  I will keep you posted on the board’s decision in this column.  If the RPS is on the ballot, I will use this column to provide detailed information and to answer any questions submitted by district patrons. 

As I close this column, just a reminder to all G-R district patrons that there will be four school board seats up for election this November, and that nomination forms for school board candidates are now being accepted in the district office.  Forms can be picked up during business hours from board secretary Deb Oleson, and completed forms with the appropriate number of signatures must be returned to our office no later than September 19 at 5:00 p.m.

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my columns and leave comments if you wish. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. 

Introducing Ms. Bednarz!

Introducing Ms. Bednarz!

One of the new faces at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary and the Preschool classrooms at Little Rebels Learning Center is Ms. Audreanna Bednarz.  Ms. Bednarz is the new Early Childhood Special Education teacher, working primarily with 3 and 4 year-old students.  She was raised in the small community of Springville, Iowa and is excited to join the positive and caring community at G-R.  Here are a few more facts on Ms. Bednarz:

Name: Ms. Audreanna Bednarz

Position: Early Childhood Special Education

College(s) & Degree(s): University of Northern Iowa, Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education

Prior Teaching/Coaching Experience: I taught 4 & 5-year-old preschool in Waterloo for the past 3 years. 

Initial Impressions of G-R: I am from a small town in rural Iowa where everybody cares about everyone. G-R seems like a very tight-knit community where everyone supports each other, and I am excited to be part of such a positive and caring community.

Last book you read: Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray

Favorite subject when you were in school: History or PE

Favorite sport or activity in high school: Volleyball & Track

Hometown: Springville, Iowa

Favorite sport/team: Oakland Raiders

Why did you become a teacher? Helping children was something I always knew I wanted to do. I dabbled in Social Work for a short time before realizing that Education was the field where I needed to be to have the most impact.

Hobbies: Reading, outdoor activities, music/concerts

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Bednarz to the G-R rebel family! 

Introducing Mr. Rogers!

Introducing Mr. Rogers!

Mr. Sam Rogers joined the district this summer as the new K-12 Technology Coordinator and Technology Integrationist.  He’s a former middle school teacher and coach who loves reading and basketball, and he is excited about the opportunity to provide leadership at G-R. Here are some more facts and background on Mr. Rogers:

Name: Mr. Sam Rogers

Position: K-12 Technology Coordinator/Technology Integrationist

College(s) & Degree(s): M.A. Educational Leadership; B.A. Secondary English Teaching

Prior Teaching/Coaching Experience: Most recently taught 7th Grade Literacy at Central Middle School in Waterloo. Prior to that, I taught various English courses at West High for 6 or 7 years while coaching a variety of sports at the middle and high school level.

Thoughts on Technology & Learning: Technology plays such an integral role in our students' learning experience as well as their everyday lives, and I am excited to help teachers continue to provide those experiences, help them learn new skills, and generally make our students' learning experience the best it can be.

Last book you read: The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes

Your all-time favorite book & why: Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

Favorite author: Kurt Vonnegut

Favorite subject when you were in school: Social Studies and French

Favorite sport or activity in high school: Soccer and basketball

Hometown: Cedar Falls

A funny story from your school days: I threw up in science class the day we dissected baby pigs. I think it was the smell. No one laughed. I'm getting kind of queasy thinking about it right now. I'm not sure if that story was funny or traumatic...

Favorite sport/team: Iowa Hawkeyes

Who was your most influential teacher & why?  Mr. Hoeft, my French teacher. Even at such a young age, I was able to notice how much time and effort he put into his work and his students. It didn't matter how a student presented themselves to his class, he was always going to bring out the best in every kid that walked through his door. He was just a fantastic human being and an even better teacher. He made me want to strive to make an impact like that on students' lives today.

Hobbies: I play basketball early in the morning and read books late at night.

Favorite Superhero: My wife, Amanda - she must have been ordained with magical powers to be able to effectively juggle our lives every single day in the manner that she does.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Rogers to the G-R Rebel family! 

Introducing Mrs. Mara!

Introducing Mrs. Mara!

We’re pleased to introduce Mrs. Heather Mara to the G-R family!  Mrs. Mara is returning “home” to G-R, where she previously taught 1^st and 4^th grade.  Most recently, she taught Title 1 Reading in Waterloo. Here are some more facts and background on Mrs. Mara:

Name: Mrs. Heather Mara

Position:  Elementary Special Education

College(s) & Degree(s): UNI- Early Childhood/Elementary Education

Prior Teaching/Coaching Experience: I began my teaching career here at GR teaching both 1st and 4th grade.  From there, I taught Title 1 Reading in Waterloo.  I re-enter GR with 20 plus years of teaching experience.

Initial Impressions of G-R: Last year I subbed at GR and got to know the staff and students.  I was excited to be back teaching in a small-town district and elated to have the opportunity to meet a new generation of students/parents here.   The way the whole community has welcomed me back, has warmed my heart and confirmed my decision of returning "home" to GR.

Last book you read: The Hate U Give

Your all-time favorite book & why: The True Story of The Three Little Pigs – (Love the humor)

Favorite sport/team: The Hawkeyes/ Panthers/ Rebels

Hobbies: Movies, eating out, boating

Your most influential teacher: Kim Koth - She was warm and friendly and sang with us every Friday.

Favorite subject when you were in school: Math

Favorite sport or activity in high school: Volleyball

Hometown: Hampton, Iowa

A funny story from your school days: I once got sent home from school.  Not for being naughty, but for smelling like a skunk.  The joys of living on a farm.

Why did you become a teacher? My love of children

Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Mara back to Gladbrook-Reinbeck Schools! 

Introducing Mr. Hamilton!

Introducing Mr. Hamilton!

This is the second in a series of five posts introducing the new teachers at Gladbrook-Reinbeck.  Up next is Mr. Hunter Hamilton, the High School Agriculture Education Teacher & FFA Advisor.  Mr. Hamilton was raised in the small community of Lone Tree, Iowa and is a graduate of Iowa State University.  Here is a little more background on Mr. Hamilton:

Name: Mr. Hunter Hamilton

Position: High School Agriculture Educator/FFA Advisor

College(s) & Degree(s): Iowa State University. B.S in Agriculture Education and a Minor in Horticulture

Prior Teaching/Coaching Experience: I recently completed my student teaching at Western Dubuque High School

Initial Impressions of G-R: I am excited to be back in small-town Iowa!  Even though I haven't been here long, I can already feel the community support.

Favorite subject when you were in school: Agriculture and History

Favorite sport or activity in high school: FFA

Hometown: Lone Tree, Iowa

A funny story from your school days: We used to have "Spirit" Day during Homecoming Week.  For some reason, I was the only guy dressed as a ghost on that day...weird.

Hobbies: Traveling, Hiking, Being Outdoors

Why did you become a teacher? I became a teacher to help students realize their potential and support them as they accomplish life goals and aspirations.

Mr. Hamilton spends half of his day at G-R and the other half at Dike-New Hartford, where a new agriculture program is being established.  He’ll also be advising a new, joint FFA chapter that is shared between the two schools.  Please join us in welcoming Mr. Hamilton to the G-R rebel family! 

Introducing Ms. Seidl!

Introducing Ms. Seidl!

Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing you to the new teachers at Gladbrook-Reinbeck.  We’ll start with Ms. Laurie Seidl, the new 7-12 School Counselor.  She’s originally from Urbandale, Iowa and is a graduate of Iowa State University.  Here are a few interesting facts about Ms. Seidl:

Name: Ms. Laurie Seidl

Position: 7-12 School Counselor

College(s) & Degree(s): Iowa State University - Child, Adult, and Family Services degree; UNI - Masters of School Counseling degree

Prior Teaching/Coaching Experience: I taught pre-school Special Ed for two years after my undergraduate studies and recently am completing my School Counseling degree at UNI.

Initial Impressions of G-R: The people at GR seem like a family and have been nothing short of welcoming to me so far!

Last book you read: Forgetting Alice

Hometown: Urbandale, Iowa

Your High School: Dowling Catholic High School

Favorite sport/team: Iowa State Cyclones/Cubs/Chiefs

Hobbies: Sports, Exercise, Photography (mainly of sunsets), Hiking, Rollerblading

Why did you become a teacher? I love watching students develop into someone I always knew they could be and seeing them find that potential is very rewarding!

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Seidl to the G-R educational community!