Tuesday, September 24, 2019

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 1st and 4th 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:


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.




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