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Schools welcome new staff ahead of 2019-2020 school year

 

As it has in years past, the Graphic asked the new staff members to respond to a questionnaire about their backgrounds, their new jobs, and what they are looking forward to as the school year approaches.


Savannah Sixty

Savannah Sixty will teach students with learning disabilities as a special education teacher at Lincoln High School.

She said she likes “building rapport with the students and the opportunity to be able to help them succeed in school and life.”

A native of Buffalo City, Wis., she received her bachelor’s degree from Winona State University. She was a student teacher in Alma, Wis., before coming to Lake City.

“I am excited to meet the students and gain confidence as a first year teacher! Go Tigers!”


Jacob Schumacher

Jacob Schumacher will teach technology and shop classes at Lincoln High School.

“I like teaching hands-on courses because it takes concepts, theories, and ideas and brings them to life,” he said. “There are so many forms of technology from woods to metals to construction to engineering to computers; every day is different because of a new challenge and helping students adapt and want to continue learning more to overcome those challenges is the best part of my job. Creating something out of nothing and seeing it work is such a satisfying experience. I love sharing those processes and skills with students.”

He is helping to coach the seventh and eighth grade football teams this year and will be the school’s head FIRST Robotics coach.

Schumacher grew up in Old Frontenac and is a 2009 graduate of Lincoln High School. He studied architecture at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln for two years before transferring to Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis., to study teaching. He holds a master’s degree in servant leadership and is working toward another in technology education. He taught one year at Logan High School in La Crosse and three years at Alexandria Area High School in Alexandria, Minn.

Outside of his first priority, teaching, he owns a small residential construction company, he said.

With the school year approaching, he said: “I’m looking forward to continuing the current programs but also creating new opportunities for students and their varying interests in technology. I have experience in working with industry and the community to create real hands-on learning partnerships for students and I hope to do that here.”


Sarah Palmer

Sarah Palmer will teach ninth and 11th grade English at Lincoln High School.

When asked why she likes teaching English, she replied: “I love teaching students to communicate their ideas and understand the ideas of others.”

She’s a native of Byron and attended Minnesota State University - Mankato. Before coming to Lake City, Palmer taught middle school English in Chatfield. Outside of teaching English, Palmer is the music coordinator for her church.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know my new students and seeing all that they accomplish throughout the school year,” she said.


Jenna Powers

Jenna Powers will teach second grade at Bluff View Elementary School.

She likes teaching because “I love giving back to my students,” she said. “Watching them grow is the greatest feeling all while building relationships with them.”

Her home town is Mason, Wis. (population 79). She received her bachelor’s degree from Winona State University.

Powers is new to the role, but she isn’t new to Bluff View. She was a special education paraprofessional for four years at the school. She also did her student teaching in a kindergarten classroom and was a long-term substitute in a Bluff View first-grade class. She has also worked as a dialysis technician.

This year, she said: “I am looking forward to meeting new faces, while seeing familiar ones. I also can’t wait to build a classroom community where all my students succeed.”

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ISSN 2994-1059 (print)  ISSN 2994-1067 (online)