Marshall County schools kicked off last week. And this fall, there are a few new faces around both the Britton-Hecla and Langford Area Districts.
Four new certified educators were welcomed at B-H this year: Jakob Walden, Lisa Dawson, Kara Schultz and Ashley Hennings, and three new teachers started at Langford Area: Bryce Peterson, Lora Gibbs and Tammi Beck.
The teachers answered a few questions to help the community get to know them.
BRITTON-HECLA
Jakob Walden
Jakob Walden is a brand new teacher as he joins Britton-Hecla this fall. He will be teaching various music classes at B-H, including band, 6-8 grade Music Appreciation and 4-5 grade General Music.
Though Walden is new to the local district, he is from this neck of the woods. He is an Aberdeen native and attended Northern State University for his Music Education degree.
Regarding his goals for the year, Walden said, “I want to be able to make the best music that I can. I have always wanted to conduct a group of musicians, so this is sort of like a dream come true.”
In his free time, he likes to play his euphonium, take his dogs on walks, hang out with friends/family, and play some games. He enjoys coming home to spend time with his dog Pandora.
Lisa Dawson
Lisa Dawson is happy to be back teaching at Britton-Hecla after a little break. Dawson previously taught at B-H from 2013-2022 then took a little break to work with family at Brampton Farm Service, Inc. “Once teaching is in your heart though, it is hard to leave it behind,” Dawson commented. “ I am very grateful for the opportunity to be back doing what I love with great people.”
The returning teacher, a Britton native, will be teaching K-12 Special Education. She was educated at NSU and has endorsements in elementary ed, social science plus a masters degree in Administration and Leadership.
Her goal as a teacher is to provide students insight to their strengths and build on them as well as motivate them to become lifelong learners and valuable members of their community, explained Dawson. “As a little girl, I was captivated by the story of the late Christa McAullife who was lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. Her famous quote was, ‘I touch the future, I teach.’ I believe all teachers touch the future and we are blessed with the chance to help guide students down the path of living their best lives.”
She and her husband Corey have three sons, Jordan, Carter and Corbin. She enjoys their tradition of selling fireworks at the family stand. When she’s not in the classroom, Dawson cab be found at her kids’ activities as well as camping, fishing and spending time at the lake.
Ashley Hennings
Ashley Hennings is from Jamestown, North Dakota and will be teaching English Language Arts at B-H this year, as well as heading up the afterschool program.
She attended the University of Jamestown and received a degree in English Education. She spent fifteen years teaching ELA in Langdon, ND and one year at Aberdeen Central.
In her time at B-H, Hennings hopes to be a valuable member of the teaching staff, motivate students to be life-long readers and learners and enjoy and remain passionate about teaching.
Outside the classroom, Hennings enjoys reading, spending time with her family and dog and DIY projects.
Kara Schultz
Kara Schultz will be teaching second grade at Britton-Hecla this school year. She is originally from Evansville, MN and went to college for Elementary Education at St. Cloud State University. She is a veteran South Dakota teacher, having taught 17 years in Brookings and six in Sisseton.
She said she is very excited to be teaching at B-H this year. Schultz and her husband Patrick have lived on Clear Lake in Lake City for seven years. They have three sons and four grandchildren. Her hobbies include cooking, boating, fishing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
LANGFORD AREA
Bryce Peterson
Bryce Peterson is essentially returning home as he starts teaching at Langford Area. Peterson is a 2021 graduate from LA, and earned his Elementary Education degree at NSU.
He has other Langford educators in his family, including his grandma Bonnie who subbed at the school. His field experience included spending time at his alma mater as well as Roncalli and other Aberdeen elementary schools. He will be hopping around at LA this year, spending part of his day with fifth graders and later sixth and seventh graders in science and math. He will later be teaching PE as well.
“My goal as a teacher in the LA district is to give my students the same experience I was given when I was in their shoes,” emphasized Peterson. He added that he hopes to learn and grow as a teacher even as he delivers a great educational experience for his own students.
Outside the classroom, Peterson can be found enjoying sports and attending local games. He also enjoys spending time with this family.
Lora Gibbs
Lora Gibbs originally hails from Murdo but now she and her husband Brett, also an educator, live in his hometown of Claremont. She graduated from Northern State University in Aberdeen with a double major in Special Education and Elementary Education.
She is a long time teacher with an over 20-year career, including spending 11 years teaching in LaMoure, ND and 12 years in Audubon, Iowa. In her time, she has taught upper elementary, junior high, kindergarten as well as special education.
This fall she is teaching kindergarten through second grade at the Newport Colony school. “My goals as a teacher are to instill a love of reading to all students,” she stresses.
Gibbs and her husband have three grown children and six grandchildren who live all over the country. In her free time, she enjoys reading and quilting.
Tammi Beck
Tammi Beck joins the Langford Area district as part of the North Central Special Education Cooperative. She will be the speech therapist for the district.
Spending her formative years in Aberdeen and then Fargo, Beck then attended various institutions of higher education including North Dakota State University, Mitchell Tech and Bellevue University. She has several years as a preschool teacher under her belt as well as time in special education.
“My goal is to provide the best therapy I can to the students I will be working with,” Beck stated. “I hope to build a close relationship with the staff in Langford schools and become part of a great team.”
She has three children and six grandchildren and likes to cook, bake, decorate, paint, and of course eat, she said.
