Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Mount Ayr Community school district welcomes eight new employees for the 2013-2014 school year.

Andrew DRAKE will serve as an associate in the middle school/high school special education department where he served as a substitute associate last year.

DRAKE graduated from Bedford high school and continued his education at Johnson County Community College and Iowa Central Community College with an education major.

Madison ESCH comes to Mount Ayr as a new second grade teacher. ESCH graduated in 2013 from Graceland University with a degree in elementary education with endorsements in English and reading.

At Graceland ESCH served as a resident assistant and was active in student government.

Bryant McCABE is a new sixth-grade teacher and middle school basketball coach. He graduated from Creston high school and completed a degree from Buena Vista University in Creston in 2013.

He has nine years experience as a lifeguard and assistant swimming pool manager and four years as assistant middle school basketball coach in Creston.

Angela REYNOLDS will serve as the district's SFL coordinator this year. She brings a great deal of SFL experience to the position, having served as parent coordinator, academic coordinator and recreation coordinator in the local program.

REYNOLDS has a degree from the University of Northern Iowa in health promotion with emphasis in wellness/fitness management and women's health.

James SMITH is a familar face in a new position in the district. Along with his long-held duties as a football coach (35 years), SMITH will now add bus route driver to his resume.

SMITH taught 7-12 math in the Mount Ayr district for 33 years. Besides football SMITH has also coached bowling and baseball.

Abby STEPHENS assumes the duties of social studies teacher. A 2002 graduate of Diagonal high school, STEPHENS went on to earn a bachelor's degree in political science in 2006 and a master's degree in history in 2008, both from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.

She is currently a PhD candidate at Purdue University, and upon completion of her dissertation, she will have a doctorate in American studies with a focus in 20th century American history.

Charissa THORNTON is a new special education teacher at the elementary. She is a 2013 graduate of Northwestern College in Orange City where she majored in elementary education. She has an endorsement as an Instructional Strategist 1 for elementary and secondary special education.

THORNTON'S activities include being cheer captain at Northwestern for two years.

Danielle STEWART is a 2013 graduate of Graceland University in Lamoni. She will teach elementary special education.

Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2013