Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, August 20, 2009

School begins Monday, Aug. 24, for students in the Mount Ayr Community school district and students will find several changes when they go back to classes.

There are three new faces in the faculty and administration, which is a smaller number than has been the case in many years.

New faculty for the school district this year all comes at the secondary level.

Hired as the new ag education teacher is Justin AKERS of Kellerton. AKERS is a Mount Ayr Community high school graduate and received a degree in ag education from Iowa State University. This is his first teaching position, taking the place of Jack COOK, who retired this past year.

Don RAY will be the new Spanish teacher at the high school.

He will be teaching Spanish on a three-quarters time contract. RAY has degrees in English and mathematics from Grinnell College and a master's degree in English from Brown University. He has taught at Grant City, MO, and has been a substitute teacher in the MAC district prior to being hired. He will be working on his full certification in Spanish.

Also joining the staff is Kurtis CHRISTENSEN, the district's new technology director. CHRISTENSEN worked in the Lenox Community school district before working in technology for the Green Valley Area Education Agency, where he worked before coming to the school district.

Administration for the district remains the same this year with Russ REITER, superintendent; Ken HARRISON, secondary principal; and Lynn WALLACE, elementary principal.

Staff assignments for the elementary school this year include:

Little Raider Pre-school -- Beth CHRISTNER and Bethany KNOX; early childhood special education -- Kris QUICk and Bethany KNOX.

Junior Kindergarten -- Stasia NICKLE.

Kindergarten -- Betsy BUDACH and Katie COULSON.

First Grade -- Pam HUDSON, Cindy ALLEN and Cheryl TAYLOR.

Second Grade -- Tracy GILES and Karen TAYLOR.

Third Grade -- Angie DODGE and Darla SOTOBKA.

Fourth Grade -- Deb LYNCH and Jill WEEHLER.

Fifth Grade -- Jess FROST and Marilyn HAWKINS.

Sixth Grade -- Bret RUGGLES and Julie STEWART.

Resource Room -- Bethany KNOX, Josh VANDERFLUGHT, Courtney WERNER and Amy LEVINE.

Title I and School Improvement -- Valle SMITH.

TItle I -- Donna KEMERY.

Art, Title I Math and TAG -- Jane UHLENKAMP.

Librarian -- Linda PICKERING.

Instrumental Music -- Dana MORRIS.

K-8 Vocal Music -- Martha LANDPHAIR.

Physical Education -- Deb LARSEN, K-3; Eric EHLEN, 4-6.

Guidance Counselor -- Joan MOORE.

Nurse -- Stacey ANDERSON.

Elementary Building Support Staff -- Cindy STEPHENS, secretary; Donna YOUNG, Betty NEWTON, Amy NOVAK, Sherry NORRIS, Elaine WILLIS, Amanda OVERHOLSER, Anne TAYLOR, Donna SICKELS, Annie MAIN, Andy CLARK and Heather MARTIN, special education aides; Clint POORE, head custodian; Carl WEBB, custodian.

Staff at the Mount Ayr Community middle school and senior high school includes:

Sherry ADAMS, language arts; Justin AKERS, agricultural education, FFA sponsor; Stacey ANDRESEN, nurse and health courses; Sue BUCK, language arts, social studies, careers; Marck BUDACH, business education, middle school boys track, football, assistant girls basketball; Joe CATANZARETI, high school language arts, middle school baseball, football, boys track, middle school girls basketball; Kurtis CHRISTENSEN, technology coordinator; Pam CROSS, high school social studies, National Honor Society sponor;

Chandra DRAKE, special education, H.E.L.P. Pod, Special Olympics coach; Eric EHLEN, at risk coordinator, head wrestling coach, assistant high school golf; Jodie GEIST, high school special education, TAP coordinator, grant writer, FTA advisor, middle school guidance counselor, prom coordinator, FCCLA sponsor; Scott GILES, industrial technology, PLTW, co-TSA sponsor, head boys and girls golf coach; Faye HOWIE, high school science, Students Agains Destructive Decisions co-sponsor;

Shaun KNIEP, high school English, publications, drama, Drama Club sponsor, yearbook; Derek LAMBERT, high school physical education, weight coach, co-head football coach; Deb LARSEN, business education, middle school physical education, head high school girls track coach, middle school cross country coach; John LARSEN, high school guidance conselor, high school mathematics, high school student council, high schol assistant girls track, assistant high school football coach; Sue LARSEN, special education coordinator; Tori LARSEN, high school special education, Pep Club;

Dana MORRIS, 5-8 instrumental music, high school vocal music, high school flags director; Frank MUELLER, special education/behavior disorders; Mary K. OVERHOLTZER, middle school science, TAG; Linda PICKERING, librarian, Library Club; Don RAY, Spanish; Aaron RILEY, middle school high school art, driver's education; Stephanie RILEY, middle school/high school special education; Brandie RUGGLES, middle school special education, assistant high school volleyball coach, middle school girls basketball coach.

Delwyn SHOWALTER, middle school/high school social studies, co-head high school football coach; James SMITH, high school math, assistant baseball coach; Mike STILL, alternative school coordiantor, athletic director; Greg STORHOFF, high school instrumental music, vocal music; Thad STREIT, middle school/high school science, health, head high school girls basketball coach, head high school baseball coach; Kurt WALLACE, industrial technology, mathematics, assistant high school boys track, co-TSA sponsor; Sally YOUNG, middle school/high school mathematics, middle school girls track.

Support staff and out-of-building extra curricular activities staff include:

Janette CAMPBELL, school board secretary, Donna SHIELDS, supreintendent's secretary; Janice MOBLEY, middle school/high school secretary; Deb YODER, middle school/high school principal's/Athletic Director's secretary; Betty Lou GROVES, guidance secretary; Dick STILL, mechanic, transportation director; Nancy DAUGHTON, lunch/transportation secretary; Kathy TRIGGS, special education/at risk secretary; Donna WARIN, court liaison; Diana ARENDS, assistant to the technology coordinator; Aleha WHITTINGTON, media center associate, study hall monitor.

Coaching responsibilities include Rodney BASTOW, middle school wrestling coach; Brian BROWN, middle school boys basketball coach; Jules DAUGHTON, middle school volleyball, middle school girls basketball; Brad ELLIOTT, high school boys track; John FORD, assistant high school wrestling; Bethany KNOX, speech; Jeff LEVINE, assistant high school boys basketball; Bret RUGGLES, head boys baksetball coach, assistant softball coach; Amy SHIELDS, head vollyball coach; Amy LEVINE, co-head drill team coach; Josh VANDERFLUGHT, head high school cross country, middle school boys basketball, head high school cross contry, middle school boys basketball, head high school softball coach; Jill WEEHLER, co-head drill team coach; Courtney WEEDA, cheerleading; Mike ZARR, boys and girls bowling coach.

Special education aides include Barbie BELZER, Ryan GREGG, Ashley MERCER, Gayla MOON, Deb REITER, Janell SCHAFER and Bonnie STILL.

Custodians include Mike GILLILAND, head custodian; Dane Blads, R. B. DAVENPORT, Eugene DILLENBERG and Alan SCHAFER.

Bus drivers include R. B. DAVENPORT, Tom GILES, Lyle MAIN, Ken MACKEY, Ron SICKELS, Ed STILL and Faye STULL.

Cooks include Marilyn WEEDA, head cook; Roberta CAMPBELL, Kleta DUNKESON, Pat KEMERY, Jackie McVEY, Pat MEESTER, Debbie SHIELDS and Cathy SWANK.

Other positions include:

Faye STULL, concessions; June SMITH, summer concessions.

Photograph courtesy by Mount Ayr Record-News

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2012