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Students gear up for first day of school
Drivers be prepared to slow down and stop -- students are gearing up for their first day of school.
McCook Schools will begin classes Thursday under new direction by Dr. Don Marchant, superintendent.
Marchant, formerly of Lead, S.D., is a native of Chadron and a graduate of Chadron State College. He taught and coached at Kimball and served as principal at Lewellen and Culbertson and served as superintendent at Niobrara, Oakley, Kan., and Lead, S.D.
Dr. Marchant's wife, Laura, will be the Resource Teacher at the Special Education Center.
Other new instructors at McCook are Glenda Bierfreund, speech therapy helper, Cheryl Cole, special ed instructor at the Junior High, Gorman (Mick) Glaze, ag teacher at the Senior High school, Kay E. Hardin, resource teacher at North Ward and Darcy Johnson special education teacher at the Special Education Center.
Other teachers include Lynne Kinne, special education instructor at the Senior High, Carmen Parra, Spanish instuctor at the Junior High, William Ramsay, Senior High business instructor and Krystal Weber, Junior High science instructor.
McCook classes will be dismissed at 2 p.m., Thursday and Friday due to heat. Further heat schedules will be determined on Friday.
McCook Community College will begin classes Aug. 26.
While most schools will be starting this week, Cheylin students began attending class last Thursday. There is no school this Friday and students will be off Friday, Aug. 30 - Monday, Sept. 1 for Labor Day.
Students at Decatur Community School and Wallace began classes Monday.
Students at Decatur Community will be on a heat schedule with classes beginnning at 7:20 a.m. and ending a 1:30 p.m. Breakfast will be served from 7-7:15 a.m.
New instructors at DCJ/SHS are Charles Haag, high school principal, Deanne Spanier, Junior and Senior High band instructor, Melissa Dreher and Daina Breen para-professionals.
New instructors at Wallace include Christine Doremus, High School shop teacher and Deb Jameson, Title One instructor.
Classes began today for students at Wauneta-Palisade, Chase County, Grant, Hayes Center and Wheatland.
New instructors at Chase County include Michelle Lowitx, sixth grade teacher and co-cheerleading sponsor, and George Purnell, diversified occupation, body conditioning, physical education and head football coach. Also new at Chase County are Cordell Svengalis, computer science instructor and computer consultant for the school, Sonja Burpo, Title I instructor, Kristie Dugan, first grade teacher and Nicole Logan, Kindergarten through seventh grade art teacher.
Sheila Johnson will be teaching band at Grant Public Schools. Also new to the staff are DeAnne Bishop, biology instructor, Pam Abbott, Title I teacher, and Deb Pick and Christine Ningen, para educators.
Hayes Center schools will be adding seven instructors to their faculty. They include Melissa Lehmer, kindergarten, Amy Haines sixth grade, Karen Jaylor, Special education, speech and one-act-play instructor, and Delores Flaming music instructor.
Marian Richards is the assistant volleyball coach, the assistant girls basketball coach and the Junior High girls sports coach. Lori Klooz will be teaching Engish and acting as the Quiz Bowl instructor and speech and drama teacher. Deb Goodenberger is the new K-12 art teacher and beginning speech instructor.
Wheatland students will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m. for heat schedule. Terry Prante will be taking the reins as principal and superintendent at Wheatland. New instructors include Steve Summers, social studies instructor and Jason Orvis, physical education.
Aug. 21 will be the first day of school for students in Arapahoe, Dundy County, Southern Valley and Republican Valley.
Students in Arapahoe will be welcoming six new teachers. They include Delaine Bowe, elementary speech and language pathology, Colin Kubik, Vocational Agrculture and FFA sponsor, Raime Varvel, instrumental music, Darn Hatch, sceondary principal, Darrell Barnes, athletic director and Cathy Garey, volleyball coach.
Dundy County has three new faculty members, Michael Rotherman is the new Elementary principal, Joanna Betker is the elementary special education instructor and Rami Hanes is the second grade instructor.
Southern Valley also has a new principal. Brent Hollinger is the new administrator for the school. Also new this year is Joan Mowry in math, Carmen Williamson in Title I and Shelly Hollinger in math.
Colleen Ramsay is the new fifth grade instructor at Republican Valley Schools, Joining her is Carol Barryman, a para-professional for the elementary school.
Schools starting classes on Thursday include Lakeside Central, Maywood, Cambridge, Culbertson and Twin Valley.
Maywood, Cambridge and Twin Valley reported no new faculty this year.
New at Lakeside Central are Cynthia Beam, special education instructor and Kelly Burton, Elementary English teacher. Burton will also be teaching elementary English at Culbertson.
Eustis-Farnam and Medicine Valley will begin Friday. New faculty at Eustis Farnam includes Mike Engel, Superintendent, Steven Schrad, principal, Brad Dunlap, English , Laura Buehner, foreign language, and Larry Gilson, physical education.
New at Medicine Valley are Matt Elliott, social science instructor for the junior and senior high school, Teagan Elliott, grade school resource and special education instructor, Stacy Petsch Junior and Senior High math instructor and Ken Stroup, High School music.
Both St. Francis and Atwood will be starting school Monday. St. Francis will have a half-day the first day of school and will resume a regular schedule on the 27th.
There are no new teachers at either school.
Herndon will not begin school until Tuesday Sept. 3. New instructors at Herndon are Paul Prewo in the physical education department and Mica Johnson teaching Junior and Senior High math.