Start of the school year means new faces at area schools

The mountain and area schools have welcomed several new employees.

Julianna Scheumann will bring a wealth of experience to her position as second and third grade teacher at Stove Prairie School. After graduating from University of Northwestern-St. Paul with a degree in English as a second language, she taught English at two elementary schools in Taiwan. After her initial year there on a Fulbright grant, Scheumann remained in Taiwan to establish the English program at a new junior high school.

Back at her home in Minnesota, she taught English as a second language for seven years and during that time completed a master’s degree in ESL and obtained a teaching license in K-12 reading and elementary teaching.

“I love being outside,” Scheumann said. She has run a marathon and several half-marathons and likes to hike, camp, rock climb, sail and bike. She’s traveled in 12 countries and speaks Chinese and some Spanish. She also enjoys mentoring high school and college students at her church.

“I’m very excited to be teaching second and third grades at Stove Prairie and I’m looking forward to being part of the community and meeting students, parents and community members,” Scheumann said.

Rheo Carpenter, the new office assistant and paraprofessional at Livermore Elementary, earned a BS degree with a focus on early childhood licensure and child care director certification from Colorado State University. This spring she completed student teaching at Olander and Bacon Elementary Schools. She currently volunteers as a lead nursery room teacher. She has also volunteered at several area elementary schools.

Rheo enjoys outdoor activities — hiking, boating and waterskiing and spends indoor free time knitting and sewing. She is looking forward to her new position.

Kristy Kemp will come on board as integrated services teacher and response to intervention coordinator for all the mountain schools. She has experience as a first grade teacher and in integrated services. For the past two years she has taught third grade at Bella Romero Elementary School in Greeley. She has a degree from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania with a focus on elementary education and a special education certification. She is working on a master’s degree.

Lora Bird has accepted a position as music teacher for the mountain schools. She earned a music education degree from Colorado State University in 2013 and did her student teaching in the Poudre and St. Vrain Valley School Districts. Fluent in sign language and Spanish, she plans to offer students a fun, standards-based instructional program. She looks forward to earning a master’s degree in education or child psychology.

Wellington Middle School has added seven paraprofessionals, creating some new positions to address special-education needs. Nadene Kelly is the new office manager, Sarah Armon will teach seventh grade English and Anne Genson has a 40 percent position as academic coach for the teaching staff.

Rice Elementary School in Wellington welcomes the following new staff: Dawn Donahue, science specialist; Natalia Ferreira, first grade; Sarah Miehe and Michaela Weedin, second grade; Kiah Swanson, fourth grade; Troy Phillips, fifth grade; Emily Wilson, special education; and Ted Donahue, assistant principal. Five new paraprofessionals will work in special education, kindergarten, media, and intervention.

Two of the new licensed positions were created by staff members taking leaves of absence. Two teachers moved out of state during the summer. Former assistant principal Shelly Butcher accepted a position as principal at Tozer Primary School in Windsor; two teachers moved to other PSD schools, and a science specialist position was added.

Dave Sobson, principal of Eyestone Elementary School, said that a new paraprofessional will soon be hired to replace Ann Liggett who retired, as did long-time second grade teacher, Ginger Montgomery. Montgomery will be replaced by a current Eyestone teacher. Tom Schachet will assume assistant principal duties at Eyestone half-time. The rest of his teaching time will be spent at Blevins Middle School in Fort Collins.

Landus Boucher, the new principal at Cache La Poudre Elementary School, has been an educator for 16 years and has served as an assistant principal an principal in the past.