Sauk Prairie School District Retirees, part I

By Ellen Paul   Seventeen Sauk Prairie School District employees have retired. They are district employees: Mike Bennett, maintenance, Patricia Brandt, Project SEARCH teacher, Marilyn Bongard, district health secretary, and Heidi Liverseed, district virtual teacher; Elementary school employees: Tammy Diehl, secretary at Black Hawk, Laurie Martin, English as a Second Language teacher at Tower Rock, Bridges, and Merrimac Community School, Joyce Marr, Reading Interventionist at Grand Avenue and Bridges, and Renee Frey, food service at Tower Rock; Middle School teachers: Hans Fester, Physical Education teacher, Angela Schmidt, Mathematics teacher, and Kelly Miller, World Language teacher and High School: James Jackson, Technical Education teacher, Mike Rauls, science/chemistry teacher, Martha Allan, School Nurse. Rita Henn, administrative assistant, Cheryl Schneller, Special Education teaching assistant, and Darlene Hacker, food service. For the next four weeks, these employees will be featured in the Star News. This week’s spotlight will be on the Sauk Prairie High School retirees, in alphabetical order.  Martha Allan has served as school nurse, primarily at the High School, for the 18-21 program, and Merrimac but cover all the schools when needed. She has taught CPR and first aid to staff and high school students and medication administration to staff and presented on drug abuse and African culture to high school students. Martha’s hometown is Pokwo, Ethiopia and graduated from Sterling High School, Sterling, Kansas. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS and Masters in English Literature, University of Santa Barbara, California. Sharing what she feels are the biggest changes in education, she stated, “More and increasing complexity of health issues for students, difficulty accessing healthcare for families, and more paperwork.” The difficult parts of her job were, “Having enough time to do everything I would like to accomplish, keeping up with paperwork, and managing COVID issues.” “Working with students and staff!” was her reply to the question posed about the best part of her job. Memories of her job she will cherish are “Being allowed to help students and parents navigate difficult days due to health or emotional issues and working with some wonderful staff members.” Words of wisdom to those not retiring were, “Kindness and humor help, especially on the hard days!” Rita Henn, is retiring as an SPMS administrative assistant to the assistant principals after 33 years and a mainstay in the office. This picture says it all about her dedication to SPHS students and staff. Jim (James) Jackson, after teaching five years at Argyle Middle School/High School, returned to his hometown of Sauk Prairie and Sauk Prairie High School where he has taught Construction, Woodworking, Metals, Welding, Digital/Visual classes and SPHS/SPMS for 27 years. Jackson earned his BA in Technology Education from UW-Stout and MA from Olivet Nazarene University. The best part of his job has been “helping students develop life skills.” The most difficult part of his job was “trying to teach hands on classes during COVID!” His answer to the question of what have been the biggest changes in education since you started teaching, he replied, “The fast-paced technology advancement.” The memory Jackson will cherish about your tenure in education is “That I was given an opportunity to come back and teach at the school I graduated from.” Words of wisdom he would like to give to all is “Life is about choices His departing retiree though is, “I hope I have given back more than I received from the Sauk Prairie School District.” Mike Rauls has been a science/chemistry teacher in the SPSD for 33 years. Rauls was born in Madison WI and graduated Madison Memorial in 1984. He earned his BS Education at UW- Madison 1989. “I did my student teaching at Sauk Prairie High School in the classroom I have been in for all my 33 years with two fantastic cooperating teachers in Ralph Zebell and John Fischer, who also loved chemistry, and taught me to have fun sharing that love of science with high school students.I have been the SPHS “chemistry” teacher, including AP Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, but also taught a little bit of physical science early in my career and some forensic science late. I was head soccer coach for both programs for a large part of the time and have also coached baseball as an assistant to Bill Dettman and one season as a swim coach assistant with Rick Conroy. The high school is the only school I have been in and room 24 for 99.9% of it!” “I’ve often said that being in education is a fantastic profession for raising a family. It allows you more time with your own kids both during working hours and non.My wife, Marianne, and I are so very proud of our two daughters, products of the Sauk Prairie School district.Madeline loves teaching 4th grade in Waunakee (I still cannot wear purple!) And Olivia is finishing her masters and looking for an English position this fall.Dad is getting out and girls are getting in!” he said in response to what is the best part of being in education. What are some of the biggest changes in education in your tenue he shared, “When I started there were no phones in any of the classrooms; we only had the office intercom. I made any copies by hand cranking the “roneo” machine and attendance was bubble sheets hung outside for someone to pick up ala the pony express. From there to phones and Chromebooks and computers there have been huge changes. I had my own You Tube channel for classroom videos during the pandemic so the changes have been immense. But kids are still kids, you have to reach them and make relationships so you can effectively teach them.” Memories I will always remember are “putting the HS on lockdown after a particularly loud science demonstration I did out in the parking lot a few years back. I will also remember having some of my students take (now principal, then student) Shane Been outside for a vigorous ‘face wash’ many winters ago.”  Parting words of wisdom, “The pandemic was rough on students for sure and has made teaching them more difficult. But I believe a much larger issue affecting students and their ability to learn is the effect of too much or inappropriate screen time for many. How we in education address that issue will be crucial going forward.” Cheryl Schneller is retiring as a Special Education teaching assistant at SPHS after 24 years of service. Growing up on a farm near Plain, WI, graduated from Sauk Prairie High School also. She attended Madison Area Technical College and graduated as a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant. The best part of my job: “There is no greater joy than helping a student in the midst of struggle, all of a sudden grasp a concept, an “aha” moment. I had the opportunity to experience this thousands of times” The difficult parts of your job? “It was difficult to adjust to technology, student schedules and staff changes.” The biggest changes in education since you started “have been security to the school buildings, technology (always changing), and trimesters.  Memories: “I will always cherish the interaction both past and present with students and all staff. My goal was always to make a difference one student at a time. Baby steps, not great strides. Also, to find and point out a student’s strength.” Schneller would like to say, “Thank you to the Sauk Prairie District for 24 wonderful years.” An additional retiree from SPHS is Darlene Hacker, food service cook. No picture or statement available.