With a new year comes new teachers, and Marion-Florence USD 408 has five for the 2008-09 school year.
Below is a list of questions provided by the Marion County Record, and the teachers’ responses.
Paula Ash
Q. This is your first year teaching with USD 408, but how long, and where, have you taught before?
A. Really this is my third year at Marion High School – I taught English here from 1965-67. I taught in Colorado (English and elementary school), and then I was a high school counselor from 1992-2004 when I retired. I have been in education for 34 years.
I taught [MHS teacher] Janet Killough when she was in high school.
Q. What is your educational background?
A. I am certified in secondary English, elementary school, and secondary and post-secondary counseling.
Q. What will you be teaching at MMS and MHS?
A. I am teaching one section of eighth grade English enrichment, and three sections of ninth grade English.
Q. Do you live in Marion County?
A. Yes, I live in Marion.
Q. Who are the members of you family?
A. Wendy Moore – daughter. Bret Baumgardner – son. I am a widow.
Q. What brought you to USD 408?
A. I just love Marion and decided to move back here from Newton after my husband died in 2006.
Q. What is something interesting others may not know about you?
A. I have six absolutely fantastic grandsons age six-14. They all live in Emporia and they are the light of my life. I can’t imagine life without them.
I enjoy working with and seeing so many of my former students.
My first job was in Durham and I taught all levels of English, journalism (the newspaper and yearbook), and Spanish, and I was the junior class sponsor.
We had a great time and many of those students are still in the Durham area.
David Clark
Q. This is your first year teaching with USD 408, but how long, and where, have you taught before?
A. This is my 35th year of teaching: Twenty-five years at Hillsboro, and the last 10 at Little River.
Q. What is your educational background?
A. I received a BME at Emporia State University and a Masters of Education from Tabor College.
Q. What will you be teaching at USD 408?
A. Vocal music grades 5-12.
Q. Do you live in Marion County?
A. Yes.
Q. Who are the members of you family?
A. Wife: Marsha. Three children: Shane, Eric, and Jessica. Eight grandchildren.
Q. What brought you to USD 408?
A. A great music program with many successes to come.
Q. What is something interesting others may not know about you?
A. I really enjoy the energy of young students and my grandchildren.
Ann Leppke
Q. This is your first year teaching with USD 408, but how long, and where, have you taught before?
A. I started my career with Peabody High School and taught four years.
I then stayed home with [my sons] for two years. I went back to Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School and was there for an additional nine years.
Q. What is your educational background?
A. I have a BA in secondary biology education from Southwestern College in Winfield.
Q. What will you be teaching at MMS?
A. I will be teaching seventh grade science, a computer class, and the middle school yearbook. I also am a part-time aquatic director for the new aquatic center in Marion.
Q. Do you live in Marion County?
A. Yes.
Q. Who are the members of you family?
A. Husband: Lyle. Sons: Ben, 19, and Mitchell, 17.
Q. What brought you to USD 408?
A. It’s home.
I was at a point in my life and career that if I was going to make a move; it was the time to do it.
The opportunity was too good to pass up.
Q. What is something interesting about you others may not know.
A. I love photography. I take a lot of pictures of my students. Not very often do kids leave my classroom without a few pictures of themselves from various activities.
Jeff McMillin
Q. This is your first year teaching at Marion High School, but how long, and where, have you taught before?
A. Fifth year teaching.
Q. What is your educational background?
A. Received a BA from Friends University in 2003.
Q. What will you be teaching at MHS?
A. Government, World History, Geography, and Civics.
Q. Do you live in Marion County?
A. Yes.
Q. Who are the members of you family?
A. Wife: Amanda. Daughter, Jaeden, 3 years old; son Landon, 11 months.
Q. What brought you to USD 408?
A. The positive attitude of the district, and the support of the community.
Rebecca Pederson
Q. This is your first year teaching at Marion Elementary School, but how long, and where, have you taught before?
A. This is my first year teaching, although I did do my student teaching in Hillsboro.
Q. What is your educational background?
A. I graduated from Cimarron High School, and Tabor College with a major in elementary education and minor in painting.
Q. What will you be teaching at MES?
A. I will teaching fourth grade. I also will be the assistant coach of cross country and the MMS girls’ basketball teams.
Q. Do you live in Marion County?
A. Yes, I live in a small rental house in Marion.
Q. Who are the members of you family?
A. Dad, Stuart Pederson; mom, Regina Pederson; sister, Rachel Pederson; brothers Stephen and Silas Pederson.
Q. What brought you to USD 408?
A. I grew up in small towns, so I loved the small-town feel. I also was attracted to all of the programs, support, and activities MES provided for its students in and outside the classroom.
Q. What is something interesting about you others may not know?
A. I have a dog name Daisy. She is a golden doodle; meaning half golden retriever and half standard poodle. She looks like a golden retriever with a perm. I take her running all the time, and sometimes she even joins me at cross country practice.