New teachers at Centre begin school year
Students at Centre USD 397 have six new instructors. Three are residents of the district, one is from Marion, and the other two come from outside the area.
Susan Carlson
Susan Carlson is the new librarian at Centre High School. She is married to Ronnie Carlson, a Lincolnville farmer.
Carlson originally earned a bachelor's degree in English and later received a master's degree in library and information science, all from Emporia State University.
She was a teacher's aide at Centre Elementary School, working under Beth Pagenkopf. She also worked as a substitute teacher and a para educator for Marion County Special Education Cooperative.
She spent three years as librarian in the Rural Vista School District, comprised of Hope and White City.
The past seven years, she has served as director of Herington Public Library.
Carlson said her greatest challenge at Centre is learning new systems and new ways of doing things.
"I am looking forward to working with kids, which I didn't have much opportunity to do in a public library," she said. "I love to do research and like to help kids learn how to do it."
The Carlsons have been married 33 years. They have two sons who are graduates of Centre High School. Lucas and his wife, Julie, live in Wichita and have a newborn baby girl, Maria. Eric and his wife, Bethany, live in Marion and have an 11-month-old daughter, Olivia.
Anne Collett
Anne Collett is the new special education teacher for students in grades five through eight.
She is the wife of Keith Collett of Marion, a CHS graduate. They have been married for 19 years.
Although Collett has been involved in some sort of education for many years, this is her first year as a public school teacher.
She has a master's degree in Christian education and more recently obtained her teaching license at Tabor College.
She has some familiarity with the Centre district because she did her student teaching with Kim Smith at Centre Elementary School.
"I grew up in a small town, so this really fits," she said.
Prior to her marriage, she worked as a dental hygienist in her home state of Iowa.
The Colletts have three children and have lived in Marion almost 18 years. Son Hank, 18, is a senior at Marion High School. Lucy, 16, is a junior, and Kitty, 12, is in eighth grade.
Collett enjoys spending time with her children and growing wildflowers and perennials.
Brianna Methvin
Brianna Methvin is the new pre-K teacher. She has been married to school board member, Brent Methvin, for 16 years. They live in the far southeast corner of the district on a ranch in the Flint Hills.
Methvin grew up in Louisiana and graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., with a degree in elementary education.
She taught school one and a half years in Louisiana before moving to Kansas. She has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 13 years but was a substitute teacher for the first one and one-half years.
The Methvins have four sons who are students in the Centre school district: Shane, 13, eighth grade; Kyle, 12, sixth grade; Cole, 8, third grade; and Lane, 4, pre-school.
Methvin is excited about being in the classroom again.
"I enjoyed teaching and knew that at some time I wanted to go back," Methvin said. "I wanted to get into this district where my children would be." Youngest son, Lane, is one of her 14 students.
Methvin puts a priority on her family and in raising a garden, but she also enjoys biking and walking.
"My boys are my life," she said.
Janis Peterson
Janis Peterson is no stranger to the students and staff at Centre USD. She has done a lot of substitute teaching at Centre, including several times for teachers with long-term absences.
The Louisiana native married Pete Peterson of Burdick 14 years ago.
Several years ago, she taught a class in consumer science at Centre High School. She currently teaches a history class at Butler of Marion.
Peterson has a master's degree in history education from the University of Arkansas and has completed more than 30 hours of study since then.
She teaches part-time at Centre as an instructor in seventh grade geography and eighth grade social science.
"I love history," she said. "It's easy for me. I've enjoyed working with these people for nine years."
Peterson has two stepchildren and five grandchildren.
Patrick Schoenhofer
Patrick Schoenhofer is the new math teacher. He grew up at St. Paul and received his bachelor's degree in math education from Pittsburg State University.
He has been teaching for 17 years, the last eight at Fredonia, a 3A school.
Schoenhofer said he was looking for a change and wanted to teach at a smaller school when he applied for the job at Centre USD.
He teaches eighth grade math, Algebra II, pre-calculus, calculus, and probability statistics. He also is an assistant high school football coach.
Schoenhofer is single and lives in rural Burdick.
Christopher Waclawik
Christopher Waclawik is a first-year teacher. He teaches band and guitar, and is a choir instructor along with Lynley Remy.
Waclawik graduated from Olathe East High School and earned a bachelor's degree in music education from Missouri State University in Springfield.
"I really have a positive feeling so far," Waclawik said of the district. "The teachers have been very nice and the students I've met have been welcoming."
Waclawik lives in Manhattan where his fiancé, Katrina, is pursuing a veterinarian degree at Kansas State University. They plan to be married Sept 1.
Waclawik enjoys camping and reading in his free time.
