The Becker Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual New Teachers Welcome luncheon in the Becker High School Media Center last Wednesday. Sixteen new teachers and staff members were on hand for the program, along with members of the school district administration and a large group of Chamber members for a welcome lunch.

 

Chamber Secretary Lynette Brannan welcomed the attendees to the event after a hearty lunch and dessert. Chamber members at each table were asked to stand and introduce themselves.  Following those introductions, the new teachers and staff took turns at the microphone, introducing themselves and providing a bit of background on their journey to the Becker district.

 

Sally Coonen will be the new high and primary school physical education teacher. Ashleigh Severson will teach grade five. Heather Holien will teach third. Erin Brown was hired to be a high school social worker. Sara Norman is the school’s new data specialist/interventionist and Michael Schuller is the intermediate school’s new special education teacher.

 

Dawn Pettit is the high school’s new special education teacher. Michelle Kuseske is the new high school social studies teacher. Alyssa Stevens will teach social studies at the middle school. Beverly Heinen is the new K-5 art teacher and Molly Kensy will be teaching grade four.

 

Grace Donahue will be the new high school english teacher. Sara Kellogg will be the new special education teacher for the primary school. Brianna McGinty will be teaching spanish in the high school. Jocelyn Hoffarth will teach special education at the high school level and Jessyka William will be teaching grade one.

 

Jason Miller has been hired to be the middle school assistant principal, taking over for Chantel Boyer. Miller recently was the dean of students at Mounds View and prior to that, a middle school teacher and instructional coach in Minnetonka.

 

“My goal here is to support the great work the school is doing with the kids and do what i can to support heir experiences as students,” Miller said.

 

“I’d like to continue to develop the culture of improvement and innovation already established while supporting everything we already are doing as staff in this school system.”

 

Becker Supt. Dr. Stephen Malone closed out the program, welcoming the new arrivals and wishing them well on their new careers in the Becker schools.

 

Besides the free meal, goodie bags were handed out to the new instructors and staff.

 

The goodie bag donations came from Oak Realty, Mary kay Cosmetics, Edward Jones, Becker Spine, Cafe Pawz, Hubbard Studio, Anytime Fitness, Abba Pregnancy Resource Center, Better Homes & Garden All-Seasons Real Estate, Sherburne State Bank, StarCOR Credit Union, Becker Community Center, Monticello Printing, Workhorse Construction, Insight Eye Care, Huse Orthodontics, Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, Majestic Creations, Xcel Energy/Sherco, CentraCare Health System and American Family Insurance.