A Bit About Me
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I am teaching my seventh year of secondary English at
McCool Junction Public School. In addition to English, I
teach the Newspaper class and Holocaust Literature. I am also the Drama
coach, Speech coach, the Junior
class sponsor (Prom), and the McCool Education Association President.
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experience at McCool has offered numerous learning opportunities and
avenues for growth, both personally and professionally.
I am a true believer in the power of small schools and rural education.
At McCool we fight battles daily and are continually finding new
avenues for growth and prosperity. It saddens me to think that rural
education is dying. I'm scared to think of where the future of "bigger
is better" may lead us. Despite the challenges, McCool continues
to grow and prosper. We are now in a new building that houses the
high school and media center! The most amazing fact about this
project is that it was funded through private donations - no tax
dollars! Only an optimistic and supportive community such as
McCool could have made this possible.
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I
was born and raised in Henderson, Nebraska (about 10 miles west of McCool). I graduated from Henderson
Community School in 1995. My father, Boyd, just completed his last year of farming and is employed at the Abengoa Ethanol Plant in York. Our farm sale was in January and my parents are officially moved in to their York home now. My mother, Deb, works part-time substitute
teaching at area schools as well as the York Community Center. My brother, Jason, teaches secondary Social
Sciences in Ord. He also coaches high school football, 8th grade boys
basketball, and junior high track. My sister, Melanie, is a sophomore at Hastings
College. She played on the Bronco volleyball team for two seasons. She is the president of the Hastings College Habitat for Humanity organization, a member of Phive-O and is on the Public Relations Committee. She is majoring in occupational therapy and
photojournalism.
My husband, Craig, is from York. He graduated from York High School in
1996. He graduated from SCC Milford with an Associate's Degree of
Applied Science in Building Construction Technology in 1998. He
currently works in the family business, Bethune Construction, in
York.
We
have three
beautiful children. Our youngest daughter, Kinsleigh, just turned two in October. Our other daughter, Rheagan, is three and is in her second year of preschool this year! Her big brother, Cameron, is eight. He is in the second
grade at McCool. He also plays on the York Youth Soccer League,
plays PeeWee baseball and is a part of the elementary track program. He is also a Tiger Scout and his dad is one of the leaders.
They are so amazing! I can't imagine life without them. We are so
blessed to have received the gift of three perfect angels. If you click
on Snapshots you will find a few photographs of the family.
I
am involved with the Nebraska Writing Project and NETA. I have
been on the teacher-researcher team for the Rural Sites Network, and
have attended the NeWP Leadership Institute (I and II). In my
spare time, I'm an avid photographer and writer. You can
find my poetry and some of my photography published in Plains Song Review,
an interdisciplinary journal now published by the Center for Great
Plains Studies (formerly College of Arts and Sciences, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln). Outside of photography and writing, I am passionate
about interior decorating. When I'm not playing with my kids or grading
papers, I continue to help Craig with house projects and find time to
decorate our new house.
In the spring of 2005 I was awarded a technology grant from NETA and was honored through articles in the York News Times.
This summer I traveled to New York City for two weeks thanks to the National Writing Project and the Rural Sites Network. I received a fellowship to study at Columbia and the National Holocaust Memorial Library as a part of a Summer Holocaust Seminar. It was an amazing opportunity that has opened several doors.
If you would like to see some of the photographs I've taken over the years, visit "My Photography."
McCool Junction Public Schools
and
Educational Service Unit #6, Milford, Nebraska
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