District Staff recognized for years of service

Delavan-Darien staff members with 20, 25 and 30 years of service were recognized at the district’s annual back-to-school staff convocation Wednesday, Aug. 23. Staffers with 5, 10 and 15 years of service were listed at the convocation meeting, and recognized further at building team meetings with their colleagues.

20 years

The eight “Class of 1997” staffers received a comet logo blanket for their 20 years of service.

They include:

• Kirsten Andreoni, Turtle Creek 2^nd Grade Teacher
• Jennifer Bayerl, Phoenix and DDHS Orchestra Director
• Bob Beighton, DDHS English Teacher
• Mark Butzow, Phoenix Band Director
• Tammy Fumall, 7^th Grade Science Teacher
• Karen Logterman, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent
• Chellie Pelnar, DDHS Attendance Secretary
• Bill Reuss, Wileman Custodian

Celebrating 25 years in the district was Kari Pfeil, 2^nd Grade Teacher at Turtle Creek Elementary. She received a Comet-logo wristwatch.

The two staffers who have spent three decades with Delavan-Darien Schools are Barbara Huber, Darien Elementary School Health Aide, and Barbara Perez, 6^th Grade Math Teacher at Phoenix Middle School. Both received commemorative rings to celebrate their 30 years in our schools.

Superintendent Robert Crist, Ed.D., gave the following remarks about each individual:

KIRSTEN ANDREONI

Kirsten Andreoni is currently a Grade 2 teacher over at Turtle Creek Elementary School. Kirsten has been innovative and willing to try new and different methods to maximize student learning. Some examples of this have been her being both a looping teacher and a multi-grade classroom teacher in her career here with us. She has also been innovative with her classroom setup, making them warm, comfortable and inviting places to learn in for her students. She has even helped many of her colleagues design their classroom spaces as well. We’re pleased to have Kirsten and her passion for teaching in our 2 grade monolingual classrooms at Turtle Creek, and I thank her for her 20 years of service.

JENNIFER BAYERL

Jennifer Bayerl has been teaching strings and orchestra at Phoenix Middle School and Delavan-Darien High School, keeping our music programs strong and — I believe — the best in the area, if not the state. She has played an important role in helping our district get recognized three times nationally as one of the country’s best communities for music education. She has innovated in bringing together a high school symphony and has her strings students from all levels perform publicly here locally and beyond, letting many others hear how great our Delavan-Darien student musicians truly are. She is also working on becoming a Board Certified teacher and I wish her luck in that pursuit. Thank you for serving with us for 20 years.

BOB BEIGHTON

Bob Beighton has been a high-energy and fun-loving English Teacher at DDHS for two decades now, and coached high school varsity boys basketball for 19 of those years. Bob is a strong teacher-leader at DDHS and keeps his classes engaging and fun by using a variety of techniques, marked by active discussion of open-ended questions, Socratic seminars, cooperative learning and more. He also contributes to the overall fun and family culture of the high school building and is seen as a positive role model for students and staff, alike. For years, he hosted staff vs. students and alumni basketball games to raise money the MACC Fund and has used virtually each home varsity basketball game to raise funds for the cause of curing childhood cancer. Mr. Beighton, thank you for your 20 years of dedication to our schools.

MARK BUTZOW

Mark Butzow is a fantastic Middle School band instructor, teaching our sixth, seventh and eighth graders skills and techniques on all kinds of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. He leads the school’s concert band and wind ensemble, as well as marching and jazz bands, while also working with students in sectionals. Mark is also responsible for “bringing music to the parties” at Phoenix by DJ-ing such events as the talent show, reading lock-ins and Comet Code assemblies. Like Ms. Bayerl, Mark is also a huge factor in our district being recognized as a national best communities for music education award winner. Mark, thanks for helping our students make great music these past 20 years.

TAMMY FUMALL

Tammy Fumall has been a fixture and staff leader in the seventh grade wing of Phoenix Middle School for the last two decades, teaching science and social studies to our adolescent students. Always willing to go above and beyond, she was also a student council advisor and a drama/musical advisor for the school for a number of years. Tammy is an engaging teacher who not only nails teaching the academics of the subjects for which she is assigned, but she also focuses on the social needs of her students — which are MANY at the middle school level! One of her greatest strengths is in human relations, as she relates well to all students: challenging those who need it via differentiation, while also being sincere and caring to those students who need a friend facing tough times. Others have said her ability to develop relationships is unparalleled. Thank you, Tammy, for your skills in educating our middle schoolers for these past 20 years.

KAREN LOGTERMAN

Karen Logterman says her claim to fame in 20 years at the district is that she has gotten four superintendents to quit…. And she keeps asking me when I’m going to leave. In all seriousness though, as an alumna of the district and a life-long resident of the community, Karen has brought an institutional knowledge to our school system that few others could, which has helped me immensely. As my administrative assistant, Karen does so much for our district — human resources duties, state reporting, keeping our staff certifications up to date, employee handbook and district policy changes, record keeping, preparing for board meetings, taking diligent minutes and so much more. We’ve all been fortunate to have her for 20 years, and perhaps more fortunate for you all is she’ll probably outlast me here, too. Thank you for your 20 years Karen.

Cellie Pelnar

CHELLIE PELNAR

Chellie Pelnar is often the first staffer students see at DDHS when they come into the buildings, or the last staffer they see at the end of the day. Chellie diligently works as the schools attendance secretary. Her other claim to fame is that she is “the voice” of the building. In addition to making the daily attendance calls home, Chellie is calling often on the school’s PA system, reading the daily announcements, helping lead the Pledge of Allegiance and letting students know where they have to be… often times that includes reminding them that they need to be in school! In addition to her positive encouragement and attitude toward students, she is also a huge Comets fan. Chellie and goes above and beyond her required contract by helping out as a supervisor and ticket-taker at countless sporting events over the years. Chellie, thanks for your two decades of service with us.

Bill Reuss

BILL REUSS

Bill Reuss has been a custodial staff member in our district for 20 years, working in many of our school buildings. He is currently assigned to Wileman Elementary where we’re sure the cleanup duty might be a little different than it was in the past with there being only 4 and 5 year olds in that building. But he’s done a great job there, and in our other schools, in his time here as a Delavan-Darien staffer. In addition to building maintenance, Bill also brings to us experience in painting, drywall, electrical, plumbing and carpentry. Thanks for your 20 years of service to our schools.

25 years

KARI PFEIL

Our quarter-century staff member this year is Kari Pfeil, who came to us 25 years ago.

Kari has spent her entire professional teaching career with Delavan-Darien, coming to us in 1992, shortly after her graduation from Carroll College in Waukesha. She currently teaches 2^nd grade at Turtle Creek in a monolingual classroom.

She started out though teaching 5^th grade at Phoenix Middle School, before becoming a third grade teacher at the then-brand-new Turtle Creek Elementary School. She joined the ranks of the 2^nd grade staff in 2000 and has taught at Turtle Creek and Wileman.

Kari has helped institute new curriculum for her classroom and her colleagues, and designs relevant and motivating lessons that engage students in their learning. She brings a firm, yet fair demeanor in the classroom and shows not only consistency, but tenacity, when she teaches. I appreciate that Kari conveys a high level of fairness, courtesy and respect toward all students, staff and parents. Congratulations on serving 25 years with us here at Delavan-Darien.

30 years

Barb Huber

BARB HUBER

Barb Huber is  our Darien Elementary School health office aide and former classroom aide at the school.

We normally don’t allow knives in our school building, but Barb Huber is described as the “Swiss Army knife” of Darien Elementary. She’s a jack-of-all-trades and is the “utility staffer” of the building, doing anything that needs being done in a timely and professional manner. Often times she just sees the work that needs to be done and does it without being asked.

Barb is prompt, punctual and hardly ever misses a day of work. We’re sure this goes back to her days as a student at Darien School, too, and as a mom of four kids who went through the school, including her youngest, Mrs. Amber Huber-Hooverson, now a third grade teacher over at Turtle Creek.

For 30 years, Barb has been reliable, willing to help when others are in need, and willing to do just about any job that has been asked of her by staff and administration. I’m even told she’s quite handy and can fix just about anything that needs fixing in that building. And for all that, I’m thankful she’s been with us for these last three decades.

BARB PEREZ

Barb Perez came to us first in the 1986-87 school as a part-time Chapter I Migrant Program aide. I discovered this in a reference letter from about that time written by then-Superintendent, Mr. James Ticknor.

I don’t know if Mr. Ticknor ever sent the letter, or if Mrs. Perez was ever offered whatever other job she may have been seeking then, or what happened, but whatever the case is, I’m glad she stayed here with us for the last 30 years.

Barb has been a fixture in our middle school math and science departments from the 1987 school year through today. Her first performance evaluation as a teacher says, “Outstanding class for a beginning teacher.” She has been outstanding ever since, especially now as an experienced, veteran teacher.

She has grown with us. Her sheet of professional development listings is full. She may have been one of the first Phoenix teachers to use her bilingual skills in the classroom, teaching core subjects in both English and Spanish so students could understand. To this day, she provides well-structured learning environments filled with a myriad of activities and technology, designed to keep students actively engaged.

She has been a department leader at Phoenix and has mentored her colleagues throughout her career, helping them often and helping bring new curricula to the middle school. She was the district’s Werbel Award winner in 1992 and 2003, which shows her excellence has not been short-lived, but most certainly sustained. It has been an outstanding 30 years for Barb, and I want to thank her for her service with us.

5, 10 and 15 year staffers

Receiving an engraved pen were the following 19 staffers who have reached 5 years of service:

• Diego Avila, Classroom Aide
• Bonny Blake, French Teacher
• Madonna Carr, Speech and Language Pathologist
• Robert Crist, Ed.D., Superintendent
• Brandon Curless, Director of Technology
• Mary Dilla, Special Education Teacher
• Rebecca Fleck, Kitchen Staff
• Sharon Gonzalez, School Board Member
• Sara Halberg, Ed.D., Director of Special Education/Pupil Services
• Henry Johnson, Physical Education Teacher
• Roxann Kelton, School Board Member
• Tina Lockhart, Classroom Aide
• Patricia Loftus, Special Education Teacher
• Ray Paez, Grade 1 Dual Language Teacher
• Amy Rushing, Classroom Aide
• Ernie Saldana, Math Teacher
• Monica Vega, Classroom Aide
• Amanda Vogt, Art Teacher
• Linda Wolski, Speech Pathologist

Receiving Comet-logo spirit wear were our nine 10-year staffers:

• Daniel Brellenthin, Facilities
• Theresa Davis, Classroom Aide
• Julie Huff, Library Aide
• Jeffrey McKinney, Facilities
• Cynthia Mullen, Classroom Aide
• Mary Rowland, Classroom Aide
• Amy Slowiak, Grade 1 Teacher
• Dr. Jeffery Scherer, School Board Member
• Laura Zugay, Library Aide

The staffers with 15 years of service received a Comet-logo tie or scarf, and included:

• Donna Berg, Elementary Music Teacher
• Pamela Clark, Kindergarten Teacher
• Katherine Grady, School Psychologist
• Sandra Huff, Library Aide
• Erin Rae, Grade 4 Teacher