Pictured are several of Wadena-Deer Creek’s new teachers and staff who were attending the fall workshop on Aug. 25, from left to right: Rachael Hammer, fourth-grade teacher; Deanna Lipinski, special education teacher; Kelsey Schmidt, business teacher; Alex Brochpahler, phy ed teacher; James Brewer, math teacher; Joan Goeden, third-grade teacher; Tori Ehlert, sixth-grade teacher; Kim Stafki, middle/high school nurse; and Stephanie Pulver, sixth-grade teacher. (Photo by Dana Pavek, WDC Schools)
Wadena-Deer Creek School District welcomes eight teachers to their Wolverine family as well as several new staff for the upcoming school year.
James Brewer will be teaching three hours of high school math at WDC and one hour at Verndale. Brewer has a master’s degree in mathematics from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, as well as graduate courses from the Computer Science and Statistics departments at North Dakota State University. Mr. Brewer is also an inventor with numerous patents and scientific publications to his name. He resides near Sebeka with his wife, Sheri, who also teaches high school math at Verndale.
Alex Brockpahler joins the physical education teaching team, where he will be teaching at both the elementary and middle/high school. He is a 2010 graduate of Sebeka High School and a 2015 graduate of Mayville (N.D.) State University. He will be coaching junior high football and will serve as assistant boys’ basketball coach at WDC.
Tori Ehlert is one of two new sixth-grade teachers at the middle/high school. Miss Ehlert is originally from Battle Lake and is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. She has been employed at Fridley and Winona school districts, as well as Saint Mary’s University-Winona. She will also serve as WDC’s head girls’ basketball coach this winter.
Joan Goeden is a familiar face in the school district as she’s served as a substitute teacher for 14 years. Mrs. Goeden will now teach third grade at WDC Elementary. Prior to that, she taught second grade at St. Ann’s Catholic School in Wadena from 1982 to 2001. She is a graduate of the College of Saint Benedict’s in St. Joseph, Minn. She and her husband, Gregg, have two sons in college and reside west of Wadena.
Rachael Hammer is a native of Henning, where she grew up and graduated from Henning High School in 2009. She received her education degree from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Her first teaching position was at Menahga Elementary School last year, where she taught Kindergarten. Miss Hammer will be teaching fourth grade and coaching junior high volleyball. She is engaged to Casey Johnson of Henning.
Deanna Lipinski will be a special education teacher at WDC High School. Mrs. Lipinski received her education degrees from University of Minnesota-Morris and Minnesota State University-Moorhead. She most recently taught at Henning Public Schools. She and her husband, Gerry, reside near Hewitt.
Stephanie (Bucholz) Pulver is returning to her high school alma mater as a sixth-grade teacher. The 2000 WDC High School graduate received her teaching degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris. Mrs. Pulver most recently was employed by the Detroit Lakes School District where she taught School Readiness and various Early Childhood Family Education classes. She and her husband, Mike, have five children.
Kelsey Schmidt is WDC High School’s new business teacher, replacing longtime teacher Nancy Peterson. Miss Schmidt is a 2012 graduate of LeSeuer High School and a graduate of Winona State University and Minnesota State University-Mankato. While attending MSU-Mankato, she co-taught several of the business education courses. In addition to her teaching duties at WDC, Miss Schmidt will serve as Business Professionals of America (BPA) advisor and as a junior high softball coach.
Other staff additions and changes include:
**Kim Stafki returns to the middle/high school as the school nurse. She previously served as WDC’s elementary school nurse. In addition, Jessica Galbrecht, RN, is replacing Erica Keppers as the school’s public health nurse.
**Jayne Johnson, Joan Nelson and Heidi Wolff are the new paraprofessionals at the middle/high school.
**Lois Schulz will be a full-time social studies teacher at the high school. She previously taught special education and social studies at WDC.
**Leonard Finch was promoted to head custodian at the elementary school, replacing longtime head custodian Kevin LaBarre.
**Kyle Hoemberg joins the custodial staff at the middle/high school.
**Nadine Wegscheid is now the head cook at the elementary, after the retirement of longtime head cook Arlis Kern.
**Karlee Werner will be student-teaching in the English Department with Mike Brunsberg. A native of Perham, Werner is attending Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
**Lindsey White will be student-teaching with the Physical Education Department at the elementary and high school. White is originally from Menahga and is attending Valley City (N.D.) State University.