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Fergus Falls hires teachers
Published 12:22pm Thursday, August 27, 2009The addition of eight staff members to the Fergus Falls School District was approved Monday by the school board.
Sarah Benson will join the Fergus Falls School District as a middle school Area Learning Center teacher. Benson hails from Detroit Lakes, where she taught English as a Second Language (ESL). Benson also served as a middle school teacher for an alternative learning program within the Waseca School District. Benson will take the place of John Demuth, who is moving to second grade.
Kacie Holcomb will teach high school social studies at the Area Learning Center. Holcomb is moving from the Evansville area, and has experience substitute teaching in Ashby and surrounding communities.
Elesha Jyrkas will be teaching kindergarten Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Jyrkas previously taught in Fergus Falls before moving to teach at West Central Area Schools.
Tia Thysell will teach fifth grade at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center (PWLC). Thysell student taught with David Ellis before graduating and moving to teach third grade in Colorado. Thysell became the first certified naturalist to be hired at the PWLC when she joined the team two years ago. Having previously worked as the coordinator, Thysell is making the switch to the fifth grade classroom.
Carol Rengel will be taking on fourth grade. Rengel has been with the district in many positions.
Nancy Dahl will serve as one of the district’s Response to Intervention (RTI) specialists. Dahl worked with the district last year as a Title 1 Paraprofessional. Dahl has 16 experience in North Dakota. She will serve as an RTI specialist for grades three through six.
A move was made to hire back Deb Danielson as a Title 1 Paraprofessional. Danielson was first hired a quarter of the way through the 2008-09 school year.
Pamela Torkelson’s role as a teacher for the School of Choice went from .598 Full Time Equivalency (FTE) to .4 FTE.
