MCSD honors long-serving employees


Curt Tauke has 35 years of service in the Monticello Community School district. (Photos by Pete Temple)

Employed by the district for 25 years are Gina Dirks (left) and Jerry Haag.

Twenty-year district employees, first row from left: Cindy Savage, Aimee Hospodarsky, Angie Fairley and Karen Bloomquist. Second row: Julie Oswald, Tim Lambert and Steph Isaac. Not pictured is Donnie Kremer.

Fifteen-year district employees, first row from left: Jill Ries and Morgan Murray-Zimmerman. Second row: Karla Stahlberg, Denny Folken and Jennifer Claussen.

Ten-year district employees, first row from left: Elizabeth Medina-Sanchez, Jolene Schlemme, Ashley Manternach and Vallerie Lynn. Second row: Breanna Welter, Stephanie Leytem, Gretchen Kriegel, Wendi Fortman, Shannon Guyer and Judy Hayen.

Five-year district employees, first row from left: Traysa Orcutt and Jessie Dirks. Second row: Adam Szurkowski, Susan Swift and Brent Meier.
By: 
Staff report

     As the first day of school fast approached, many teachers and staff members of the Monticello Community School District were first honored for their length of service and dedication to their craft.

     During the annual Employee Appreciation Luncheon on Aug. 21, professional recognition was paid to those who have been with the district for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years. New staff to the MCSD was also introduced.

     The following teachers/staff members shared their history with the district.

Curt Tauke

     Tauke just started his 36th year with the MCSD. The majority of his time here, Tauke taught seventh-grade math. He’s also been involved with technology as a building level facilitator, and then the district technology director. In this new school year, Tauke holds a half-time middle school technology coach position, along with half-time district technology director.

     “I have also coached boys golf for 36 years, and varsity and assistant varsity basketball after that for multiple years,” said Tauke. He also coaches junior high and JV football.

     Having taught inside and out of the classroom, Tauke said education has changed over the years. “One of the biggest changes I’ve seen in education is HOW we teach our students in the classroom,” he said. “There has been a significance push to identify what we want students to know and be able to do, how will we know if they have learned it, how we will provide interventions when they haven’t learned it, and what we will do with those that already know how to do it.”

     Tauke said one can term it “differentiation,” “blended learning,” or “authentic intellectual work. It all involves teachers looking individually at students and trying to teach them in a way that maximizes their learning potential,” he said.

     However, he said the actual curriculum hasn’t dramatically changed in his 30-plus years in education. “It has become more focused and more individualized,” he offered. “Teachers don’t wait until the test to find out the level of understanding for their students. Instead, daily they use a multitude of formative assessments to determine which students are ‘getting it’ and which ones are not.”

     Tauke praised the district’s WIN time (What I Need) initiative as supporting the individualized learning “in how we’re working with interventions.”

     In his role as technology coach, Tauke has seen, first-hand, the changes in technology as applied to education. Students of all ages are bombarded with technology in their daily lives.

     “Students who have grown up in this technological explosion expect that same kind of stimulation in the classroom,” said Tauke. He went on to explain that engagement levels of students largely impact their learning, and the MCSD has taken steps to increase student engagement through various teaching strategies, which includes various forms of technology. “Some of this technology allows for student collaboration at a level never seen before,” he added.

     Seeing students actually learn something makes it all worth it for Tauke. “It’s a simple thing, and you’d think it would happen all the time, but it doesn’t,” he shared. “There is a great deal of satisfaction when, as a teacher, you know a lesson went well and that most students really seemed to understand the main points of that day’s activity.”

     He said it can be frustrating when students struggle to grasp a concept; however, that is part of being a teacher. Tauke said that’s when educators have to come up with different ways to reach those particular students.

     “I think in any occupation where you are ‘teaching’ something, it’s a good feeling when you know that the people you are working with are learning what you want them to learn,” he said. “As teacher, we get that chance every school day.”

     Tauke said he feels blessed to have been apart of the MCSD for so many years. He said for a rural community, Monticello has a lot to be proud of. Having grown up on a farm himself, Tauke can see this community’s hard-working mentality and a willingness to succeed, especially in the students.

     “I also have to give a shout-out to the teachers, staff and administrators that I’ve had the chance to work with,” he said. “The last few years I’ve had the opportunity to work outside of the classroom a lot more, and I’ve really been impressed with that I’ve seen. I really feel we have a great group of people working together to make our school district the best. Thank you, Monticello!”

Jerry Haag

     Haag has actually been with the school district for 30 years altogether, his first five were part-time.

     When he started in February of 1988, Haag took over transporting special needs students. He was also an on-call substitute bus driver.

     “During the summers I worked with the grounds crew mowing,” added Haag.

     After three and a half years, Haag started working for Smothers Equipment (now Monticello Equipment Co.). During this time, he continued as a substitute bus driver.

     “In June of 1993, I began my career as the full-time district maintenance/carpenter,” he said.

     This role involved general maintenance, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, servicing the boilers, mowing, marking the athletic fields, snow removal, substitute bus driving, “and generally being on-call for just about anything,” explained Haag.

     He said the challenging part has always been trying to prioritize the job requests across the district.

     Haag retired from the maintenance department in 2011, but continued to drive his regular bus route, as well as the activity bus. He also continued to give his time to help with general ground maintenance when needed.

     In his time with the MCSD, Haag has seen many changes, but said the biggest change came about with the addition of the new high school.

     “The additional buildings and campus brought about a new geothermal heating and cooling system,” he said. “It also resulted in extra mowing and snow removal, as well as new general maintenance.”

     Other changes included: installing the asphalt track, which Haag described as an “important changes” over a simple change; and reorganizing the grounds, maintenance, and transportation department.

     That most recent change, Haag said, has been a positive one. “Creating a director of grounds and maintenance and a director of transportation allows the two individuals to focus on their area of expertise.”

     Haag said as the administration changed over the years, new ideas and directives impacted his job. That led to being pro-active with the installation of security cameras and new locks in all of the buildings.

     Through it all, Haag can’t say he enjoyed the years of snow removal, but perhaps it’s worth it “seeing the young students came into the school system and following them throughout the education system.

     “As an activities bus driver, I especially enjoy seeing them be successful in athletics and in fine arts,” concluded Haag.

     As someone who has seen the guts of every building in the MCSD, Haag said he hopes people realize now is the time to vote yes and replace the middle school.

     “I can attest first hand to the monumental maintenance problems within the building,” he said. “Our students and staff deserve to be housed in a new building that is conducive to current educational needs.”

Gina Dirks

     Dirks has worked for the school district for 25 years. She spent 18 years as an associate for the high school computer lab. For the past seven years, Dirks has held the position of Guidance Secretary.

     The biggest change Dirks has seen take place throughout her time with the MCSD has been the change in technology.

     “When I started, I worked in a computer lab that had only 11 computers,” she shared. “We grew into larger labs, then portable labs in classrooms, and this year we rolled out the 1-to-1 laptop program.”

     Dirks said another change involves college credit classes available to the high school students. Early on, she said if a student took advantage of those college credit classes, “it was few and far between.

     “The addition of Kirkwood to our community has really changed what students are able to take for classes to start their post-graduation education.”

     Dirks said she’s greatly enjoyed the many great staff members at the high school and throughout the district she’s worked with over the years. “We have a great time at the high school, a fun and caring bunch!” she said.

     Dirks also enjoys working around high school-aged students. Managing the students’ academic accounts and files, she always meets the new students who enroll with the MCSD and assists those who look to transfer to other schools.

     “I get to probably be involved with the seniors the most,” she said, “working with them on scholarships and any graduation and college questions, along with our school counselor.”

     Dirks said it’s fun watching the seniors look forward to graduation time and “get excited for their future and hope that no matter what they do, they are safe and happy.”

     Every year at the MCSD is an exciting year. Dirks bids everyone from the faculty, staff and students a great school year.

     “And thanks to the community for their continued support of the schools,” she said.

 

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