Trout Creek School welcomes new teachers, staff

As students of Trout Creek head back to school, six new faculty members will also be joining them. Elizabeth Hart will teach special education and will also serve as a one-on-one paraprofessional. "Elizabeth moved here from Missouri to retire," said Trout Creek School Superintendent Preston Wenz. "She decided she wasn't ready to retire and took a paraprofessional position with us to be a part of the eagle family. The experience she has will benefit us greatly."

Debra Cashman will be coming in to teach third and fourth grade. "This will be her 29th year of teaching," Wenz said. "She's full of energy, she has great ideas and she's bringing in a wealth of knowledge." Although not a new faculty member, Liz Glackin, who has been a paraprofessional for the last six years, will teach early kinder preschool. Lisa Currie is coming on board as a paraprofessional and has five years of prior experience in the school district. The school is also bringing on a new teacher resident, Annie Taylor.

Dawn Davis will be the school's part-time custodian and David Eldridge is coming on as the school's full-time custodian. "David is a pretty good handyman," Wenz said. "I've kept him busy this summer, he's got the building looking great." Wenz says with the much-needed custodial help the school now has, the next step will be looking into the installation of a new HVAC system. "We want to get a new system that has air conditioning," he said. "We will be looking for potential grant funding to help with that."

Wenz is coming into his second year as superintendent and says his focus will shift this school year. "My focus coming in last year was on public relations," he said. "Academics is always the first and primary focus and we are always doing what needs to be done for the kids, but I came in to help the staff put some new life back into the school and get enrollment numbers up."

Wenz says he was able to accomplish that goal with the new archery program, a school garden and a STEM club, along with the new reading and math curriculum implemented this year. The school will offer middle school golf and will participate in co-op track with Noxon. "The school should be the focus of the community," Wenz said. "It should be a central piece, especially in a small town like Trout Creek."

The school has been working hard to integrate the county's homeschool students into extracurricular activities. Right now, there are 20 homeschool students from around the county traveling to Trout Creek School to participate. "We are very welcoming of our homeschool students and parents," Wenz said. "We are thrilled with the number of students who are enrolled in extracurriculars. I hope it continues to grow."

While enrollment was down to 57 students last year, there are 67 students enrolled for the current school year. Wenz says the school is growing and he wants to see continued growth and success for the students. "It takes all of us," he said. "I'm excited to see where we are heading and I can't do what I do without the faculty. We want to be able to meet each kid where they're at and get them what they need."