News
New teachers in Bottineau School District
Scott Wagar
09/02/2014
The Bottineau Public School System has eight new teachers this year which bring a number of Bottineau High School Alumni back to the school district, a few which will be starting their teaching careers in the school system and some that have a number of years of educational experience.
Kodi Bullinger - First Grade
Bullinger is a 2006 Bottineau High School graduate and earned her bachelor degree from Minot State University in elementary education with reading and kindergarten endorsements.
After graduation, Bullinger was employed with Head Start in Minot. Bullinger then moved to Bottineau where she had a day care at her home until she became a preschool teacher and then a paraeducator for the Bottineau School District.
Bullinger is pleased to be teaching in Bottineau.
“I am so excited to be teaching in Bottineau. I have always wanted to be a teacher and it’s just a bonus that it’s in my home town,” Bullinger said. “I went to school in Bottineau, my parents and family went to school in Bottineau and now my daughter is starting school in Bottineau this year. I think Bottineau has a great school system and I’m excited that my family and I get to be apart of that. I couldn’t be happier.”
Jacob Clauson – Social Studies
Clauson is a 2010 Enderlin Area High School graduate and earned a bachelor of science degree in social studies and a bachelor of arts in history with a minor in geoscience from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
This will be Clauson’s first position as a full-time teacher and he is glad to be starting his teaching career in a rural area like Bottineau.
“I’m very excited to be teaching here in Bottineau. I’ve heard a lot of good things about both the students and the staff,” Clauson said. “Also, I’m looking forward to teaching in a smaller school environment where I can get to know the students better.”
Raylene DeMontigny – Middle School Special Needs
DeMontigny is a 2003 Bottineau High School graduate and earned her bachelor of arts in Music Education from North Dakota State University. This spring, DeMontigny will graduate with a master of art degree in special education from Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
DeMontigny has been an educator in a number of schools.
“I taught elementary music at Turtle Mountain Elementary School in Belcourt,” DeMontigny said. “I then moved to Minnesota where I substitute taught in the Chaska and Westonka school districts while pursuing my special education degree.”
DeMontigny is happy to be back at her alma mater to be an educator.
“I am excited to teach in Bottineau because it is fun seeing the familiar faces around the school,” DeMontigny said. “And, I also look forward to getting to know the new teachers and students.
Josieh Handeland – Building Trades
Handeland is a 2008 Bottineau High School graduate and attended Bismarck State College where he earned his certificate in construction.
This is Handeland’s first experience as a teacher and is delighted to be the educator of a program he utilized while a student at Bottineau High School.
“I’m excited to be involved in the building trades program again since I went through the same program myself when I went to BHS,” Handeland said. “I know all the good it does around the community and just happy to be a part of that again.”
Karen Klebe – K-2 Title I
Klebe is a 1983 graduate from Dickinson High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in physical education from Dickinson State College and reading credentials from the University of Mary.
Klebe has over 20 years of experience in the education field.
“I taught 11 years in Richardton at St. Mary’s Elementary and 12 years in Rugby at Little Flower Elementary,” Klebe said. “This past school year I worked for Bottineau Public School as a Library Para-educator in the Middle School Library.”
As a Title I instructor, Klebe is eager to begin the school year.
“I am excited to be teaching in Bottineau,” Klebe said. “I am looking forward to working with K-2 students. The students are always full of energy and are eager to learn and this is what makes teaching fun.”
Marissa Pewe – Science
Pewe is a 2010 Bottineau High School graduate and earned her bachelor of art in biology with a minor in chemistry from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.
This is Pewe’s first year as a teacher and looks forward to be back in Bottineau teaching in the school where she was educated.
“I am very excited to be able to teach in my hometown, in a school where I know many of the faculty and also some students already,” Pewe said. “I am fortunate to be able to be in a school in my hometown where I am also able to see my family.”
Alecia Power – Fifth Grade
Power is a 2009 graduate from Divide County High School in Crosby, N.D., and earned an associate degree in arts and science from Bismarck State College. She went to graduate with bachelor degrees in education for elementary ed and physical education, along with as minor in coaching from Minot State College. She graduated from MSU in 2014.
This is Power’s first year as an educator but she is pleased to be starting he career in education at Bottineau’s Middle School.
“I am very excited to teach in Bottineau, I think it is a great community with great staff and kids to work with,” Power said. “I think coming fresh out of college, I have great new ideas that will be a benefit to my fifth graders.”
Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau and Newburg school district believes increased enrollment is due to a number of things.
“We have seen an increase in Bottineau the past couple of years. I think it is a combination of things. I believe we have seen younger couples moving back to our area or new families moving to Bottineau,” Kersten said.
“Many of these families have younger children starting school or in the lower elementary grades,” he continued.
“In Newburg, we are seeing some of the children of our younger couples in the community beginning school. We have also had some families move into the district,” Kersten added.
“I think it is always positive when districts are seeing increases in our elementary grades. This can usually mean the numbers should stay fairly consistent as they move through the system.”
Editor’s Note: BHS’s ag teacher, Whitney Hansen, and John Gruenberg, superintendent of the Westhope School District, were not available for comment for this article.