New faces in BVSD classrooms

Staff reports

 

The Journal concludes its introduction of new Brandon Valley educators:

 

BV HIGH SCHOOL

 

Denae Haiar was inspired early by great teachers and coaches to pursue a profession in education. Her assignment to teach Algebra II and Foundations at BVHS is the 2013 Sioux Falls Washington High School grad’s official start in the profession. She student-taught Algebra II and Advanced Algebra II at Yankton High School last year, and graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Marty College.

She was drawn to teach in the BVSD because of “the community involvement and the school spirit that Brandon Valley shows.”

In the classroom, her goal is to show students how math can be used in their lives and how important it really is. 

Haiar has a husband, Mark, and enjoys basketball, camping, hiking and fishing.

Alaina Cuka was destined for a career in teaching.

“I started playing ‘school’ and teaching my little sister at a very young age, so I guess part of me always knew,” she said. “I also had amazing teachers growing up. My English teachers, in particular, were phenomenal people who encouraged me to pursue writing and reading when they saw it was something I was passionate about. They inspired me to want to be as attentive and caring in whatever profession I chose, (so) becoming a teacher seemed a natural choice.”

Cuka, who hails from Wagner, takes over English 9 and 11, and Journalism (yearbook advisor) at BVHS this year.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of South Dakota in 2015. She completed her student teaching at Beresford High School, and after graduating from USD, she worked for two years on a college campus as a missionary with a nonprofit organization, FOCUS. 

She “focused” on the BVSD after hearing “such amazing things about the district from other educators,” she said. “And I was sold as soon as I came here to interview. The more I heard about the district, and the more people I met there, the more convinced I became that this community was something I wanted to be a part of.”

In the classroom, Cuka said she tries to have options for students, and has a desire to make assignments mean something more than just a grade.

“I want students to be creative in my class, to ask questions, to give and receive feedback. I’m not much of a lecturer, so I try to find ways to help students dig into the material in a way where I can support rather than dictate their learning,” she said.

Cuka’s parents still live in Wagner, and she has a younger sister who is working as a nurse in Rapid City. 

“No surprise as an English teacher, I’m sure, but I really enjoy reading and writing,” she said. She also lists being with family and friends, traveling, especially if she can be with people who are actually from the country/area she is visiting.

“I’ve had various opportunities to go to Belgium, Poland, France, Mexico, and El Salvador thus far, and hope to see more of the world in the future,” she said.