Thirty-two new teachers begin careers with BVSD

 

The start of every new school year brings a variety of new faces in the classrooms of Brandon Valley’s eight buildings. This year, that number is 32. This week, the Brandon Valley Journal introduces you to each of them.

 

* * *

 

COMBINED

SCHOOLS

Kennedy Boever

4th grade at Valley Springs Elementary; K-4 art at VSE & Inspiration Elementary

This year is shaping up to be quite a year for Chamberlain native Kennedy Boever.

In addition to accepting a teaching position with the Brandon Valley School District, she recently exchanged vows with her husband, Zachary, and together they’ve purchased a home in Brandon. 

Her prior teaching experience includes a four-year stint at Parker, where she taught third grade and was the head girls’ basketball coach for three years and assistant volleyball coach for two years.

Basketball has long been a part of Boever’s life. She played collegiate ball at Dakota State University, where she earned her degree in elementary education in 2019.

With a background in sports, Boever brings a “teamwork” approach to her teaching style.

“I played college basketball and learned many ways to teach students that life lessons are important,” she said.

Boever expressed that she is excited to be part of the BVSD. 

“I love basketball and volleyball. Whether it’s coaching or helping out, I love being a part of something, and I’m very excited for this opportunity,” she said.

In her downtime, she enjoys reading, sports, basketball and volleyball.

 

Erin Johnson

ELL (5-8th grades),

BV Intermediate

& Middle Schools

For Erin Johnson, the classroom feels like home. And that’s the same environment she hopes to give her students.

“I think my students will like feeling at home in my classroom, says the Cheyenne, Wyo., native and 2016 Cheyenne Central High School graduate. 

Raised by a mother who is a high school teacher better explains what led Johnson to pursue that same career path. As for her entrance into the Brandon Valley School District, her experience last year as an Educational Assistant here was a positive one.

“I felt very supported as an EA last year and enjoyed the community,” she said.

She gained her BA in Middle School Education in 2020 from Saint Louis University and followed up with a MS Education Specialist degree from Creighton University in 2022. Her prior teaching assignments include her EA role at Inspiration Elementary and BV Intermediate School last year and a stint at St. Augustine Indian Mission, where she taught seventh grade.

One could say that Johnson hasn’t let the grass grow under her feet.

“I grew up moving every few years with the military and have moved 11 times in my life,” she said.

Her hobbies include pickle ball, reading and baking.

 

BRANDON

ELEMENTARY

Alexis Briggs

Early Childhood

Alexis Briggs has gained experience in three different sectors of education, and this year, she brings that experience to Brandon Elementary.

Briggs, who grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from O’Gorman High School in 2013, earned B.S. degrees from South Dakota State in Early Childhood Education with Special Education, and her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University.

Her prior work resume includes a two-year stint in self-contained special education in Phoenix, Ariz., two years (2020-22) with the Sioux Falls Catholic Schools, and last year, she served as the education programs coordinator for the Washington Pavilion.

She chose to pursue a career in education based on her love of children and belief that everyone can learn.

As for her path to Brandon Valley, she says the district “has a reputation that needs no explanation. I am so excited to be a part of it.”

As for her style of teaching, “I lead with love. I meet my students at their needs, not the other way around,” she said.

She and her husband, David, are parents to 2-year-old Flora. She lists her hobbies as reading, home DIY and hand embroidery.

 

Stephanie Jett

4th-grade Resource

Stephanie Jett grew up in Aladdin, Wyo., and graduated from Big Horn High School. From there, she headed south to Arizona State University, where she was awarded BA degrees in both Special Education and Elementary Education.

Jett remained in Arizona for the next 7.5 years, where she taught K-5 Special Education.

It was her desire to help all children and having several role models – many whom were teachers – while growing up that steered her to a career in education.

She wanted to be part of the BVSD since her own children – Jace and Tristan – will be enrolled here. 

Jett’s students will quickly see that she a “positive, upbeat teacher” who “strives to connect to students and find strengths.”

Married to Kevin Jett, she enjoys crafting and gardening, and with her family playing games, hiking and fishing.

 

BreAnn Morris

3-4th grade

Special Education

“I love being so close to home,” shared BreAnn Morris, a 2012 Brandon Valley graduate herself. “Brandon Valley is an amazing district that is thriving in helping students thrive not only in the academics but in life.”

Morris has long known she was destined for a career in education. It was her uncle with special needs that inspired her to pursue the path.

“I loved being able to interact and develop skills with him that allowed him to thrive in communication and life,” she said. “I wanted to expand that feeling to my students.”

Morris earned degrees in Elementary and Special Education in 2017 from Dakota State University. She also pursued her Masters in Educational Technology at DSU, earning that degree in 2019.

Since that time, she’s taught in three different South Dakota school districts: One year at Pierre teaching middle school SPED, three years as a Early Child Education SPED teacher in Canton, and one year teaching Early Childhood SPED in Harrisburg.

Morris said she aims to keep learning fun.

She and her husband are parents of two, ages 2 and 1. As for her hobbies, she shares, “I love organizing, creating with a cricut, walking with my dogs and family and playing games.”

 

Tessa Steinmiller

Early Childhood Speech-

Language Pathologist

Tessa Steinmiller is adamant that the majority of learning in her classroom “occurs during play.”

Her desire to teach stems from her “desire to be a supportive and encouraging adult in students’ lives,” she said. She was attracted to the BVSD by her family, many of whom grew up in or around Brandon and/or graduated from Brandon Valley.

Steinmiller is a 2018 graduate of Baltic High School. She went on to earn a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Child Development and Family Studies. This year, she added a Master of Sciences in Communication Sciences and Disorders to her resume.

Prior to this position, Steinmiller’s pediatric internship was at Theratime, Inc.

In her spare time, she enjoys hiking at state parks.

 

INSPIRATION

ELEMENTARY

Brandi Barrie

Speech Language

Pathologist

Brandi Barrie’s love for working with kids made education a shoe in for her career. As for wanting to teach at Brandon Valley, Barrie said she lives here and has a desire to further  engage herself into the community.

“I have also heard so many great things about the school district,” she adds.

Following her graduation from Jackson Country Central High School (Minn.) in 2013, she ventured to Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Science Disorders in 2016. She next pursued a Master of Arts in 2019 in Speech Language Pathology from the University of South Dakota.

Her prior work includes a one-year stint in Windom, Minn. (2016-17), and two years in both Worthington (2019-21) and Pipestone, Minn. (2021-23).

She and her husband, Jared, are parents to Luka, who just turned 1.

 

Hanna Guenther

Kindergarten

“Growing up, I was able to see a lot of my family members develop a passion for teaching, and it made me realize my passion for teaching,” says Hannah Guenther, a 2019 Watertown High School graduate.

Guenther’s older sister and several of her cousins are teachers, too.

As for her desire to join the staff at BVSD, that came down to “community.”

“I wanted to be a part of Brandon Valley because there is a sense of community here that is very welcoming,” she said. “The community all strives for excellence and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Her prior teaching experience includes a stint at Robert Frost Elementary, where she taught kindergarten, and an assignment at Fred Assam Elementary, where she led a second grade class.

Her degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education with a kindergarten endorsement from Augustana University, and an American Sign Language minor.

Guenther’s history with cheerleading carries over into her classroom, where she will encourage her students to be the best versions of themselves.

“I hope to create a warm and inviting environment for my students,” she said.

Her cheerleading history has also gained her the opportunity to be the assistant winter sideline cheer coach at BVHS.

 

Alex Puthoff

3rd-grade

Alex Puthoff was fortunate to be taught by some impressionable teachers. It’s u;timately what steered her to a career in education.

“All the amazing teachers that I had growing up instilled a passion for learning and teaching,” said Puthoff, a 2010 Harrisburg High School graduate. “I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher and I get to live my dream every day.”

She’s a 2015 graduate of the University of South Dakota and in December 2022, she obtained her Masters from the University of Kansas.

For the past five years, she taught fifth grade at Harrisburg’s Freedom Elementary. Prior to that assignment, Puthoff taught second grade and kindergarten for the Johnson Community School District in Des Moines, Iowa, and first and third grades in Dickinson, N.D.

As for her path to Brandon Valley, Puthoff took notice of “all of the amazing things I have heard about the school district, as well as the staff that fill the buildings” are what drove her to apply.

Well, that and her two sons, Carter, almost 5, and Nolan, 2.5, both who will go to school here.

Puthoff said she loves to read and be outdoors playing with her family. She is married to Tyler Puthoff.

She describes herself as a teacher who cares for her students “inside and outside of the classroom” and says she brings “a very calm demeanor and dedicates time to getting to know her students.

 

Shannon Sheridan

1st-grade 

Did not respond to Brandon Valley Journal questionnaire.

 

ROBERT BENNIS

ELEMENTARY

Hannah Jessen

3rd-grade

Did not respond to Brandon Valley Journal questionnaire.

Kayla Nettestad

Kindergarten

Once a Lynx, always a Lynx.

That’s how Kayla Nettestad described her return to the school district where she graduated from in 2011.

Now, she’s headed back to where it all began, kindergarten, but this time, she’s the teacher and not the student.

“Seeing the spark, the ‘ah ha’ moment in children, which was inspired by her former teachers in the BV School District,” is initially what drew her to a career in education. The district’s reputation for being the best and her personal experience is what called her back here.

Nettestad graduated in 2015 from the University of South Dakota with a degree in education (birth to eighth grade). Her prior teaching assignments have included one year as a kindergarten teacher, one year as a first-grade teacher, and five years teaching second grade, all at Robert Frost Elementary in Sioux Falls.

Nettestad and her husband, Tate, are parents of three, Sage, 12, Braeleigh, 7 and Jade, 5. With her family, she enjoys going on walks, pool time, coloring and reading.

Kindergarten at Robert Bennis Elementary isn’t the only class Nettestad teaches. She also serves as the children’s ministry director for Invitation 605 Church.

She said her students will quickly learn that she’s “loving, silly and fun.” 

 

Jane Roemen

Kindergarten

Jane Roemen loves children and she wants them to love being lifelong learners. Combined, they are what led the Sioux Falls resident to a career in education and the kindergarten room at Robert Bennis Elementary.

Roemen graduated from Sioux Falls Lincoln in 1986 and studied both Business and Elementary Education, respectively, earning degrees in 1990 and 1993 from the University of Sioux Falls. She taught grades 1-3 for four years in Le Mars, Iowa, and Jr. Kindergarten in Watertown for private education for 14 years.

She sought a position at Brandon Valley based on the “great reputation of quality education and work environment for staff.”

She said her students may get a giggle or two out of their teacher, as “I like to laugh at myself – a lot,” she admits.

Having just begun her “new territory as an empty nest parent,” she said there are new interests yet to be discovered. 

She enjoys her dogs, Ripp and Roxy, and relaxing at the family cabin on Lake Poinsett.

 

Nicolette Schmidt

Special Education

With an enjoyment of working with kids and a college professor’s influence, Nicolette Schmidt chose to pursue a degree in elementary education and special education (2022), followed by a Masters of Education in 2023.

Schmidt, who graduated from Redfield High School in 2017, went on to Augustana University, and has now landed her first teaching position with the Brandon Valley School District. She did her student teaching in nearby Pettigrew and Anne Sullivan elementary schools in Sioux Falls.

Schmidt was drawn to the BVSD for single reason: “The amazing community,” she said.

In the classroom, she focuses on building relationships with her students.

Schmidt grew up on a farm and enjoys running, reading and hanging out with friends and family in her down time.

 

VALLEY SPRINGS

ELEMENTARY

Gracie Lode

Kindergarten

As a first-year teacher, Gracie Lode focused on finding a school district that aligns with her values. As it turns out, Brandon Valley’s “Lynx Way” traits – respectful, responsible, safe, kind and active learners – are a perfect match.

The Sheldon, Iowa, native graduated this spring from the University of Northern Iowa, majoring in elementary education and minoring in literacy education.

Her path to a career in education was spurred by her passion to be “a helping hand in the education of children.”

“I want to be an encouraging, uplifting and supporting teacher to students that my teachers were to me,” she adds.

Students in her classroom will experience a teacher and student-led environment and will allow time for creativeness and fun in all things by giving children the ability to express themselves through their learning.

2023 is turning out to be one of Lode’s best years yet. She graduated from college in May, was married in June to husband, Tyler, and has landed her first teaching assignment at Valley Springs Elementary.

In her free time, Lode enjoys reading, walking, being outdoor and spending time with friends and family.

 

BRANDON VALLEY

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Brenda Burch

5th-grade science

With all four of the Burch siblings – Eden, Faith, Luke and Emma – now graduated from Brandon Valley High School, their mother is now “enrolling” as a fifth-grade science teacher.

“We (she and husband, Jeff) have been very impressed with the district, and I wanted to be part of it,” says Burch.

It’s been several years since Burch was in the classroom in this capacity full-time. 

“I took many years off to raise my family, and began subbing at BVIS six years ago,” she said.

It was her own personal experience in school in Marshall, Minn., that drew her to a career in education.

“I had a really good education experience with some very influential teachers. I wanted to share my love of learning,” she said.

Burch was awarded a degree in elementary education from Southwest Minnesota State in 1993. She’s previously taught kindergarten and has substitute taught for a number of years.

Students in her classroom will be excited to learn via “hands-on labs and group work to discover new concepts.”

Outside of the classroom, Burch enjoys running, reading, spending time in the outdoors with her family.

 

Trent Dreyer

6th-grade

Trent Dreyer learned firsthand growing up in Montevideo, Minn., what a career in teaching entailed.

Both of his parents were teachers and leaders in the community.

“They inspired me to pursue a degree in education to have a positive impact on the youth in our community,” he said.

The first-year teacher is a new graduate. He gained his degree in K-8 Elementary Education from the University of Sioux Falls this year and did one year of student teaching at Harrisburg Explorer Elementary.

Dreyer’s desire to the BVSD came down to one thing: The staff.

“Every staff member exemplifies great qualities for being such a successful teacher,” he said.

Students in Dreyer’s sixth-grade classroom will come to find that he incorporates a number of hands-on activities and labs throughout the school year.

Engaged to Anna Reinschmidt, he enjoys watching sports, hiking, traveling, fishing and pickleball.

One “note” of interest is that he can play the piano, ukulele and saxophone.

 

Tom Keiser

6th-grade ELA

Tom Keiser graduated in 2004 from Beresford High School. He next headed north to Northern State University, graduating from there in 2009, and then headed south to begin his career. Over a 13-year span, Keiser taught third, fifth and eighth grades at Columbus, Neb., and back north again to Lola and Missoula, Mont.

His desire to teach at Brandon Valley came when he made the decision to return to South Dakota.

“I wanted to find a school district that sets high standards and a district that strives to make a difference,” he said.

In his spare time, Keiser enjoys reading, baseball, hiking and running.

 

Ellie Voss

Art

Growing up, Ellie Voss saw firsthand how her parents, both educators, impacted their students.

And that’s what drew her to a career in education.

As for her path to BVIS, Voss said the culture of excellence combined with community, is what called her there.

“Everyone has been so kind and welcoming,” says the Sioux Falls Christian High School graduate.

Her role as an art teacher at BVIS is her first full-time position since graduating earlier this year from Dordt University. She did her student teaching at Roosevelt High School and Discovery Elementary. The first three years of undergrad studies, she studied fine art in southern California.

In her art lessons, Voss said she’ll encourage students to put personal spins on their projects.

“I love a laid back, fun environment,” she said.

Off the clock, Voss spends time at her professional pottery wheel and stays active by playing volleyball, both sand and indoor.

 

BRANDON VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Tyler Basye

Special Education

If you’re planning to tie the knot, Tyler Basye may just be someone you’ll want to give a call. While Basye won’t perform the ceremony, he will be the one to get the party started at the reception.

“I’ve been a wedding DJ for about eight years,” says Basye, a 2011 Watertown High School graduate.

Bayse found his calling to education working with the Special Olympics program in Sioux Falls.

“That gave me a passion for working with individuals that have different abilities,” he said. “Along with coaching baseball, it helped guide me toward my field.”

Bayse received degrees in Elementary and Special Education from Dakota State University. The past two years, he taught the subject at Edison Middle School in Sioux Falls.

Bayse’s wife, Miranda (Cain) is a BVHS graduate, from whom he’s learned more about the district, hence his desire to join the staff.

“BV is a great community to be a part of. The inclusiveness of the district towards ALL students ALL of the time was something that really drew my attention,” he said.

Bayse describes his teaching style as “very laid back and approachable.”

“When the students know that you have similarities with them, they are more willing to trust you and grow that relationship and that will drive their effort and attitude academically,” he said.

Married for three years, he describes Miranda as “an extremely intelligent, hardworking woman.”

Outside of the classroom, Bayse’s interests are coaching baseball, reading, working on things (repairs, building, etc.), and hanging out with our two dogs.”

 

Amanda Button

Special Education

It would be fair to say that Amanda Button’s grandparents had a part in her choosing education as her career path. Three of her four grandparents were teachers, she said.

“I wanted to teach in Brandon Valley because the district has a reputation of high expectations for their students and staff. I also really liked how the middle school structures the special education department,” said Button, a 2005 graduate of BVHS.

She gained her degrees in Elementary and Special Education from Northern State University in 2010, and since that time taught five years in a general classroom at Enemy Swim Day School in Waubay and seven years in special education in Dell Rapids.

Button said that relationships are very important to her, both professionally and personally.

“I take pride in getting to know my students so they can have someone they count on,” she said.

Her parents, Mary Jo and Jon Button live in Brandon. Her sister, Margaret, resides on the west side of the state in Rapid City, and her brother and sister-in-law, Andrew and Jami, also call Brandon home. Her nephew, Jaxon is a first-grader at Brandon Elementary.

Her list of hobbies include embroidery, reading, traveling, and spending time at the lake.

 

Joel Evans

Computers, Assistant

8th-grade football,

assistant varsity wrestling

Joel Evans well remembers the positive education he experienced in Luverne, Minn., where he graduated high school from in 2003.

“I had great teachers who made a significant impact on me and inspired me to follow their example and become an educator, too,” said Evans.

Following high school, Evans went on to gain a B.S. in Health/Physical Education from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. He’s also added to his resume an M.S. in Education Leadership from Southwest Minnesota State University.

Evans wanted to join BV’s classroom staff based on its reputation as a “friendly and inviting community, which values education and stands by both teachers and students.”

“Additionally,” he says, “the district’s strong reputation for upholding high academic and athletic standards while nurturing a culture of excellence was a big draw for me.”

His prior experience includes a stint from 2010-19 teaching health and physical education to high school and middle school students in Worthington, Minn. Building upon that experience, Evans’ transition to instructing PE for elementary and middle school levels in Luverne, is where he taught through this year.

In the classroom, Evans connects classroom topics to real-world examples, which in turn, shows students how what they learn matters beyond the school walls.

Evans and his wife, Jenny, are parents to three, Maddox, a third grader, Nora, who begins kindergarten this year, and Tess, who will go to daycare. The newest addition to the family is Gus, a bulldog. In his downtime, he likes to spend time with his family, take part in outdoor activities, and cheer on the Minnesota Gophers.

 

Barbara Gabbert

Special Services

After teaching for 16 years – most recently in Vermillion at the middle school – Barbara Gabbert had tired of the commute.

“My husband (Andy) is a long-time resident of Brandon,” she said. “While I loved teaching in Vermillion, the commute became tedious. And EVERYONE knows that the Brandon Valley School District is amazing! I am honored to be among the best of the best.”

Teaching wasn’t her first path. The 1984 Ipswich High School graduate first obtained a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota in 1990. Seventeen years later, she added a Masters in Special Education, also from USD, to her resume.

“I fell in love with the children from the special education program who were interacting with the residents in the Alzheimer’s unit at the care center in Vermillion, and so I changed careers,” she said.

Gabbert and her husband have four children together and two grandchildren. She enjoys reading, gardening, cooking and shopping.

 

AJ Garrow

7-8th-grade computer

AJ Garrow wanted to teach for the Brandon Valley School District as a way to give back to a community that he says has given so much to his family.

And so, he’s presently pursing a Master’s of Teaching degree at the University of Sioux Falls, where he holds a B.A. in sports management and criminal justice, also gained at USF.

He graduated from Brandon Valley High School in 2014 and said it was his dad, Chad, and the community of Brandon that piqued his interest in teaching.

Garrow said he’s vulnerable with his students as a way to get to know them and “hopefully (will) make an impact in their lives.”

He is married to Molly, and in his free time enjoys biking, boating and coaching football.

 

Lauren Kattner

Choir & Theatre

Music is simply a way of life for Lauren Kattner – and her family.

“Every student deserves to experience the joy of music,” she said, noting why she chose music education as her path to pursue.

Each of her siblings are also music educators, and this November, she will exchange “I do’s” with Devon Mellilo, who is the band director at BVMS.

Kattner grew up in Huron and graduated from there in 2016. She went on to South Dakota State University, where she received her degree in 2020 in music education. The past four years, she taught choir, theatre and directed show choir at Harrisburg North Middle School.

Her desire to join the BVSD was to be part of a wonderful community that goes above and beyond to support the fine arts,” she said.

Her students will find that she “strives for excellence and connection.”

In her free time, Kattner enjoys baking, playing piano and dancing.

 

Danica Niewenhuis

Chemistry

Coming off a five-year hiatus from Brandon Valley High School, Danica (Kocer) Niewenhuis is coming back to high school here.

But this time, she’ll be at the head of the class teaching high school chemistry.

“I have always thought that this is a great community to be a part of and am excited to be back,” said the 2019 BVHS alum.

She chose to pursue a career in education by pairing her love for science and helping others.

“This is the best way to do both,” she adds.

Niewenhuis gained her B.S. degrees in chemistry and science education in biology and chemistry at Black Hills State University, where she also played women’s basketball. This is her first teaching assignment of her career.

Niewenhuis said she’ll be a teacher who believes in her students and will do what she can to support them and show them they can exceed.

Landing her first teaching position isn’t the only big milestone for Niewenhuis this year. She exchanged vows in June with Tanner Niewenhuis, who is also a BVHS alum. 

In her free time, Niewenhuis loves to be in the outdoors hiking, camping, trying new things and enjoying life with family and friends. 

 

Justin Schriever

7th-grade English

Students in Justin Schriever’s seventh-grade English classes will soon learn that everyone has value and brings something to the table.

The 2019 Sioux Falls Lincoln High School grad adds, “I want students to see that they just need to be themselves – not anyone else.”

It is those reasons, along with relationships that are developed over the years with a variety of people that attracted him to a career in education.

The first-year teacher graduated earlier this year from Gustavus Adolphus College with a B.A. degree in Communication Arts/Literature Teaching, and a minor in Latin. His student teaching was done in the high school of the same community of his college, St. Peter, Minn.

Schriever believes his students will also come to know that he not only cares about them academically, but personally, too.

“I am fun, fair and firm,” he said.

His attraction to the yet-manageable-sized BVSD is the ability to “have deeper relationships with people, even if you had them in class or teach next to them.”

He also wanted to teach here based on the district’s reputation for the education provided to its students.

Schriever’s parents reside in Sioux Falls, and he has a sister who is stationed in Hawaii. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, watching TV, getting outside, and the casual coffee catch-up with friends.

 

Mindy Walters

7th-grade ELA

After 18 years in the Sioux Falls School District, Mindy Walters says she was ready for a change.

And that’s what led her to apply for a position at Brandon Valley.

“I had heard many good things about the BV district – great kids and staff members, less stress and anxiety, less behaviors, feeling valued as a teacher, etc. – and it made me want to apply,” said Walters, a 1999 graduate of Southwest Christian High School in Edgerton, Minn.

Her 18 years with the Sioux Falls district included stints as a fourth-grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary and Susan B. Anthony. She later moved up to fifth grade at the latter school.

It was her own school career as a child that inspired her to pursue a career in education.

“I had some awesome teachers – and some not-so-awesome ones,” she said. “All the experiences I had made me strive to be one of the awesome ones.”

To live up to being “one of the awesome ones,” Walters believes it’s important that her students know she cares about them and will be their advocate whenever needed.

“If students work hard in class, they will rarely have homework,” she said. “I try to get kids up and moving around and find unique ways for them to connect with their learning.”

Walters earned both her undergrad in elementary education with a science endorsement in 2004 and a Master’s in educational leadership in 2014 from the University of Sioux Falls.

She and her husband, Eric, a mailman in Sioux Falls, are parents of two sons, Logan, a senior at Lincoln High School, and Paxton, a freshman.

Her spare time is spent reading, gardening, boating, watching football and snow skiing.

She’s also talented at the keyboard of a piano, in which she uses that talent as the worship leader at her church.

“I choose the music each week, line up a team of musicians, and lead the music each week vocally and on the piano,” she shares.

 

Amy Wells

7th-grade ELA

Like many of her colleagues in the classroom, Amy Wells has long had a love to help others, hence venturing into a career in education.

“I feel as a teacher that I have such a wonderful opportunity to be a positive influence on my students and help set them up for success in life,” says the Rosholt native.

Her interest in teaching in the Brandon Valley School District stems from “its exemplary reputation, high moral and academic standards and small-town sense of community,” she said.

After graduating from Rosholt High School in 2007, Wells attended South Dakota State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education as well as an elementary education certification with middle level endorsements from Dakota State University in December 2012.

Over the last 10 years, Wells taught at St. Michael Elementary School in Sioux Falls, teaching grades three, five and six.

Students in Wells’ classroom will come to find that she cares about each of them and that she has a strong desire to help them in any way she can.

“I strive to show students how their learning will benefit them later in life and to create assignments, projects and activities that incorporate things that interest my students,” she said.

Wells and her husband, Tarrise, have two sons, Logan, 3, and Mason, 2. She enjoys a variety of hobbies, including reading, knitting, sewing, Cricut crafts, walking, singing and Zumba.

 

BRANDON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Alaina Hecht

BVHS English

Alaina Hecht should have no trouble navigating the high school. That’s because Hecht is making a return to the district. The Wagner, S.D., native previously taught high school English courses at Brandon Valley from 2017-21.

As for her return to the district, Hecht shares, “Having taught here before, I knew I’d be working with some wonderful people in a great school.”

Her draw to the teaching field stems from her love for learning, literature and composition, which the latter two fall under the umbrella of “English.”

“I wanted the chance to help others see the value of each of those,” she said. “Teaching gives me that chance and the opportunity to help students discover more about our world and how they can express themselves well within it.”

Hecht isn’t the only teacher in her household. Her husband, Keegan, is also a teacher.

She earned degrees from the University of South Dakota in 2015, a BA in English with Secondary Education Certification, and a Masters in Literature and English Studies in 2023 from Minnesota State University, Mankato. 

 

Morgan Mashlan

Biology & Physical Science

Morgan Mashlan made a effort to return to the school district where she received her primary education: Brandon Valley. Her reasoning: “The school culture is very positive and empowering.”

Mashlan, a 2017 BVHS grad, went to earn a biology degree in 2021 from Bethany Lutheran College. Her first two years out of college, she taught biology on the other side of the state at Rapid City Central.

She chose teaching as her career path. Her reasoning: “Always a chance to learn.”

She said her students should enjoy “fun labs” in her classroom.

As for her hobbies, Mashlan shares, “Anything and everything outdoors. Paddle boarding with my dog, especially.”

Some may know, she’s not the only “Mashlan” to lead a BVSD classroom. Her father, Justin, teaches at Brandon Valley Intermediate School.

 

Sarah Spilde

Special Education

For as long as she can remember, Sarah Spilde has wanted to be a teacher.

“When I was younger, I had great teachers and wanted to be like them,” says the 2015 Brandon Valley grad. “As I got older, I wanted to be a voice and an advocate for those who are often overlooked in society.”

Spilde gained her Bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education in 2019 from Augustana University. The past four years, she taught middle school life skills at Tea Area Middle School. she was named the 2020-21 Tea Area Teacher of the Year.

As a BVHS alum, Spilde said she experienced firsthand the benefit and value of a BVHS education.

“I saw how much the staff cares about their students both in and out of the classroom. This is something I want to be a part of and a way that I can give back to the teachers who had a great impact on me,” she said.

In her daily lessons, Spilde said she incorporates hands-on learning as much as possible.

She is married to Austin Spilde, and enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, jigsaw puzzles and thrifting. As for her favorite comfort food, mac n cheese is her go-to.

An interesting tidbit about her is that she has five younger siblings.

“My youngest sibling will be a senior this year at BVHS. This will be the first time we will be in the same school building throughout our educational careers,” she said.