New Staff at Pierce Public Schools
New Staff Profile: Danielle Stech
by Amanda Hammer
Mrs. Danielle Stech is a new student teacher at Pierce Elementary this year. She is currently student teaching with the special education department.
Mrs. Stech is the daughter of Clark and Mary Vinson from Foster. She has three brothers named Nathan Shawn, and Austin, and a sister named Sheila. Her family also includes her husband Andrew Stech from Osmond, whom she married this past June.
Mrs. Stech is currently attending Wayne Sate College and will be graduating with a double major in elementary education and special education. She will also be student teaching again in another school system come spring. While at Pierce, she is most looking forward to the great learning experience she believes Pierce Elementary will offer.
When not busy with school, Mrs. Stech enjoys singing, reading, and running.
New Staff Profile: Ashley Wright
by Aidan Jones
Pierce Public Schools welcomed a new preschool teacher to its staff family this year.
Ms. Ashley Wright made the journey to Pierce after serving as a Headstart teacher in Norfolk for eight years. She decided to come to Pierce when she saw there was an opening for a preschool teacher, because she knew she “would love to be a part of this growing community.”
Ms. Wright says she will be taking on more students than she is used to teaching, but welcomes the challenge because she truly loves being around and educating young children.
Although teaching youngsters in preschool keeps Ms. Wright very busy, she does find down time for hobbies. In her free time she enjoys reading, boating, and riding motorcycles.
Ms. Wright is looking forward to a long career in Pierce Public Schools, as says she hopes to teach at Pierce for while.
New Staff Profile: Krista Hermsmeyer
by Merissa Harris
Pierce Elementary new kindergarten teacher, Ms. Krista Hermsmeyer, was welcomed to the Pierce Public staff this year.
Krista Hermsmeyer, a recent graduate from Midland University in Fremont, is originally from Scotia and loves working with young children. The reason why she wanted to work at Pierce Elementary School is because she really liked the location and fell in love with the school right away. Ms. Hermsmeyer says she loves her job and is willing to do anything for the students she teaches. Krista Hermsmeyer is not currently sponsoring any activities at Pierce Elementary School, but she says she could see herself getting more involved in the near future.
When she isn’t busy teaching kindergartners, outside of school, Ms. Hermsmeyer loves to be in the country as much as possible and likes to go to the lake.
So far, things at Pierce Elementary are going well for Ms. Hermsmeyer, who said, “I would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome.”
New Teacher Profile: Kendra Aldag
by Amanda Hammer
Kendra Aldag is a new teacher at Pierce High School this year. Ms. Aldag teaches seventh and eighth grade math, seventh grade science, and ninth grade math. In addition to her teaching duties, she also serves as the assistant softball coach for the Pierce Lady Jays and will be the assistant junior high girls basketball coach when winter sports roll around.
Ms. Aldag came to Pierce from Norfolk looking for a smaller town like her hometown of Battle Creek. Ms. Aldag is the middle of 5 children; she has two older brothers a younger brother and a younger sister. Her family also includes her fiancé Robby Nickeson, whom she will marry on May 30, 2015.
Before coming to Pierce to work, Aldag attended Wayne State College, and she graduated in December of 2013 with her middle grades education degree. Her endorsements were math and science.
Now that she is at Pierce, she is most looking forward to being apart of a school and helping kids succeed. When she’s not doing what she loves, teaching, Aldag also enjoys spending time with her family and her fiancé.
New Staff Profile: Tyler Legate
by Shianna Oestreich
Tyler Legate is a new addition to the Pierce schooling staff. He came to, as he refers to it, “this great small town” of Pierce to be with his newlywed wife, Mrs. Melissa Legate. Legate is a 2nd grade teacher at the Elementary and is also the head wresting coach for the Warbirds.
Legate attended college at the University of Nebraska Lincoln to obtain his Bachelors degree in elementary education. Then he went on to Wayne State College to finish his certification. He is currently fulfilling his student teaching requirement at Pierce Elementary under the supervision of Mr. Larry Hoefener, and following this, he will take over as the full-time teacher.
Legate is originally from Neligh, Nebraska. He was brought here by his new family, which consists of his wife Melissa and her beloved cat.
Legate says he is fond of the fact that this small town is close to home. Besides teaching and coaching, Legate also enjoys watching and playing sports.
Legate is happy and excited to join the teaching staff at Pierce. He says, “I am most looking forward to working with the kids and seeing improvements in them.”