New Staff at Pierce Elementary
From Student to Teacher, Meet Brynnlee Orwig
by Raleigh Pfeiffer
Pierce Elementary School welcomes new teacher Brynnlee Orwig. She teaches fifth grade for the 2026-2027 school year.
Orwig is eager to start off her first year on the right foot and begin her teaching career. She stated that she is “most looking forward to getting to know my students and building that one-on-one relationship with them.”
Orwig is a familiar face around Pierce, for she has always called Pierce her home. She has grown up in the area and lived here all of her life. She completed her high school years at Pierce High and attended Zion Lutheran School for her elementary education.
She then attended both Northeast Community College for two years and Chadron State College for two years to get her teaching degree. She completed her student teaching at Pierce Elementary under current fifth grade teacher Kate Bretschneider during the 2025-2026 school year. After such a positive experience, she had no doubts about her place in Pierce Elementary.
Orwig has known that she wanted to teach from a very young age. Her career choice was no surprise to anyone, especially her three siblings. As a child, she used to play school and teach her older siblings.
Outside of grading papers or making lesson plans, Orwig likes to do some of her many hobbies. She enjoys any outdoor activity or binge-watching her favorite TV shows in her free time.
Good luck to Orwig as she paves the way for the fifth grade students at Pierce Elementary.
Pierce Elementary Welcomes New Teacher Kristi Werner!
by Lydia Cone
Pierce Public Schools are excited to have the newest member of the Pierce Elementary staff, Kristi Werner.
She teaches kindergarten at the elementary school, has five kids, and lives in Pierce.
Werner grew up in Ponca and taught at Elkhorn Valley for seven years, until becoming a stay-at-home mom for her kids.
“Working with the kids because I love kids and helping them to reach their goals, see their growth, and build relationships with them,” she says her favorite part of teaching.
Werner has a degree in elementary education and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
She has loved Pierce so far because “Everybody’s been very welcoming not just to me but to all of our kids, and that’s helpful because we’re learning all new things.”
Make sure to say hi to Werner around town.
Getting to know Erika Wolken
by Brynn Schwartz
After two years of working with students through substituting in the classrooms and the special education department, Erika Wolken has found that helping students is what she enjoys most.
Wolken began subbing about two years ago. She helped out in the high school and the elementary. She enjoys the opportunity to work with students one-on-one and build relationships with them throughout the school year.
“I feel like it’s a little more rewarding getting to know the kids and being able to work one-on-one with them,” Wolken said.
One of her favorite parts of working with students is seeing their progress. Rather than only focusing on where a student begins, she enjoys looking back at the end of the year and seeing how much they have learned and grown.
“Just seeing how far at the end of the year and how they have developed from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, so I can see how I’ve helped them learn and grow throughout the year” Wolken said.
Outside of school, Wolken enjoys camping with her family, which consists of Brayden, a junior at Pierce High School; Carter, a seventh grader; and Grayson, in fourth grade, and Brent, her husband. She also enjoys going on walks with her dog, Emma.
Wolken is excited to continue making a difference in students' lives. Her passion for helping kids and watching them grow was a calling and something she truly enjoys.
Meet New Staff Member at Pierce Elementary School
by Brynley Koch
One of the new additions to Pierce Elementary School is the staff member Stephen Buettgenbach who has come to work at the elementary this year as a paraeducator.
He is originally from Lincoln and previously worked as a cook for the school last year.
Buettgenbach is the father of two sons, the oldest being Jack, who is a junior at Pierce High, and the youngest, Cory, who is a seventh grader at Pierce High.
“I love spending time with my kids and watching them grow,” Buettgenbach said when asked about his hobbies and interests.
Buettgenbach later said he loved how friendly the students and teachers at Pierce are.
Serving up Smiles: Janelle Gordon
by Jada Brummels
This year, the elementary school is not only welcoming many new faces in the education department, but also one particularly smiling face in the kitchen, Janelle Gordon.
Gordon is working for Pierce Elementary as a cook, although in her past line of work she worked at Cardinal Health as a process inspector. She mentioned that she was drawn to become part of the school system by the sweet children at school and the time she could spend with her family.
Gordon grew up in Madison and attended Northeast Community College, where she earned her associate's degree in art and early childhood education.
She then met her husband, Doug, and they have been married for the past 18 years. Her three children, Korbin (junior), Kohen (freshman), and Kamryn (seventh), also attend Pierce.
“Seeing all the kids come through the line, and having time off with my kids,” Gordon says is what she loves most about Pierce.
And she is not the only one excited about her new career; the children love her too.
When asked their favorite things about Gordon, fourth grader Maddox Hoefling replied, “I like that she follows the rules and wears a hairnet,” and his friend Conner Brummels added that, “She actually gave me a decent amount of orange chicken, and she is nice.”
Everyone, please welcome Gordon to Pierce Schools!
