PIO Extraordinary Educators-0624

Extraordinary Educators

FEATURING THE FIVE CHOSEN EDUCATORS FROM THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR AND ALL THE NOMINEES

Meet 2023 Extraordinary Educator nominee Brian Balch

By - Kaia Zimmerman, Staff writer

BIG RAPIDS - When he was in high school, Big Rapids High School band director Brian Balch saw the passion his band teacher had for music which inspired him to become a director himself.

“She was an excellent leader,” Balch said. “She was very influential. All the kids loved her. Just seeing her passion, seeing her love for music, it was overall a really positive experience.”

Balch has been an educator with Big Rapids High School for over 10 years where he leads the marching band,

concert band, wind symphony and jazz ensemble. Before his job with Big Rapids, he was a band director at Hastings for two years.

Prior to teaching, Balch studied at Grand Valley State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education. Following that, he received his master’s degree in conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2012.

Balch said his favorite aspect of teaching is seeing when young students start to dive into music and seeing them grow.

“Seeing younger players, when their

light bulb goes off, they just start taking off,” Balch said, “they really pour into practice hours, or they just suddenly become really passionate because they saw some video or heard some performance. I mean, you never know when... something lights their fire. You never know when that’s going to happen, and it’s a really cool moment to see.”

He said he has always wanted to teach at the high school level. He said the band’s tradition and culture have helped his experience in Big Rapids.

Meet 2023 Extraordinary Educator nominee Sarah

By - Cathie Crew, Staff writer

BIG RAPIDS — Sarah Nelson, a 2023 Extraordinary Educator nominee, is a special education teacher at Crossroads Charter Academy in Big Rapids.

Nelson was nominated by parent Joseph Bunker-Cass, whose children have been students of Nelson’s for six years.

“This right here is what teachers are made of,” Bunker-Cass said of Nelson. “Sarah has been with our kids for six years. She has taught them so much more than just academics. I love that my

kids can talk to her about anything. She is what I hope every teacher tries to be. Her goal is to be that one change for one kid — I hope she knows she has been that for our family. My kids just love her. If you want the best special education teacher in the area, move your kids to CCA.”

Nelson has been with CCA for the entire eight years of her teaching experience, starting out teaching middle school science.

“The first time having my own classroom and having middle school — that was a bit scary,” Nelson said. “Now, I don’t

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know that I would want to go back after working with middle schoolers and high schoolers.

“I have my K-5 elementary certification, and then I have endorsements in English and science (and special education). The funny thing is, I have used all of my endorsement areas working with middle school and high school and haven’t used my (K-5) certification at all.”

Meet 2023 Extraordinary Educator nominee Melissa

By - Brendan Sanders, Staff writer

BIG RAPIDS - It can be hard to say goodbye, especially when you have worked with a group of students for five years.

That is what Riverview Elementary teacher Melissa Scheible had to do this year as she completed what is called a loop with her students. She took one class of students in kindergarten and worked as their elementary teacher all the way through fourth grade.

“As a parent, it’s great because you don’t need to learn new expectations from a teacher as far as their form of com-

munication or their routine and that’s the same as students,” Scheible said. “Every year you get a new class, and you spend the first six weeks getting to know each other and learning about school and learning the expectations of the teacher and how the questions are going to run. When you do a loop, you honestly just start right back where you left off.”

Doing this loop, Scheible was able to build a sense of community in her classroom while helping kids develop their social and emotional skills.

“I always told them every day, we’re only as strong as our weakest link, so

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what can we do to help our neighbor, and it just became a community learning experience,” Scheible said. “It was so cool to just watch them push each other and encourage each other along the way. In the end, I do feel like just because of our connections they felt or the safeness that they felt in the classroom.”

Scheible has been an elementary teacher for 11 years after graduating from Ferris State University.

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Nelson

Scheible

Brian Balch

Sarah Nelson

Melissa Scheible

Steven Wood makes his classroom a safe space

By - Dylan Schwartz, Staff writer

GREENVILLE

— Steven

Wood, a dedicated and passionate third-grade teacher at Lincoln Heights, has spent the past 12 years shaping the lives of his students.

Wood emphasizes his commitment to building strong relationships and creating a safe and nurturing classroom environment. Wood makes extra efforts to ensure his students feel valued, comfortable and ready to learn.

Wood empowers his students to grow academically and emotionally through his morning meetings, personalized rewards system, and empathetic approach.

“My philosophy has always been to try my best right away to find a relationship with the student and find some common

ground because until you build that relationship they’re not going to feel comfortable and they’re not going to learn,” he said.

By discovering shared interests or experiences, Wood breaks down barriers and paves the way for open communication and collaboration.

“That’s the first and foremost thing I’m trying to do from the beginning of the year and continue to foster that,” he said.

Lincoln Heights has a tradition of morning meetings, which are student and teacher check-ins.

“That’s really helped to foster the classroom culture to start us off on the right foot every day. We build on that, and I pride myself on being very observant,” he said.

Wood takes mental notes of things he wants to talk to students about later during these meetings, whether it’s a sports game, practice or other extracurricular activity.

He recently got married, so he couldn’t attend as many of his students’ activities as he would like, but he still made the effort to see his students outside the classroom environment.

“I ask their parents for that schedule so I can try to make them. This year was tough with the wedding planning but I did make a few games,” he said.

Colleagues and administrators describe Wood as a calm, empathetic, joyful and caring teacher.

Huntey’s Clubhouse’s Casey Yerger named Extraordinary Educator

By - Olivia Fellows, Staff writer

REED CITY — Early education teacher Casey Yerger with Huntey’s Clubhouse of Reed City has dedicated her career to helping children grow up strong and with a good start in school.

Yerger was recently nominated as an extraordinary educator for the Pioneer by fellow Huntey’s Clubhouse teacher Rebecca Bunker.

Huntey’s Clubhouse of Reed City is at 4150 225th Ave. in Reed City.

A graduate of Michigan State University originally with a hospitality business degree, Yerger initially didn’t look to early childhood education as a career choice.

“I ended up moving to be closer by parents because I had my own son who

is now 2 1/2 and was looking to get back into work after having him,” Yerger said. “I’ve always loved children, I always wanted to have my own kids. I’ve always connected with kids, especially like certain ones they just hit that spot. I’ve just kind of grown to love it, and I’m still here. I’m not sure if I’ll leave now that I’m here, surprisingly, but it’s a good surprise.

“My son was a big inspiration for my choosing education,” she said. “With him growing up fast, being in education worked well with needing time with him. I also want to be able to help him grow in school.”

Yerger got into early childhood education initially through a family friend who ran a day care business in Reed City in 2021, before later leaving to work for Huntey’s Clubhouse.

Working with her students on behavioral regulation and patience is a big focus for Yerger, especially when working with preschool-age children about to enter the formative educational years.

Yerger said highlighting appropriate communication is key for her.

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“They’re still learning to communicate, even in the room I’m in now, I’m with 3 year old’s,” Yerger said. “Even though they have a lot more words, they might not always know exactly how to communicate what they’re doing, whether it’s something that they’re doing physically or something like that. I’ve definitely tried to be big on patience. I really try and emphasize with them how to better communicate, like using their words and things like that. I’m just trying to have fun with them in the process, too.”

Casey Yerger

Steven Wood

Sarah Nelso n

Crossro a ds Charte r Aca demy

This r ig ht he re is w hat teache rs are ma de of! Sarah has been w ith o ur ki ds for 6 years. She has taug ht them so much more than ju st aca demics. I lo ve that my ki ds can talk to he r abo ut anything She is w hat I ho pe eve r y teache r tr ie s to be. He r g oal is to be that change for o ne ki d. Well, I ho pe she kn o ws that she been that for o ur family. My ki ds ju st lo ve he r. If yo u want the be st special e ducatio n teache r in the area mo ve yo ur ki ds to CCA.

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Brian Balch

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(Big Rapids has) a very strong tradition,” Balch said. “Kids take it, for the most part, pretty seriously. ... The culture of the top band has always been consistently good.”

His favorite concerts during his time at Big Rapids was the 2015 State Festival and the 2016 Michigan Music Conference performance.

“I looked right at the kids and I said, ‘you guys had a lot of fun playing this’

and they’re like, ‘Oh, yeah’ ” Balch said about the 2015 state festival. “And that was the concert that I submitted to get us into the state music conference. That that two-year run and the following school year, those are probably my favorite years teaching here.”

Br i dg et Gutte r sohn

Crossro a ds Charte r Aca demy

She g oe s abo ve an d beyo n d to help the ch ildren in he r class an d the scho ol. A tr ue m ento r.

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To nya is a ve r y de dicate d teache r he r stu dents lo ve he r an d we appre ciate eve r yth in g she doe s fo r them. She take s tim e w ith each o n e of he r stu dents even w hen they ’ re n o lo n g e r in he r class. My g ran dso n like s to dr ive by he r afte r

y y scho ol to say Hi.

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Sarah Nelson

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Nelson said she always had a desire to teach or to help others in some way, and after high school pursued her teaching certification at Lake Superior State University. After substitute teaching for a while, she worked at Eagle Village, where she found her passion for working with children with special needs.

“Working at the facility got me thinking about going back to school for my special education endorsement,” she said. “I was doing substitute teaching, trying to find a place where I would fit, and I came here (CCA) just to get on their sub list. After all of that, I ended up at CCA.”

Nelson said some days working with special needs students can be hard because it is difficult not to feel discouraged when they become discouraged, but on the flip side, when she gets to see them grow and when they have successes, it is very rewarding.

“I have some of my juniors and seniors that I have had since seventh grade, so I have gotten to see that growth, and

obviously I have grown to care about them and about their success,” Nelson said. “They sometimes jokingly call me their school mom because I am very passionate about them. I try to make sure they are getting what they need in the classroom. It is my job when they are here to fight for what they need.”

Nelson said she was not surprised to learn that Bunker-Cass nominated her for the 2023 Extraordinary Educator because she has worked with one of his sons, who will be a senior next year, since he was in sixth grade.

“I am so proud of what he (the student) has been able to do,” Nelson said. “He has made amazing growth. It is an honor to know that I have had that impact, not only on the kids, but also on the families.”

Br ian Balch

Big Rapi ds Hig h Scho ol d are ratefu l.

Mr. Balch has built an amazing ban d prog ram at Big Rapi ds Hig h Scho ol w ith a tra ditio n of excellence. He holds hig h expectatio ns fro m his ban d stu dents w hile pro vi ding the support they nee d to be succe ssfu l He puts in more tim e than any e ducator I kn o w w ith ban d camp, co nce rts, special events an d more. He has been an amazing m entor to my so n an d we are ve r y g ratefu l

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ol tho o mpl

Tiffany is a ve r y de dicate d an d is a fu lly inve ste d Spe cial Nee ds teache r w ith he r stu dents, w h ich allo ws he r to be challen g e d an d rewarde d! She welco m e s that eve r y day w itho ut co mplaint.

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Marcy Ham mo n d

GT No r man Elem entar y

Marcy teache s SEL to o ur stu dents. She teache s them to re spect themselve s, each othe r, an d the wor ld. She teache s them ho w to appro pr iately deal w ith emotio ns. She helps them lear n co ping m echan isms for stre ss. She mo dels re spect, lo ve, an d fr ien dship She g oe s abo ve an d beyo n d for o ur stu dents. We are so ble sse d to have he r.

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Tiffany Rehko pf Big Rapi ds Mi d dle Scho

Be ckie Bu nke r -Ca ss

Hu ntey ’ s Clubho u se

Ms. Be ckie is the be st! My ch ild has ha d he r fo r almost 2 year s n o w, an d we lo ve he r. I lo ve hear in g all the fu n th in g s they are do in g in pre scho ol. She take s the tim e to g et o n their level an d teach them. She is so kin d.

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Ca sey Ye rg e r

Hu ntey ’ s Clubho u se

Casey lo ve s he r 3 year s like they are he r o w n. She helps them g ro w daily.

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Jean Robinso n

Rive r view Elem entar y part of Camp Robinso n!

Mr s. Robinso n is hea d an d sho u lde r s abo ve most teache r s! She see s each stu dent in divi dually. She “m eets them w he re they are ” to ach ieve all they are capable of ach ievin g. She g ive s 150%eve r yday. All he r stu dents are ble sse d to be

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Traci Fox

Rive r view Elem entar y

Traci has an ene rgetic pe rso nality that sho ws in he r eve r y day teaching that the ki ds lo ve. He r ability to make lear n ing fun an d un ique to each child w ho walks in he r classro o m allo ws for such an exciting lear n ing day & even more enjo yable classro o m enviro nm ent. He r ability to build a co m mun ity w ithin he r classro o m is paramo unt. He r devotio n to teaching an d he r hard work has n ot g o ne unseen.

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Melissa Scheible

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“I just knew from high school on that I wanted to have a career that was impactful,” Scheible said. “At one point, I thought maybe that was going to be social work. But when I went to Ferris, I was kind of drawn to the education program. And so that was that was how I ended up here. I spent some time in high school, kind of peer mentoring as a senior. I mentored some freshman classes, and I really enjoyed working with other people.”

Raising two kids of her own in the area, she has been

able to watch her kids grow in the community while also helping her students do the same.

“I feel like I’ve always learned something new from every student I meet. I’m also raising a family so it’s pretty cool to connect with the families of my students on that level too,” Scheible said. “So even outside of school, seeing families at public events or public places, I think it just makes teaching in a small town pretty fun.”

T hank You Teachers

Now, Scheible will be working as a third-grade teacher for the 2023-24 school year, hoping to have two years to teach this next class of students.

“It’s been so awesome just to be able to connect with kids in a personal way, like getting to know families and their siblings and their history and just how culturally and how diverse families are in this area or Mecosta County is,” Scheible said.

A HUGE THANK YOUR TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED FOR THE FOLLOWING TEACHERS! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO FORW CONTINUING THE PROGRAM FOR FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR!

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Steven Wood

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“I never raise my voice, that helps with the kids’ comfort level, they can tell that I’m there for them, they can just feel that love and they feel safe,” he said.

Over 12 years of teaching, Wood has noticed more kids carry trauma into the classroom and he recognizes his important role in their lives.

“They just really need that safe adult in their life, especially as a male down in these lower elementary grades. I don’t take that lightly. I take that seriously,” he said.

Wood said some students were sad to leave his classroom once summer break rolled around.

“It’s really fun to see the transformation in them when they start to trust me, to see them open up and come out of their shell. It’s one of my favorite things for sure,” he said. “It just frees them up to be able to focus on their academics when they feel safe.”

ds Bro oksi de it.

Kelly Hall-Sm ith

Bro oksi de Elem entar y

Mr s. Hall-Sm ith (right) see s the p otential in all he r stu dents an d helps them sh in e. Thanks fo r all that yo u do fo r o u r 1st g ra de r s.

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Melissa McCallu m

St Mar y Catholic Scho ol su ppo rt each othe r!

She is kin d, patient an d de dicate d to he r class. She g oe s o ut of he r way to help each stu dent lear n in the way that be st suits them an d enco u rag e s all stu dents to tr y n ew th in g s, ach ieve their potential an d

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Je remy Crosby

Ch ippewa Hills Scho ol Distr ict g.

He helps peo ple w ith Geo m etr y, He care s abo ut h is stu dent’s m ental an d physical health an d helps them thro ug h anyth in g that is blo ckin g the stu dent fro m lear n in g

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Steven Wo o d

Lincoln Heig hts Elem entar y ss hig hlig ht of my so n ’ s day!

Mr Wo o d is an amazing teache r My so n always ha d anxiety abo ut g o ing to scho ol an d this year we have ha d n o issue s.

Mr. Wo o d g ive s the ki ds o pportunitie s to do diffe rent thing s. He also spen ds his o w n tim e w illing to support the ki ds in their sports like w hen he atten de d o ne of my so n ’ s gam e s. On my so n ’ s birthday Mr. Wo o ds offe re d the o pportunity to let my so n cho ose so m ething special, an d he chose to g o play fo otball at rece ss w ith Mr Wo o ds That was the

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Kelsey Lytle Bar r yto n Elem entar y

Casey Yerger

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Watching her students grow, change to adapt to situations and find what they love is a highlight of the work she does, according to Yerger.

Yerger is currently working toward her child development associate degree and hopes to be able to engage in more work with families in the community.

p inspir g t

Kelsey is a wo n de rfu l inspiratio nal teache r w ho g ive s 100% to each stu dent. She is always ene rgetic, organ ize d an d o utg o ing w ith he r teaching. The ki ds all lo ve he r, cur rent an d for m e r stu dents! Kelsey is an asset to Bar r yto n Elem entar y an d they are lucky to have such a positive an d inspir ing teache r.

Melissa Scheible

Rive r view Elem entar y BRPS

Mrs Scheible is a de dicate d, phen o m enal elem entar y scho ol teache r w ho thinks o utsi de the box to make sure all he r ki d dos are lear ning. She n ot o nly lo oks o ut for their e ducatio n, she helps shape their social an d emotio nal skills. All of my children we re fortunate en o ug h to have he r as a teache r an d I co u ldn’t be happie r We nee d to support an d n urture the se teache rs We cann ot afford to n ot have them shaping the min ds of o ur future! Thank yo u so much, Mrs Scheible!

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Having spent two years at Huntey’s Clubhouse in Reed City already, Yerger said seeing the generations of children from families she works with come through the doors has been a fun aspect of the career.

Yerger said being a positive influence for her students is vital.

“I think if you start with kids young and being able to voice even their simple opinions then I think that they’re going to be more comfortable speaking about the difficult things later in life,” Yerger said. “With those skills if they’re in any kind of difficult situation later, then they have the tools to maybe help themselves a little bit better than if they didn’t have them.”

“Huntey’s is a place that’s really got a lot of growth potential and has grown a lot, even in the last year that I’ve been with them,” Yerger said. “With getting my CDA, I am hoping to be able to reach not only just kids, but reach more families.”

When she’s not at work, Yerger said she regularly enjoys spending her time with her son, horse, and going bowling with family and friends.

Crossro a ds Charte r Aca demy MS/HS

Pau lette is an amazin g

e ducato r w ho g ive s 110% all the tim e an d

n eve r take s the spotlig ht.

She is an incre dible teache r an d co ach!

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Pau lette Warczinsky

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Extraordinary Educator

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination for the 2022-23 School Year! We look forward to continuing this program for the 2023-24 school year. Look for the nominations to start in the fall!

Em ily We st man

Bro oksi de Elem entar y

Em ily has always g o n e abo ve an d beyo n d fo r he r stu dents. She is incre dibly creative an d co mpassio nate. She’s invaluable to BRPS an d we are lucky as parents, that o u r ch ildren have an o ppo rtu n ity to lear n fro m he r.

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Vale r ie Ho pkins

Evart Elem entar y Scho oll entor.

Vale r ie has been a lo ving devote d teache r for o ve r 15 years. Vale r ie can be seen dur ing the week an d o n weeken ds chee r ing o n he r cur rent an d past stu dents in all sporting events. Vale r ie always has a smile o n he r face, positive words to say, he r do or is always o pen, an d an o utstan ding m entor

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Ch ipp ewa Hills

Mr s Tice is an amazin g teache r. She g oe s abo ve an d beyo n d an d always take s the o pp o rtu n ity to make Lear n in g fu n.

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Tiffany Tice

Big

Lauren de se r ve s recogn itio n for the lo ve an d effort she puts into he r work. She is patient, kin d, an d car ing to all he r stu dents. She teache s them in creative ways that br ing them o ut of the text bo ok an d co mpute rs (lots of fun activitie s for the ki ds!). She g oe s abo ve an d beyo n d to make sure he r ki ds are getting the support they nee d o n eve r ything fro m emotio nal support to e ducatio nal support.