Petersburg School District is welcoming several new teachers this year. As the first day of school approaches, Tuesday, Aug. 31, KFSK is airing a series to get to know them.
Sam Marifern will be the new swim instructor for the grade school. Well, kind of new. She was a temporary hire for part of last year. She was born and raised in Petersburg. (She’s the daughter of Bruce and Barb Marifern). This year, she’ll still be teaching K-5 swim as well as health to the freshman class.
She told KFSK’s Angela Denning that she’s excited to teach Freshman Health because she went to school to be a high school health teacher.
Sam Marifern will be teaching swim to all elementary students and health to the freshman class.
This interview is part of a KFSK series looking at the Petersburg School District’s new teachers this year. You can find all of the other interviews below.
Laura Allison is a new first grade teacher but she did not want to be interviewed.
Annica Tufele will be a new special education teacher for kindergarten through second grade at Stedman Elementary School. She’s originally from American Samoa but she’s not new to the school district. For the last seven years she’s been a paraprofessional at the grade school.
She told KFSK’s Angela Denning that as a para, she worked with special education students, something she’s passionate about.
Hannah Smith will be the new science teacher for 7th and 8th grade. It will be her first year at the school district but she grew up in Petersburg (she’s the daughter of Jeff and Marilyn Meucci). She’s moved back to Petersburg to be closer to family and because there was an opening in the subject she teaches.
She spoke with KFSK’s Angela Denning.
Debby Eddy will be a new first grade teacher at Stedman Elementary School, however, she’s not new to the school district. She’s been involved there for about a decade. She helped coach middle and high school track and then high school cross country. The last three years she’s worked as a paraprofessional at the grade school. Her husband, Jamie Eddy, is a fourth grade teacher. After raising their children, Debby finished her own teaching degree.
She told KFSK’s Angela Denning that she wanted to be a teacher because she loves working with kids. She also had good experiences with teachers in her life.
Ethan Bryner will be the new second grade teacher at the Stedman Elementary School. He was born and raised in Petersburg (he’s the son of Matt and Jennifer Bryner) and he finished up his teaching degree at Boise State in Idaho last winter. Through the spring he was a substitute teacher at the local school district.
He told KFSK’s Angela Denning that he decided to go into teaching for many reasons. Mainly, he liked working with kids through activities like Parks and Rec basketball and little league. He says subbing at the district this spring made him realize that teaching was the right career for him.
Dustin Crump will be a new Spanish teacher at the high school. He’ll also be teaching middle school science and high school P.E. as well.
Crump isn’t completely new to the school district. He was a teacher’s aide here in 2013 for a year. (He’s married to Taylor Curtiss, Nancy and Craig Curtiss’ daughter.)
After that year of being an aide he earned his teaching degree in North Carolina where he’s from and he’s been teaching for the last six years. Now, he’s earning his Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology, which uses devices like computers and cell phones to help students engage in their studies. He told KFSK’s Angela Denning that he’ll be using that in all of his classes.
School in Petersburg starts August 31.
