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| New teachers at RLB schools |
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Beginning her first year of teaching is Brittany Hassing. | |
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Brittany Hassing
Beginning her first year of teaching is Brittany Hassing. “I taught preschool at a day care in Mankato,” she said of her years in college at Minnesota State University, Mankato. “I absolutely loved it and am so excited to start again.”
Hassing will have the second preschool class at Round Lake-Brewster. With thirty students enrolled, the need for a second class was required. “It is every day, full days,” she said of the position, and as of now, she expects ten students.
Dawn Haberman will also be teaching preschool, and with the assistance of a paraprofessional, will have 20 students in her classroom. “They want to keep the student-teacher ratio small, to help the kids as much as possible,” Hassing explained.
If five or more additional students register for preschool, a para position may be added to Hassing’s classroom to keep the student-teacher ratio low.
After graduating in December with a degree in elementary education and specialty in pre-primary education, Hassing did some substitute teaching last spring. “I’m so excited to have my own classroom,” she added. She has been busy recently, preparing bulletin boards and getting everything ready for preschool, which begins after Labor Day.
“I’ve always loved helping kids explore,” she said of working with pre-primary students. “They soak in everything you say, and they are so excited to show you what they know.”
Preparing for school to being, stenciling and choreographing gymnastics floor exercise routines keeps her busy. “I was the head coach at Mankato East for four years,” Hassing said of her involvement with gymnastics. Floor exercise was her specialty, and she will be working with the club teams and younger aged students in Jackson.
Hassing indicated that it was hard to give up her coaching position at Mankato East, but said “this is what I want to do -- teach.”
Gary Hildebrandt
“I started a week ago,” Gary Hildebrandt explained. He will be teaching third and sixth grade math and sixth grade reading at RLB elementary.
“I will also be the District Assessment Coordinator,” he added. This position deals with the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, and Hildebrandt will be making sure everything is done for the MCA tests. “That will be an exciting new challenge for me,” he added. In his career, he hasn’t worked with the MCA tests, as they were given to different grades than he was teaching.
In his previous teaching experience, Hildebrandt taught third, fourth and sixth grade students at Jackson for 19 years. He was Dean of Students at Mountain Lake Public School for eight years and spent the last four years at Mountain Lake Christian School as elementary teacher, Athletic Director, cross country and track coach.
Hildebrandt is “looking forward to meeting the kids and the parents, and getting to know the families.”
He has already started exploring the school and the community, and pointed out the pride and enthusiasm he could see in both places. “It shows, in what they do in this building and the town.”
His grandfather emigrated to Brewster many years ago, and Hildebrandt is anxious to try to track down some history as well. “He would travel to Mountain Lake in a horse and buggy, when he was courting my grandmother,” he added.
The on-site fitness center at the Brewster school is an added perk for Hildebrandt. “I’ve always played sports and love to watch sports,” he said. He enjoys running and lifting weights and has already been taking advantage of the fitness center.
“I’ve been coaching for about 25 years,” he said. He created the track and cross country programs at Mountain Lake Christian. This year, MLC will be combining sports with Mountain Lake Public Schools.
“It’s an exciting new experience,” Hildebrandt said of coming to RLB Elementary. “It’ll be great to be involved with full time teaching at a public school and hopefully involved with athletics.”
There is the possibility of helping to build a track team. Last year, Southwestern United had a junior high track team, and a varsity team may be formed in the spring.
Teaching seems to be in the Hildebrandt family. His wife, Karen, is also a teacher. She teaches high school English in Slayton, and coaches the speech team.
The couple have four children, three of whom have graduated from high school.
Heidi had taught at Heron Lake last year, and will be teaching in the Twin Cities area this fall. She recently got married.
For the remainder of the story, please see our print edition or check out our electronic edition website at http://eedition.tricountynewsmn.net. Call 507-793-2327 or email tcnews@roundlk.net for more information. |
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