Marshall County schools kicked off last week. And this fall, there are a few new faces around both the Britton-Hecla and Langford Area Districts.
Three new certified teachers were welcomed into the districts, including two graduates from the teacher apprenticeship program that the Journal has previously covered. New LA teachers include Denise Allen and Kelly Lynn Knebel while Ann Stiegelmeier gets her first certified teacher start in Britton-Hecla. The teachers answered a few questions to help the community get to know them.
LANGFORD AREA
Denise Allen
Denise Allen is returning to Langford Area this fall, where she will teach kindergarten through third grade at Newport Colony.
Allen is originally from Wausau, Wisconsin, but graduated from Sturgis High School. She first earned an associate degree in travel industry management from Black Hills State University and spent 16 years working for United Airlines before returning to school to pursue elementary education. She graduated from Northern State University in 2009.
Allen began her teaching career at Langford Area, teaching fifth grade for one year before spending 13 years as a first-grade teacher. She later taught third and first grade in Watertown before teaching in the Rapid City School District last year.
After moving back to Sturgis, Allen said she was happy to return to Langford Area.
“I have missed teaching in a smaller district and I’m happy to be back in the Langford Area,” she said.
Allen’s son, Noah, is a Langford Area graduate and lives and works in Watertown. She said returning to this side of the state also allows her to be closer to him.
Kelly Lynn Knebel
Kelly Lynn Knebel, a Britton native, is joining the Langford Area staff as the district’s third-grade teacher.
Knebel graduated from Dakota State University in Madison with bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education. She was part of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway program and was one of the first area graduates of the program.
Knebel has been involved in education in some capacity for more than 15 years. She began in 2010 as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional at Tiospa Zina Tribal School. She later worked as a paraprofessional and computer instructor/technology coordinator at St. Mary School in Salem before returning to Marshall County in 2015.
Since returning to the area, Knebel has worked at Langford Area as a paraprofessional and middle school computer instructor. Her husband, Basil, is also a teacher at Langford Area.
As a third-grade teacher, Knebel said one of her primary goals is helping students transition from learning to read to reading to learn.
“My primary goal is to provide a quality education to all the students I am entrusted,” Knebel said. “I want to make sure all my students learn at the highest level possible, and that I am able to successfully include all students, whether they are a struggling, on-level, or advanced learner.”
Knebel and her husband have four children who attend Langford Area. Madelynn is a sophomore, Dominic is in seventh grade, Hannah is in sixth grade and Elizabeth is a third grader in her mother’s classroom.
Knebel said her favorite thing is being a wife and mother and cheering on her family at their activities. She also enjoys playing piano, crafting and doing puzzles.
BRITTON-HECLA
Ann Stiegelmeier
For Mabel “Ann” Stiegelmeier, becoming a teacher at Britton-Hecla is the result of two years of hard work and plenty of support from her family.
A Britton native, Stiegelmeier is joining the Britton-Hecla staff this fall as a middle school teacher. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Dakota State University through the Dept. of Ed’s Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway program and previously worked as a paraprofessional at Britton-Hecla.
Stiegelmeier said her goal as a teacher is simple.
“My goal is to just be me,” she said. “And this will allow me to be able to pass along my knowledge and wisdom to the next generation through the classes I teach.”
Stiegelmeier said her husband, Kevin, and their three children have been a major part of her journey toward becoming a teacher. Her oldest daughter, Allison, 30, and her husband, Nathan, have two daughters. Her son, Karsten, 28, and his wife, Hailey, have a son. Her youngest daughter, 11-year-old Izabella, is still at home.
She said her family helped in countless ways, from grandchildren helping with school projects and assessments to her older children and their spouses stepping in when Kevin was away with the National Guard. Family members also helped set up her classroom before her second surgery this summer.
“My family is amazing and I wouldn’t trade them for the world,” she said. “I can’t thank my husband and Izzy for putting me and my goals first in the last two years and helping me make them a reality.”
After two years of college, Stiegelmeier said she hasn’t had much time for hobbies, although she hopes to eventually get back to reading for pleasure. For now, she is focused on learning a new curriculum and making it through her first year as a teacher.
