Boone Community School District

🍎 We are delighted to welcome Sonia Heins to the Boone Community School District! She will serve as a PK-1st STEAM Teacher at Ledges Elementary for the upcoming school year. For the past 24 years, Sonia has taught Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and Preschool at South Hamilton CSD. Residing in rural Boone County with her husband, Sonia has raised two adult sons. In her leisure time, she enjoys sewing, baking, and engaging in a variety of crafts! “I’m excited to teach our youngest learners in a new capacity!” says Sonia. Welcome to the Boone family! 🍏

🍏 Please join us in welcoming Ashley Driscoll to the Boone CSD team! She will serve as a 4 Year-Old Preschool Teacher at Ledges Elementary for the 2023-24 school year. Ashley is a proud graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and student-taught in Denver, Colorado. With 16 years of experience, teaching various grade levels from kindergarten through 3rd grade in the cities of Denver and Aurora, her expertise is a valuable asset to our community. Beyond the classroom, Ashley enjoys skiing, hiking, traveling, and reading. “I'm very excited for the incredible, new building designed for our littlest learners!” says Ashley. “I'm also excited to work in the community where I grew up and had amazing elementary education experiences.” Welcome to Boone, Ashley! 🍎

🍎 We are excited to welcome Alexandria Cunningham to the Boone Community School District! She will serve as a Special Education Associate at Franklin Elementary for the 2023-24 school year. A recent graduate of Boone High School, Alexandria is taking her next steps by pursuing a psychology transfer degree at Des Moines Area Community College. Beyond her academic pursuits, Alexandra has a creative spirit, with a passion for both art and music! “I am excited to create bonds with students and my co-workers!” says Alexandria. Please join us in giving Alexandria a warm Boone welcome! 🍏

🍏 We are thrilled to welcome Marissa Twedt to the Boone CSD family! She will serve as a Special Education Classroom Associate at Boone High School for the 2023-24 school year. Previously, Marissa worked at the Woodward Resource Center and attended Waukee High School. Marissa finds joy in the company of her loving family. With four children aged ten, eight, six, and four, there's never a dull moment! Their shared love for movie nights and gathering around bonfires adds warmth to their family time. “I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know all of the students!” says Marissa. Let's extend a warm Boone family welcome to Marissa as she begins this exciting chapter with us! 🍎

🍎 We’re delighted to welcome Cinthya Crane to her new position in the Boone Community School District! She will serve as a Spanish Teacher at Boone High School for the 2023-24 school year. Cinthya was born and raised in Mexico City and recently earned her certification for teaching Spanish. She graduated from Baptist Bible College in 2014 and has worked as an Associate Assistant for Reading, Special Education, and Edmentum in the Boone CSD for the past year and a half. In her free time, Cinthya serves as a youth leader on Sundays and Wednesdays at Heartland Baptist Church alongside her husband, Pastor Stephen. She is a mother of two growing boys and loves exploring, taking professional portraits, and traveling with her family. “I’m so excited to grow and learn new experiences, get to know my students and staff, and share my Mexican culture with everyone!” says Cinthya. Welcome to the team, Cinthya! 🍏

🍎 Please join us in welcoming Brenda Harmer to her new position in Boone CSD! She will serve as Special Education Reading Teacher at Boone Middle School for the 2023-24 school year. Brenda is a graduate of the University of Iowa and has worked as an associate at Franklin and Lincoln Elementary, as well as BMS, for many years. In her free time, Brenda enjoys spending time with family and friends and cheering on the Hawkeyes! “After 24 years of being an associate in the district, I think I am most excited about being the ‘teacher’ and getting my own classroom!” says Brenda. “I am thankful for this opportunity, along with the support and encouragement I have received. Boone Middle School is an awesome place to work!” Congratulations and welcome, Brenda! 🍏

🍏 We’re excited to welcome Brittany Goebel to the Boone Community School District! She will serve as a Pre-K - 4 Elementary Counselor at Ledges and Franklin Elementary. Brittany graduated from Minnesota State University-Mankato this year with a master’s degree in School Counseling. Brittany is recently engaged, and when she’s not planning for the school year or her wedding, you’ll find her taking walks and runs, reading, shopping, going to community events (especially farmer’s markets) and hiking! “I am most excited to learn more about the kids in the community and work toward bettering our district for the kids!” says Brittany. “I am always striving to be a safe person for students to talk to, and I hope I can be that person for the kids in Boone.” Please join us in giving Brittany a warm Boone welcome! 🍎

Back-to-school conferences will be held August 23-24 for Franklin Elementary students. Sign up for a time slot at https://myschoolsystems.com/boonecsd/fes/conferences.php?where_from=student&language=english.

🍎 We are thrilled to welcome Allyson (Ally) Maki to the Boone CSD family! She will serve as a Special Education Teacher at Ledges Elementary. Ally most recently taught in Livonia, New York before moving back to Boone. Outside of work, Ally enjoys hiking with her husband and their 8-month-old daughter! “I’m really excited to get to teach in the beautiful new building and become part of such a great community here in Boone!” Please join us in giving Ally a warm welcome! 🍏

🍏 We’re delighted to welcome Morgan Thieman to the Boone CSD team! She will serve as an English Teacher at Boone High School for the upcoming school year. Morgan is a recent graduate of Iowa State University. Outside of school, she enjoys spending her time reading, exercising, and playing with her labs: Beau, Nash, and Charlee! “I'm most excited about aligning with the culture and mission of the school and continuing to meet new faces and work with the students!” says Morgan. We’re excited to welcome Morgan to the Boone family! 🍎

🗓️ Mark your calendars! Boone Middle School is hosting two open houses next week. 🏫 Grades 5-6: August 21 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm 🏫 Grades 7-8: August 22 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm We hope to see you there!

🍎 Please join us in welcoming Robyn Carlson to the Boone Community School District! She will serve as a Nurse and Health Occupation Teacher at Boone High School for the 2023-24 school year! Robyn attended the Creighton University School of Nursing and has had a variety of nursing experiences: she served at Madrid Community Schools, worked in Carroll County Public Health, and was a medical-surgical nurse at Boone County Hospital. Outside of work, Robyn enjoys spending time with her four children and attending their sporting events! She also loves reading and spending time outdoors. Fun Fact: Did you know that Robyn resides in a renovated church and has four delightful Nigerian Dwarf Goats named Blizzy, Curdie, Graham Cracker, and Roast Beef? Welcome to the team, Robyn! 🍏

🍏 We are excited to welcome Paula Bekkerus to the Boone CSD family! She will serve as a Freshman and Sophomore English Teacher at Boone High School for the upcoming school year. Paula recently graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in English and Education. She is embarking on her first year as a teacher, after completing practicum experience at Boone and North Polk Schools! In her free time, Paula enjoys writing to pen pals, playing video games, curating Spotify playlists, and spending time with her partner and his cat, Comet. Fun Fact: Did you know that Paula started college as a Journalism major, serving as a copy chief for several years? She met her college friends by staying up until 5AM on election nights. Welcome to Boone, Paula! 🍎

Freshman Orientation is Thursday, August 17! Incoming freshmen will gather at Boone High School from 5:00 to 7:00pm to gear up for their first year of high school. We’re excited to begin this journey with you! 😊

📢 ATTENTION STUDENTS: School starts for grades 5-12 in just one week! We’ll see you back in our classrooms on Wednesday, August 23. Let’s have a fantastic year! PLEASE NOTE: August 23 and 24 will be a 2-hour early release!

🍎 We’re thrilled to welcome Shelby Morrison to the Boone CSD team! She will serve as a Special Education Level I Teacher at Boone High School for the 2023-24 school year. Shelby graduated from Buena Vista University, and she is currently attending Northwestern College for Educational Administration. She most recently taught 9-12 Special Education at Woodward-Granger CSD. Outside of work, Shelby and her husband enjoy traveling and finding hidden gems. They plan to take their two school-aged sons to all 50 states before they graduate! Fun Fact: Did you know that Shelby is a pretty decent pool player? She's been known to clear a table or two! Welcome to the team, Shelby! 🍏

🍏 We are delighted to welcome Sydney McCrea to the Boone Community School District! She will serve as a Guidance Counselor at Franklin Elementary for the 2023-24 school year. Sydney graduated from Drake University this year with a master’s degree in School Counseling. She has worked as a paraprofessional in the Ballard CSD for the past two years while completing her degree. Sydney enjoys spending quality time with her husband and their dogs, as well as relaxing and spending family time at the lake! “I am excited to work in such an amazing district where I can help students to be successful and support them as they learn and grow!” says Sydney. Welcome to the Boone family! 🍎

Did you know? Chronic absenteeism is the number one factor contributing to high school dropout rates. Researchers can predict which students will drop out at an astonishingly early age. Truancy begins early, so we need to catch it early. In observance of National Truancy Prevention Month, Boone CSD calls upon parents, guardians, and family members to help keep children in school, no matter their grade level. Early success leads to future success!

This is a quick reminder that supply lists for PreK-8 students are available for the 2023-24 school year! 🛒🎒✏️ View the supply lists at https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1895/BCSD_Schools/3086185/23-24_School_Supply_List__1_.pdf.

🍎 Please join us in welcoming Michele Jacobson to the Boone CSD family! She will serve as a Music Teacher at Ledges Elementary for the 2023-24 school year. Michele most recently taught in the Carroll Community School District. Michele has three children, with all four main buildings now having a cherished member of her family attending. What an incredible representation of the Boone spirit! “I'm most excited about getting to work with the awesome elementary staff in our new building!” says Michele. Let’s give a warm welcome to Michele! 🍏