Kalkaska schools welcomes new staff

KALKASKA — Students met a variety of new staff when they walked through the doors of a Kalkaska public school for the day of school earlier this week. 

"We are very excited to welcome three new teachers to Birch Street Elementary," said Superintendent Rick Heitmeyer. "Samantha Wagner is a Great Start Readiness Program teacher with 10 years of teaching experience who graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Education and received her Master’s Degree in the Arts of Teaching with a focus on reading and literacy from Marygrove College. Brittany Amaya, with three years of experience, is our new third grade teacher.  Brittany graduated with a Major in Elementary Education and a Minor in Math and Language Arts from the University of Michigan. Our new art teacher, Katie Zemsta, who has 16 years of experience, will be teaching our Art classes. Katie graduated from Kendall College of Art & Design at Ferris State University, where she also received her Masters of Art in Education Programs."

Cherry Street Intermediate School also saw a few changes this summer, Heitmeyer said. "In fifth grade, we added Rebecca Stewart, who joins us from Traverse City Area Public Schools where she taught English, publishing, and consumer science for over a decade, Carly Molenkamp, who also comes to us from TCAPS after working a couple years at Oak Park School, and Kim Biehl, who comes to us from Birch Street Elementary, and rounds out our changes to fifth grade with more than 20 years of teaching experience. 

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