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Mrs. Baga – Fourth Grade
Mrs. Baga has been a teacher in the Brunswick City Schools for 29 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame College and her Master in Education from Marygrove College. Mrs. Baga is Hickory Ridge’s Teacher of the Year for 2008-09. This is the second time she has been honored as Teacher of the Year. In August, Mrs. Baga partnered with United Way and Help Me Grow organizations to improve our playground. She and numerous volunteers painted recess games, installed inspirational signs and added a butterfly garden to make the playground more functional and attractive. She was awarded the distinction of Martha Holden Jennings scholar in 2005. Mrs. Baga co-chairs the Healthy Hound Dog Club at Hickory Ridge and continues to make it a club students race to join. In her free time she participates in a book club, enjoys walking and spends time with her family: husband Lou and daughters Kimberly and Stephanie.
“I enjoy the challenges each new school year brings as I nurture and motivate the students to be confident learners,” said Mrs. Baga.
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Mrs. Bator – 3-Hour Monitor
Mrs. Bator is a graduate of Brunswick High School – Class of ’80. She is married to Dave. They have 2 boys, Michael and Tyler, who attended Hickory Ridge and are BHS graduates. Mrs. Bator enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves watching the Browns and Nascar. She enjoys going to casino’s, especially Las Vegas! She enjoys going to Pennsylvania to ridge ATV’s, 4-wheelers and spending time with her family. |
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Mr. Beard – Site Manager
Mr. Beard retired from the military in January 1998. He started working for the Brunswick School System in December 1998. He came to work at Hickory Ridge in November 2002. His wife’s name is Betty. They have two sons, Eric and Adam. Eric is a Senior at Akron University and Adam is a Sophomore at Akron University also. He enjoys working here at Hickory Ridge.
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Mrs. Belan – Cafeteria Cashier
Mrs. Belan has worked for Brunswick Schools for 18 years. She has been married to Bill for 34 years and they have three children, Kelly (31), Kurt (30), and Kristy (27). Her youngest daughter Kristy, was married on 7-7-07 to Dan Nahrstedt and Mrs. Belan now has a wonderful 12 year old grandson Kyle who attends Visintainer. She enjoys reading, gardening, craft shows, bus trips and going to lunch with retired ladies. The newest addition to the family is Connor Timothy born July 18, 2008 to our daughter Kristy and husband Dan. He weighed 9 pounds and was 20 ½ inches long. What a joy he has brought to our family. My husband Bill retired from General Motors after 40 years of services – loves every minute of retirement – I love having him home – he loves to cook!!!
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Mrs. Britt – Librarian
Mrs. Britt is beginning her second year at Hickory Ridge Elementary as our Librarian. Mrs. Britt has been married to her husband Chad for 12 years, and they have two beautiful children, Madison (11) and Caleb (8). In her spare time she loves taking walks with her dog Rosco, sitting outside reading a good book, and spending time with her family and friends.
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Mrs. Cancilliere – Third Grade
Mrs. Cancilliere is very excited to be starting her 12th year as a teacher at Hickory Ridge Elementary School. This will be her 5th year teaching 3rd grade. Reading and Social Studies are the subjects she will teach. She is also a member of the Brunswick Staff Development Committee and enjoys planning and teaching classes for other teachers. Mrs. Cancilliere lives in Brunswick with her husband Tom and 2 boys Michael (15) and Anthony (12). They all keep her busy with school activities and sports. Both boys play football, basketball and baseball. You will find her cheering them on at all their games. Her hobbies include reading, going out to dinner and visiting Las Vegas with her husband and friends. She has a Master’s Degree in Literacy from Kent State and truly enjoys working with children! Her goal is success for all the children she works with! She is excited to have all 3rd grade families as a part of her team! Let’s have a great year!
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Mrs. Carlisle – Special Education – Intermediate
Mrs. Carlisle is beginning her 29th year of teaching. Her first year teaching was at Marietta, Ohio and 24 years teaching at Edwards Middle School. She graduated from Brunswick in 1974. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Special Education and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Akron. She has one son, Jim, who is 24 years old. She lives in Medina with her three Lashons named Petey, Maggie, Carmen and a Chi-Poo named Lucy. In her spare time she likes to relax with a good book and she also enjoys spending time in her vegetable garden and flower garden.
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Mrs. Chimenti – Second Grade
Mrs. Chimenti is in her tenth year of teaching at Hickory Ridge. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from John Carroll University and a Master’s Degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. In her free time she loves to watch movies and read mystery novels. She belongs to a book club and loves to try new places to eat. She is married to her husband Steve of four years! They reside in Medina.
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Mrs. Collis – Fifth Grade
Mrs. Collis is very happy to be teaching at Hickory Ridge. She enjoys teaching social studies and reading because they are always her favorite subjects as a student. Mrs. Collis and her husband Trevor have two energetic children. Their son Daniel is in fourth grade at Towslee and he likes to play basketball and watch NASCAR. Their daughter Hannah is in first grade at Towslee and she loves to sing and dance. Mrs. Collis enjoys spending time with her family, reading and collecting anything with the Peanuts on it.
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Mrs. Deneke – Speech Pathologist
Mrs. Deneke grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but has been living in Ohio for seven years. This is her seventh year working as a speech therapist and her fifth year at Hickory Ridge. Mrs. Deneke also works with students with multiple handicaps at Brunswick High School. Mrs. Deneke attended Wake Forest University, but graduated with a bachelor and Master degree from Duquesne University. She enjoys reading, exercising, stamping, and spending time with family and friends. She loves to go to the movies and travel. Mrs. Deneke and her new husband live in West Akron with their Australian Shepherd, Ellie. |
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Mrs. de Wever – Art
Mrs. de Wever has been teaching art at Hickory Ridge for seven years. Before coming to Hickory Ridge, Mrs. de Wever was an Interior Designer for 4 years. She also taught children’s drawing and painting classes at the Massillon Museum of Art. Mrs. de Wever received her Master’s degree in Art Education in 2002 from the University of Akron. She and her husband enjoy working on their Tudor home as well as spending time with their son, Cayden.
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Ms. Gerchak – Educational Aide
Mrs. Gerchak has worked for the Brunswick City School for 23 years. She has two daughters (Traci and Karri), a son (Wayne), and two granddaughters (Cameryn and Kendyl). She enjoys spending time with her family.
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Miss. Hamulak – First Grade
Miss Hamulak is very excited about her first year at Hickory Ridge! She is a 2007 graduate of the University of Akron and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She lives in North Royalton and enjoys reading, photography, and enjoying the outdoors. |
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Mrs. Hovanec – School SecretaryMrs. Hovanec is now in her fourth year at Hickory Ridge. She is married to Dave and the mother of three boys, Jacob (10), Jonathan (8) and Joshua (5). She treasures the time she spends with her family, enjoys gardening, cheering her boys on at baseball games, cooking and crafts - especially scrapbooking on Friday’s with her neighbors!
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Mrs. Kirkland – Fourth Grade
Mrs. Kirkland received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. She just completed the course work for her principal’s certificate. This is Mrs. Kirkland’s eighth year at Hickory Ridge. In the prior years she taught intervention for grades 3-6, third grade for one year and this will be Mrs. Kirkland’s sixth year in fourth grade. She is originally from Ashtabula, Ohio where her family resides now. She and her husband have two beautiful daughters, a three year old and a newborn. Mrs. Kirkland and her husband enjoy raising their two labrador retriever dogs, Blade and Gretzky. In Mrs. Kirkland’s free time she enjoys doing her favorite hobby scrapbooking.
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Mrs. Koval – First Grade
This is Mrs. Koval’s eighth year in Brunswick. She graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and an Associate Degree in American Sign Language Interpreting and Transliterating. She also completed her Master’s Degree in Literacy Development. Mrs. Koval serves as a co-yearbook advisor and the Just Say No Club advisor. She and her husband have been married for eight years and have three wonderful children. They are the proud owner of a Chocolate Lab. Her family enjoys outdoor sports, boating, camping and spending time together. Mrs. Koval loves to scrapbook and stamp in her free time.
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Mrs. Laird – Kindergarten
Mrs. Laird is enjoying her sixth year here at Hickory Ridge. She is a Brunswick High School graduate of 1999. She has her undergraduate and graduate degree from Cleveland State University. Her masters degree is in the area of curriculum and instruction. Mr. and Mrs. Laird have one son named Connor who is 15 months old and running around everywhere. In her spare time Mrs. Laird loves to watch football, play with her dog Molly, and read. She is excited about her class of students this year. “Shoot for the moon-even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
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Mrs. Lalos – Counselor
Mrs. Lalos is beginning her 9th year as counselor for the Brunswick City Schools. She is also the school counselor at Towslee Elementary. She spends 2 ½ days a week at each school. Mrs. Lalos enjoys reading, walking, and traveling. She lives in Copley with her husband George and two daughters Alexa, 8 and Mackenzie, 5 ½.
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Mr. Lemmer – Physical Education
Mr. Lemmer is beginning his first year at Hickory Ridge as the Physical Education Teacher. He graduated from Cleveland State University in 2007. Mr. Lemmer is extremely excited to be a part of the Brunswick City School District. He currently has a pug named Maggie and over the winter he will be adding another pug to his pug family by getting a black pug named Bruti (like Brutus the Buckeye). He is a big fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cleveland Browns. O-H… |
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Mrs. Long –
Cafeteria Manager
Mrs. Long has been working in the school district for 14 years. She has been married to Bob for 27 wonderful years and they have two great children. Their daughter, Amy and son, Brian are very involved with their collegiate studies at the University of Cincinnati and University of Akron respectively. Mrs. Long is surrounded by family and friends that enjoy her caring passion for keeping things well organized. She has an Associates Degree in Computer Science and has become very creative with the use of digital photos for special occasion greeting cards.
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Mrs. Lowther - Educational Aide
Mrs. Lowther has been working in Brunswick for ten years. She has two daughters (Lori) and (Dani – deceased) and two sons (Rob) and (Scott). She enjoys sewing, working in the yard, painting, redecorating rooms, working in the school with the teachers and children and her co-workers. She is devoted to her grandchildren, Mike, Evan, Scott, Danny, Sierra, Carson and her husband Bob. Mrs. Lowther also goes to car cruises with her husband in his 1933 orange 502 and her 1966 Fairlane convertible.
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Mrs. Marshall – Prevention Specialist
Mrs. Marshall has worked in Brunswick since 1994. She is a Certified Prevention Specialist and Counselor through the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addictions Services. She has a Masters Degree in Health Education from Cleveland State University. Mrs. Marshall teaches the “LifeSkills Training Program” to all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. The LifeSkills Training Program is a Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Program. She and her husband, Joe, enjoy reading, golfing and walking their dogs, Taz and Darcy.
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Mr. McGrew – Band
Mr. McGrew is beginning his fourth year of teaching, and his first in Brunswick. He teaches at Hickory Ridge, Memorial, Kidder and Huntington Elementary Schools. Mr. McGrew previously taught band for Gallipolis City Schools, teaching grades 5-12. He received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Kent State University and is working on a Masters of Music in Music Education from The Ohio State University. As a member of the Ohio Music Education Association, Mr. McGrew participates in professional conferences and reads journals learning about developments in music education. Mr. McGrew enjoys participating in local musical ensembles, hiking, reading and spending time with his two cats, Sylvester and Runtford. |
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Mrs. Mehalik – Fourth Grade
Mrs. Mehalik is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. This is her first year teaching fourth grade at Hickory Ridge. Previously, she worked as a substitute teacher for the Brunswick City Schools. Mrs. Mehalik lives in Brunswick with her husband Jim and three children, Haley (15), Jacob (13) and Hannah (10). She also has a boxer named Brutus. During her free time, she enjoys doing things with her family, boating, traveling, and reading. Mrs. Mehalik is looking forward to working with her students and helping them succeed in fourth grade. |
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Mrs. Melvin – Principal
Mrs. Melvin is a graduate of Heidelberg College with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. She received her Master’s Degree from Baldwin Wallace College in 1982 in Administration/Supervision. Mrs. Melvin spent her first year teaching Kindergarten in her hometown of Brooklyn. She has been a part of the Brunswick City School District for 31 years. She taught fifth grade at Hickory Ridge for 21 years before leaving to become a Consulting Teacher for Brunswick Schools. Mrs. Melvin is thrilled to be at Hickory Ridge as Principal and plans to remain there until she retires! Mrs. Melvin enjoys spending any free time with her husband Bryon. Together they enjoy dining out, the theater, and spending time with family and friends. |
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Mrs. Minch – Fifth Grade
Mrs. Minch is entering her ninth year as a fifth-grade Reading, Science, and Health teacher at Hickory Ridge. Mrs. Minch was born and raised in Howland, near Warren/Youngstown. Mrs. Minch enjoys spending time with her two, very, patient parents, two successful brothers and their families. She and her, also very patient husband, Mike just celebrated 5 years of marriage in June. They are both thoroughly having a blast raising their little boy, Ethan. Every day is a new, precious adventure! They enjoy spending quality family time, including their 2 four-legged children, Wilma and Harley taking long walks together! Mrs. Minch earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Education, a Master’s Degree in School Administration/Supervision, and her principal’s certification from Baldwin Wallace College. Mrs. Minch has begun her own fastpitch program to help build successful futures for area athletes looking to play fastpitch in college.
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Mr. Pacek – Custodian
Mr. Pacek was born in Cleveland on September 5, 1944. He went to St. Josaphat Grade School and graduated from Holy Name High School. He is married to his wonderful wife, Betty. He has four children, two boys and two girls. He is the great-grandpa to a beautiful granddaughter. He also has thirteen grandchildren. Mr. Pacek started in 1964 at Republic Steel, which changed to LTV Steel, as an electrician. He retired from LTV Steel in 2000. Mr. Pacek started working at Visintainer in June of 2000 and is now a Hickory Ridge custodian.
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Mrs. Pamer – First Grade
Mrs. Pamer has taught Kindergarten, First Grade and reading. She’s very excited to be back in First Grade this year. When she’s not working she loves to spend time with Mr. Pamer, their daughters Emma and Sophie, and their dogs Gidget and Gabby. Her favorite things to do include: stamping, scrapbooking, drinking coffee, curling up with a good book and watching Ohio State football – GO BUCKEYES !! Mrs. Pamer is a graduate of Hickory Ridge, Brunswick, Ohio State, and Kent State where she received her Masters in Reading. |
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Ms. Pflaum - Intervention Specialist
Ms. Pflaum graduated from Ohio University and received her Master’s degree from the University of Akron. This is Ms. Pflaum’s eighth year at Hickory Ridge. She taught in Wadsworth before coming to Brunswick. Ms. Pflaum has spent many years working with children in different settings. She has taught swimming lessons, helped coach the Special Olympics swim team, and has been a camp counselor. She also spent time in Austin, Texas working with blind children at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. In her spare time, Ms. Pflaum enjoys traveling, hiking, snowboarding and just being outside. She also loves to spend time with her nieces and nephews.
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Mrs. Rini –
Kindergarten
Mrs. Rini is in her eleventh year as a kindergarten teacher! She loves helping her young Hickory Ridge students learn and grow! Mrs. Rini earned her undergraduate degree from West Liberty State College. She has an added specialization in early childhood and earned her reading endorsement through Ashland University. Outside of kindergarten, Mrs. Rini is busy with her husband, John and two boys, Jack, 6 and Mitchell, 4. They share their home with a pet cat, guinea pig and snake. Mrs. Rini enjoys playing games, decorating, and being creative. The Rini family frequently has outdoor adventures and lots of fun sharing books and learning new things together!
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Mrs. Rogalski – Primary Intervention
This is Mrs. Rogalski’s ninth year working in Brunswick. Prior to working in Brunswick she taught first grade in the Columbus Public School District. She is a graduate of Clarion University of PA, where she earned a double major in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. She has received training in the area of literacy through The Ohio State University, completed her master’s degree in Administration at Baldwin Wallace College, and completed post-graduate work for a principal’s certificate at Baldwin Wallace College in June 2005. She and her husband Ron have two sons, Ben who is seven years old and Will who is two years old. Together they enjoy playing outside, riding horses, camping, and visiting with family and friends.
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Mrs. Rowland – Cook
Mrs. Rowland has worked for the Brunswick Schools for 18 years in the kitchen. She has been married to Jim for 42 years. They have four children: Darlene, Kim, Jimmy and Katherine. Darlene has two children, Kaitlyn (15) and Thomas (13). Kim has three children, Dylan (10), Parker (9), and Rachel (6). Jimmy has one daughter, Kaley (7). Mrs. Rowland enjoys selling AVON, traveling and watching her grandchildren. She has been traveling more since her husband Jim retired. Her daughter Katherine is now married. She married Dave, April 19, 2008. They live in North Royalton.
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Mrs. Scally – School Psychologist
Mrs. Scally is the school psychologist for both Hickory Ridge Elementary and Visintainer Middle School. She received her Bachelor’s of Business Administration, Master’s of Education and Educational Specialist degrees from Kent State University. She loves working with children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and their dog, running, hiking, biking and reading. |
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Miss Schaffer – Fifth Grade
Ms. Schaffer is starting her tenth year at Hickory Ridge. Four years were spent in fourth grade. She is starting her sixth year in fifth grade teaching Math. She has her Master’s degree plus 30 additional hours. Ms. Schaffer’s parents are both retired teachers. She enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, boating and spending time with her family and friends. She has an American Eskimo dog named Sunshine.
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Mr. Schmelter – Custodian
Mr. Schmelter has worked for the Brunswick City Schools for 21 years. This is his fourth year working at Hickory Ridge. He is a 44 year resident of Brunswick, a Vietnam Veteran and a Life Member of the VFW. He enjoys computer games, watching sports and walking his dogs outdoors. |
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Miss Schultz – First Grade
Miss Schultz is a 2007 graduate of Xavier University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Reading Specialization from Kent State University. She is very excited to be back for her second year working with first graders at Hickory Ridge! Miss Schultz enjoys spending time with family and friends, cheering on Ohio sports teams, reading and traveling.
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Mrs. Sherry – Third Grade
This is Mrs. Sherry’s ninth year working for Brunswick City Schools and her eighth year at Hickory Ridge. She is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She completed her Master’s Degree in Pre-Administration and went on to earn her Principal’s license. She and her husband, Bill have a daughter, Victoria, who is currently going to be a senior at MCCC. Mrs. Sherry enjoys riding her bike and playing board games. She loves the challenge of putting puzzles together and getting lost in a good book.
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Mrs. Smith – Primary Special Education
Mrs. Smith graduated from Cleveland State University in 2003 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education. This is Mrs. Smith’s fourth year of teaching at Hickory Ridge and she is very happy to be here. Mrs. Smith loves to teach and thinks her students are the BEST! Outside of school, Mrs. Smith treasures the time she has to spend with her family and friends. She loves to be outdoors doing almost anything, but she especially likes to walk, run, and swim. Her favorite place in the whole world to be is at the beach! Mrs. Smith and her son Austin are huge Cleveland sports fans. (You will not find any black or gold in their house!!) Although the Browns have been disappointing in the past, she thinks this might just be their year!
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Mrs. Tilbert – General Music/Strings
Mrs. Tilbert is very excited to be teaching general music, choir and strings here at Hickory Ridge. She got her Bachelor’s Degree in music therapy from Baldwin Wallace College in 1999 and then went back to get her teaching license from Cleveland State a few years later. Mrs. Tilbert taught previously at St. Mary’s in Berea for two years. Mrs. Tilbert also plays trombone in the Brunswick Community Band. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Matt, and their Chocolate Lab, Ralph. |
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Miss Toth – Third Grade This is Miss Toth’s first year at Hickory Ridge. Last year Miss Toth was at Memorial Elementary as a 3rd grade job share position. Miss Toth graduated from Ohio University in June 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Reading Endorsement. Miss Toth was born and raised in Brunswick and is very happy to be back as a teacher! She is very excited and enthusiastic about teaching the third graders all about science and language arts. Miss Toth loves to spend time with her family and friends. She loves to cook, read, travel and take walks. Miss Toth also loves all Cleveland sport teams (Go Browns!). Let’s have a SPECTACULAR year in 3rd grade! |
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Mrs. Travers – Educational Aide Mrs. Travers is the proud mother of three great sons. She has worked for the BCSD as an elementary educational aide for the last 13 years. Her goal as an aide is to help children grown and be confident in themselves. |
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Mrs. Weinmann – Fourth Grade
Mrs. Weinmann had her first baby in late October, Isabella. She spends her time with her husband and daughter playing and reading. She enjoys stamping, shopping and going to dinner in her spare time.
Mrs. Weinmann attended the Brunswick City Schools and went on to receive her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and her Master’s from Akron. She is enthusiastic about teaching and encourages her students to maintain a positive attitude. This is her 8th year teaching in Brunswick.
Mrs. Weinmann is ready for a jump-start this year in fourth grade! She will be teaching Science and cannot wait to begin experiments with her little scientists. She also does teach the reading and encourages students to use their strategies and they will pass the Ohio Achievement Test!
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Mrs. Werner – Second Grade
This is Mrs. Werner’s first year having her own classroom at Hickory Ridge! Many students at Hickory Ridge may already know Mrs. Werner because she taught at Hickory Ridge as a long term substitute teacher for other first and second grade teachers. Mrs. Werner is extremely happy about teaching second grade, and is looking forward to a fun-filled year of learning and getting to know her students.
Mrs. Werner lives in Brunswick with her husband and son, Cole, who is also in second grade this year. Mrs. Werner will be welcoming a new addition to her family in October. The Werner family is very excited about having a new baby boy in their house! In her spare time, Mrs. Werner enjoys reading, shopping, participating in outdoor activities, “cooking-out,” going to the movies, and anything that involves spending time with her family and friends. |
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Mrs. Winklemann – School Nurse Mrs. Winklemann is a graduate of Brunswick High School's class of ’81. Mrs. Winklemann is married to Phil Winkelmann and he is also a BHS graduate class of 1980. She and her husband have two boys. Phillip is in his 3rd year at Ohio State University and Matthew is a Freshman at the University of Toledo. She loves spending time with her boys and enjoying Browns’ games, BHS football games and walking with her dog Sadie. Mrs. Winkelmann enjoys reading. She is employed by the Medina County Health Department as a School Health Technician working for Brunswick Schools. She works at Hickory Ridge, Kidder Elementary and BHS and loves taking care of the kids and staff.
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Mrs. Yates – Second Grade
Mrs. Yates is happy to say that this is her fourth year teaching second grade at Hickory Ridge. She completed her Master’s Degree at Cleveland State University in Reading Instruction and Curriculum in 2006. Mrs. Yates has twin one year olds at home! She has a son named Sean and a daughter named Grace. Mrs. Yates lives in Strongsville with her husband, children, and her two pugs, Omar and Sasha. During her free time, Mrs. Yates enjoys spending time with family and friends. They enjoy walking and going swimming in the summer.
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