February 2025 Newsletter

Staff Spotlight : Meet Our Teachers

Megan Price Kindergarten

Meet Megan Price, a joyful Kindergarten teacher at North Linn, entering her seventh year. Megan loves watching her students grow in various skills, and nothing brings her more joy than seeing their smiles and excitement during engaging lessons. Her dedication to creating a fun and nurturing environment fosters a love for learning from the very start. Here’s to many more years of inspiring young minds at North Linn!

Kayla Vale High School Special Education

Kayla Vale has been a Special Education/Life Skills teacher at North Linn for 11 years. She believes in advocating for her students and providing them with the support and mentorship they need. Kayla is passionate about ensuring that all students have the same opportunities as their peers and works hard to promote inclusion in her classroom. Thank you, Kayla, for being here for our students!

Ashley O'Brien K-8 Visual Art

Ashley O’Brien is in her second year at North Linn, teaching Elementary and Middle School Art. She loves sharing her passion for art with students and building meaningful relationships with them. Ashley encourages her students to see creativity in their everyday lives and helps bring their unique ideas to life in the classroom. Beyond art projects, she teaches valuable skills like photography, color theory, and graphic design that students can use for years to come, whether in future careers, school assignments, or personal endeavors.

Kyle Huxford High School English

In his sixth year of teaching High School English at North Linn, Kyle is guided by a personal philosophy that revolves around making the world a better simply by being part of it. His passion for teaching is rooted in a deep desire to positively influence the lives of his students. Ultimately, his goal is not just to teach, but to inspire students to be the best versions of themselves and contribute to the world in their own unique ways. We are lucky to have him here at North Linn.

Emily Schulte Fourth Grade

Meet Emily Schulte: With 14 years of dedicated experience at North Linn, Emily is a passionate and devoted 4th Grade teacher who has a deep love for working with children. She takes great pride in watching her students grow and develop, finding immense joy in seeing their progress from the first day of school in August to the final bell in May. Her commitment to fostering a positive and engaging learning environment has made a lasting impact on her students year after year.

Michael Stocks Middle School Math

With 27 years of experience as a Middle School Math teacher at North Linn, Michael Stocks has made a lasting impact on countless students. His passion for teaching goes beyond helping students master math; he takes pride in guiding them as they develop both academically and personally. Michael’s dedication to shaping young minds has made him a valued member of the North Linn community. Here’s to many more years of inspiring and empowering students!

Anne Boss Middle School Special Education

With five enriching years at North Linn, Anne Boss is a dedicated middle school Special Education teacher who truly embodies the spirit of mentorship. Anne’s passion lies in supporting her students as they navigate their individual journeys toward personal success. Whether she’s guiding them through challenges or celebrating their achievements, Anne is not just a teacher—she’s a steadfast cheerleader and a source of encouragement for all her students. We’re grateful to have her as part of our North Linn family!

What's Happening at North Linn?

High School PE Class Hits the Lanes

On January 14th, Mrs. Rawlins took her high school PE students on a memorable outing to the bowling alley. The students had a blast showcasing their skills, supporting one another, and enjoying some friendly competition. It was a great chance for the class to connect outside of the gym, spending a lively and energetic day together. By the end of the afternoon, everyone was smiling, with plenty of impressive scores to share!

North Linn students have been staying active in PE! In addition to their bowling adventures, they’ve also enjoyed exciting units in Cageball and Archery this past month. It’s been a fun and engaging time for all!

Pinewood Derby Project Wraps Up 2nd Quarter for 7th Graders

The 7th grade students in Mr. Corkery's Design and Modeling class capped off their second quarter with an exciting hands-on project: building their very own Pinewood Derby cars. From design to construction, students drilled, cut, sanded, and painted their cars, learning valuable skills along the way. To finish, they raced their creations in a thrilling double-elimination tournament, showcasing both their hard work and competitive spirit.

Students Learn Lumber Processing from Industry Experts

In Mr. Corkery's Construction Materials Processing class, students got a firsthand look at how logs are turned into usable lumber. Will Rogan and John Flanagan guided the class through the entire process, from log harvesting and saw cutting to lumber grading and drying techniques. The duo even demonstrated the process using Mr. Rogan's mobile sawmill. A big thank you to Mr. Rogan and Mr. Flanagan for the informative demonstration!

Entrepreneurship Class Builds Food Truck Businesses

Over the past two weeks, our Entrepreneurship students have been immersing themselves in the exciting world of food trucks! To kick off the unit, we welcomed local business owner Marcey Liebe, who shared her insights and experiences about running a business.

From there, students got to work designing their own food truck concepts. They began by creating mood and style boards to help visualize the look and feel of their brand. Next, they dove into the creative process, developing everything from their truck designs and logos to business cards, menus, websites, posters, mission statements, and even spreadsheets to calculate food costs and supplies.

To wrap up the unit, students composed a mock letter to Mr. Bechen requesting approval to operate their food truck on school property, along with an Executive Summary of their business. Finally, each group presented their food truck business ideas in a class-wide showcase, sharing their hard work with peers and celebrating their entrepreneurial spirit.

Guest Speakers Share Valuable Insights with Health 2 Students

A big thank you to Jake Kurt and Jamie Haughenbury for taking the time to speak with our Health 2 students! Their personal stories and professional insights into the health field were both inspiring and informative. The students gained a deeper understanding of the many career opportunities within healthcare, and we appreciate Jake and Jamie’s dedication to guiding the next generation of healthcare professionals. We look forward to more engaging discussions like this in the future!

Get Your Dollar Bills Ready - It's Chocolate Sales Time!

North Linn's National Honor Society will begin selling World's Finest Chocolate bars at the beginning of 2nd semester. Funds raised are used for Holiday giving, Chapter expenses during Wear Blue to Prevent Child Abuse month, and other service activities. So, look for members carrying chocolate boxes soon. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!

Donate Materials for North Linn's Mobile Deer Blind Project

The North Linn Construction Technology class along with the North Linn SkillsUSA chapter is looking for new or gently used building materials such as OSB, 2x4's, 2x6's, windows, exterior doors, exterior tin, house wrap, and tar paper to name a few. We are also looking for at least one used running gear.

The Construction Technology class and SkillsUSA chapter are going to be using these donated materials to build a mobile deer blind. This project will be constructed this semester in the hopes of auctioning off next fall as a fundraiser for SkillsUSA. Please email Mr. Corkery if you have any building materials you wish to donate.

Thank you.

North Linn SkillsUSA

Mr. Corkery

pcorkery@northlinncsd.org

Support FBLA with Scratch Cupcakes

The FBLA chapter is excited to offer Scratch Cupcakes for sale from February 10th through the 28th! All proceeds will go toward supporting the chapter’s scholarships and other FBLA activities. If you’d like to order some delicious cupcakes, reach out to an FBLA member or email Allison Huenefeld-Wessels at ahwessels@northlinncsd.org.