BELLE PLAINE HERALD, BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA
PAGE TWO
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2013
2013 Homecoming Coronation Night Coronation Night
Belle Plaine natives Cayla (Seymour) Menke and Samantha Stark have fond memories of homecoming week. As new teachers in Belle Plaine elementary schools, they’ll watch students enjoy homecoming week in preparation for Friday’s game. They are two of several Belle Plaine natives who teach in the school district.
For Belle Plaine Teachers, Getting Hired is The Best Homecoming Samantha Stark and Cayla Menke could have potentially been hired in any of several area school districts. As Belle Plaine celebrates homecoming this week, both are thrilled they were hired in their hometown. Stark and Menke are two of the 16 new staff the district hired earlier this year. Menke teaches early childhood family education at Chatfield. Stark is a third-grade classroom teacher at Oak Crest Elementary School. Both remember their days at Belle Plaine High School fondly. They know firsthand the fun students will enjoy this week during the festivities leading up to Friday night’s big game against the visiting Giants from Le Sueur-Henderson. They recall fondly the week of festivities, especially the themed dress-up days, the dance and the football game Friday night in Tiger Park. “The dress-up days were always the best,� Stark said. Menke grew up Cayla Seymour before she married David Menke. She taught for a year at Arlington Elementary School before taking time off to be at home with her young daughters, Tessa and Taylor, as they grew toward school age. Menke recalls Beverly Huls as the teacher who inspired her toward becoming an educator. “She just made it fun. I liked going to school,� said Menke, a 2002 graduate of BPHS.
Menke can’t walk onto the playground at Chatfield Elementary without thinking of her days playing there. It was Belle Plaine’s only public elementary school at the time. She recalls playing in the ravine beyond the fence that divides the playground from the woods.
No Place Like . . .
When Menke decided to return to teaching, she looked for a job and knew eventually she wanted to come home to Belle Plaine. “I like the school. I like the kids. I like the community,� she said. “You think back and there are so many good memories.� That sense of community proved itself in the past year when an early-morning fire destroyed the Menke’s home. The outpouring of support was heartfelt and impressive. The couple is rebuilding their house. “This is just a fantastic community,� she said. A 2008 Belle Plaine high grad, Stark likewise has strong and positive memories of growing up in Belle Plaine. She recalls riding her bike to the video store to rent movies and spending time with friends never having to worry about not being safe. “This was just a great community to grow up in,� she said. Many of the teachers both Menke and Stark had as high
school students are now colleagues, though they don’t teach in the same building. They can speak on a first-name basis with teachers like Rich Foust, Lyle Noah, Cerisse Murphy, Carol Schultz, Jan Bremseth and Janel Eischens. “Obviously they love it. They’re still here,� Stark said. After graduating from Minnesota State University, Mankato, Stark interviewed with several different school districts. She didn’t get a permanent teaching job, but managed long-term substitute jobs at Oak Crest Elementary School. Though disappointed about not being hired for a permanent job, the long-term substitute positions turned out to be a godsend. She filled in for Angela Kalal, her old softball coach, while she was on maternity leave. Stark then filled in for Martha (Marti) Hartmann, a fifth-grade teacher at Oak Crest, while she was on a medical leave. Stark recalls preparing for the formal interviews for the teaching job. She was as focused and prepared for the interviews like no test she’d taken during her school years. “I really wanted to do well. I really wanted a job in Belle Plaine,� she said. “Before the long-term sub. jobs, I wanted a job anywhere, but afterwards, I really wanted to work at Belle Plaine. I’m so happy I got a job here.�
Belle Plaine High School held its 2013 Homecoming Coronation Monday night in the school’s north gym. Pictured above standing, from left, are Savanna Schatz (usher), Devin Lehman (usher), BreAnn McDermand (emcee), Jessica Buszmann (2012 queen), Brandon Boateng (2012 king), Kyle Fahey (usher), Chris Holmbeck (emcee) and Aiden Winterfeldt (usher). Seated, from left, are Emily Vinkemeier (queen candidate), Ashley Morrison (queen candidate), Jackie Spalding (queen candidate), Marykay Nasby (queen candidate), Hannah Johnson (2013 queen), Zach Bahr (2013 king), Derek Dahlke (king candidate), Blayne Prochaska (king candidate), Aaron Bigaouette (king candidate) and Joshua Spellman (king candidate). Pictured at right is Johnson being crowned by Buszmann. At the bottom right are emcees Holmbeck and McDermand.
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