| These Sauk Prairie teachers are among 43 district teachers
who are graduates of Sauk Prairie High School. They are
(left to right), bottom row: Derek Haroldson, Ken Ziegler,
Shane Frey, Jim Jackson, Joel Chrisler, Chuck Fiene, Shane
Been, Todd Breunig; second row: Roberta Becker, Nancy Maschman,
Stacy Breunig, Nanette Backeburg, Tammy Markley, Linda Block,
Diane Luba, Kim Sprecher; third row: Carla Peterson, Julie
Pings, Teresa Rider, Terrie Feigl, Kathie Thompson, Tara
Frey, Chanda Manning, Lynn Wipperfurth; top row: Dennis
Kahn, Jenna McCann, Denice Ruhland, Kathy Powers, Sheila
Anderson, and Shawn Anderson. Large
photo
Sauk Prairie graduates like to return home to teach. Of
the 225 full-time equivalent teachers in the district, 43
are Sauk Prairie High School graduates. The reasons for coming home are many; however, there is
one recurring theme: Growing up, they all had special teachers
who touched their lives. As a result, former teachers have
turned into current colleagues.
Everyone finds it to be a very rewarding experience, said
Derek Haroldson, who came home to teach kindergarten in
the district, which is about 20 miles northwest of Madison.
“Through honesty, sincerity, and trust, the Sauk Prairie
Education Association has formed a strong and positive relationship
with the local school board and administration,” Haroldson
said. “The collegial atmosphere and level of mutual
respect could be considered a role model for other districts
to follow.”
With Haroldson’s help, OnWEAC asked Sauk Prairie teachers
who came home to teach why they did so. We received responses
from 41 teachers. • • •
Dennis Kahn, middle school music:
| " I wanted to be able to help
kids like so many of my teachers did while I was in
school." | When I attended Sauk Prairie Middle and High School from
1964 to 1969, I had the opportunity to study with many fine
teachers. Becoming a teacher became my goal because I admired
how all those great teachers made school enjoyable. I wanted
to be able to help kids like so many of my teachers did
while I was in school. Once away from the community, I tried
high school and middle school teaching. I even ceased teaching
for a few years, but when the opportunity to teach in Sauk
Prairie was presented, I jumped at the chance to “come
back home” to work with middle school students. For
many of my years here, I have been able to call many of
my former teachers colleagues. They are all gone now, but
several former students can now call me a colleague. I don’t
know if it is like this in every school district, but I
feel that the mixture of local and other teaching talent
makes for a fine chemistry that helps make Sauk Prairie
a great place to learn!
• • •
Shane Been, high school math:
After graduating from Sauk Prairie High School, I went to
the Southeast for college, and then traveled the country
for six years for a large consulting firm. But I wasn’t
satisfied inside; the big cities, the corporate life, and
the skyscrapers were interesting but not fulfilling. Sauk
Prairie held a special place in my heart because of how
the people truly cared for each other, and my wife and I
decided to come back home and raise our children here. I
received offers to teach from several districts in the area,
but the Sauk Prairie School District stood above the rest
due to its commitment to the students. It is a privilege
each day to teach our great students and work with the staff.
To me, this is a great place to be.
• • •
Nanette (Breunig) Backeberg and Tammy (Frey) Markley,
4th grade:
People always find it interesting, and even a little unusual,
that we wanted to teach in the district that we went to
when we were younger. We have both wanted to be teachers
for as long as we can remember. At home, we played “school.”
We had the desks; we had the chalkboards; we had the old
books; and we had to be the teacher.
We know that part of this need to be “the teacher”
came from the positive, rewarding experiences that we had
as students in the Sauk Prairie School District. We both
can name various teachers who have shaped our lives and
instilled this passion for learning. Even today, these teachers
continue to influence our classrooms…how we act…how
we teach…how we approach each day.
The Sauk Prairie teachers from the last 25+ years left
their imprints on us and helped us realize that we wanted
to be a part of forming new imprints in the Sauk Prairie
School District. And so…to all of those teachers…we
say THANK YOU!
• • •
Derek Haroldson, kindergarten:
| "I can see no greater honor
than returning to the school district that I had the
wonderful privilege to attend as a student." | I can see no greater honor than returning to the school
district that I had the wonderful privilege to attend as
a student. My father taught in Sauk Prairie for more than
30 years, so I was able to see first-hand what a quality
school district we have in Sauk Prairie. With a supportive
school board, caring administrators, and a dedicated teaching
staff, Sauk Prairie truly is a great place to live and learn.
It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to give
something back to the community that has given so much to
me. There is no greater feeling in the world than to look
back and see that you made a positive difference in the
lives of others. It is truly a privilege to serve. • • • Todd Breunig, high school gym:
When I decided to go back to school to become a teacher,
someone asked me what my ideal job would be. I responded
by saying,
"I would love to be teaching phy ed at Sauk Prairie
High School.” When I received the call that I was hired
first at the elementary level at Sauk Prairie, it was an
emotional day. Then when I was hired at Sauk Prairie High
School the following year, the dream was complete.
The positive impact my former teachers had
on me helped motivate me into becoming a teacher. I have
a ton of pride in this school district and community and
feel extremely fortunate to be a part of it. Having been
in other careers besides teaching, it helps me value my
current job and realize what a great place this is to work
and live.
• • •
Trina Ruyle, middle school English:
Being a teacher who was already established in the Sauk
Prairie community has really enriched my life. It has been
enlightening working with people who taught me as a student
and have watched me grow up. It’s always fun to find
out that I’m teaching my former Sauk Prairie classmates’
children. It’s great to have extra connections with
my students through their neighbors, friends, and relatives.
That kind of familiarity lends itself well to building trust
and relationships with colleagues, students, and their families.
• • •
Kim Sprecher, high school English:
I returned to Sauk Prairie High School for
two reasons. I really enjoyed my time in Sauk Prairie and
wanted an opportunity to give to students what I had received
in quality instruction. I also wanted to live in this area
and have my son in the Sauk Prairie schools because I know
that he will not only receive the best instruction, but
that it will be done in a caring and supportive manner.
Sauk Prairie has been my home for many years and I hope
it will be for many years to come. • • • Darin Pape, 6th grade:
| "I am privileged to be able
to work with some of the great teachers who once had
me as a student." | I chose to come back to Sauk because that's where my family
and friends are. It is also a great place to raise a family
because of the great schools and teachers. I am privileged
to be able to work with some of the great teachers who once
had me as a student. These are some of the best role models
anyone could ask for! • • • Shane Frey, 7th-grade math:
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach 7th-grade
math at Sauk Prairie. I had many great teachers when I was
a student at Sauk Prairie and feel privileged to have the
opportunity to now call some of them colleagues. Most of
my family and friends live in the area, and I have always
thought this would be a great place to raise my family.
• • • Chuck Fiene, high school English:
I returned mainly because of family. I wanted my four children
to grow up near their grandparents in a rural community.
Sauk Prairie has it all - a river, a lake and plenty of
forests. Over the past two decades, our district has made
education a priority, and through the combined efforts of
the community, staff, and administration we have outstanding
facilities and programs. • • • Denice Ruhland, 2nd-grade teacher:
I chose a career in education so that I could make a positive
difference in the lives of others. Growing up in Sauk Prairie,
many of my former teachers made that difference in me. From
them, I learned the power of encouragement and belief in
people. I want to pass that on. What better place to offer
my talents than my home community? • • • Jenna Baetz McCann, chorus, band and general music:
| "As a child, my teachers gave
me a love of reading, a positive self-image, and a
quest to know more about everything. I want to pass
this on to my music students." | I decided to teach in Sauk Prairie because this positive
educational attitude was alive in the schools and I wanted
to be a continuing part of it. Giving the same positive
excellent experience to my own children also factors in
as my three sons head to school in Sauk Prairie.
As a child, my teachers gave me a love of reading, a positive
self-image, and a quest to know more about everything. I
want to pass this on to my music students. Giving the children
a love of music is my primary goal, whatever their innate
musical ability. I chose music as my subject area because
it's fun for students, active, and incorporates all subject
areas. • • •
Carla Peterson: 3rd grade:
The Sauk Prairie area is the perfect size; big enough to
offer many opportunities, but small enough to know all your
neighbors. This was home, and I felt lucky to earn a job
in our fantastic school district. I am thrilled to be raising
my own children here, and they are benefiting from a wonderful
education in the Sauk Prairie School District. • • • Bill Dettman: middle school phy ed:
I started teaching here in 1978, after two and a half years
in Lake Forest, Illinois. It was great to get out of town
for a while, but coming back home was even greater. My first
15 years were as an L.D. teacher, and I have a master's
degree in reading. It's ironic that I no longer use it,
as I have been a middle school phy ed teacher since and
am now the athletic director. I have also been a basketball
and baseball coach all these years, and much of my family
and professional life has revolved around coaching. I truly
believe in extra-curriculars and I think they are an integral
part of the curriculum. • • • Chanda (Kehl) Manning, 6th grade:
| "I'm proud to be a teacher
in the Sauk Prairie School District, and I look forward
to the possibility of someday working with one of
my former students!" | After graduating from UW-La Crosse, I returned
to my hometown to begin my job search. After substitute
teaching in the district for a year and a half, I was thrilled
to be hired for a position teaching 6th grade at our middle
school. During my years with the district, I've had the
opportunity to work with many of my own former teachers
(one knows to never call them my "old" teachers).
It's been a pleasure to teach in the school district that
offered me so much as a student. I'm proud to be a teacher
in the Sauk Prairie School District, and I look forward
to the possibility of someday working with one of my former
students! • • • Vicki Schultz, Title 1:
I'm so lucky because I love working in Sauk Prairie and
have always found it to be a great district to work for.
I have always been pleasantly surprised with my decision
to teach in Sauk Prairie. • • • Lynn Wipperfurth, middle school science:
I taught for six years in Phoenix, Arizona, and five years
in Seattle, Washington. Both of these places were wonderful
to live and work. But once we had our first child, we really
wanted to come back to Sauk Prairie to raise our children.
Now that I have been back for six years, I have no doubt
that we did the right thing! It is really fun to be back
and see so many children of previous classmates and friends. • • • Julie Pings, 2nd grade:
I chose education as a career because I had some great teachers
teach me. Kids are great, and it's rewarding to see them
learn and succeed. I've lived in the Sauk Prairie area my
entire life. I never contemplated teaching in any other
place. Sauk Prairie is a great community with great schools. • • • Patsy Breunig, 1st grade:
| "My choice to stay teaching
in this area is because I truly believe we, teachers
and our district, strive to enable our students to
become life-long learners. I am proud that my children
are able to attend Sauk Prairie schools!" | I had very positive school experiences during my childhood
years. I believe I decided to pursue education when I was
in 3rd grade. Evelyn Accola was my teacher and neighbor.
I enjoyed school because she made it interesting. She always
made time for me, whether it was at school or when I would
bike to her house.
My decision for staying in this small close-knit community
was first based on my marriage to my high school sweetheart.
As the years progressed and we began a family, a small town
seemed important for raising our children. My choice to
stay teaching in this area is because I truly believe we,
teachers and our district, strive to enable our students
to become life-long learners. I am proud that my children
are able to attend Sauk Prairie schools! • • • Scott Schutt: high school math:
I had a great experience growing up in Sauk Prairie and
attending Sauk Prairie schools. That is probably the biggest
reason I went into education. My parents were both in education,
so I grew to appreciate the value of family time during
holidays and vacation. I love the area. I love being near
my family. It was a great opportunity to come back home
to teach in my high school with some of the people who inspired
me as a teenager. • • • Joel Chrisler: high school social studies:
| "I come to work every day knowing
that this was my dream come true and try to encourage
my students to realize what a wonderful place this
is." | As a student in Sauk Prairie I can honestly say I loved
my education. I looked forward to school. In my 13 years
of classes, I missed only 1 1/2 days of school. I truly
wanted to be in my classes. I had a long list of excellent
teachers and if I was asked, I could easily recall several
lessons and words of wisdom that each of them left on me.
When I decided to become an educator, it is kind of funny,
but I never even thought of teaching anywhere else. I knew
this is where I wanted to be. It was my home. I kept in
touch with several of my high school teachers and as college
graduation approached, they informed me of the opportunity
to join the staff. It was a dream come true.
To be a colleague of individuals that I respected was a
bit overwhelming, but they were all so open to welcoming
me back. When I signed my first contract, I felt like that
was the first step in paying back the district that did
such a tremendous job of educating me. I come to work every
day knowing that this was my dream come true and try to
encourage my students to realize what a wonderful place
this is. I have been here 15 years, and some of the first
students I had are now colleagues of mine. It truly is an
honor and a privilege to teach in Sauk Prairie. • • • Stacy Breunig, library media specialist:
I like the small town atmosphere, and my experience at Sauk
Prairie was great. Now, I have the opportunity to be a part
of this amazing educational system, and I want my family
to experience this wonderful place to live and learn. • • • Linda Block, 5th grade:
Sauk Prairie is a great place to live and learn. The foundation
I received in this district made a significant difference
in my life. Three high school teachers gave me the encouragement
and belief in myself to reach for a college career. It is
with pride that I returned to work in a school district
with the kind of reputation that Sauk Prairie has maintained. • • • Tara Frey, 1st grade:
After finishing my bachelor's degree, I knew that I wanted
to live in a small community, similar to Sauk Prairie. I
like the atmosphere of a small town where everyone knows
their neighbors and families are close by. Sauk Prairie
is a wonderful community with many resources and spectacular
schools. It is the perfect place to raise a family. I must
not be the only one who thinks so, since my parents and
three of my brothers' families have chosen to raise their
families here too. • • • Roberta Becker, 3rd grade:
| "It has been a privilege to
work in the Sauk Prairie School District. It is a
great place to live, raise a family, start a business,
visit, or retire. I feel so fortunate to have had
the opportunity to live in this area." | I grew up in the Sauk Prairie area. As long as I can remember,
I wanted to be a teacher. I left the area for 10 years and
then returned to be near family. However, my appreciation
of the area has grown throughout the years. Sauk Prairie
is a community with a unique history, outstanding schools,
excellent health care facilities, and numerous recreational
opportunities.
It has been a privilege to work in the Sauk Prairie School
District. It is a great place to live, raise a family, start
a business, visit, or retire. I feel so fortunate to have
had the opportunity to live in this area.
• • • Vicki Gullickson, 2nd grade:
I began my teaching career in the Fox River Valley area
(Oshkosh). After going to school, living and working in
that area for 10 years, I began to feel the pull of my home
area. With every visit home, I began to realize that our
area had so much to offer. It was, in my opinion one of
the most beautiful areas of the state. My educational experience
growing up had been a positive one, and so I knew I would
be very happy teaching in the Sauk Prairie School District.
When I heard of an opening, I applied and was delighted
to be hired and be able to come "home". Once I
was back in this area and welcomed into our school district,
I knew I would never want to go anywhere else again. • • • Terrie Feigl, 3rd grade:
I started working for the Sauk Prairie School District as
a secretary at Black Hawk Elementary School. I worked there
for more than 12 years and I loved every minute of it. I
really liked working with the students. Bill Henning was
Black Hawk's principal, and he convinced me to go back to
school to become a teacher. Four years later, I graduated
from UW-Platteville with a degree in elementary education.
That following summer, I was hired as a 3rd grade teacher
at Tower Rock School and I have enjoyed every minute of
teaching for the past eight years. Thanks Bill! • • • Betty Koehl, high school social studies:
| "Sauk Prairie is a great community
located in a beautiful river valley. Its nearness
to Madison is an added benefit. It's a small town
with a big heart. My two daughters are receiving a
great education in this district. I'm proud that they'll
be Sauk Prairie graduates, too." | I knew since I was in 6th grade that I loved social studies
and wanted to be a teacher. I'm sure this had something
to do with my great teacher, Florence Sprecher, who is a
Sauk Prairie native herself. In high school, I was inspired
by Tom Elgin who taught social studies at Sauk Prairie High
during the 1970s. I never imagined then that I would end
up back in Sauk Prairie. Upon graduating from UW-Madison, I moved to the Pacific
Northwest and discovered I much preferred a winter with
snow over constant rain. When I returned, I put my name
on the substitute teacher list at SP High. I was a little
apprehensive when I got a call to be a long-term sub for
a notoriously tough U.S. history teacher - Mr. Petron. I
believe the months of April and May 1978 were the longest
in my life. Boy, did I have a lot to learn. The next year, I ran a tutoring program for at-risk students.
The following year, I was hired as a full-time social studies
teacher and have been here ever since. Sauk Prairie is a
great community located in a beautiful river valley. Its
nearness to Madison is an added benefit. It's a small town
with a big heart. My two daughters are receiving a great
education in this district. I'm proud that they'll be Sauk
Prairie graduates, too. • • • Sheila Anderson, 2nd grade:
I went into the career of teaching to fulfill a wish from
4th grade; knowing someday I would teach and be able to
give the gift of learning to many children. I was very excited
to come back to Sauk Prairie, where I attended all my school
years. I teach at Spruce Street School and delight in knowing
that is where my formative years were through 6th grade.
How ironic that I will retire (in the future) from the same
building where I received my early education. I remember
my teachers who taught at Spruce Street, and I hope that
my students will remember me also.
• • • Sue Ziegler, middle school business education:
After graduating from college, I met and married my husband
who is from a neighboring town. A couple of years later,
I had the opportunity to teach here at Sauk Prairie. I feel
very fortunate to have graduated from here and even more
fortunate to be working in this district. • • • James R. Jackson, tech education:
| "Throughout my 15 years of
teaching and experiences in many different districts
I have never met teachers who care so much about kids." | I taught in a small school district in southwest Wisconsin
for five years. I was home visiting with my father who had
taught in the Sauk Prairie School District for 29 years,
and he mentioned the possibility of a teaching opening.
I decided to make a move back to Sauk Prairie because it
has a great school district and was a wonderful place to
grow up. This opportunity has given me a chance to give
something back to the Sauk Prairie School District and community.
Throughout my 15 years of teaching and experiences in many
different districts, I have never met teachers who care
so much about kids. I also wanted to come back to Sauk Prairie
to raise a family, so my kids would get a chance to experience
all the opportunities that I experienced. • • • Shawn Anderson, high school special education:
I have known since I was in the 4th grade that I wanted
to be a teacher - I consider it to be my "calling,"
because I don't think I chose it…it chose me!! I teach
students with learning disabilities at the high school.
Sauk Prairie has always been my home, and although at one
time I desired living in a larger city, I always knew that
at some point I would return here because I desired to be
near my family. Even though Sauk Prairie is a relatively
small community, it still offers many amenities in terms
of education, recreation, and natural beauty. I am proud
to be a part of such a strong community in which youth and
education are valued so highly! • • • Ken Ziegler, 6th grade:
Once I graduated from high school, I was "done"
with school. I enjoyed high school, but I knew that I would
be a farmer for life. Not even one year later, the high
school wrestling coach, Wayne Bruno, asked me if I was interested
in helping him coach. I thought, "Sure, it would be
fun." It wasn't long after I started coaching that
I realized how much I enjoy working with kids.
After college, I earned an elementary teaching position
at D.C. Everest and served there for five years. Although
I loved my job there, I always yearned to return to Sauk
Prairie. I was always thankful for the excellent teachers
and coaches that put up with me while I was there. I wanted
to do the same for others that was done for me. It was tremendous
that my dream, to carry on the torch, was able to come true. • • • Luann Endres, middle school special education:
I graduated from Sauk Prairie with a strong sense of what
was right or fair and went on to major in social work at
the University of Wisconsin. I became interested in children
who weren't successful in school for a lot of different
reasons, including disabilities. I then got a special education
degree, returned to Prairie du Sac to live, and was happy
to begin working at Sauk Prairie High School with students
with cognitive disabilities. It was fun to become a colleague
of some who had been my teachers. • • • Kathie Thompson, grades 3-5:
Since I married a farmer, I knew I would probably not end
up traveling to exotic places to find a teaching position.
When I graduated mid-year, Sauk Prairie just happened to
have a part-time teaching position available. I applied
and got the job. By the following school year, the position
became full time. • • • Teresa Rider, special education:
| "In the end, my heart led me
back to Sauk Prairie, the place where I grew up and
the place where all my dreams of becoming a teacher
began." | When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher made me feel special.
It was those gratifying experiences that guided me into
teaching. I began my teaching career in another district,
and when an opportunity arose for me to teach in the Sauk
Prairie School District I had a difficult choice to make.
In the end, my heart led me back to Sauk Prairie, the place
where I grew up and the place where all my dreams of becoming
a teacher began. What makes this even more special, I am
now teaching at the same school I attended when I was in
3rd grade. • • • Kathy Powers, family and consumer education:
After college, I was living in Chicago, and I knew if I
wanted to teach that I wanted to do it in Sauk Prairie.
So I returned and called up my former principal, Mr. Oakerson,
and he gave me some advice to try subbing for a while. When
a family and consumer education job came open, I wanted
to fill it. So I applied, and I have never regretted the
decision. That was 26 years ago. I still enjoy it when I
find out that a student is the child of one of the students
I taught when I first started. • • • Mary Anderson, grades 4-6:
I attended Merrimac Elementary School for grades 1-8, then
Prairie du Sac High School for two years and Sauk Prairie
High School for two years, graduating in 1966. My teachers
provided the inspiration for me to become a teacher. After
graduating from UW-Whitewater in 1971, I have taught grades
4-6 in Sauk Prairie. I chose Sauk Prairie because of the
community support of educating and the philosophy that every
child can learn and be successful. Parents, students, and
teachers work together for what is in the child's best interest.
We help our students see that learning is a lifelong endeavor. • • • Diane Ballweg Luba, kindergarten:
When I graduated from Sauk Prairie High School, I never
would have imagined that I would return here someday to
work and to raise my daughter. When I went to college in
Oshkosh, I couldn't wait to leave the area where I had grown
up. And move away I did, as soon as I graduated. I had been
living and teaching at a public school in Georgia for several
years when my father became ill with cancer. After living
in Chicago and Atlanta for many years, I felt it was time
to return home. My daughter was 5 and did not really know
her grandpa. I decided that I needed to come back to Sauk
Prairie to be close to him so that my daughter would know
her grandpa. When I returned here, I took the only teaching
job that I could find. I taught at the parochial school
in town. Every time I could apply with the public school,
I did so, and finally after 10 years, I was hired as a kindergarten
teacher! • • • Nancy Maschman, elementary school:
When our daughter was born, both my husband and I knew we
wanted to return to our families and Wisconsin. Sauk Prairie
was the kind of community we were looking for; it had excellent
schools, the right character and the genuine friendliness
of a small town. It seemed like the perfect place to raise
a family. We call it God’s Country, with all the beautiful
lakes, trees and hills. We also love the great opportunities,
the wonderful recreation, the wildlife and much, much more.
We were both fortunate enough to find jobs in Sauk Prairie
schools. We have been enjoying our students and their families
for many years. Posted March 2, 2005 |