a tech company. They have ….

a tech company. They have three girls. Amy has a significant other, Josh, and she is an R.N. Katie is in administration at the nursing home and is married to Jake Sackmann. He owns J and J Landscaping. They have two children: Amelia (7) and Calvin (5). Shawna is a housewife and married to Max Hedrington. He is in the marines. They are moving to North Carolina in July. They have one son, Roman, who will be 4 years old on the 4th of July. What Sue liked best was working with the kids. What she misses the most are the kids and the camaraderie with her coworkers. What she will miss the least is getting up early in the morning. Her retirement plans are doing what she likes, not punching a time clock and living the dream in their new house they bought three years ago. Also her daughter, Shawna has been home for 2.5 years while her husband is in Japan and she is enjoying their time together.

Nancy Sperl has worked in education for 29 years. She started at MAES in the kitchen and then worked at MAMS in Remediation. Nancy has been married to Ricky for 43 years. They met in 7th grade. He retired in December from Taylor County, working in maintenance. They have three boys. Jason works at TDS and is married to Amber. They have three children: Mackenzie, 21; Gaven, 14 and Masen, 12. Michael works at Frontline and is married to Jessica. They have five boys: Bennett, 7; Brady, 4; Lane, 2; and 1-year old twins, Levi and Lincoln. Randy is in California with his girlfriend, Jessica and they have one son, Paxton who is 4 years old. What Nancy liked best was kids, interacting with them and getting to know them. What she misses the most is interacting with the kids and her co-workers. Advice to colleagues: take it one day at a time. Try to look at the positive in a not-so positive situation. Her retirement plans are to take Harley trips, spending time with her grandchildren, going up north to her sister’s cabin and spending time on the water.

Kathleen Strebig has worked in the district for 31 years at MASH, as Guidance Office Secretary and most recently as Data Management Specialist. She has been married to Steve for 40 1/2 years. Steve is self employed in flooring installation. Together they have two sons, Robbie and Ryan, who both live in Medford. Ryan and his wife, Megan, have blessed them with 2 grandsons, Huxley (3 1/2) and Hawkens (1). She enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family. The favorite part of her job is the challenges it gives her. Skyward, along with Federal and State reporting, is ever changing and it has kept her mind sharp. She will miss this along with Dennis Hinderliter, the staff, parents, students and others she has interacted with over the years. Kathy likes least the lack of respect and acknowledgement for all the hard work and hours the Administrative Assistants put in. She will not miss the amount of work and hours that needs to be put in during the summer. Her advice to both teachers and students is to get things completed on a timely basis, meet deadlines and follow directions. Her retirement plans are to just be at home getting things done that have been put off too long and to enjoy summer. She plans to spend more time with her grandchildren and go see her mother more. A trip to Alaska has always been on her bucket list.

David Vaara has worked for the Medford School District for 33 years. He has worked at MAES, SES, MAMS, and MASH. He is currently the MAMS 5-8 Physical Education Teacher. He has been married to his wife Renee for 28 years. She is a PTA as Aspirus. They have two black labs, Jagger and Gemma. What he likes best about his job is helping kids get better and what he will miss most is the connection with kids. What he likes least about his job are the PPGs, SLOs, learning plans, and too many students in the gym at one time. What he will miss the least are the bad kids. His advice to colleagues is to be your own person, don’t let anyone mold you into something you’re not. His retirement plans are to putz, grow pumpkins, fish, hunt, golf, camp and when Renee retires, they will travel. He says, “I’ve had some great principals and staff to work with and some not.”

Robin Wernberg worked in education for 21 years and in the district 18 years. He worked at MASH as the Band Director. He has been married to his wife Catherine Wernberg for 35 years. She is a Nursing Practice Specialist. Their children are - Ben and spouse Mandy, Ben is in City Planning and Urban Development, NYC and Mandy is a Graphic Designer in NYC; Sam and spouse Angela, Sam is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the owner of DeliveRehab Physical Therapy, Madison, WI and Angela is a Marketing Director, they have Reid (5) Otto (4) and Maggie (2); Luke and spouse Emily, Luke, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Twin Cities Therapy and Emily is a Dentist at Woodbury Dental, they have Owen (2); Zach and spouse Sarah, Zach is a Web Designer at Sony Playstation, Madison, WI, and Sarah is a M.D. Neurosurgeon, UW Madison. What he liked best about his job was working with his students and the camaraderie of his colleagues. He will miss Friday Night Lights at Raider Field as well as the support of the parents and community. He won’t miss record keeping and instrument maintenance. His advice for colleagues is to get involved in a good lunch group and continue to make lasting friendships.

Rob’s retirement plans are to spend more time with his wife and live the life playing legos with his grandchildren. He will be playing music and improving his fly-fishing skills. “Thank you to the Medford School District and community for helping me to develop as a professional. I have thoroughly enjoyed my career in Medford!”

Susan Werner worked in the district for 26 years. She has worked at all the Medford School buildings and also at Holy Rosary and Immanuel. Recently she has been the Wilson Reading teacher and Reading Assistant supervisor at MAMS. She was married to Terrence Werner Sr. for 38 incredibly blessed years until his passing in 2018. Together they have 5 beautiful children and gained 4 more through marriage! Their first son, Terrence Jr., lives in Medford and will be an art teacher at MASH this fall. Kate married Dennis Flood and they are both Physician Assistants in Rice Lake. Their 4 amazing children are Weston, Elaina, Cecelia and Bennett. Amy married Jason Smola and they own Smola Transit in Medford. Their 4 beautiful children are Tucyr, Mylo, Jaspyr and Olly. Greg married Randi Boxrucker and Greg is a Physicians Assistant at Aspirus, Randi is an accountant for Co-op Transport and they live in Medford. Their 2 adorable children are Christian and Collins. Kristin married Loren Schultze and they live in Baraboo. Kristin is a medical assistant and Loren is a Scientist in Formulations for the company NJOY, LLC. Susie loves working with children of all ages and seeing them succeed. She finds it rewarding to be a little part of their success and will miss all the smiles. The part Susie found difficult is children not being accountable for their actions and will not miss trying to show the importance of this for all of us. Her advice for colleagues is to take time to appreciate the students you work with and that a kind word can make a real difference in a child’s life. Susie’s retirement plans and dreams include traveling and spending time with family and friends, but knows God also has plans and she is looking forward to where those may lead. “I would like to thank the Medford School District for providing me the opportunity to work with a team of educators that make a positive difference in children’s lives!”

Carol Wieman has worked for the Medford School District for 37 years as a Special Education Teacher at MAMS. She has one daughter, Renni, who is 19 and exploring life. Carol likes seeing the progress that students make and making special connections with students. She will miss the kids and people she works with the most. She will not miss paperwork and jumping through hoops. Her advice to colleagues is to make the best of everyday and remember tomorrow is a new day. Her retirement plans are not to go to work, couch surf, travel, and learn to weld. She says, “It’s been a great ride! Time for me to fly!”

Cheryl Wieting has worked in the Medford School District for 25 years as the MAMS Student Services Secretary. She has two sons, Joseph and Taylor. Her retirement plans are to work on her bucket list, add to it, and enjoy the moments.

(center) was congratulated by school board president Dave Fleegel (left) and district administrator Pat Sullivan (right).

BRIAN WILSON/THE STAR NEWS

(center) was congratulated by school board president Dave Fleegel (left) and district administrator Pat Sullivan (right).

BRIAN WILSON/THE STAR NEWS

(center) was congratulated by school board president Dave Fleegel (left) and district administrator Pat Sullivan (right).

BRIAN WILSON/THE STAR NEWS

(center) was congratulated by school board president Dave Fleegel (left) and district administrator Pat Sullivan (right).

BRIAN WILSON/THE STAR NEWS