TRG NEWS - Spencer school introduces new staff members
TRG NEWS
Afew new staff members are joining the Spencer School District’s “Rocket Family” this year. The TRG provided a questionnaire to give readers the chance to get to know these individuals a little more. Following are the answers of those who chose to complete the questionnaire.
Michelle Blohm
Hometown: Ashwaubenon Newposition: Early childhood special education teacher Education: I have my bachelor’s degree in elementary education and learning disabilities, cross-categorical and cognitive disabilities certifications and my master’s in general education.
Experience: This is my 13th year as a teacher; I have done 11 of those years in special education and two in second grade.
What do you enjoy about schools/what made you enter the education world? I have always loved learning and kids!
Tell us a little about yourself. I have two children and another on the way! Our family enjoys swimming, watching movies and going to sporting events! I also enjoy reading and fitness/health.
Jeffrey Fischer
Hometown: Marshfield New position: Math interventionist/coach Education: Bachelor’s degree in elementary/middle school education from Viterbo University Experience: Entering my 15th year in education after being away from the profession for the last four years. The previous 12 years of experience was as a sixth grade math and science teacher for the Marshfield School District. Prior to teaching in Marshfield, I taught eighth grade for two years for the Lomira School District.
What do you enjoy about schools/what made you enter the education world? Having some very inspiring teachers as a student led me into the field of education.
Tell us a little about yourself. Born and raised in Marshfield and currently living in Stratford with my wife Nicole (fourth grade teacher at Spencer), and our four children (Brody, Lissa, Greyson and Liam). I like to be New position: High school English teacher Education: I graduated high school in 2013 from Colby and have a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UW-Oshkosh. I am currently teaching on a license with stipulations while going to get my teaching license through CESA 9.
Experience: I have experience as a journalist writing and editing articles. I worked in that field for about four years. I have coached baseball previously and have taught Vacation Bible School at my church as a high schooler. This will be my first year in education.
Whatdoyouenjoyabout schools/what made you enter the education world?
I have always looked at the education field as something I was interested in. I chose journalism as a career choice initially because I wanted to get into sports journalism. However, that did not pan out, so I turned towards working as a teacher. I am extremely excited to meet the kids this fall and get to know them as we learn together.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I live in Marshfield with my wife, Kaitlyn, and we have four pets. We have three cats, and a 6-month-old golden retriever puppy named Hudson. My brother is a math teacher at Spencer and my dad works at Burnett Transit as a mechanic, fixing the buses the students use to get to school or events. I enjoy playing softball and volleyball during the summer, as well as camping and working on house projects. I’m a huge Wisconsin sports fan and would eventually like to get into coaching once I have this whole teaching thing down.
Anything else you would like the community to know?
I am very excited to immerse myself in the Spencer community and specifically, the school district. I look forward to meeting everyone and hope we can all grow together! If you see me around the school or in the community, don’t hesitate to reach out and introduce yourself!
Aurora Krause
Hometown: Mosinee New position: Sixth and seventh grade math
Education: I am majoring in elementary-middle Please see Spencer staff, page 7
outside as much as possible. During my free time I am usually hunting, fishing, camping and/or coaching.
Neal Hogden Hometown: Currently live in Marshfield, grew up
VALORIE BRECHT/STAFF PHOTO
outside of Colby Spencer staff,
from p. 6
education: 4K-9 through the degree program of Education for Equity and Justice at UW-Eau-Claire. I also have a short-term substitute teaching license.
Experience: Throughout this summer (2024), I have been a substitute teacher at the Spencer School District. On top of this, I also had the opportunity to teach a summer school class in the Spencer School Forest.
I am an intern this year, but have had many experiences across several different school districts throughout the state of Wisconsin. This includes the districts of Colfax, Altoona and Spencer.
What do you enjoy about schools/what made you enter the education world? I love the school environment. Getting to be in a learning environment is so fun, and it allows me to learn something new every single day. Furthermore, getting to interact with students is eye-opening, and it permits us all to see a glimpse into the future of our world.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have a wonderful family that has supported me all through my life. My immediate family consists of my parents, Dawn and Roger, and a younger brother, Slade, who will be a sophomore in college this coming fall. During my time in high school and college, I was an avid volleyball player. I had the most amazing team members that supported one another so fluidly. I really enjoy spending time outside with family and friends on the water, and I also love to read.
Brittany Lotzer Hometown: Spencer Newposition: Title I/district assessment coordinator Education: UW-Stout — bachelor’s degree in fine arts/graphic design with a minor in photography, American Board – elementary education certification Experience: I have been in the classroom since 2022 and was in fifth grade last year.
What do you enjoy about schools/what made you enter the education world? I love being able to make connections with students and being able to celebrate the little and big accomplishments that they make.
Tell us a little about yourself. My husband and I have three boys that all go to Spencer. Together with our dog, we enjoy camping, hiking and exploring new places.
Anything else you would like the community to know? I am just thrilled to be back at Spencer and excited to continue to grow all the connections with the students and families.
Bill Otte Hometown: Weyauwega New position and district: Middle/high
school principal Education: I have a degree in broad field social studies – history, earned in 1995 from Edgewood College in Madison. I earned my education administration degree in 2016 from Concordia University in Mequon.
Experience: I spent 25 years at Dodgeland School District, teaching middle school social studies.
What do you enjoy about schools/what made you enter the education world? I enjoy watching students learn and get a love for the material we are going over in class. I wanted students to know that history is not some boring events and dates that happened in the past, but actually interesting things that have shaped the world we live in.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. My wife, Pam, and I have been married for 29 years. We have four grown children: Trae (27), Tobin (25), Bekah (23), and Sy (21). We have also been blessed with two grandchildren: Easton (20 months) and Beckett (1 year old). My hobbies include family yard games, board games, walks, and bike/moped rides.
Anything else you would like the community to know? I was able to travel to Latvia and Lithuania as part of a travel basketball team during the summer of 1994.
Aaron Zenner Hometown: Spencer Newposition: Middle/high school social studies Education: I earned my bachelor of arts degree in history from UW-Madison. I also have a short-term substitute teacher license and am currently earning my broadfield social studies license through the CESA 9 Excellence in Teaching program.
Experience: After graduation, I spent time working in both sales and at a non-profit organization. In March 2023, I made the decision to enter the field of education as a high school special education paraprofessional here at Spencer. I was in that role for a little over a year until I received this opportunity.
What do you enjoy about schools/what made you enter the education world? All of the great teachers I had as a student are what motivated me to pursue education as a profession. I was privileged to have many great teachers at all levels and still have many positive memories of my time in school. I hope to inspire students the same way I was.
Tell us a little about yourself. My family has deep roots in Spencer and our school district. My grandfather, John, taught at Spencer for over two decades. My mother, Vicki, and father, Eric, both work for the school currently as well. Additionally, my sister, Ashley, and the majority of my immediate family graduated from our school district.
In my free time I enjoy watching and playing many sports like football, basketball, baseball and golf. I especially enjoy watching any Wisconsin sports teams. I’m passionate about classical music and music history, and I have been playing piano almost my entire life. I also have a variety of other interests, including chess and astronomy.
Anything else you would like the community to know? I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to make a positive impact on the community that helped shape me as a person. I want to encourage and empower families to be active in a student’s education, as I believe it improves our schools when everybody in the community is involved.
