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West Branch welcomes 10 new school staff
News · August 21, 2024
West Branch Community School District welcomed 10 new staff members to the district at orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Here’s a little about each of them:
• Kara Betts of West Branch will teach seventh-grade language arts, ninth-grade English, and journalism at West Branch schools.
Betts graduated from Iowa State University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in English and education.
Prior to coming to West Branch, Betts taught English and language arts to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grader at Lone Tree Community Schools.
She also was the high school yearbook teacher, directed plays/musicals and assisted with speech competition.
She said she was drawn to West Branch because it is her fiance’s hometown.
“I’m so excited to start teaching in the West Branch Community School District!” she said.
If you really want to get her talking, bring up Iowa State football or books.
• Amber Bridge of North Liberty will teach seventh- and eighth-grade science.
She and husband Bob Smith have two daughters, ages 5 and 7.
Bridge has a master’s degree in collaborative teaching and learning from Graceland University, as well as degrees from Western Illinois University and the University of Iowa.
Bridge worked as an eighth-grade science teacher at Mid-Prairie Middle School and as a Digital Learning Consultant at Grant Wood AEA prior to coming to West Branch.
“During my time at Grant Wood AEA, every interaction I had with West Branch was positive and I could see that West Branch Schools makes positive decisions for their students,” she said. “It was very easy to see that West Branch is a great place to be.”
• Liz Banks joins the West Branch School District as the fifth- and sixth-grade general music teacher and district substitute.
Banks lives in West Branch with husband Ryan and their son Ethan.
She graduated from Brigham Young University, Idaho, in 2023 with a degree in music education. This will be her first year as a teacher.
Banks said she was drawn to West Branch because of the small-town community feeling. In addition, her husband is attending graduate school at the University of Iowa.
If you really want to get her talking, bring up anything musical, “or anything, really! I love to talk.”
• Stacie Dale of West Branch will teach sixth-grade language arts and social studies at West Branch Middle School.
She and husband Eric have two children, Ashlynn and Brennen.
Dale earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Doane College in 1995, and a master’s degree from Graceland University in 2005.
She taught at Harding Middle School in Cedar Rapids for 26 years prior to coming to West Branch.
Dale’s son transferred to WBHS last year and will be a junior this year. “We followed him!” she said. “We love the ‘family feel’ of this community.”
If you really want to get her talking, bring up travel, food, or pets.
• Kathy Dix of Iowa City will teach biology, earth science and environmental science at the high school.
Dix earned a bachelor’s degree in Geoscience from the University of Iowa in 2021. In 2022, she decided to go back to school to become a teacher, earning a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Iowa earlier this year.
Prior to coming to West Branch schools, she worked with Iowa City Parks and Recreation.
“I really enjoy being a part of a community and feeling that small community connection,” Dix said. “I saw that when I interviewed here and decided to accept the position.”
If you really want to get her talking, bring up board games, crochet or fantasy books.
• Annabelle Luke of West Branch joins the West Branch School District as a first-grade teacher.
She graduated from the University of Iowa in December 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Luke did her student teaching with Mrs. VanGinkel’s kindergarten class and was a substitute teacher for grades EK-sixth grade in West Branch during the spring 2023 semester.
She taught third grade at Westfield Elementary in the Linn-Mar School District last year.
She said she fell in love with West Branch while student teaching and substitute teaching here.
“Everyone is so kind and welcoming. The staff at school make work not feel like work!”
If you really want to get her talking, bring up her cat.
“I have a 17-pound cat named Pepper. She is like a child to me, my fur baby!”
• Joyann Maske of Iowa City will be a special education teacher in the district this year.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in history education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2019 and is currently working on a master’s degree in special education at Morningside University.
Prior to coming to West Branch, Maske was teaching middle school special education in Correctionville, near Sioux City.
She said she was drawn to West Branch because she lived in the Iowa City area most of her life and because her grandfather graduated from WBHS in 1956.
• Christina Reynolds of Iowa City will teach special education and learning support at the high school.
She and husband John have two children, Lilly and Eva.
Reynolds earned a master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1995.
Prior to coming to West Branch, she was a learning support teacher at City High in Iowa City for 29 years.
Reynolds said she was drawn to West Branch because it is a smaller community. She said she was ready for a change and wanted to try something new.
If you want to get her talking, bring up thrift stores, health foods or house projects such as renovations and restorations.
• Lauren Ward of Coralville will teach special education classes for students in the middle school.
She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Ward taught in Marshalltown prior to coming to West Branch.
Ward said she was drawn to West Branch because of the community bonds and welcoming environment.
If you really want to get her talking, bring up dogs, competitive swimming, or Iowa Hawkeye football.
• Colby Vos of West Branch will teach social studies at the high school.
He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in social studies education and history.
Vos served in the United States Army as a signals intelligence analyst prior to attending college. While at the UI, he worked at Sherwin-Williams.
“I love the small town, community feel” of West Branch, he said. “I really enjoy seeing what the students do outside of school. The staff and administration across all the buildings are all great, super-welcoming and friendly.”
If you want to get him talking, bring up books, the Denver Broncos, or the Atlanta Braves.
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