Sweet Home School District has 21 new licensed staff – principals, counselors and teachers – as this year begins. They include:
Courtney Murphy,
Oak Heights, Principal
Murphy, who grew up in Sweet Home and graduated from high school here, completed her bachelor’s degree at Western Oregon University and her master’s degree at Oregon State University. She is also a graduate of Sweet Home High School. She was a teacher/coach in Reynolds School District, an assistant principal/AD in the Oregon Trail School District and most recently a middle school principal in Sandy at Boring Middle School.
Rosemarie Clifford,
Hawthorne, third grade
Clifford completed a bachelor of arts degree in education at Western Oregon University. She worked part-time last year for North Marion School District and this will be her first full-time teaching position.
Molly Dorris
SHHS, Language Arts
Dorris earned a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of arts in education in June at Oregon State University. This is her first teaching assignment.
Kenna Feakin
Hawthorne, Fifth/Sixth grade
Feakin received her bachelor’s degree at Western Oregon University and her master of arts in teaching at Concordia University in Portland. This will be her first year as a teacher.
Kay George
SHHS, Language Arts
George completed her bachelor of science in humanities and master of arts in teaching degrees at Western Oregon University. She has several years of experience as an English teacher in the Salem-Keizer School District.
Lindsey Haggas
SHHS, PE/Health
Haggas completed her bache-lor’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado and master of science degree in education at Western Oregon University. She has 14 years of experience as a high school PE teacher in the Philomath School District.
Caroline Harn, Hawthorne
Basic Life Skills/Special Ed
Harn received her bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America and her master of science degree in special education at the University of Oregon. This will be her first teaching assignment.
Lillian Jackson, Hawthorne
Resource Room/Special Ed
Jackson completed her bache-lor’s degree and master of science degree in special education at Oregon State University. This will be Miss Jackson’s first year of teaching.
Matthew Mahr
SHHS, PE/Health
Mahr comes to Sweet Home from the Springfield School District, where he was a physical education teacher for five years. He completed a bachelor’s degree at Linfield College and a master of arts degree in teaching at Willamette University.
Luke Martin
SHJH, Math
Martin has experience teaching in China and Honduras. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Western Oregon University and his master of arts degree in teaching at Concordia University.
Michelle McCoy
Foster/Oak Heights
Title I Extended Kindergarten
McCoy graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor of arts degree in education. She has many years of teaching experience in Oregon.
Brandi McMahand
Foster, Resource Room/Special Ed
McMahand formerly worked for the district as a special education assistant and recently completed her bachelor of arts degree in special education at Governors University. This will be her first teaching assignment.
Meagen Medcalf, Oak Heights Third/Fourth Grade
Medcalf obtained her bachelor of science degree at Oregon State University and her master of arts degree in teaching degree at Willamette University. She was an elementary school teacher in Portland last year.
Tyll Parker, SHHS
Social Studies/Language Arts
Parker obtained his bachelor’s degree at San Francisco State University and over the years has had many jobs, including Air Force officer, restaurant manager, probation officer and assistant park ranger. For the last 14 years he taught high school social studies in the Siuslaw School District.
Dianna Plotts
SHHS, Spanish
Plotts graduated from Willamette University with a bachelor of arts degree and from Portland State University with a master of education degree. She taught in Ecuador and also taught several years in Tillamook School District.
Michael Rolph, SHHS
Basic Life Skills/Special Ed
Rolph completed his bachelor’s degree at Principia College in Illinois and his master of arts degree in teaching at Pacific University. He has several years of teaching experience.
Elizabeth Runciman
SHHS, Math
Runciman completed her bachelor’s degree at Smith College in Massachusetts and her master of science degree at Oregon State University. She has several years of teaching experience in California and Arizona.
Stefanie Steffensen,
Oak Heights, Kindergarten
Steffensen’s family recently moved to Sweet Home from Washington, where she recently completed her bachelor of arts degree at City University of Seattle. This will be her first teaching assignment.
Stefani Swenson,
Hawthorne/Holley, Counselor
Swenson graduated from Ore-gon State University with a bachelor of science degree and from Northwest Christian College with a master of arts degree. This will be her first job as a school counselor.
Joanne Wiitala
SHHS, Language Arts
Wiitala completed a bachelor of science degree at Warner Pacific College and a master of science degree at Portland State University. She worked in the David Douglas School District for 17 years, 12 years as a teacher and five as a counselor.