Eighteen new staff members joined the Oxford school district to start the new year.
‘I think we have a great bunch that came in this year,? said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Nancy Latowski. ‘We have a wide variety of experience, some that are new to the profession that are going to be great and others who have had a number of years of experience. We’re very pleased with our new staff.?
High school
Oxford High School got the majority of the staff with 11 new hires.
Teaching special education will be Julie Beebe, Megan De-Nise and Colleen Ramsey.
Beebe has a B.S. in Family Studies from the University of Arizona, a Masters of Counseling from the University of Phoenix, and a Masters of Education from Grand Canyon University. She is certified in Special Education, Emotional Impairment, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Impairment. Beebe has worked as a therapist, a paraeducator and a special education teacher for Detroit Schools.
De-Nise has a Special Education major in Cognitively Impaired and Family Studies from Central Michigan University. She will also complete an Autism endorsement in 2015 from Oakland University. De-Nise has two years of teaching experience in Arizona and has served as the Response to Intervention paraprofessional for Oxford for the past year. Prior to that, she completed several long-term special education substitute positions at Oxford High School. She also served as the homebound teacher in 2014-15.
Ramsey has an English and Sociology degree from Saginaw Valley State University, as well as a Masters in the Art of Teaching with a minor in Special Education. She is highly qualified in English. Ramsey is certified in English and Learning Disabilities.
Teaching American Sign Language will be Kellie Davis.
Davis has a Bachelor degree from Michigan State University in Deaf Education and Language Arts, as well as additional credits in Technology and World Language. She has an Interpreting Degree and has worked as an interpreter for the deaf for many years. She has also worked as a Deaf Education teacher for nine years and an American Sign Language teacher for several years.
The English department welcomed Rene DeRyckere to the team.
DeRyckere has a Bachelor and a Master’s degree in English and Sociology from Oakland University. She has extensive classroom experience teaching advanced prep and writing courses. DeRyckere has also served as a student council advisor and has participated and led various after-school activities.
On the number side of things Dan Miller joined the Math department.
Miller has a Bachelor of Science degree from Grand Valley State University with a major in mathematics and a minor in psychology. He has two years of teaching experience as a mathematics teacher.
Joining the music department, Natalie Frakes has been charged with helping conduct the orchestra.
Frakes has a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from Wayne State University. She student taught at Berkley School District and has been highly involved as a strings teacher, a conductor and in civic youth symphony ensembles.
Shawn Hopkins was hired as the International Student Advisor.
Hopkins has a Bachelor of Arts from Spring Arbor University and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Oakland University. He has completed his School Counselors License, his Limited Licensed Practicing Counselor Certification and his National Certified Counselor Certification.
To help on the international side of things, Amy Lewan and Erynn Pauli were hired as District ELL (English Language Learners) ? English Immersion.
Lewan has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in history and an ESL endorsement from Oakland University. She also has a minor in music. Amy has taught English and then ESL for five years. She is also currently attending Oakland to gain a master’s degree in Linguistics.
Pauli has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oakland University with certification in English and ESL. She has teaching experience and has also served as a cheer coach. She will be sharing the district-wide ESL teacher role as well as teaching English Immersion classes at Oxford High School.
Meredith Zammit has also been hired as the district psychologist for OHS, Daniel Axford and Leonard.
Zammit has a Bachelor degree from the University of Michigan in Community Action and Social Change and a Masters in School and Community Psychology from Wayne State University. Meredith had some excellent internship experiences at Hawthorn Center, and Berkley Norup International School.
Middle school
Oxford Middle School got two new additions this year. James Berezney will conduct the orchestra.
Berezney has a Bachelor of Music Education from Michigan State University and a Masters of Music Performance from Boston University. He student taught at East Lansing Public Schools. He also served as an early childhood teacher at Brookline Music School in Brookline, MA.
Samantha Busch will also be teaching Spanish half time. Busch has a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University with a major in Spanish and a minor in English. She participated in several teaching abroad programs in Argentina and the Dominican Republic. Busch also served as a language acquisition teacher assistant at Romeo High School.
Elementary level
Qitao Ji and Xianqiong Deng will be teach Chinese. Ji will teach at Clear Lake and Deng at Oxford Elementary.
Ji has been serving her Chinese Foreign Language Teacher internship in Oxford through Oakland University for the past two years.
Deng has a Bachelor degree in Chinese Literature and Education from the China West Normal University and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of South Florida. She had six years of teaching experience in China, as well as completing student teaching in the U.S.
Also joining Clear Lake is Elizabeth Motzenbecker, who will be teaching Special Education for the Cognitively Impaired.
Motzenbecker has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Special Education with a minor in Reading. She is endorsed in Cognitive Impairments and Reading. Libby served as a student teacher in 2014-15 and also served in several long term substitute positions.
At Daniel Axford, Sarah Dieters joined the team as Developmental Kindergarten teacher.
Dieters has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Oakland University with majors in Language Arts and Integrated Science. She also served in a long term substitute position at Lakeville Elementary, as well as several other long term positions.
Last but not least, Laura Wilson will be teaching Art at OES, Lakeville and Leonard.
Wilson has a degree in graphic design from Savannah College of Art and Design, as well as having taken courses in advertising design, and education courses from the University of Michigan, Flint and Central Michigan University. Prior to teaching, she served as an art director, ad finisher and print production designer for advertising firms. She has taught at the elementary and junior high levels.