Meet Your Teachers!
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In case you have never met some of our teachers, here is a chance to know them a little better. Though it would be impossible to fill you in on everything your teachers do, how much they care for students, and what they are passionate about, here is a sneak peak, along with each teacher's web page link!
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Elementary Teaching Staff
Mr. Trudeau graduated from Norway High School, and went to NMU for his Elem Ed degree. Mr T also has a master's degree in k-6 reading and literacy. He has been teaching here for 15 years. He currently teaches 4th grade, but has taught many grade levels. Mr. T is the morning supervisor in the breakfast room, has been on the school’s tech committee for the past few years and coaches high school boys track. Mr. Trudeau is also one of the leaders for the walk to school/safe routes to school team.
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Mrs. Kelly is starting her 7th year here at Norway, though she has been involved much longer through her coaching. Mrs. Kelly teaches Physical Education and Health for EK-4th grade and also teaches PE to the 5th and 6th graders. Mrs Kelly coaches varsity track and varsity girls basketball. She and Mr. Kangas (JV coach) spend countless hours in the gym helping these girls become the best! Mrs. Kelly also does a lot with the Pe-NUT ED program for k, 2nd and 4th grades and is one of the leaders for Walk- To-School Wednesdays. Mrs. Kelly also oversees the online students.
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Mrs. Miller is one of the 2nd grade teachers at Norway Elementary. She graduated from NMU, spent six years teaching in Green Bay, and has lived in the area ever since. She has two kids, both currently in college. Her son is an english/history major, her daughter is studying to become a veterinarian surgeon and cheers for the Green Bay Packers. Mrs. Miller has spent much of her own time helping the Norway Cheer Team and is the Norway Cheer coach.
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Mr. Langin is one of the 3rd grade teachers in Norway Elementary! He has worked hard along with all the other teachers to incorporate technology into his classroom. Check out his student autobiography units on his weebly page if you get a chance! Mr. Langin also coaches cross country, and is the morning middle school playground supervisor. He is married and has two boys, ages 2 and 4. In addition to all the great things Mr. Langin does at school, he is building a house to keep busy.
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Welcome to 3rd Grade! I'm Mrs. Backlund and I love teaching. I like to read and take long walks. During the summer I like to bike, backpack, camp and kayak. In the winter I x-country ski, skate and knit. My favorite place is Lake Superior. I look forward to a fun and exciting year.
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Mrs. Sword is the Special Education Teacher in the Elementary School. She has been teaching for 23 years, is a part of the School Improvement Team and the District School Improvement team. Mrs. Sword is also a member of the Upper Peninsula Autism Network (UPAN) and also attends Student Assistant Team (SAT) meetings. Mrs. Sword strongly believes in teaching to the individual needs of her students, and differentiates instruction to meet the needs of each student in her room.
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Mr. Gallino teaches second grade at Norway Elementary School. This is his fifth year teaching and is very excited to be back in the classroom. Before teaching, Mr.Gallino worked at Verso Paper. He also owns a construction business installing seamless aluminum gutters. Mr. Gallino also coaches JV boy’s basketball. He enjoys going to camp, sports and spending time with his family.
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Ms. Barthels is starting her 26th year at NVAS; 21 years have been spent in first grade. Her favorite thing about being a teacher is teaching her students how to read. Ms. Barthels comes in early every day to prep for her classes and works hard to have effective lessons to help those first graders learn to read and much more! Ms. Barthels also spends time planning activities to have her class involved with the community and their families. Be on the lookout for some special crafts around the holidays! When she is not in school, she enjoys traveling, reading, shopping and spending time with her family and friends.
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Mrs. Conery graduated from Niagara Public Schools and then went on to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to pursue her education degree. She majored in Elementary Education and minored in Human Development. Upon graduating, she worked here at NVAS as a first grade title one teacher's aide and substitute teacher. Her husband is from Norway and is an NVAS graduate. Teaching is Mrs. Conery's passion, and she knew at an early age that she would become an elementary teacher. In her spare time, she enjoys: spending time with her family and friends, traveling, attending concerts, and crafting. |
Mrs. Dahlman is the k-12 art teacher, and 5/6 LD teacher. She also is the leader of high school, and middle school art club, creates the k-8 yearbook,coaches middle school track, is the 5th/6th grade lunch/recess supervisor, volunteers for the Isle Royale Education Program, manages the NVAS web-page, is on the technology committee, oversees the online students, and has created school and community murals with her students. In her spare time, she volunteers at an area bible camp as a lifeguard/waterfront manager, spends time outdoors and with friends and family! Mrs. Dahlman LOVES to challenge students and help them to become deep, creative thinkers and problems solvers!
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Mrs. DeBakker received a bachelors degree in Elementary education from Northern Michigan University. For the past twelve years, she has been teaching Head Start. She and her husband Scott are originally from Norway and they have a son, Landon. They all enjoy the outdoors; hunting, fishing, and many other activities. She am excited to be teaching at Norway Elementary and looks forward to working with your children.
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Mrs. Lasater has been teaching kindergarten since 1993! She loves school sporting events, and is a member of many school and ISD committees. She is a graduate of Norway High School and St. Norbert College. She lives in Norway with her husband and they have two children, Jada and Parker. Jada is in college, Parker in high school. Mrs. Lasater loves children and teaching and is looking forward to a productive school year!
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Ms. Paul graduated from Norway High School, and NMU, she has a double minor in social studies and science and a master's degree in reading and literacy. She has two children, Callie and Colton, and lives in Norway with her shih-tzu, Sammy. Ms. Paul enjoys swimming, skiing, biking, and many other things with her family. She loves running, planting flowers, kayaking and watching her kids participate in religious and athletic events. She is passionate about reading and writing and looks forward to making the year memorable for your children! Ms. Paul also does many extras, including helping with programs, doing after-school tutoring and helping with reading olympics.
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Mrs. Seat enjoys first grade because reading is the key to academic success and life success. She teaches summer school, attends athletic events, works in the concession stand and takes tickets at events. She has spent several years on the school improvement team and is the manager of the school store. She enjoys running and participating in community race events. Mrs. Seat is a great teacher and is especially excellent at teaching students how to read! She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. They enjoy going to sporting events, camping, biking, and golfing.
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Middle School Teaching Staff
Mrs. Delong is one of the 5ht and 6th grade reading and language arts teachers. She is also on the School Improvement Team, and is available in her room before and after school for tutoring. Mrs. Delong graduated from NMU in 1992 and finished her master’s degree with a reading focus in 2001. Mrs. Delong has been teaching for over 20 years, and has lived in the U.P. her entire life. She loves spending time outdoors with her husband, kayaking, fishing, and reading. Mrs. Delong is very caring and compassionate she does her best to reach and teach each student, molding them to be great students and positive leaders in their school and community.
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Teaching children has been one of the favorite parts of my life. I have been a teacher since 1983 and even when I found myself away from the school I kept myself busy with activities that were child focused. I run a Christian childcare center and preschool in the afternoons and I spend my mornings now, teaching middle school social studies. Once a week I teach GED classes with NWTC. I have three wonderful children, four amazing grandchildren and many many pets. I am very involved with my church and I have a passion for mission work. I believe that every student and parent should have a chance to show what great things they can do with their life, no matter what the struggles of their past were.
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Mr. Johnson is the middle school LD teacher. He works closely with the students to help them all do their best and become better in their subject areas. Mr. Johnson provides a lot of encouragement and works to help motivate the students to learn.
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Mr. Kangas graduated from NMU and has been teaching since 1987. He teaches 7th and 8th grade math and high school algebra. He comes to school early every morning offering to help students with homework. Mr. Kangas is an excellent teacher and has spent his time teaching devoted to the students and helping them learn and understand difficult math concepts. Mr. K enjoys watching and participating in athletics and coaches JV Girls Basketball and Jr High Track. He volunteers for the Isle Royale Education Program and many other school tasks with the middle school. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
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Mrs. Michaud graduated from Kingsford High School and NMU. She has a Bachelor's in Elementary Education with a Major in Mathematics. She has been teaching at Norway since 1985. She teaches in the 5th and 6th grade. She expects a lot from her students and works hard to help them succeed! She is married, and has two stepsons and two children. Mrs. Michaud enjoys spending time with her family, baking and is an avid sports fan!
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Mrs. Witter is one of the 5th/6th grade teachers. She is also on the school improvement team, working to improve the quality of learning for students in our school. Mrs. Witter is the grade level supervisor for the Safety Patrol program, helping students to begin to demonstrate leadership skills and understand the importance of public service. She also is the advisor for the 5th and 6th grade Reading Olympics. She is the 5th and 6th grade representative for the P.T.O, and has her room open before school for tutoring to 5th and 6th grade students. Mrs. Witter has also organized the School Resource Trooper program, where trooper Geno visited monthly to discuss safety issues. She also has her class team up with “little buddies” to be mentors to younger students in the school. Again she is promoting leadership and improving self confidence and esteem in our students!
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Mrs. Raboin teaches math and science at the 5th and 6th grade level. Mrs. Raboin has done some amazing projects with the science fair and her science and math programs. She also manages the middle school after-school tutoring for most of the year. She graduated from NMU and has been teaching in Norway since 1990. She has been married for 24 years and has 3 kids, 1 grandchild. Each year Mrs. Raboin and her family go on a missions trip to Mexico, helping with an eye clinic.
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Mrs. Gustafson is a English and PE teacher at Vulcan Middle School. She graduated from Western Michigan University and earned her Masters in Education from Marygrove College. Mrs. Gustafson grew up in Livonia, a suburb of Detroit, and has been teaching there for 15 years. She was also a soccer, basketball, and track coach and she hopes to coach in Norway in the future. Mrs. Gustafson is married and has four children that keep her busy. In her free time she enjoys, swimming, biking, kayaking, reading and crafting. Mrs. Gustafson and her family are excited to be a part of the Norway community!
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High School Teaching Staff
Mrs. Celello is starting out her 16th year at NVAS, and teaches middle school and high school English and social studies classes. She is also the freshmen class advisor. Along with teaching, Mrs. Celello is a a partner in NorthSide Noodle Co., a pasta and Italian meats factory (Mrs. Myllyla is a partner, as well). During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, and traveling.
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Mr. Leiker is a high school math and science teacher at Norway. He teaches calculus, chemistry, and Alg 2, and visual basic. Mr. Leiker coaches 8th grade girls basketball, varsity boy’s basketball, and high school golf. Mr. Leiker also enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hunting, and fishing.
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Mr. Madigan is another high school math and science teacher. He teaches geometry, physics, chemistry, and pre-calc. Mr. Madigan is also the varsity football coach. He spends a lot of extra time challenging athletes and students to become the best they can be.
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Mr. Martell teaches high school biology, anatomy & physiology, and environmental science. In the middle school, he teaches chemistry and biology of the physical world, and earth science. He is coaching with the JV football program and coaches the Bioathlon team. Mr. Martell holds his students to a high standard, helping them prepare for any after high school schooling. He does his best to help students find learning styles that best fit each of them and provide guidance to help students meet his high standards.
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Mrs. Berndt is originally from Milwaukee. She has a Bachelor degree in English and Secondary Education, and has a master's degree in Library and Information Science. Mrs. Berndt and her family moved to the U.P. 24 years ago to raise their family. They have three boys. Mrs. Berndt enjoys reading, swimming, cooking and spending time with her family. In addition to teaching English 10 &11, she is the senior class advisor, drama club advisor, and Reading Olympic Coordinator.
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Mrs. Leiker is passionate about technology in education. She teaches technology and multimedia courses in the high school and elementary tech education. She coaches the high school cheerleading team and has even judged a state championship for Division 1. She teaches graduate classes for Louisiana Tech and does some volunteer teaching tech to adults and speaking engagements on technology in education. She is the Key Club & Yearbook adviser at NHS. She loves to water-ski and snow ski with her family. She also enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, and has even been sky diving! She is huge Green Bay Packers fan who attended Super Bowl XLV! She is very excited to be teaching at Norway-Vulcan Area Schools.
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Mrs. Robitaille teaches high school Spanish, levels 1-4. She is passionate about giving her students another tool to communicate with a broader audience. In her classroom, students call her "Maestra", pronounced "mah-eh-strah" or "my-strah" to make it more simplified. Her end goal for her students is that they would ultimately have the confidence to speak Spanish with other language learners as well as native speakers, realizing that everyone makes mistakes and it's more about the effort than the struggle. Maestra is a very enthusiastic teacher and she loves the opportunity she has to both challenge her students intellectually and empower them socially through the vehicle of Spanish. Outside of school she is active in her local church in Escanaba, enjoys time outdoors, and this year is working as a MHSAA cheer judge.
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Mrs. Beyer is a paraprofessional at the Norway High School. Her husband's name is Dave. They have two children - Kristen (Zack) and Neil and four adorable grandchildren - Tyler, Addison, Finley, and Charley. She has been an employee of the Norway-Vulcan Area School for 20 years. She works in the resource room helping students in grades 9-12 with their studies. Mrs. Beyer is also the advisor for the Norway High School Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). YAC is a student led community service organization that is affiliated with the Norway Area Community Foundation (NACF) and the Dickinson Area Community Foundation (DACF)
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Mr. Sullivan Teaches high school Physical Education.
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Ms. Pollard teaches 7th and 8th grade science, and is most famously known for her excellence in teaching her foods and life skills classes. Ms. Pollard devotes countless hours preparing delicious meals for many dinners and banquettes for staff, athletes, students, and community organizations. She works closely with her students and medical staff to put on a very successful blood drive each year! She is very involved in the community and with her church. It is almost certain that if someone is at the school working long hours it is Ms. Pollard, she sure loves her students and community and is always doing her best for them.
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Ms. Ware teaches K-12 instrumental and vocal music at Norway-Vulcan Area Schools. She grew up downstate and earned her teaching degree at Adrian College before moving here to Norway. Ms. Ware enjoys the unique challenges of teaching at the elementary, middle school, and high school level every single day. Her favorite part of teaching, however, is building strong connections with students and watching them work as a team to create beautiful music.
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Mrs. Lefebvre is the high school guidance counselor and teaches algebra two and a middle school pre-algebra class. Mrs. Lefebvre has taught at Norway High School since 1997. She is involved with local youth sports and serves as the Secretary of the Central UP Youth Football League and is the Vice President of the Iron Mountain North Area Little League. She and her husband have two sons, one a lineman and another in high school.
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Mrs. Myllyla teaches high school english and coaches the NHS High-Q team, the NHS High School Bowl team, and is the Sophomore class advisor. Mrs. Myllyla graduated from Kingsford High School, and NMU. Mrs. Myllyla was able to get a job at Norway right after finishing student teaching at Iron Mountain High school, and has been here for over 20 years. She also has a master's in english. She enjoys reading, golfing, gardening, watching movies, playing piano, going to Packer games and spending time with her husband and two kids. Mrs. Myllyla has also been working to incorporate technology into her program, as all the other teachers, and has presented at UP MACUL sharing her experiences with other teachers.
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Mrs. Popp is currently the high school special education teacher at Norway High school, she previously taught in Pembine, WI as their special education teacher. Mrs. Popp dedicates a lot of her time developing respectful relationships with her students and is able to motivate them to meet her high expectations. She does an outstanding job! She and her husband have two kids, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. In her free time, she loves watching sporting events, spending time at camp and hanging out with family and friends. She works to find the best ways for her students to be successful in the classroom!
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