The Duneland School Corporation honored retiring teachers and support staff this past Wednesday at a special reception celebration at its Administration Center.
Retiring Duneland teachers and support staff will have a combined total of 276 years of service at the end of this school year. The following retirees wishing to be honored were:
Crystal Callaway – BA 3rd Grade Teacher (28 years)
Crystal earned her undergraduate degree from Ball State and her graduate degree from Indiana University. Crystal actually began her career at Duneland Schools as an aide in 1990. In 1995, she was hired as a teacher at Bailly and has taught there for the last 23 years.
Lou Ann Hopson – BR PE Teacher (39 years)
Lou Ann earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana State and her graduate degree from Indiana University Northwest. She began her teaching career at Chesterton High School in 1988. She remained there for 11 years before going to Brummitt in 2000 where she has taught for the last 19 years.
Beth Janes - LES 2nd Grade Teacher (19 years)
Beth earned her graduate degree from Purdue North Central and her undergraduate degree from Indiana University. Before coming to Duneland, Beth worked for 10 years for Michigan City Schools. She also worked as a Duneland Schools substitute before securing a teaching position in 1999. She has spent all 19 years at Liberty Elementary.
Natalie Loden – LIS Art Teacher (16 years)
Natalie earned her graduate degree from Ball State University and her undergraduate degree from Purdue North Central. Prior to coming to Duneland, she worked for one year as an extended-day kindergarten teacher at School City of Hobart and one year at Porter Twp. Schools as an art teacher. Natalie began her career at Duneland Schools in 2002. She has been an art teacher at Liberty Intermediate for 16 years.
Darlene Manuzzi – IMC Technology Asset Controller (35 years)
Darlene began her career at Duneland as an Audio Visual Secretary at the Instructional Materials Center in 1982. Later she graduated from Ivy Tech with a degree in Digital Computer Electronics. In 1993, she became the Supervisor of Technology. Last year she became the Technology Asset Controller. She will retire with 35 years of service. She plans to travel, spend time with grandchildren and volunteer in the community.
Laurie Norris – LES 2nd Grade Teacher (41 years)
Laurie earned her graduate degree from Purdue North Central and her undergraduate degree from Ball State. Prior to becoming a teacher at Duneland, Laurie did her student teaching at Bailly Elementary and Westchester Middle School Media Center. She began her teaching career in 1977 at Liberty Elementary where she has remained for 41 years. For a time she was the CHS JV girls’ tennis coach. She has been a mentor to beginning teachers, and the level coordinator for the second grade at LES.
Dinah Pethes – LES 4th Grade Teacher (21 years)
Dinah earned her graduate degree from Purdue University and her undergraduate degree from Calumet College of St. Joseph. Dinah earned her teaching certificate in England in the early seventies and taught for five years before coming to the US and earning her teaching degree. Dinah was a student teacher, a substitute teacher and tech aide with Duneland Schools prior to securing a permanent teaching position at Liberty Elementary where she has taught for 21 years.
Mike Scheiber – CHS Music Teacher (25 years)
Michael received his graduate degree in Music at VanderCook College of Music and his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University. Prior to coming to Duneland Schools, Mike worked for Warsaw Community Schools for three years. Mike began his career at Duneland in 1993. He has been the Director of Bands as well as the CHS Music Dept. chairperson.
Cathy Seely – CMS Guidance Secretary (17 years)
Cathy began her career at Duneland Schools as a substitute in Food Services in 2000. In 2001, Cathy transferred to CMS as the school’s receptionist. In Feb. of 2003 she transitioned to the Guidance Dept.
After retiring, Cathy plans to spend more time with her grandchildren, do some regional traveling and enjoy reading.
Jeff Van Drie - CHS Principal (14 years)
Jeff earned an Educational Specialist degree from Indiana State University, his graduate degree from IU and his undergraduate from Hillsdale College in Michigan. He began his teaching career in 1979. Between 1979 and 1991 he had various teaching positions many that were outside of the United States. He returned to the US in 1991 and worked for Wawasee Community Schools for eight years before heading to the River Forest School System where he served as an assistant principal for three years and principal for two. He came to Duneland in 2005. He worked as an assistant principal for nine years and has been the high school principal since 2013.
Gayle Vogan – YO Media Secretary (21 years)
Gayle began her career at Duneland as a playground and lunch aide at Yost Elementary. In 1997, she transitioned to media secretary at Yost. At the end of this school year, she will have completed 21 years of service as the media secretary. Gayle plans to travel, spend time with her grandchildren, start projects and actually finish them, and just plans do something fun and exciting every day.