Minneota public and parochial schools have a combined eight new teachers for the upcoming school year.

8 new teachers begin at Minneota schools

Minneota public and parochial schools have a combined eight new teachers for the upcoming school year.
The public school has hired five new instructors for coming school year: Carolyn Bot, Bryce Jeppesen, Tiffany Johnson, Taylor Niska and Seraphim Surprenant.
"We are excited to welcome several new teachers to our school district for the 2021-22 school year," said Superintendent Dan Deitte. "We are extremely fortunate to have filled all of our positions with such high-quality staff, and I can know they will work hard to give our students the very best education possible."
New teachers at St. Edward's this year will be Maria Callens, Cayna Larson and Tanya Polfliet.
Those eight come from Minneota, Marshall, Foley, Sauk Rapids, Raymond, Dawson and Sleepy Eye.
School began this week in both buildings.The Mascot takes a look at each of the eight new teachers in Minneota for the 2021-22 school year.

Carolyn Bot
The Bot name has been a fixture at Minneota Public Schools for many years as Ruth Bot was a longtime Business teacher who retired following the last school year.
Carolyn, Ruth's daughter, was hired to be a high school special education instructor this year.
Carolyn graduated from Minneota High School in 2005 and then earned her Education degree from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD.
Prior to being hired at Minneota, she taught special education in Aberdeen, and more recently, at West Side Elementary in Marshall.
"I became a special education teacher because I wanted to help those that needed a voice," Bot said. "I wanted to be someone that a student could know would be willing to listen and share a smile. I wanted to make sure all students had the chance to succeed and the knowledge to continue to do so after their school years are over."
Bot lives in Minneota with her son, Lane, and daughter, Piper.

Maria Callens
Callens was hired to teach Music in grades K-8 at St. Edward's.
She grew up north of Minneota. She attended MNWest in the PSEO program for two years, graduating from Minneota in 2018. She earned an A.A.S. Liberal Arts Degree in 2018.
Callens will be graduating this December with a B.S. Degree in Music Education and a B.A. Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Southwest Minnesota State University.
This will be Callens’ first teaching position, although she has taught private piano lessons for six years.
"After I taught my first piano lesson when I was 15, I knew I wanted to become a teacher," she said. "I love to help a student work through something challenging, then see the student's face light up when they accomplish it.
"I want to help the students learn and succeed in their learning. I believe every child has a gift and I want to help them discover that gift and share it with others."
Callens is engaged to be married in June 2022.

Bryce Jeppesen
Jeppesen will be teaching high school Social Studies this year. The classes will be Social 8, Civics and Geography.
This is his second teaching job. Previously, he was at MATEC in Marshall for six years.
Jeppesen grew up in Sauk Rapids and graduated from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in 2011. He then went on to St. John's University in Collegeville, where he graduated in 2015.
"I decided to become a teacher to help serve a community and give back," said Jeppesen. "I enjoy pushing students to their maximum potential and helping them think in different ways."
Bryce and his wife, Alyssa, live in Marshall. Alyssa works for Horvath Funeral Services.

Tiffany Johnson
Johnson will be a PreK-12 Social Worker at Minneota Public School this year.
She has been working in an educational setting for 16 years, beginning in a level IV behavioral program in Belview and, most recently, working as a high school social worker for Dawson-Boyd Public Schools.
"My new position will allow me to work with both elementary and high school students," Johnson said. "I am excited to get to know the staff and students in Minneota."
Johnson grew up on a farm outside Raymond and graduated from MACCRAY High School in 2001. She then attended Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall and received a degree in Psychology and a minor in Special Education. She furthered her education at Augsburg College and received a Master of Social Work Degree. She also has a Post-Master's Certificate in school counseling from MSU, Moorhead.
"I knew early on in my life that I want to pursue a job that allowed me to work with children," she said. "I lost my father to cancer at a very young age and remember the school social worker in our district who supported my family during that time. This experience, paired with a passion for working with children, has led me to a career as a school social worker."
Johnson and her husband, Brett, have three children, Ella, Emerson and Hadley, who will be attending school at Minneota this year.

Cayna Larson
Larson will be assisting Mary Kamp, the preschool and kindergarten guide in the Children's House at St. Edward's this school year.
Larson grew up in the country outside Foley. She graduated from St. Anne's Homeschool in 2017 and is currently studying Pre-Physical Therapy at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
"I took a break years before I started college to work and to spend six months with the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mart in Mexico," she explained about currently being in college.
Larson, who is one of nine children, said she really enjoys working with children.
"I spent a week in Minneota this summer working with Mary to lead a Schoenstatt Girls Youth summer camp in the parish," said Larson. "We spent some time talking about her work with the kids and the Montessori method. I found it very intriguing and was excited to hear about the opening here."

Taylor Niska
Niska is the new elementary special education instructor at Minneota Public School.
She previously was an elementary special education teacher in Sauk Centre.
"I think my ability to adapt to student needs and passion for teaching makes me a good teacher," Niska said.
She grew up in Dawson and graduated there in 2016. She then went to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and earned a degree in Elementary Education with endorsements in reading and special education.
"I decided to become a teacher because I love to help students learn," she said, "and seeing the growth students can make in just one year."
Taylor and her husband, Garr currently live in Clarkfield.

Tanya Polfliet
Polfliet graduated from Marshall High School in 2008 and then attended Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. She earned an Elementary Education with Pre-Primary endorsement at SMSU.
Polfliet will be teaching first and second grades at St. Edward's School this year.
She previously was at Holy Redeemer School in Marshall where she taught pre-school for two years and assisted with pre-school for four years.
"I wanted to make a difference and I'd always enjoyed playing school and being the teacher growing up," said Polfliet, when asked why she wanted to become a teacher. "I enjoy being around children and still a kid at heart."
Polfliet is engaged to be married on Sept. 4 to Evan Doom.

Seraphim Surprenant
Surprenant grew up in Sleepy Eye and graduated from Sleepy Eye St. Mary's in 2015. She then attended college at the University of Minneota, Morris, graduating this past spring.
She will be teaching English for grades 6, 9 and 11 at the public school.
"I'm excited to be here," she exclaimed. "I have a family connection. My great-grandparents, Paul and Alma Van Keulen, lived and raised their children here."
Surprenant decided to become a school teacher after being influenced while in school.
"I had a lot of amazing teachers growing up," she said. "Mrs. Angie Novotny and Mr. Nick Mayhew were some of my biggest role models in high school. I want to follow their examples and help students grow in their education journeys, but also grow as people."

Contact Us

The Minneota Mascot
Address: 201 N. Jefferson
Minneota, MN 56264

Phone:(507) 872-6492