Meet the new teachers in the Fairfield school district

Students will return to class on Aug. 23 in the Fairfield Community School District. Awaiting them will be a number of new faces, teachers who have just joined the district and are eager to meet their pupils.

To get to know these teachers better, the Southeast Iowa Union is publishing a short biography of each one.

Raven Earnest

Middle school English language arts sixth grade

Raven lives in Hedrick, but is originally from the Quad Cities. She attended Rock Island High School in Illinois, Indian Hills Community College and Buena Vista University.

Her favorite subjects in school were reading, because she loved the adventures in books, and science. As a child she read, swam and played basketball in her spare time, and she still enjoys reading. Her love in helping children learn and grow to be successful inspired her to become a teacher. She worked as an associate in the district before becoming a teacher.

Tina Townsend

Washington Elementary Principal

Tina received a bachelor’s degree from Northeast Missouri State University in early childhood education, a master’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University in educational leadership, and a specialist degree from William Woods University.

For the past three years, she has served in the Lexington R-V School District, in Lexington, Missouri, as elementary principal of Leslie Bell School and director of the early childhood center. Previously, she served as elementary principal in the Schuyler Co. R- I School District for three years. She also served the Gorin R-III K ——Eighth School District as district administrator for eight years.

Before moving into administration, she taught in the district at the preschool, kindergarten, first grade, and summer school at multiple levels. She worked for the First Judicial Circuit of Missouri in Scotland, Schuyler and Clark Counties as a victim advocate for one year.

She and her husband, Kirk, are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. They have two grown children. Tina is working on her master’s degree in marketing from the University of Central Missouri.

“I am looking forward to meeting you all and cannot wait for the start of the new school year,” Tina said.

Meshari Alnouri

High school career and technical education

Meshari Alnouri is new to the Fairfield area. He comes to us from Rochester, New York. He will be the new CTE teacher, teaching woods, metals, computer science principles and engineering classes.

He attended Corcoran High School in Syracuse, New York, and attended the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego.

His current hobbies include picture frame design, SCUBA diving, cooking, hiking and mountain climbing.

Ellen Kay

Washington Elementary first grade

Ellen was born in Keokuk and attended Northeast Missouri State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

After retiring from teaching in Missouri, she worked for the Department of Social Services in Northeast Missouri, working with children and families. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her fur baby, Bandit. She enjoys reading and traveling when time allows.

Lacey Dickey

High school at-risk coordinator

Lacey grew up in Hedrick and attended Pekin High School. She attended the University of Iowa, receiving her masters in social work.

Her hobbies include her kids’ sporting events, yard work and cooking.

Chad LaRue

High school special education

Chad grew up in Ottumwa. He attended Buena Vista University, then Iowa State University where he earned his administration degree.

He has been teaching 16 years in special education and business. He and his wife of 28 years, Cindy, have four children and three grandchildren. He enjoys fishing, coaching and watching baseball.

He is excited to join the Fairfield Community School District and is looking forward to the upcoming school year.

David Atwood

Middle school eighth-grade math

David will be teaching eighth-grade math and eighth-grade algebra this year at Fairfield Middle School. He lives in Keosauqua and has lived in Van Buren County for the last 33 years.

He went to school in Lamoni and Eagleville, Missouri. After high school, he joined the Marines for four years and took classes at several different colleges in California and Japan. He finished his last two years of college at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, and earned a master’s degree in secondary administration at Drake.

He enjoys basketball, running, hunting, fishing, gardening, hiking and climbing mountains. He also enjoys time with his four granddaughters.

He and his wife Marcie have been married for 37 years and have four kids and four granddaughters.

Bud Blakely

Middle school special education

Bud Blakely is from Richland, where he attended Pekin schools. He graduated from Indian Hills Community College. His favorite subjects in school were history and P.E.

His favorite activities as a child were sports, hunting and farming. He now enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and farming.

Justin Messer

Middle school title math

Justin is returning to the Fairfield School District to teach at the middle school. He was born in California and raised in Fairfield, graduating from Fairfield High School and continued his education at Kirkwood and Buena Vista.

His favorite subjects in school were reading and math. His current hobbies include leatherworking, crafting, video games and digital art. Justin was named the Fairfield Teacher of Year during the 2016-17 school year.

Mallory Mahon

Middle school band teacher

Mallory graduated from Winnebago High School in Winnebago, Illinois. She graduated from Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri, with a degree in instrumental music.

She plays the French horn and trumpet. She enjoys running, hiking and spending time with her husband and two children.

Sara Polk

Middle school English language arts

Sara grew up in Pella and graduated from Central College with a degree in elementary education.

Last year, she was a long-term substitute teacher at Fairfield Middle Scholl as the sixth-grade language arts teacher, and is returning to the district this year as the middle school English language arts teacher.

Sara enjoys reading, sports, working out and board games with her husband.

Alexys Forman

Pence Elementary third grade

Alexys is a first-year teacher from Belvidere, Illinois.

She attended Coe College. She discovered her love of teaching from spending time in her mother’s classroom.

Her hobbies include painting, softball, hiking and a green thumb.

Morgan Miller

Middle school media specialist

Morgan graduated from Fairfield High School and went on to Simpson College and Simmons College. Her hobbies include reading, home renovations and traveling with her family.

Hannah Ball

High school band director

Hannah graduated from South Tama High School and Simpson College. She lives in Washington with her husband. Her hobbies include reading, playing the clarinet, disc golf, thrift shopping and watching basketball.

Hilarie LaPoint

Middle school art

Hilarie is from Ottumwa and played softball for Indian Hills Community College and Iowa Wesleyan. She graduated from Iowa Wesleyan with an exercise science degree and then she earned a teaching degree.

She lives in Ottumwa with her two boys. Her hobbies include running, strength training, reading, traveling and spending time with her family.

Hannah Sturm

Pence Elementary special education

Hannah graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School. She graduated from Culver-Stockton College with a degree in Early Childhood Education and from Northwest Missouri State University with a master’s of special education.

Her hobbies include reading, working out, cooking and spending time with her family.

Addison Westercamp

Middle school PE

Addison is from Bloomfield and graduated from Moulton-Udell schools and Iowa Wesleyan College, where she played softball.

She completed her student teaching in Fairfield at the elementary level. Her hobbies include softball, volleyball and basketball.

Alba Anderson

Middle school English language arts

Alba graduated from Ottumwa High School, Indian Hills Community College and the University of Iowa. She lives in Ottumwa with her husband and two children.

Shelbee Richards

Pence Elementary third grade

Shelbee is returning to the district to teach third grade at Pence. She lives in Fairfield with her husband and three children.

Elizabeth Dague

Middle school English language arts

Elizabeth graduated from Colfax-Mingo High School and the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English education and a master’s in English. She will be teaching English and language arts at the middle school this fall.

Sara LeBlanc

Pence Elementary guidance counselor

Sara was born and raised in Henry County and graduated from Western Illinois University. She earned a master’s of school counseling from Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. She taught and counseled in the Middle East and Africa before returning to Mt. Pleasant in 2009.

Her hobbies include traveling, reading, hiking and spending time with her family.

Heather Gooden

Washington Elementary first grade

Heather graduated from high school at Davis County in Bloomfield. She then graduated from Buena Vista University.

Jenn Martin

Washington Elementary Title I Reading

Jenn attended Oskaloosa High School and graduated from William Penn University. She enjoys puzzle games and her grandchildren.