Arlee welcomes new teachers
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ARLEE — Arlee School District has nine new educators this year.
Tricia DesJarlais is the elementary teacher/librarian for the Arlee School District. She was born and raised in Ronan, but has also lived in Helena. She taught special education and elementary students in Washington, Florida, and Seeley Lake.
DesJarlais holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and elementary education from Montana State University in Billings. She received her master’s degree in library science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
DesJarlais has a son who will enter seventh grade this year. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, baking, visiting her brother in Florida, playing sports, watching football, hanging out at the lake, and reading.
She said her favorite thing about teaching is “watching a student have an ‘ah-ha’ moment. There is no better feeling than learning something new or finally getting that silly math problem that was eluding you but watching it happen for a young person is even better.”
Ashley Gaumer is the English teacher at Arlee High School. Gaumer is from Missoula and graduated from the University of Montana. She enjoys triathalons, football and reading. Her favorite aspect of teaching is getting to know the students and watching them succeed.
Amanda Kase will be the special education teacher and assistant volleyball coach at Arlee High School. Kase grew up in Havre and attended Montana State University. Kase previously taught and coached cheerleading in Lewistown.
Kase married last month. She has a 13-year-old stepdaughter who lives in Nebraska. Her parents live in Belgrade.
She enjoys spending time with her family, her husband, traveling, camping, reading and reality television. Kase said her favorite aspect of teaching is “working with students and giving them the extra support they need to reach their full potential.”
Rebecca Pershouse Olson is the music teacher for all grades in the Arlee District. Pershouse Olson grew up in Missoula and still commutes. This is her first teaching assignment after completing her student teaching for the Missoula County Public School District. She graduated from Sentinel High School in Missoula and the University of Montana.
She married her high school sweetheart during the summer.
Olson enjoys music, her dog Niko, reading, and going to the movies. Her favorite aspect of teaching is playing music with her students.
Melissa Zachariasen is the new kindergarten teacher at Arlee Elementary School. She grew up in Missoula, then moved to Lame Deer where she taught for three years. Zachariasen is a graduate of Hellgate High School and the University of Montana.
Zachariasen is married to her husband Steve. She has three stepchildren.
When she is not teaching Zachariasen loves to garden and camp. She loves working with kids all day and helping them learn what is really important in life.
Sarah Stubbs teaches sophomores and journalism. She previously taught in the Czech Republic and subbed in the Missoula County Public Schools. She graduated from the University of Montana. She has three brothers and a sister.
Stubbs enjoys sports, camping, shopping, reading, friends, and teaching.
Her favorite aspect of teaching is her students.
“I have the best kids,” she said.
April Marzolf is the sixth grade teacher for Arlee Elementary. She grew up in Minnesota. This is her 16th year of teaching. She spent 12 years in Ronan, was a math specialist in Great Falls, taught elementary students at Cascade Hutterite Colony and taught junior high students at Simms.
She graduated from Duluth East and Concordia College — Moorehead.
Marzolf is married with two kids, Autumn and Teigan.
She enjoys fitness, hunting, laughing and spending time with family.
Her favorite aspect of teaching is sharing the love and excitement of learning with her students and watching their eyes light up when they grasp a concept.
Rhonda Kinney is the new YES Program teacher at Arlee High School. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She has taught business and technology previously at Ronan, Florence and Hot Springs. She taught math at Kicking Horse Job Corps, also. She is working on her master’s degree in education leadership through Western Governor’s University. She will be completing her practicum in Arlee with Mr. Taylor serving as her advisor.
She graduated from Arlee High School in 1986. Her children Cameron, Tucker, and Charlie Lytle also graduated from the school. Her daughter Harli Jo is a second grader in Arlee. She also has a three-year-old son named Manny.
Chris South is the art teacher for the Arlee District. She has a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Montana State University at Billings. She attended Boise State University for graphic design before starting a family that now includes a nine-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.
Several years ago South moved to Missoula where she worked at the School of Media Arts at the University of Montana. She realized she wanted to teach art and went back to college to receive her teaching license from the University of Montana. She has taught art and other subjects as a substitute and long-term substitute at nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools in Missoula.
Her hobbies include playing with her children, friends, dogs, biking, hiking, skiing, running, cooking, and making art.
She said she is “stoked” to be able to teach art in Arlee and learn more about Salish-Kootenai history and contemporary culture.
She said she knows she is going to love working with her students.
“They’ve already put a smile on my face and in my heart,” she said.
