Seven employees retiring from Charles City School District

To The Press

Seven employees of the Charles City School District are retiring at the end of this school year.

They are teachers Kellie Boggess, Sheila Etherington, Naomi Yaddof and Brenda Bailey; paraeducator Emily Melliere; bus driver Alan Aird; and custodian and bus driver Bob Hebert.

The employees were invited to tell a little about their history with the school district. Those who responded are as follows:

Kellie Bogges – With the exception of a 2-year, 4th grade teaching position in Des Moines, I can say that the majority of my teaching career has been with the Charles City Community School District.

When I began  there were very few teaching openings in our district, so I took a para position to get my foot in the door. After three years, I was hired as the LEAP teacher which was funded by a reading grant, teaching a combination of kindergarten and first grade.

After two years, I took a first grade position where I stayed for many years, teaching children to read and write. I moved to a coaching position with the district and was very blessed to do that for six years. I returned to a fourth grade classroom for the last two years of my career, coming full circle with my classroom teaching and back to Lincoln.

I thank CCCSD for the many opportunities I have been given and to the administration that believed in me.

I thank the many, many teachers I’ve worked with over the years for sharing their knowledge and experience with me.

Sheila Etherington  – I began my journey with Charles City schools as a cheerleading coach. It was a treasured time! A few years later God opened the door for me to apply to Lincoln Elementary School. I will be forever grateful to Doug Bengtson for giving me the opportunity to love on children as an educator. Throughout my time at Charles City Schools I have taught LEAP, Title I, first grade, and fourth, fifth and sixth grade literacy as well as served as an instructional coach.

I have learned more than I have instructed. One lesson I learned early on was that the students are my employer. They are the ones I serve and without them I have no employment. Second, everyone has a story that impacts their behavior. Staff and students alike bring a myriad of situations that impact their day to day lives. Connecting with individuals brings clarity to most situations. Finally, remembering the 22 great behaviors at the end of the day is much more beneficial than focusing on the two bad situations that occurred.

I leave this profession loving the students and grateful for the amazing educators and parents that I have gotten to meet along the way.

Naomi Yaddof, K-12 teacher librarian, K-12 technology integration, K-4 TAG – Naomi Yaddof came to Charles City Community School District from the Allamakee Community School District in Waukon, Iowa. There, she taught business and computer classes to students in grades 6-12 for 10 years. Prior to that she worked as a substitute teacher in the Prairie du Chien Area School District in Wisconsin.

Naomi’s goal has always been to adapt to the evolving needs of the district. Holding various positions over her 11 years at CCCSD has demonstrated her commitment to embracing a growth mindset, which aligns with the values of the Charles City Community School District. This versatility has, she hopes, enhanced the educational experience of students. Naomi is very proud of the upgrades to the libraries at Washington and Lincoln since taking over as the K-12 Librarian three years ago.

Her future plans include spending quality time with family and eventually relocating to Northeast Iowa where she and her husband, Gary, raised their four children.