4 new teachers excited for 2020-21 school year

After orientation last week, four new teachers are settling into their classrooms at Holyoke schools for the 2020-21 year.

Holyoke School District has welcomed Amanda Brown, JR/SR high science; Jordan Gerk, elementary special education; Micah Mehl, JR/SR high social studies; and Megan Parker, first grade.

Amanda Brown

Brown will be at the JR/SR high school in the mornings to teach eighth grade science and physical science.

“I’m honored that I was hired here,” said Brown, noting Holyoke JR/SR High is an amazing school.

Brown graduated from high school in Hooker, Oklahoma, in 1993, after which she earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University where she studied wildlife biology, natural resources and secondary science education.

Having been a middle school science teacher for a couple of years in Loveland before taking a break to raise her family, Brown always knew she wanted to get back into teaching.

She would love to be able to have in-person classes throughout the school year, and she’s especially looking forward to meeting the kids and their families and exploring the students’ interests. After going through some hard things as a teen, Brown sees the value in being a positive role model and building relationships with kids.

In addition to teaching, Brown has experience as a youth and kids’ pastor in Loveland as well as small-town ministry.

Brown’s family has established a home in Holyoke, and she’s excited to be in a small town where she can invest in the community and school. She hopes to continue the good things former science teacher Ashley Clayton did in the classroom.

Her husband, Mike, is the pastor at First Christian Church in Holyoke and a remote sales engineer for Encore Electric in Lakewood. The couple’s daughters are Emmy, 15, and Elly, 14.

Brown enjoys anything in the outdoors, hiking, road trips, museums and playing bass guitar.

Jordan Gerk

With a strong passion to teach students with special needs, Gerk is excited to start the 2020-21 school year as a special education teacher at Holyoke Elementary School.

Gerk, a 2009 graduate of Julesburg High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Colorado Christian University in 2013. She received alternative special education degrees from ASPIRE through the University of Colorado-Denver.

Previously, Gerk taught special education in Julesburg for three years before subbing there for another three years.

Since she and her family live in Holyoke, the open special education position here was the perfect fit.

Gerk is looking forward to getting to know the students, and she noted how supportive other staff members have been so far. “I want to work with all the other teachers to provide opportunities for success for all kids but especially those with special needs,” she said.

When she’s not working, Gerk spends time with family and serves on the preschool board and library board. Her husband, Brett, is a farmer, and they have two children, Leighton, 4, and Easton, 2.

Micah Mehl

Holyoke is now home for Mehl, a new JR/SR high teacher. She will be teaching seventh grade social studies, ninth grade world history and a college prep class on sociology.

After completing a homeschool high school program in Colorado Springs in 2015, Mehl went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history with an emphasis in secondary education at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She gained both classroom and virtual experience while student teaching at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs.

Mehl has also worked as a nanny and has volunteered and mentored through the Institute for Cultural Communicators.

So far, Holyoke has reminded her of family road trips through Kansas, but she said she likes the idea of living in a small town where everything is close and everybody knows everybody. She was also drawn to the way that the school is the center of life in the community.

As the school year kicks off, Mehl is excited to have her own classroom and meet her students, as well as get used to teaching during a pandemic. Kids can expect her to be energetic and student-centered, with lots of hands-on activities and plenty of high expectations.

Outside of school, Mehl enjoys reading, sewing, knitting, crocheting, making homemade gifts and playing video games.

Megan Parker

Holyoke schools are a familiar place for Parker. She graduated from Holyoke High School in 2016 and is now back as the new first grade teacher at Holyoke Elementary.

Parker recently earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in education from Colorado Christian University. She completed her student teaching in a third grade classroom at Rose Stein International Elementary in Lakewood.

Holyoke Elementary Principal Andrea Kammer reached out to Parker when the first grade position opened up, and it seemed like a good fit for her to return to her hometown.

Parker brings lots of energy to her new position. She said she’s excited to collaborate with the first grade team while getting to know the kids and experimenting with what strategies work for her as a teacher.

Community members may know Parker’s family — parents Curt and Chandra, sister Brooke and brother Ryan.

Making the trek to the Front Range, hiking and exploring new places are some of Parker’s favorite things to do in her spare time.