Courtesy of the School District of Tomahawk
TOMAHAWK – The School District of Tomahawk welcomed 15 new members to its staff for the 2022-2023 school year.
Along with educators new to the area, there are also several Hatchet alumni and people who call Tomahawk home joining the district this year.
Connor Ahrens
Connor Ahrens is our new Special Ed teacher in the middle school.
He attended UW-Stout and Saint Mary’s University at Minnesota. He and his wife Stephanie are both Hatchet alumni.
Connor enjoys distance running/cross country, so much so that he’s coaching! He is a fan of Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. He is also interested in American Civil War Shooting Association (ACWSA) and American and world history, and fitness in general.
Connor is excited to have the chance to teach and positively influence young adults and children, through both teaching and coaching.
Jamie Calhoun
We are happy to welcome Jamie Calhoun as our new Administrative Assistant in the high school.
Jamie attended Mid-State Technical College. She is originally from Tomahawk and lives here now with her husband Jesse and their two children, Asher and Bridget.
Jamie and her family enjoy camping, boating, snowshoeing and spending time together. She and Jesse also enjoy playing golf and volleyball.
Jamie is excited to be working in Tomahawk and to meet the students and their families.
Bill Heintz
Bill is joining the 5th grade team at Tomahawk Elementary.
He comes from Kingston and Baraboo, Wis. Bill holds two Master’s degrees, one in Education Administration and one in Literacy.
Bill and his wife Kelli have a son, Noah. He likes to play golf and enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.
He is excited to work with his wonderful class, community, school and teaching team. He cannot wait to get to know all the people and learn more about the area.
Makayla Zipp
We’d like to welcome Makayla Zipp to the high school as a new English teacher.
Makayla is from Manitowoc, Wis. She attended UW-Green Bay and is certified in both English and Social Studies.
Makayla and her husband, Jared, recently sold their home in Green Bay and purchased one in the area to share with their “fur babies,” Pepper and Ellie. They always dreamed of moving to Tomahawk, as Jared is from here originally, and now they will be closer to family.
Makayla is excited to connect with students, and she is eager to contribute to the curriculum and school community.
Kathryn Loka
Kathryn Loka is our new special education teacher. Loka from Tomahawk, and she attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
She and her husband Steve have been married for 22 years and have two children, Payton and Grant. Kathryn enjoys camping, reading and spending time with her family.
She is looking forward to working with a great team of teachers and connecting with the students.
Nichol Feltes
We are happy to welcome Nichol Feltes to the high school science team.
Nichol is from Fond du Lac, and attended UW-Oshkosh. She and her husband Brian have been married for 14 years and have two children, Jonathan (13) and Molli (11), and two cats named Shadow and Camo. Nichol loves anything outdoors, from hunting, boating, ice fishing, snowmobiling, camping, traveling and exploring.
Nichol is most excited to get to have the opportunity to serve the community where she lives.
Chelsea Ewaldt
Chelsea Ewaldt comes to the high school English department from Menominee, Mich.
She and her significant other Todd have two English Springer Spaniels, Attie and Scout, and a Tortie cat named Maggie. Chelsea is an avid reader and writer. She loves being outdoors and spending time with her family.
Chelsea is most excited to get to know the wonderful students of Tomahawk and work with the amazing staff as well.
Ashley Hedges
Ashley Hedges is a graduate of Tomahawk High School, and will now be joining us as a paraprofessional with our smallest of students.
She is a mom to Iliquiriana and Jaeci, stepmom to Felicity, Naleah and Kyra, and their teacup chorkie named Penelope. Ashley enjoys crafting, taking care of their chickens and peacock named Zeus, baking delicious desserts with her girls and watching her husband CJ at the race track.
Ashley is most excited to have story time with the students.
Garrett Raith
Garrett Raith is originally from Appleton, Wis. He attended UW-Oshkosh and has a BSE in mathematics with secondary education.
Garrett lives in Tomahawk with his wife, Holly, and their two sons, Jonah (8) and Curtis (4). He enjoys living the Dad Life and going to all his kids’ activities with them. He also enjoys reading, watching football and hockey and going for bike rides.
Garrett is excited to meet all of his students, contribute to the math department and become a Hatchet.
Logan Rudis
We are so excited to welcome Logan Rudis back to the district.
Originally from Rhinelander, Logan attended UW-Stout and was here in Tomahawk for his student teaching. After four years teaching in Antigo, Logan will be back in Tomahawk High School, this time as the technology education and engineering teacher.
Logan loves spending time outside, whether that is hunting, fishing, trapping, photography or working on his family’s farm. He also spends time doing graphic design and production to keep his creativity flowing during the year.
Logan is most excited about seeing what his students will be able to do in this new setting.
Tara Messer
We are extending a warm (permanent) welcome to a familiar face, Mrs. Tara Messer. Tara has been a sub in the building for years and now joins the elementary third grade teaching team.
Tara is originally from Portage, and attended UW-Madison. She is now working towards her Master’s degree through UW-Stevens Point. Tara and her husband, Russ, purchased their Tomahawk home in 2014 with the intent of using it as a summer/weekend getaway. They fell in love with the area and moved here permanently in 2016. They have a nine-year-old daughter, GiGi, and two dogs, Bailey and Winnie.
Tara enjoys spending time with friends and family dining around the Tomahawk area. They actively participate in numerous Northwoods winter and summer activities, including, boating, hiking and snowmobiling. She loves to travel and looks forward to an annual girls’ trip with college roommates. She is an avid cook and is always working on a new savory creation. Tara is also a Kinship mentor and enjoys spending time with her Kinship-kid. She asks that if parents or their child spot her around town, please come up and introduce yourselves. She loves seeing the kids outside of school and meeting their families.
Having been a substitute teacher in the elementary school for the past three years, Tara says she is looking forward to having her own classroom and spending the year with the same students. She can’t wait to be an integral part of their academic and personal growth in third grade, noting that making connections with the kids is the best and most rewarding aspect of being in the elementary school.
Kristin Pohlman
Here’s a warm welcome to Kristin Pohlman, our new kindergarten teacher.
Kristin is from Wrightstown, Wis. She attended UW-Stevens Point, where she earned her degree in Early Education and a minor in Special Education.
Kristin and her fiancé, Keagan, have two dogs, named Chief and Bourbon. Kristin enjoys anything outdoors, from hunting, boating, swimming, ice fishing, fishing, camping and being active in sports.
As she enters the 2022-2023 school year, she is most excited to connect with her students, community, school and teaching team.
Amy Meurer
The 1st grade crew at Tomahawk Elementary welcomes a familiar face to the teaching team, Amy Meurer.
Amy is originally from Tomahawk. She attended UW-Green Bay and lives here in Tomahawk with her husband Randy and their two daughters, Annie (20) and Lily (10). Outside of school, Amy likes to create art, shoot trap, hike, cook, garden and soak up the sun. Above all, though, she loves to spend long nights laughing with friends and family.
She is most excited to “see the growth and excitement in my students as we explore new concepts together,” she said. “The first grade team is comprised of a fantastic group of teachers who are eager and willing to collaborate. Our students are so fortunate to have that dedication to support them in their learning journey.”
Tim Von Gnechten
We’re pleased to welcome Mr. Tim Von Gnechten to the high school social studies team.
Tim comes to us originally from Plover, but has family ties to the community. He attended UW-Stevens Point and loves hunting, fishing, baseball, football and hockey.
Tim is most excited about getting to know and becoming a positive role model for his students. He’s also very excited to get involved within the community.
Kole Woodall
Kole is a Hatchet alumnus, coming back to us after attending UW-Stevens Point for Elementary Education.
Kole lives in Tomahawk with his family. In his free time he enjoys golfing and watching hockey and football.
Kole is excited to be back in his home school district of Tomahawk, “getting to work with all the amazing people that work here.”