The middle school welcomed its newest staff member with the arrival of Mrs. Jane Schlenke in August.

Following the retirement of Mrs. Veronica Berendt, Mrs. Schlenke was hired to replace her as the seventh grade science teacher.

Before being hired at Beaver Area, Mrs. Schlenke taught just across the river at Central Valley for six years where she also taught seventh grade science.

Mrs. Schlenke noted that teaching at Beaver did not carry many differences.

"Central Valley has an overall larger student body, but my class sizes are still the same," she observed.

She also taught an additional honors class at Central Valley.

Seventh grader Carly Hauser has had a positive experience with Mrs. Schlenke's class.

"I’m really liking her class and she’s been a great teacher so far," Hauser said.

Mrs. Schlenke is also overseeing a change in the science curriculum.

"This year there’s going to be focus on more groups of study rather than a lot of focus on just a few areas of study," she said.

As an example, this means that the class will spend less time on, say, geology, and instead have a brief unit on, as Mrs. Schlenke said, meteorology.

When not teaching, Mrs. Schlenke enjoys spending time with her two daughters and walking in Beaver.

And yes, Mrs. Schlenke is married to Mr. Daniel Schlenke who teaches in the high school.

Welcome to Beaver Area, Mrs. Schlenke—or should we say, "welcome back." Mrs. Schlenke is a 1998 Beaver Area graduate as well as a graduate of The College of Wooster where she majored in chemistry.