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West Branch schools hires 8 new staff
News · August 27, 2015


West Branch Community School District welcomed eight new staff for the 2015-16 school year.


They gathered last week for orientation before school started on Monday.

Here’s a little about each of them:

• Annie Popkes of Iowa City will teach Spanish and English as a Second Language.

She is married to Scott Popkes and they have a daughter, Lyla Popkes.

She earned her bachelors degree in Spanish in 2002 from the University of Iowa.

Before coming to West Branch, she taught Spanish at Regina High School for the past 12 years.

She said she was drawn to West Branch because “I prefer the feeling of a small school and community,” she said.

“My younger sister graduated from West Branch and had a very positive experience,” she added.

• Michelle Carter will teach business education and also serve as a library associate.

She is married to Julius Carter and they have two children, Allyson and Owen.

She earned her masters degree in 2012 in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University of Wisconsin and earned her bachelors of science degree in business administration in 2002 from Marquette University in Milwaukee.

She spent the past year she worked in the West Branch High School library as an associate; she moved to West Branch in 2014. Before coming here, she taught business in the Elmbrook School District in Brookfield, Wis.

She said she was drawn to West Branch when her husband took a new job here “and it was important to us to work and live in the same community.”

• Chris Copeland will serve as the band director for grades five through eight.

He earned his degree at the University of Iowa.

Before coming to West Branch, he was the band director for grades five through 12 at Lynnville-Sully Community School District.

He said he was drawn to West Branch because “I really wanted to be back in the Iowa City area and had heard great things about West Branch. I am excited to be back.”

• Carolyn Colbow of Iowa City will serve as counselor at West Branch Middle School.

She is married to Alexander Colbow.

She earned her masters degree in 2015 from University of Iowa.

Before coming to West Branch, she was working on her masters degree and at University of Iowa’s Center for Teaching as an instructional technology consultant. Before that, she worked as an associate in Iowa City Schools, served in Americorps in Boston and worked in Boston Public Schools as a financial aid advisor.

She said she was attracted to teach at West Branch because “the staff and students were so welcoming and kind during my interview.”

“Knowing one of the district goals is to ensure that schools feel safe for all children really made me want to be a school counselor here in West Branch,” she said.

• Chris Paulus of Iowa City will teach second grade and serve as the head high school wrestling coach.

He earned his elementary education degree this year from Upper Iowa University.

Before coming to West Branch, he was finishing up his college degree, and said he was drawn here because it is a “small, close-knit community with a great educational system.”

• Alicia Salges of Fairfax will teach math and reading support at Hoover Elementary.

She has a 4-year-old daughter, Danica, and earned her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education with a reading endorsement in December 2005 from Coe College.

Before coming to West Branch, she taught third grade for three years, fourth grade for one year, and a combined fourth- and fifth-grade class for a year in Wichita, Kan. She moved back to Iowa in 2011, staying home with her daughter for a couple years and ran a daycare before resuming teaching last year at Benton Community Schools, where she taught Title I Reading.

She said she was attracted to West Branch because “I have always heard great things about the district and community.”

• Emily Rickertsen of Eldridge will serve as an elementary counselor.

She is married to Brandon Rickertsen and earned her bachelors degree in social work in 2012 from Luther College and her masters of science degree in education in counseling earlier this year at Western Illinois University.

Before coming to West Branch, she was finishing her masters degree at WIU and completing an internship in Erie, Ill. She also spent time working at the Handicapped Development Center in Davenport, Iowa, working with adults with disabilities.

She said she was drawn to West Branch because of “the strong reputation the school had, as well as the small, tight-knit community.”

“I knew I wanted to work within a smaller school and community and West Branch was the perfect placement,” she said.

• Laura Heldermann of North Liberty will teach special education at West Branch Middle School.

She earned a special education degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in May 2014.

Before coming here, she had graduated college and “went straight to work at Camp Courageous.”

“I learned so many things and worked with some amazing individuals with special needs,” she said. She started working at West Branch in January as a special education associate. “I am very happy to work with students with special needs. This is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

She said West Branch caught her attention because she is from the Quad Cities “but always knew I wanted to move near the Iowa City area to find a teaching job.”

“I heard great things about West Branch and how great of a district it was,” she said. “I am very excited to see what the future holds!”