Welcome our New Staff to Central!

Below you will find a picture and a little write-up on our new staff at Central.  I can tell you already that these new staff bring a lot of energy and excitement to Central.  Please help me welcome them to our community.

Staci Werger

A little about me!

I grew up on a farm in Garnavillo, Iowa where I also attended elementary school up until the 5^th grade, when Garnavillo merged with Guttenberg. At this time, my parents felt that my siblings and I would receive the best education at Central. It was difficult to leave behind the great friendships I had built in Garnavillo, but I cannot express how thankful I am for my parent’s decision. Central offered a wonderful education, social and athletic opportunity for me. I participated in cross-country, football & wrestling cheerleading, track and softball. I take great pride in Central because of the wonderful community that raised me. Central taught me that great things come with hard work. 

After graduating high school, I attended Coe College for two years and then transferred to UW-Whitewater, where I received a degree in Special Education, Cross Categorical. I chose education because I was greatly touched by the staff at Central. I have always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, and teaching was the way I wanted to do it. I started my journey in education as an Elementary major. I took a couple classes that were introductory classes to Special Education and completely fell in love with it.  When I think about education, I think about equal rights; every student has an equal right to an education and advocating that is deep within my heart. I believe it takes a village to raise a child, and I know I will be working with a wonderful village here at Central.

In case you are curious; some of my hobbies include being outdoors. I love hiking and canoeing. If you live in town, I am sure you have seen me out and about walking, running, riding bike or playing a game down at the sand volleyball court. I enjoy traveling, especially when my family and friends can join me!

I cannot express how excited I am to start my teaching career here in Elkader! I look forward to working with each and every student that walks through the school doors. My door is always open, literally (actually, I don’t even have a door) so don’t hesitate to stop in and see what is happening in the classroom!

Alison Matney

Hey all! I would like to introduce myself to the community here. My name is Alison Matney, and I am the new English Teacher in the Central School District. I am so thrilled to be working in this beautiful town that is full of opportunities! There are so many activities to be a part of in this town, and the activities fit in perfectly with my interests. I really enjoy fishing and biking, along with writing and reading (that kind of comes with the territory!).

    I am from a small town much like Elkader. It’s a little place called Conrad in Central Iowa. I grew up there, attended school there, and went to community college in the next town over. After completing two years there, I continued my education at the University of Northern Iowa. Go Panthers! And from there, well, here I am!

    Working in this school district is really my dream job. The community is wonderful, and the support the community gives the school is evident everywhere you look in town. That’s such an amazing thing. I also love the direction in which the school is going, with the emphasis on using projects, collaboration, and creativity to not only make sure we have educated graduates, but also graduates who will have real world skills to deal with the real world that comes after high school. I am so excited to be a part of this, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the community members and students in the upcoming school year.