As students were busy preparing for semester exams, administrators were busy planning changes for the second semester. The staff at Xavier will undergo a few changes beginning after Christmas break.

Pre-Calculus, Algebra Topics, and Algebra 1 teacher, Mrs. Barb Miltner, will no longer be in the classroom teaching math. Instead, she will be Xavier High School’s new  Technology Coordinator. In this new position, Mrs. Miltner will work with teachers to integrate more technology into learning, work with students to navigate  their technology, support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities, and assist administrators with meeting the technology plan’s goals. In the future, Mrs. Miltner will co-teach a computer class with Mr. Tom Schuster. She looks forward to working with teachers to enhance students’ learning experiences.

“I want to help remove any barriers that may stand in their way, whether that be a lack of resources or a lack of knowing how to implement their ideas,” Mrs. Miltner said. “That’s what I’m most excited about.”

When Xavier first started looking to fill this position, they began their search in the community.

“We realized that we had the perfect person already here at Xavier, Mrs. Miltner,” Principal Mr. Tom Keating said.

Mrs. Bridget Lemker will take over as head of the math department and Mr. Jacob Oldaker has been hired to teach math courses, starting at the beginning of the second semester. Mr. Oldaker is originally from Clinton, Iowa. He recently graduated from Ashford University and has been student teaching in preparation for his full  time role at Xavier. It remains to be seen which courses he will be teaching, as many of the teachers will be shuffling around their classes to accommodate this change.

In addition to the changes in the math department, Xavier will welcome another staff member to the community. Recently, Mrs. Ally Callanan (X’08) has been hired as Xavier’s Learning Coach.This position will hold many responsibilities, such as working with Mrs. Lisa Streif and Mrs. Stacy Mickelson in Guided Study, introducing better ways to teach to different learning styles, coordinating 504 plans, meeting regularly with students to help them find ways to be more successful in the classroom,  and  overseeing   the XTrAs.

Mr. Keating is excited to introduce this new resource to students.

“We have a lot of really good things set in place to help kids who struggle, but they are all over the place,” Mr. Keating said. “We wanted someone to pull them all together so every student has the best chance to succeed academically.”

Mrs. Callanan graduated from Xavier High School in 2008. After earning her degree from the University of Northern Iowa, she spent time teaching at Regis Middle School and as a stay-at-home mom with her son.

“It’s my dream teaching job,” Mrs. Callanan said.

The Xavier community looks forward to welcoming these new staff members with the new year.