Clarke Schools welcome new staff

Clarke Community Schools welcomes many new teaching staff this year. Brief bios of the new staff will appear in following weeks.

Marja Bearda

Bearda will be an instructional coach in the school district. She received a bachelor’s degree in entomology and elementary education with endorsements in math and science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her masters from Viterbo University.

For 14 years, Bearda taught elementary education in the Sauk-Prairie School District in Wisconsin, before moving to Des Moines with her family where she spent the last six years at a project-based learning school within the Des Moines Public School system.

Bearda is excited to bring her expertise to Clarke, and aims to make a positive impact within the school community, with a commitment to fostering innovative teaching practices and nurturing student growth.

Alissa Eaton

Eaton will be a fourth grade teacher at Clarke Elementary. Eaton grew up in Indianola, and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2021, and taught second grade for three years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to loving her job, Eaton loves to read new books, go to the movies and spend time with her loved ones.

Eaton is excited to be joining the Clarke team, and looking forward to working with many new people.

Andrea McDonald

McDonald will be an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher for kindergarten through second grade at Clarke Elementary. Originally from Alta, McDonald obtained both her bachelor and master degrees at Buena Vista University.

Prior to Clarke, McDonald taught for five years in Storm Lake, with experience in both kindergarten classrooms and as an ELL teacher. She and her husband recently moved to the Osceola area from Storm Lake, and McDonald looks forward to learning about her students and their families.

Hannah Thatcher

Thatcher is a new second grade teacher this year. She is from Chariton, and earned her teaching degree from the University of Northern Iowa. In her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends, watch TV and movies and bake. She is looking forward to the coming school year, and getting to meet all of her students and their families.

Lorrie Van Pelt

Van Pelt has taken the position of elementary school nurse. She has been a nurse for 15 years, and graduated with her RN degree from Indian Hills Community College. She then completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Western Governors University in 2016.

Van Pelt lives in Osceola with her husband, daughter and two dogs. She loves to play the piano, read, bake and travel with her family, especially to Estes Park, Colorado. She is excited to work with Clarke students, care for any health needs and promote healthy habits.

Jennifer Wright

Wright will be a new eighth-grade science teacher. This fall will be her tenth year in education, having spent two years at Mormon Trail teaching middle school math and science, and the past eight at Murray as the middle school science teacher and elementary STEM teacher.

When not at school, Wright enjoys playing golf and volleyball, and can often be found riding her bike around Osceola. She loves to be active, and also enjoys cooking and baking.

Wright is excited to be teaching at Clarke, which she graduated from 35 years ago, and meeting all of her new colleagues.