Centennial’s students are served by a team of highly qualified and experienced teachers. On average our teachers have 11 years of experience and nearly 45% hold an advanced degree.

 

 

Centennial Elementary

 

Our Awesome Staff!

 

      

 

Kindergarten Team:

 

 

Mrs. Badger

 

My name is Mary Beth Badger, I am new to Centennial and this is my first year teaching.  I teach morning Kindergarten and share a classroom with Mrs. Glassco.  I received my BA from Colorado Christian University and my Elementary Teaching Certification from BSU.  My past teaching experiences were related to my favorite hobbies: outdoor education, skiing, and swimming.  Centennial has been a wonderful environment to start my teaching career.

 

 

Mrs. Glassco

 

Mrs. Glassco has been teaching for 6 years now.  She has taught Kindergarten, 1st grade, and worked as a SLP.  Mrs. Glassco graduated from NNU with a BA in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology and completed her Masters program at the University of Phoenix where she received her teaching certification and Masters degree in Elementary Education.   Mrs. Glassco loves to stay busy with a variety of activities.  She loves to travel, wakeboard, boat, watch movies, shop, scrapbook, and spend time with her family.

 

 

 

Mrs. Kinney

 

I began my teaching career after my 2 kids started in school.  I have taught grades K – 8, and I must tell you, I absolutely LOVE teaching Kindergarten!  We learn so much and have fun doing it.  Working at Centennial has been great because we have a “team” approach towards all the kids.  This attitude comes from staff as well as our great families.  We can get so much done as a team!

 

 

 

1st Grade Team:

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Ayers-Berreman

 

I am a mother of 3 teenagers.  My son will graduate this year and has been accepted at Westminster College’s Aeronautics program in Salt Lake City!  The other 2 are twins and attend Capital High.

I am married and live in Boise.

I love teaching my 4th and 5th grade students.  They always arrive with a smile and a positive attitude.  I am looking forward to continuing my teaching career in the upcoming school year!

I love to quilt (when I can find the time), read, visit McCall in the summer, and watch my children play sports.  They are all involved in year-round activities which keep us very busy.

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Renfrow

 

My name is Dawn Renfrow.  I am a first grade teacher.  My husband works in agriculture.  We have two children Emily and Adam.  We have lived in Nampa for 17 years.  I have taught learning disabled children for 11 years in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  At Centennial I taught kindergarten for 2 years and first grade for 8 years.

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Stout

 

I love first grade!  This is my second year at Centennial, and I have greatly enjoyed working with the students and staff.  I have a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Brigham Young University.  I am currently working on a Master’s degree through Boise State University.

 

 

 

 

Mrs. York

 

My name is Molly York.  I grew up in a small town in southern Idaho called Kimberly.  I went to Boise State University and received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.  My husband and I moved to Phoenix, Arizona where I attended Arizona State University and received a Master’s degree in Second Language Development.  We lived in Phoenix for 10 years and had our two sons there.  We moved back to Boise in 2002 and I began teaching at Centennial, the best school in the state!  I have really enjoyed seeing all the wonderful students and families in the hallways at Centennial!  I am proud to be a Patriot!

 

 

2nd Grade Team:

 

 

Ms. Book

Hi, I have been teaching 11 years, and this is my 4th year at Centennial.  I have taught many different subjects and grade levels but I have really enjoyed 2nd grade.

I am married to the best husband in the whole world.  He also works in Nampa at Allied Seed.  For fun I enjoy sewing, reading, shopping, and spending time with my family.  I have a mom and dad who live in Emmett, and my brother is moving to Mountain Home in February.

If I could give all my students one gift it would be the same love of reading I have!  I enjoy being absorbed in a great book!

 

 

 

 

Ms. Sandford

 

I started teaching (second grade) in the fall of 2000. I love teaching second grade even though I have taught several other grades. This is my third year at Centennial, and I believe we have an awesome school! I have two daughters. Whitney is almost 21 and is starting The School of Excellence at our church this year. Anna is a senior in high school. They are both really amazing, wonderful young ladies! We live in the country and are “taking care of” about a dozen cats right now. They all live outside, but sure eat a lot of cat food every week. My hobbies include quilting, cooking and gardening. I also like to travel around the northwest for sightseeing and exploring. I have lived in 12 states including Idaho and lived in Puerto Rico for about 7 years where I attended junior and senior high school. That was a great experience for me. I have a master’s degree in ESL (English as a Second Language) which I earned at BSU, and because I love education, including taking classes myself, I am considering returning to school soon for another degree. So, that about covers me in a nutshell.

 

 

Mrs. Smith

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Spear

 

2008-2008 is my 6th year at Centennial.  The first two years I was teaching in the computer lab, until I earned my master’s degree a couple years ago.  This is my 2nd year with this group of kids.  I taught them last year in First Grade, and I looped up with them this year for Second Grade.  It’s been so much fun working with these kids and seeing how much they’ve grown over the last couple years.  Our class is becoming a very close-knit group.

            My two daughters are now in 3rd and 5th grades.  I’m really dreading my oldest moving up to West Middle School.  That will be a huge transition for both of us.

            I love camping in the summer with my family, and curling up with a good, engrossing book and a cup of tea in the evenings.

 

 

 

3rd Grade Team:

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Churchwell

 

In 1992 I married Mr. Churchwell.  For the first few years of married life, I went to school to earn my bachelors degree.  I graduated from college in 1995 with a  Bachelor’s in Behavioral Science and a minor in Elementary Education.  I taught for 3 years in California before taking time off to spend with my two wonderful children.  In 2002, I completed a few courses to obtain an Idaho Teaching certificate and began teaching in the Nampa School District at Centennial.   The summer of 2007 I received my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I love teaching at Centennial and consider the staff and students my other family.

 

 

 

 

Miss Meyer

 

My name is Kelly Meyer. This is my second year at Centennial and I have the pleasure of having the same class (plus five wonderful additions) this year. We graduated from 2nd and moved on to 3rd! I am originally from Washington State where I attended Central Washington University, earning my BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education. After putting in my four years I moved to Las Vegas where I taught First Grade for one year before moving to Nampa. I found that I truly am a Pacific Northwest kind of person and hope to make Boise my home for at least the foreseeable future. I will be beginning my Masters in Reading program this year at Boise State University! I guess I’m a Bronco now!

Mrs. Jarman

 

 

Miss Sykes

 

Hello everyone!  This is my second year teaching and it has been great to start in the third grade here at Centennial.  I received my Associate’s degree in vocal music education from former Rick’s College in eastern Idaho in 1999. I traveled and lived in South America for a short time.  Then I worked in health care and volunteered in elementary schools while attending BSU.  After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Boise State University in 2006, I worked for BSU as a teacher in the Summer Academy.  My family lives close by; there are lots of nieces and nephews to spoil!  I love running, playing and listening to all kinds of music, reading, and cooking.   Your children bring a lot of joy to my life.  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

4th Grade Team:

 

 

 

Mrs. Greeley

 

Graci Greeley- I have taught at Centennial for 4 years. I did my first year of teaching in 5th grade and have been in 4th grade ever since. I’m originally from California, where my immediate family still lives. I ventured to Nampa, Idaho in 2000 to attend Northwest Nazarene University. I loved the people, the weather, and my job. So, I decided to stay. I got married in December 2006 and am living life with David to the fullest!

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Lingelbach

 

Jef Lingelbach--This is my 9th year as a teacher at Centennial elementary.  I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northwest Nazarene College and a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University.  I have also coached basketball at Centennial for 9 years and have organized the school ski trips for 3 years.

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Morris

 

Hello all! This last summer I married a wonderful man and I am very much enjoying married life. My new name is Mrs. Morris, but I also still answer to Miss Tygart. I have had the privilege of looping with my class from third grade up to fourth grade. Learning fourth grade has been a challenge, but I love it, both the kids and teaching. I am also the Head Girls Soccer Coach over at Nampa High. It has always been a dream of mine to coach a high school soccer team and I love doing it! I came to Nampa from Lander, Wyoming in order to attend college at Northwest Nazarene University and play soccer. I graduated in 2004 and this is my fourth year teaching.

 

 

 

5th Grade Team:

 

 

Mrs. Gharring

 

I was born in Southern California and when I was in first grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I have been a teacher for 25 years and I love teaching 5th grade at Centennial. I have taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades during my 13 years here. Besides teaching I am the mother of three teenagers all of whom attended Centennial. They all go to Nampa High and play in the marching band. In my spare time I love to take walks, and travel with my family. Two of my goals in life are to visit every state and its capital and to visit every National park in the United States.

 

 

 

Mr. Keefe

 

My name is Tyler Keefe and I am a 5th grade teacher here at Centennial Elementary School.  This is my first year teaching and I love every minute of it.  I graduated from Central Washington University with my B.A. in Elementary Education and my minor in Early Childhood Education.  Though I am a new teacher I am not new to the area.  I attended Northwest Nazarene University for my freshman and sophomore years of college.  I loved my time there; however I wanted to be closer to my family.  It’s kind of funny how I end up back down here in Nampa, ID.  In my spare time, I love to watch football and play video games.  I especially love the Washington Huskies.  Well that’s me in a nut shell.

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Shore

 

Hi, I’m Mrs. Shore.  It is my great pleasure to be teaching at Centennial.  I have taught in many different settings:  subbing and alternative ed at the middle school level in Portland, Oregon; subbing in Redmond, Oregon; full time 2nd grade teacher at a Navajo school in Pine Hill, New Mexico (near Gallup); and teaching Kindergarten in Melba.  Centennial’s staff and students have been the best teaching experience.

My husband and I (originally from Oregon) lived and raised our 3 boys in Wasilla, Alaska.  Before going back to school to get my teaching credentials, I was a full-time mom involved in school volunteering, youth basketball and soccer coaching, and Boy Scouting as a leader in just about every capacity.  I also helped a friend with her llama wilderness hikes.  My husband and I still enjoy the outdoors – backpacking, hiking, fishing and tent camping.  We also spend time gardening and enjoying our 7 grandchildren.

Mr. Shore and I have lived in many states (6) and traveled in many more.  We have also traveled to England, Europe, China, Canada and Mexico.  I am always looking for new things to learn and hopefully help children to really enjoy learning about the world around them.

 

 

 

Specialists:

 

 

 

Mrs. Hellwege, PE Teacher

 

I am a proud mom of a seven year old and a very blessed wife. Last year, I taught Special Education at Lowell Scott Middle School in Meridian to 7th and 8th graders. This year I am excited to be here at Centennial as the Physical Education Specialist. I love teaching in my area of expertise. Before I decide to attend BSU to get my Bachelor of Science to become a teacher, I was a volunteer youth leader for eight years. I enjoy spending time with my lovely husband and daughter, running, summers on the lake wakeboarding or skiing, and a golf tournament in the rain. I believe that happy and successful children are those who have healthy bodies and minds. Each child working to better themselves on an individual basis. That is my mission!!

 

Mrs. Childers, PE Teacher

 

 

Mrs. Neddo, Music Teacher

 

My name is Sara Neddo and this is my 7th year at Centennial.  I received both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NNU.  I have enjoyed teaching at Centennial so much.  The staff is the best in the district and the students are the best in the state!  I’m looking forward to teaching music for many more years here.  I believe that music is not an elective, but a necessary core subject vital to the education of all students.

 

 

 

Mrs. Schelhorn, Librarian

 

I have been a part of Centennial for ten years.  Some of the things I’ve done have included volunteer work, substitute teaching, IRI testing, Title 1, office, and now the library.  It has been a pleasure working with such a great group of people!  I live in Nampa with my husband, two daughters, and my grandson.  I love spending time with my family and my dogs.  I also love to read and go camping.

 

My favorite quote:  “If you have no confidence in yourself you are twice defeated in the race of life.  With confidence, you have won even before you have started.”  Marcus Garvey

 

Mrs. Maurice, Art Teacher

 

 

Special Services:

Mrs. Raney, Title 1 Teacher

 

I was born on the island of Okinawa, attended military schools overseas, and then went to college in San Diego, California.  My husband, Randy, was born in Caldwell and lived all his life in this area.  We have two sons, one who is a paramedic and is married to a 4th grade teacher.  The other son lives at home and works at two jobs, trying to earn enough money to go to college next year.  He would like to be an actor.  We have a chocolate lab dog, named Jack, who provides plenty of entertainment for us.  As a family, we like to hike, go boating, and ski together.  My favorite past times are reading and cooking meals for friends.  I love teaching reading and math to kids at Centennial in the Title I program.

 

Mrs. Bierman, Title 1 Educational Assistant

 

I began working at Lincoln Elementary as a volunteer while my 4 children were attending school there. In 1985 I was hired to work as a youth companion for a special needs student, and since then, have worked for Resource, Migrant, Title I, Music, the hearing impaired, and as a secretary.  I went to the District Office to work with the Title I/Migrant department.  I loved the people I worked with, but missed the kids too much, and was able to come to Centennial more than 10 years ago. Every day there is a child who gives you a reason to come back the next day.

Mrs. Snell, Title 1 Educational Assistant

 

Mrs. Snow, Title 1 Educational Assistant

 

I was born and raised in Southern California until I got married.  I then moved to central California for a year and then moved to Longmont, Colorado.  We lived there for a year until the plant closed.  We then moved back to southern California for a year then moved to Omaha, Nebraska.  We lived there for five years and bought a house and had a baby girl.  When she turned two we moved back to the town where we first got married.  We lived on a ranch and learned how to feed cattle and take care of a foal which had lost her mother at birth.  We then moved to Nampa, Idaho.  There I started volunteering at Centennial so much they decided to give me a job.  I have been here at Centennial for sixteen years.

Mrs. Payne, ESL Teacher

 

I have been working here at Centennial over 20 years.  I am very busy working with the students at Centennial, and when not working I love spending time with my family.  

 

Mrs. Murphy, ESL Educational Assistant

 

 

Mrs. Collins, Speech and Language Pathologist

 

Carolyn Collins – MS in Speech-Language Pathology and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by ASHA.  Has 17 years experience primarily in clinical rehabilitation.  This is my third year in education and cannot imagine being anywhere other than Centennial Elementary!!  Love our kids !!

 

Miss Brown, Special Education Teacher (3-5)

Mrs. Strong, Special Education Teacher (K-2)

 

Mrs. McKibben, Special Education Educational Assistant

 

I have been married for 37 years.  We have four boys and five grandchildren.  Our granddaughter races Outlaw Karts, so we spend a lot of time at the races.  I have worked at Centennial for ten years.  During that time, I’ve worked as an Overload EA, taught P.E. and Library, and spent 7 years in the ESL Program.  This year I’m working in the Resource Department.  I enjoy being a part of the Centennial Staff and working with the children.

 

Mrs. Mora, Special Education Educational Assistant

 

 

 

 

Mr. Skollingsberg, School Psychologist

 

Gunnar Skollingsberg has a B.S. degree in English, a second B.S. degree in Special Education, a M.Ed. in Psychological Services, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology.  He has taught Special Education classes (14 ½ years) at both the elementary and secondary levels, taught 8th Grade English (2 ½ years), and has worked as a School Psychologist for the past 16 years (6 years with the Nampa School District).  This is his second year at Centennial.

 

 

 

Volunteers:

Mrs. Koyama, Volunteer

 

I am a retired librarian, and the Library here at Centennial was dedicated to me when I retired.  I enjoy working with the school store and the Accelerated Reading Program.  I am in charge of the students earning hats and jewels for their reading success.  When I am not at school you can find me walking at the mall with my friends, or traveling with my husband, George.

Grandma Hall, Library Volunteer

 

I am a foster Grandparent Volunteer, which is practiced all over the United States.  I love the program, for it lets me work with children which I truly enjoy.  I consider all the students in Centennial my adopted Grandchildren.

Grandma Gravatt

 

 

Custodial Team Leader:

Mr. Gharring

 

I was born here in Nampa, ID; but was raised in Superior, Nebraska.  I met my wife in Orange, CA.; Mrs. Gharring has been a teacher for over twenty years.

We have three teenage kids.  Two attend Nampa High and one is at West Middle School.  I have coached youth sports from Football to Soccer.

This is my first year at Centennial.

 

 

 

*The pictures for the staff were provided by Dorian Studio.  Thank you Jake!