Before our winter break, we are continuing our monthly spotlight on our amazing Rickard staff. Each month we will be highlighting a different team that makes a huge and crucial impact on our students. This month we are featuring our wonderful 1st Grade team, including Apple Foss, Dina Norby, Brandee Sundhagen, Silvia Zubke, Kylie Hanagan, and Hannah Johnson.
Mrs. Apple Foss- 1st Grade Teacher
How long have you been at Rickard?: 3 years
Tell us about your family: Our family is blessed with a beautiful baby boy who just turned one. Together, we love traveling to new places, watching sunsets and capturing memories with my portable Instax Mini.
Whatâs your favorite sports team?: None. Not much on sports.
Whatâs your favorite holiday?: Christmas
Whatâs your go-to coffee/drink order?: Bubble Tea
Whatâs your favorite part of Rickard?: All the students
Mrs. Dina Norby- 1st Grade Teacher
How long have you been at Rickard?: This is my 11th year at Rickard Elementary.
Tell us about your family: My family is my favorite thing to talk about, ha! My husband works for WISCO, and he is originally from Grenora ND. He is the hardest worker I know and is kind and always puts our family first. He also has an amazing sense of humor. His only draw back is his love for the North Carolina Tar Heels. We have three amazing kiddos, Kella 20, Nate 16, and Aubrey 10.
Kella is a Sophomore at DSU and plays basketball and golfs for the Blue Hawks. She is funny, strong and a great sister. We are looking forward to seeing her choice in profession.... (teaching - fingers crossed)
Nate is a junior at Trenton high school. He plays basketball and football. He is smart, funny and so kind. He is involved in Honor Society and always volunteers to help out. He was able to attend the state Science fair for two years before Covid hit. We are hoping he gets a chance to go again and look forward to his future basketball season, go Tigers!
Aubrey is a 4th grader at Rickard and she keeps us on our toes. She is smart, funny and a great helper. She is an artist, always coloring, drawing and writing books. She claims to be a "bleacher brat" saying that she grew up watching her siblings play a sport. HA! (This is probably true). She LOVES animals and is always trying to add another to our house. Siracha, his name speaks volumes, is Aubrey's dog and they are inseparable. Siracha evens out our boy/girl ratio as we are a competitive bunch.
We share our time often in the car traveling to a sporting event or activity that involves our kiddos. We laugh, learn and sometimes lose, but all share these times together. We believe our greatest gift is our time with our family.
Whatâs your favorite sports team?: Duke (because my husband is a North Carolina fan). I also love the Kentucky Wildcats, GO BLUE!
Whatâs your favorite holiday?: Christmas
Whatâs your go-to coffee/drink order?: ZINGERS! Blue raspberry is my favorite.
Whatâs your favorite part of Rickard?: Easy, the students! They are a breath of fresh air, andthe energy and excitement they share is contagious. I look forward to coming to school aka work each and every day. Who else can say that about their job? We also have the most amazing staff, aka family. The Rickard Roadrunners are here for ups, downs, laughs, and support.
Mrs. Brandee Sundhagen- 1st Grade Teacher
How long have you been at Rickard?: 4 years
Tell us about your family: I am married to my best friend, Shanon. Together we have 6 kids: Brayden 19, Raigyn 16, Braxton 16, Brityn 14, Raylan 10, & Rylun 7. We have 2 yellow labs: Jersey and Tank. We have 1 cat. His name is Kitcat and he has 6 toes.
Whatâs your favorite sports team?: Golden Knights and the Avalanche
Whatâs your favorite holiday?: Christmas and the 4th of the July
Whatâs your go-to coffee/drink order?: Pomegranate Zinger
Whatâs your favorite part of Rickard?: My favorite things about Rickard are being able to work with & be around such amazing people. I enjoy spending time with the students and getting to know their families. It is very rewarding!
Mrs. Silvia Zubke- 1st Grade Paraprofessional
How long have you been at Rickard?: 3 years with 1st grade.
Tell us about your family: Iâm from Bogota, Colombia and I have lived in Williston for 13 years. I am married to my husband, Chad, and we have three wonderful boys Joaquin (12), Cove (10) and Santiago (8). We have two cute Havanese dogs (Bear and Finn).
Whatâs your favorite sports team?: Iâm a Manchester United soccer fan but I enjoy watching any soccer game on TV.
Whatâs your favorite holiday?: I love Christmas!
Whatâs your go-to coffee/drink order?: Cappuccino âïž
Whatâs your favorite part of Rickard?: Rickard is a wonderful school! Once the day begins, the hallways are filled with awesome teachers and staff ready to greet students with smiles. Rickard ROCKS! Iâm thankful to work and be part of a great team. We embrace our daily adventures, we help each other, and we strive to do our best while spending time with our students. At the end of the day, our school is a place where students are loved, empowered, challenged and can aspire to be the best version of themselves.
Mrs. Kylie Hanagan- 1st Grade Paraprofessional
How long have you been at Rickard?: 6 years.
Tell us about your family: I recently got married about 2 months ago! My husbandâs name is Jared and we have two kids. Taelyn is a 6th grader and Kaesyn is a 5th grader!
Whatâs your favorite sports team?: Minnesota Vikings.
Whatâs your favorite holiday?: Christmas, of course!
Whatâs your go-to coffee/drink order?: Raspberry cantaloupe zinger with cream.
Whatâs your favorite part of Rickard?: Everyone is like one big family!
Mrs. Hannah Johnson- Kindergarten/1st Grade Student Teacher
How long have you been at Rickard?: 1 semester.
Tell us about your family: I am originally from Beulah, ND but moved to Williston this past July after I married my husband, Evan. Evan was born and raised here and works as a police officer, so itâs been fun having him show me around the community. We enjoy spending time together while traveling, hiking, hunting, fishing, or skiing. I am graduating from the University of Mary this December with degrees in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. I have always loved working with children, so I am excited to begin my teaching career in the fall of 2022. Evan and I have a lab named Berkley, and we are expecting our first baby in May!
Whatâs your favorite sports team?: Chicago Blackhawks
Whatâs your favorite Easter?: Easter!
Whatâs your go-to coffee/drink order?: Sugar free hazelnut frappe w/ almond milk and no whipped cream.
Whatâs your favorite part of Rickard?: As a student teacher it was intimidating coming in at the beginning of the year and meeting all new people to work with, but from day one everyone has been so supportive and welcoming. They've always treated me as if I was a full time teacher, and it's been great. Thanks to Mrs. Carrier (K) and Mrs. Norby (1st) for opening up their classrooms to me and providing me with the best hands-on learning experiences.
