Students returning to the Haines School this week were greeted by five new teachers.

Kristina Mulready is the school’s new music teacher, providing instruction and leading bands in grades 5-12.

For the past 10 years, Mulready taught elementary bands in grades 4-6 in three schools in Fairbanks. “It was fun. I got to know three different staffs and I teach in rooms without windows so (by traveling between schools) I was able to see the sun” during dark winter days.

She also taught general music in elementary grades and junior high school band in Tok for three years, and previous to that, taught a semester in Glenallen. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from University of Alaska-Fairbanks and a master’s degree in education from University of San Diego.

“This is all I ever wanted to do and I had an awesome first day with the kids. I’m wondering why I didn’t come here sooner,” Mulready said this week.

A trumpeter, Mulready has played in ensembles, orchestras for operas and in the Fairbanks community band.

Mulready applied for the job at the urging of friends here and had concerns about recent high turnover in the job. “I made a lot of phone calls and talked to a lot of people before I applied about whether or not it was something I could deal with or whether I was what they were looking for. I tried to research it as much as I could.”

She’ll be co-teaching choir while leading a percussion ensemble band, high school jazz and concert bands, junior high band, and beginning band for fifth graders. “I love what I do, and being in bands since fifth grade, I want to pass that on to the kids.”

She said she knows she has to build up the program. “I don’t blame students for being frustrated and not excited about it. It’s really tough as a student to go through band directors. It’s inconsistent and every teaching style is different.”

A teacher’s enthusiasm engages students, she said. “You have to show them they can learn and that there are people out there who can help them succeed. It’s about showing up every day and greeting kids and showing kids you love your job and you’re happy they’re there. It’s a class you have to feel good about going to, or you’re not going to go.”

Mulready grew up in Juneau. “I wanted to get back to Southeast. I’ve really missed living by the water. I was ready to come back.”

Akela Silkman is the new first-grade teacher. She worked with gifted and talented students in grades 5-6 last year at Girdwood Elementary School and student-taught in first grade there two years ago.

She holds an associate’s degree in general studies from University of Alaska-Southeast and a bachelor’s in elementary education at University of Alaska-Anchorage.

First grade is heavy on reading, writing and math, so Silkman said she’ll use hands-on instruction for lessons in other subjects like science. She’ll be using the fall bald eagle congregation to teach students and plans to have students create a podcast about what they learn.

Social and emotional learning and life skills also will be big lessons, Silkman said. “You’re laying the foundation for how to interact and problem solve. How to resolve one-on-one conflicts and come to a win-win. That’s important to me so everybody feels safe to take risks in the learning environment.”

In kindergarten, students learn about going to school and being in a group. First grade is about learning to work within the group to move ahead. She said she wants to encourage her students to be independent thinkers and problem-solvers.

“First grade is an age where they’re still me-me-me. I want them to get the idea of listening to what others have to say and asking for more information if they don’t understand something. It’s huge to model, practice and reinforce that at this age,” Silkman said.

Her education philosophy is to always assume the best and that all children are capable of learning as long as they’re challenged and engaged. She has 18 students including her daughter Teya. Silkman moved here with husband Ross and infant daughter Lena.

Christopher Haxton is the new third-grade teacher. Most recently he taught fifth grade for three years at a public school in Belgrade, Mont. He also taught third and fifth grades in Ekalaka, Mont.

Haxton was an Army welder for 12 years before entering education. “I thought I’d be a lifer in the Army, but I hurt my back. They sent me to school and I decided to be a teacher, which has worked out really well.”

He said he clicks with younger students. “I like to teach them before they know everything. They’re fun at that age and they have good attitudes.”

Haxton said he applied to work here at the urging of Nora Martin, who lived here 20 years ago and worked as a librarian where he taught. “She told me all about Haines. We researched it on the Internet. Plus I’m a fly fisherman, so that was a draw too… We’d talked about coming up here for years but we have three older kids who didn’t want to do that. Now they’re out on their own.”

His students will “hit the ground running” with a unit about immigration, which he hopes will teach them more about themselves and each other.

“I believe every child deserves to have an education and it’s my job to make that fun for them and meaningful. I get excited about what I teach and I think that rubs off on students.”

Haxton earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from University of Montana-Missoula.

Haxton’s family here includes wife Ayse, son Brandon, a junior at the high school, and daughter Lydia, a fifth-grader. Haxton has lived in Germany, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Africa.

Nevada Benton will be teaching English and special education students in the high school. She’s been hired to a position created by the school board in May.

Benton recently worked three years in Metlakatla, teaching fourth grade. She holds bachelor’s and masters’s degrees in English from Chico State College in California and returned to school in recent years for her teaching endorsement and special education certification.

Previous to taking up teaching, she worked five years as a Forest Service wilderness ranger in summers and as a science support employee in Antarctica in the winter.

From 1993-2001, she worked in outdoors education for private companies in the West.

Her new job is supporting the special education department by assisting students in general education classes like English and biology, and homework support. Her position will help take pressure off special education teachers Naomi Buck and Malene Gajewski. “Wherever I’m needed, I go.”

Benton’s job includes collaborating with teachers to make sure special students don’t fall through the cracks.

“The goal is to set students up with the tools for a successful adulthood, at home and at work. High school is not the be-all and end-all. This is about providing tools and judgment to succeed. It’s anything I can give them to have a happy, successful life out there.”

Before Metlakatla, Benton taught composition for one year at a Colorado community college. That experience, she said, gave her some insights on what some students missed in high school.

One-eighth of her time will be teaching public speaking. Benton moved here with her infant son Kai and husband Nate.

Lexie DeWitt will be teaching fourth grade this year. She’s been hired on a one-year contract while Patty Brown is on leave.

DeWitt worked at Haines School last year as a physical education teacher and special education aide. In the previous year, she was a long-term substitute teacher here. She also taught fifth grade for one year in Pascoe, Wash., and student-taught in a bilingual fourth grade there.

She holds an elementary education degree from Washington State University, with a minor in Spanish.

“My philosophy basically is making sure we’re teaching engaging material and differentiating my instruction to meet the needs of all learners,” she said. “I want to target the learning styles and multiple intelligences of my students.”

Students learn eight different ways and it’s important to incorporate those by using different techniques, including movement, video, individual time and group time, she said.

Her students will start with map-reading skills as part of their world, U.S. and Alaska studies, including different perspectives on cultures. They’ll visit the Letnikof cannery to learn where in the world local salmon go. “There are a lot of places, globally, that Haines is attached to through its fish. I want to make sure the kids see that. A lot of the students in the class are from fishing families.”

She’s also hoping to bring parents into the classroom to share their expertise. “I want them to know there are great people here that they can learn from.”

DeWitt has worked as a Haines Dolphins swim coach here for two years. She is married to Stuart DeWitt of Haines.