Renae Bakke is back at Clearbrook-Gonvick

Editors Note: Questions were given to all the new staff members at the Clearbrook-Gonvick School so that residents can be introduced to them. Following is Renae Bakke’s response.

My husband, David, and I are lifelong residents of the Gonvick and Berner areas.  We have two sons, a daughter, daughters-in-law and five adorable granddaughters. I have many wonderful memories of being a "Berner-ite" and living in a old two story home with a balcony, located between the United Lutheran Church, Berner Store and Winsor Town Hall.

I attended and graduated from the Gonvick-Trail School.  I was a day care provider and then a paraprofessional when my sons were young. It was during this time that my Mom, Eunice Petterson, who also worked in the school, began encouraging me to become a teacher. One way she went about this was to enlist some of her friends, who were teachers here, to encourage me as well.  I went to college and graduated from Bemidji State University in 2000.  I was very fortunate to have two long term substitute teaching assignments in our school district my first year out of college. I was then offered the Early Childhood Special Education teaching position in the Fall of 2001 and remained in that role for thirteen years.  During the 2014-2015 school year I was the Kindergarten - Third Grade Special Education teacher at the Mahnomen Elementary School.  All of these opportunities have been a great blessing to me and I have enjoyed meeting so many wonderful students, families and colleagues.

I love living in the country and still being close to the wonderful small towns of this area.  I like to be outdoors and enjoy walking on trails with our dogs and the cats that decide to run along with us. I like to plant a garden each year but never take time to weed it.  It amazes me how plants still grow! I think discovering each unique gourd, miniature pumpkin and ornamental corncob is like unwrapping a present!  

This is my first year as the Clearbrook-Gonvick DCD Special Education teacher for some Kindergarten to 12th grade students. I appreciate the 

opportunity to work with some of the students that were in my Early Childhood classes years ago and meet new students as well. My goals this year are to continue to build positive relationships with my students and their families, to motivate these incredible kids do their very best work and eventually become more independent as they continue on their lifelong path of learning.