OCS welcomes new teachers

By Morrison, Scott on August 19, 2019

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Pictured above: Patricia Marks, Megan Janssen, Lacey Bahr, Diane Martin, Stacey Pederson, Matt Ulrich 

One of the great blessings at Osmond Community School in the last few years is that the staff has seen
very little turnover.
With that being said, no school year would ever be complete without some new shining faces. For the
2019-2020 there are five new instructors including Stacey Pederson, Lacey Bahr, Megan Janssen, Diane
Martin, and Patricia Marks.
The first new instructor is elementary sped coordinator Stacey Pederson. She introduced her self with
detail:
Stacey’s family life includes the following: “I have two sons, Gage who is a Junior and Dawson who is in
the Eighth grade and we are from Bloomfield.  We keep busy with school, sports, 4-H, outdoor activities,
family and friends and our yellow lab, Lily.”
Pederson said she, “…graduated from Northeast Community College with an Associate Degree in
Elementary Education and transferred to Wayne State College, graduating with a Bachelors Degree in
Elementary Education with an endorsement in Special Education. 
Stacey has a variety of experiences. “I have had the privilege of being a substitute teacher with area
schools, and was previously at Santee Community Schools as an Elementary Special Education Teacher.”
Overall, she exclaimed that she is “…excited to be a new member of the Osmond Tiger Team!  I'm
looking forward to meeting everyone and having an amazing year!”
Lacey Bahr is the school’s new MTSS Coordinator and Data Steward, a new position developed for this
year and beyond.
Working in Osmond will suit Bahr’s previous experiences. She grew up in Louisville, NE and graduated
from Wayne State College in 2015 with and Early Childhood Unified degree.
Lacey also shared her some aspects of her personal life: “My husband, Brett, and I have been married
for four years. We have a two year old son, Beau, and we are expecting our second child in December.”
Lacey said she “…enjoy(s) spending time with family and friends, as well as being outdoors and doing
crafts.”
Diane Martin also assumes a newly created position: Well-being Counselor.  She described her role as
one in which, “I will be assisting with overall health and wellness specifically in the area of socio-
emotional and mental health.”  
She noted that “My previous  and current experience includes 25 years in private practice counseling at
Associated Psychologists & Counselors, Norfolk, NE and the Program Coordinator for the Clearwater-
Orchard TeamMates program.”
Diane’s family life starts with her husband Dale and their children. “My husband and I were also foster
parents for several years.”

She noted that her husband “…is the Superintendent at the Nebraska Unified School District #1.  We
have 3 adult sons, Jordan, Travis, and Zach who all live in Lincoln, NE.” 
The Martins live on a farm near Orchard, NE. 
Martin said, “When not working, we enjoy hanging out in Lincoln with our kids and in the summer we
stay busy with the never-ending task of weed control on our farm."
“I am looking forward to getting to know all the Osmond students, staff and community.”
Megan Janssen is an elementary paraprofessional starting this year. She worked in Creighton under the
same occupation last school year.
She is originally from Jackson, NE and lives with her boyfriend.
Megan stays busy throughout the year: “Some hobbies that I enjoy doing l are walking my dog, spending
time with family and friends and spending my weekends working out at the Wausa golf course.”
Patricia Marks also joins the OCS; she will be teaching first grade.
Mrs. Marks comes in with twelve years of teaching experience, ten of which she spent teaching first
grade in Wausa.
Marks has a husband and four children: “My husband and I live in Wausa.  Tony is employed at CHS of
Wausa.  We have four children:  Amberlin (7 and in first grade in Osmond), Henley (5 and in
Kindergarten in Osmond), Beckett (3 and attending 3 year ok preschool at the Lutheran Church in
Osmond), and Scarlett (3 months).” 
Among her hobbies, Marks says, “I enjoy spending time with my family and being outdoors.  I like
cooking, crafting, and visiting the farm with my children.”
Now that the 2019-2020 school is under way, these new teachers are going to have an awesome impact
on the students and will help them on their way to earning a great education.