Chickasha Middle School Welcomes New Teachers With the start of ...

Chickasha Middle School Welcomes New Teachers With the start of the 2013 – 2014 School Year, Chickasha Middle School welcomes 4 new teachers and a new assistant principal. The new teachers are: Melissa Finck, Katrina Ruggs, Jacob Offolter, Caroline Abernathy, and Richard Barker. The new assistant principal is Jeff Allen. Mrs. Finck teaches 7th grade Language Arts and is in her first year of teaching. She has been a substitute in the Chickasha School District for the past 2 years. She Graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA with a degree in English. Her husband is a history professor at USAO and they have three children, Jacob, Savannah, and Jackson. As a family they enjoy camping, hiking, and going on adventures together. Mrs. Ruggs teaches 7th and 8th grade Language Arts. She graduated from Oklahoma State University and previously taught in the Noble School District. Her husband is Steve and they have three boys. In her spare time, she likes to run, go to the lake and read non-fiction books. Coach Offolter returns to Chickasha after coaching and teaching in Duncan last year. Coach Offolter teaches 7th and 8th grade Health/P.E. He is entering his 8th year of teaching and has taught and coached in Dibble, Tuttle, and Duncan. He is married and has one son. Ms. Abernathy works in the Special Education Department. She is entering her fourth year of teaching and first at Chickasha. She previously taught in a special ed resource classroom in Tennessee for three years. She is originally from Noblesville, Indiana and graduated from Samford University. Ms. Abernathy has also received her Master’s in Special Education from Western Governors University this past January. Ms. Abernathy and her fiancé just recently moved here from Nashville and are planning a wedding. Mr. Richard Barker is entering his 21st year of teaching in Oklahoma. He began his teaching career at Amber-Pocassett in 1982 and has taught in Texas, Nevada, and Colorado. He is teaching 7 th grade Math and 8th grade History here in Chickasha. He enjoys officiating volleyball and conducting volleyball camps. Mr. Jeff Allen is in his first year as assistant principal. Mr. Allen comes to Chickasha from Noble where he spent 18 years teaching. While in Noble, Mr. Allen served as the Assistant AD and was the head baseball coach for 12 years. He was also an assistant football coach for 18 years. Mr. Allen has been married to his wife Laura for 20 years and they have two daughters, Bayley and Ryley. The staff here at CMS welcomes each of our new staff members and we are looking forward to a rewarding year. We will continue to strive for excellence in education the youth of Chickasha.