Back to School!

Welcome back! The Bethany Christian community of faculty and staff is so excited to welcome students back to school.
 
While the beginning of this school year probably feels different than back to school celebrations of the past, we are still anticipating a successful semester at Bethany. Faculty and staff have been preparing for the return of students in a variety of ways. This has included comprehensive conversations around the health and safety of the community and a continuing development of instructional skills to better challenge students no matter which learning platform we are utilizing.
 
We also know that returning to school has some risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is still present in our community. BCS has safety measures in place and is prepared to take extra precautions for the health and safety of everyone in the building. You can read more about the complete COVID-19 safety response and back to school plan here. Don’t miss the section titled Family Resources, where many of your potential questions might be answered. And please don’t hesitate to reach out to faculty and staff or administrators with questions.
 
Despite a number of uncertainties and anxieties that may linger as the community returns to BCS, the things that make a Bethany education unique remain: challenging academics and a faith-rooted care for each students’ growth and development.
 
At Bethany, each student is known and valued as an integral part of the whole BCS community. Whether instruction is taking place online or in-person, students are receiving the quality educational experience that you’ve come to know here. Welcome back!

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New Faculty and Staff Members

Leon Bauman will be joining Bethany as a study hall supervisor and teacher aide. He retired in 2019 from a career in education, most recently as an elementary school counselor at Goshen Community Schools. After a year of travel, reflection, study and time with family, he is excited to be “coming back to school again!” (photo 1, below)

 Abbe Buller is joining the Bethany community as the advancement assistant. She has most recently worked with Michiana MEDA and College Mennonite Church. Abbe and her husband Patrick are members at Berkey Avenue Mennonite and have two children, Isaac and Lena. She enjoys reading, cooking and family bike rides, and is “excited to be part of an organization that’s creating amazing space for holistic education.” (photo 2)

 Daniel Mast will be teaching PE and Health this coming year in addition to continuing to coach the varsity boys basketball team. Daniel is a 2006 graduate of Bethany. Daniel and his wife Ally attend Assembly Mennonite in Goshen and their son Beck is almost 2 years old. “My family and I are very excited about becoming even more connected to the Bethany community,” said Daniel. (photo 3)

 Gabriella Ochoa will teach high school Spanish. Most recently she was a full-time Spanish instructor and taught courses in Latin American history and culture at St. Michael’s College in Vermont. Gabriela and her husband Robert Brenneman have two sons, Nicholas and Robert, and they relocated to Goshen in July. “I am looking forward to getting to know my students and to sharing my love and enthusiasm for the Spanish language and the many cultures it represents,” said Gabriela. “As a Guatemalan who had to learn English as an adult, I know how hard it can be to learn a foreign language — but also how exciting it can be as your world opens up to a whole new community of people” (photo 4)

 Kyle Stocksdale is joining Bethany as the media center coordinator. He attended Goshen College where he studied history, peace studies and classical guitar. He enjoys reading, being outside and experiencing nature, and taking apart and restoring old bits of technology, but “most of all, I love taking walks with my wife, Brianne, and my dog, Oliver.” (photo 5)