Opheim Welcomes New Staff Members To Community

At the beginning of the school year, Opheim School students and fellow staff welcomed four new staff members into their community. Matt Simley is teaching second/third grade class as well as the elementary P.E. classes. Tracy Cumber took over the shop/agriculture classes and FFA in addition to starting the fourth, fifth and sixth graders in Ag. Education. Tami Haushultz joined as the music educator for elementary, junior high and high school while Jenalyn “Jena” Batalla joined from the Phillipnes as the school’s science teacher. “I am looking forward to working with each of these amazing educators,” stated Superintendent Jennifer McAllister.

Jena Batalla has been teaching for nine years and was working at the Francisco P. Felix Memorial National High School in the Phillippines before relocating to Opheim for the school year. She admits she never wanted to be a teacher initially, however as time went by, she learned to love the profession. “It become my passion. Being a teacher for me is such a fulfilling challenge, being able to make a positive impact on the future of children, stimulating the next generation to become lifelong learners,” said Batalla. She believes the topic of science encourages creativity, develops analytical thinking skills and develops a love of learning, which is why she enjoys teaching the subject. “By seeking answers to questions, we pursue knowledge even more just like scientists and that will never go away,” Batalla explained. Her favorite thing about teaching is learning, not only learning about the children she is working with, but also learning about potential and opportunities that can be created. “Learning about potential opportunities that we can create and co-create with the students, learning about the subjects that we teach, how we teach and what we teach and most close to my heart, learning about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses as a teacher, student and person,” Batalla explained.

She was born and raised in the land of the Pearl, the Philippines. She is married and has three children, who all enjoy traveling to different places where they can relax, enjoy and take a break from the busy days of work. As a result, she admits teaching at Opheim is more than just a job opportunity, it’s a chance to meet other people and it’s her jumping-off point for an international adventure, cultural exchange and personal enrichment.

Hauschulz relocated from Sunburst, Mont., after her husband accepted a job at the Port of Opheim. She believes teaching music at Opheim School was a great fit as a result of her many years within the music field and teaching for 24 years. She is originally from Rolla, N.D., and they continue to travel back and forth to work on the family farm there. She and her husband have four grown children and two grandchildren with more on the way. She enjoys camping, hiking, hunting, crafting, quilting but mostly spending time with her family. She taught in Rock Lake, N.D., before relocating to Sweet Grass, Mont., then worked in Sunburst for 22 years. She hopes to “create a deeper appreciation and love for music among the students and community.”

Elementary Physical Education teacher as well as the second/third grade teacher Matt Simley has been teaching for 20 years and prior to moving to Opheim he taught in Ray, N.D., in a fourth-grade classroom. “I wanted to teach in Opheim because it is a great community and is an all-around great place to be,” he stated. As the school year progresses, he hopes to make an impact both socially and academically with his students. “I went into the teaching career to make a positive difference in my students' life everyday and to make education fun/engaging,” Simley explained. He also enjoys that everyday is a new challenge or obstacle while at the same time making his students smile and have a rewarding day. When he is not teaching, he enjoys playing and watching sports, camping, fishing and hunting.

New agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Tracy Cumber is not new to the AG subject. She has 30 years of agricultural teaching experience outside the school setting and also volunteered as a student intern/teacher’s aide in the second semester of 2021 for both the Hinsdale and Opheim Agriculture departments. She is a certified range management specialist, graduating from University of Montana in 1988 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Forestry and Range and a minor in Wildlife Biology. She graduated in 2000 with a master of ecosystem management, which is an approach to resource management that aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of renewable and non-renewable resources at a larger scale.

She decided to go into teaching because she wanted to share what she has learned throughout her career. “I have worked with farmers and ranchers in Valley County for the past 20 years and although I retired from the USDA in October of 2021, I realized I wanted to share what I had learned throughout my career with our future generations. The current agriculture teacher was retiring so I decided to take a change at this wonderful opportunity,” Cumber explained. As a result of being in agriculture her entire life, she hopes to share every aspect of the field, stating “our children need to know where our food and fiber come from and the importance of agriculture in our daily lives.”

She moved to Montana over 30 years ago and met Randy, her husband, when her job took her to Glasgow. She loves to ride horses, kayak and work with her husband on the ranch, which is located in southern Valley County. They have one son, who is now serving in the United States Marine Corp.

All four teachers appreciate the opportunity to teach the next generations in their fields and can’t wait to continue to pass along their knowledge. They are also all very grateful of the welcoming they have received from the community and the school. “I want to say thank you to the Opheim community for all of your support and kindness,” stated Cumber.