It's a common belief that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. Well, adjust the time circuits, and crank up the flux capacitor. It's back to the future for these Bennett Elementary School staffers.
Arriving
in
the
academic
year
2020-21,
Bennett
Elementary
faculty
and
support
staff
initiate
the
start
of
another
stellar
season.
Counted
among
their
ranks
are
four
teachers
who
look
very
familiar.
Bennett
Principal
Michelle
Pohzehl
explained.
"We
have
a
pretty
unique
situation
here
at
Bennett,"
she
said.
"It's
amazing
that
we
have
four
former
Bennett
students
who
have
returned
to
be
teachers.
They
are
an
example
of
the
high-quality
program
we
have
here
at
Bennett.
Not
only
that,
but
many
of
their
former
teachers
are
still
here
and
are
mentoring
them."
Second
Grade
Teacher
Haylee
Foor,
an
Osbourn
Park
High
School
graduate,
received
her
master's
degree
from
James
Madison
University
this
past
spring.
"On
my
first
day,
all
of
my
former
teachers,
and
new
ones
reached
out
to
welcome
me
back
into
the
family.
I'm
excited
to
call
Bennett
home
and
to
be
a
Bennett
Bear
again.
I
am
who
I
am
because
of
all
these
wonderful
teachers,
and
I
can't
wait
to
make
them
proud,"
said
Foor,
a
first-year
educator.
Robyn
Klatt,
also
a
first-year
educator,
was
in
the
International
Baccalaureate
(IB)
program
and
graduated
from
Unity
Reed
High
School.
She
went
on
to
study
at
Virginia
Commonwealth
University,
where
she
earned
a
master's
degree.
She
now
teaches
third
grade.
Klatt
shared,
"Bennett
is
such
a
supportive
community
and
I
feel
so
lucky
to
be
a
part
of
the
Bennett
family
again.
It
definitely
feels
like
home.
I
will
never
forget
when
Mrs.
Kutsop-Hall,
my
favorite
teacher,
called
to
congratulate
me
while
I
was
backstage
at
my
high
school
graduation.
The
coolest
part
is
that
I
am
now
in
her
old
classroom."
Welcoming
Klatt
to
the
third-grade
team
is
second-year
teacher
Vanessa
Robinson.
Robinson
went
to
Bennett
in
fourth
and
fifth
grade
as
part
of
the
students
involved
in
gifted
education
today
(SIGNET)
program.
Vanessa
later
graduated
from
Osbourn
Park
High
School
and
continued
her
education
at
Virginia
Tech,
where
she
earned
a
master's
degree.
"When
I
graduated,
I
knew
I
wanted
to
come
back
home
to
Prince
William
County.
At
the
job
fair,
I
recognized
Bennett
right
away
and
after
connecting
with
Mrs.
Pohzehl,
was
hired
on
the
spot.
Walking
in
the
doors
of
Bennett
for
the
first
time
since
elementary
school
felt
so
surreal
and
yet
like
nothing
had
changed.
I
am
so
glad
to
work
with
such
an
amazing
team,"
Robinson
shared.
Kyle
Combs
is
in
his
second
year
as
a
physical
education
(PE)
teacher
at
Bennett.
Kyle
graduated
from
Osbourn
Park
High
and
earned
his
health
and
PE
degree
at
George
Mason
University.
Combs
explains,
"Going
to
SIGNET
in
fifth
grade
and
exploring
new
topics
in
such
a
fun
and
inviting
environment
was
always
a
great
time.
Not
to
mention,
doing
readers
notebooks
every
week
in
Mrs.
Rimkus'
class,
and
getting
hand-written
responses
back
from
her
that
were
always
very
genuine
and
fun
to
read."
Several
current
staff
members
were
mentors
for
the
young
students
when
they
attended
Bennett.
Foor
and
Klatt
have
fond
memories
of
their
kindergarten
teachers,
Barbara
Colley,
and
Sharon
Watts.
It
was
in
their
class
that
the
two
students
first
met.
Other
influential
staffers
include:
Binnie
Grant
(fourth
grade),
Julie
Rimkus
(fifth
grade),
Lesley
King
(reading
specialist),
Angela
Yeh
(music),
Valerie
Klasse
(librarian),
and
Barbara
Damato
(library
media
assistant).
It's
a
given
that
current
and
future
Bennett
Bears
will
wonder
what
it's
like
to
be
a
classroom
teacher.
Prince
William
County
Public
Schools
has
a
number
of
innovative
programs,
such
as
Growing
Our
Own
Teachers,
that
nurture
high
school
students
who
desire
a
career
in
education.
Until
then,
these
students
can
learn
first-hand
from
these
four
who
are
paying
it
forward
on
their
home
turf.