Ritzville School District welcomes three new educators: Caitlin Jeske

With the school year officially underway throughout the county, the Ritzville School District has hired three educators to work within Ritzville Grade School and Lind-Ritzville High School this year.

The new hires share the same enthusiasm for having the opportunity to work within Ritzville and look forward to watching their students grow as individuals while they simultaneously continue to develop as teachers.

In the upcoming weeks, follow The Journal for profiles on the new educators in the Lind and Washtucna School Districts.

At Ritzville Grade School, Caitlin Jeske, the new preschool teacher, greeted the youngest students to the school this year.

The preschool is split up into two classes, a morning and afternoon, and Jeske said both classes are full with nearly 16 students in each.

Jeske was born and raised in Spangle, and attended Liberty High School. After graduation, she attended Walla Walla Community College where she played basketball for three years, before transferring to Washington State University for a semester.

She graduated from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor’s of Arts in early childhood development and a minor in special education. She also has a K-6 teaching endorsement.

Jeske has always been drawn to rural communities and is excited to begin her teaching career in a town she is already familiar with. While attending Liberty, Jeske said she had the opportunity to meet many people in the Lind and Ritzville communities, and she also has family members in the area.

Jeske completed her student teaching in St. John-Endicott and in Tekoa, helping with the after school math and reading courses.

She has always had an interest to each the younger grades because they are still keen on school and are just beginning development.

One of the largest benefits of working with preschool students is the students help keep imagination alive, Jeske said.

A lot of the time, Jeske continued, it feels like the students are actually teaching her.

For Jeske, her interests outside of school include intramural basketball and helping on the farm in the summers.

With the school year underway, Jeske is focused on helping the preschool class grow as students and prepare for the next grade.

Overall, Jeske wants to take the school year one day at a time and focus on student development and creating a fun learning environment.