BY KATHERINE HUNTINGTON

Staff writer

            The Galena Interior Learning Academy and the Sidney C. Huntington High School have welcomed new teachers to the staff; Lon Gillas and Tim Kalke.

            Mr. Kalke is a social studies teacher at the Sidney C. Huntington School campus. Mr. Kalke teaches Government, U.S. History, and Integrated Social Studies. He is in the room formally belonging to Beth Buchanan who is now the Curriculum Director for the Galena City School District.

            Mr.  Kalke was born May 7, 1979 in Gillette, Wyoming. He attended college at the University of Northern Colorado and was student taught at Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, Colorado.  

            He also has taught at Sue Valley High school and Lathrop High school in Fairbanks, Alaska. The other work he has done would be painting houses, fishing & rafting guide, a bartender, and has been in the army.

            Mr. Kalke chose to come to Galena and teach “because it was a unique opportunity with such a diverse student population and the opportunity to become a member of Rural Alaskan Village.”

            Mr. Gillas teaches Integrated Science, Geology, Physics, and Environmental Science.

            Mr. Gillas was born on October 18, 1954 and is from Oregon, Washington. He was raised in Vancouver, Washington and attended to college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.            Mr. Gillas was student taught in McMinnville, Oregon and he taught at McMinnville, Oregon; Bend, Oregon; and a Court School. He also has worked at an electric car company, a paint ball field, and industrial battery recycling. Mr. Gillas chose to come to Galena and teach “because it was the greatest school in Alaska and he wanted to see what a real winter was like.”