Ashley Olson
Ashley Olson is originally from Forest City. She is excited to start her first teaching experience as the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 7th grade Reading/Language Arts teacher. Olson received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Education and a minor in Theatre/Speech from Northwestern College in Orange City, IA in May of 2021.
For her goals as a teacher in the CGD district, Olson emphasized, “I have a passion for helping children cultivate knowledge in the language arts. My goal for this year is to be a teacher as servant and life-long learner, while encouraging my students to do the same.“
When she’s not at the school, Olson says she enjoys reading and writing and also spending time outdoors with family and friends. She added, “I love anything theatre related, scrapbooking, sewing, watching movies, hiking, biking, and camping.” Olson’s parents, Steve and Karolyn, live in Forest City and she has a brother, Andrew.
Kara Hawker
Kara Hawker is originally from Manchester, IA. This fall, she will be teaching Physics, Chemistry, and STEM courses at CGD. She graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in Comprehensive Science Education from the University of Northern Iowa.
She did her student teaching at Independence Jr./Sr. High School, and occasionally subbed in her hometown school district, West Delaware. CGD will be her first full-time teaching job.
As she looks ahead at the school year, Hawker stated, “My goal as a teacher at CGD is to spark curiosity and create a scientific community within my classroom. I also want to build strong relationships with my colleagues and students.”
She said her favorite hobbies include traveling, baking, swimming, skiing, and shopping. Hawker’s family lives in Manchester. Her dad, David, works for the Iowa DOT, and her mom, Amanda, works at the West Delaware Middle School. Her sister, Kamille, is an art student at UNI.
Jessica Nail
Jessica Nail, a Clarion native, will soon be starting at CGD as a new first grade teacher. She received a teaching degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa.
In the last four years, she has been teaching first grade at Panorama and before that, she taught Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten for 5 years at Guthrie Center.
As she looks ahead at this school year, Mrs. Nail said, “I am excited to be back teaching in the district I graduated from and I am excited to have my own children attend CGD. I hope I can bring a variety of teaching styles and technology ideas from the other districts I have taught in as well as continue my professional development as a teacher at CGD to help enhance student learning in the district.”
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Nail enjoys coaching, running, watching movies/Netflix, and spending time with family. Her husband Ryan will also be teaching in the district this year.
Ryan Nail
Ryan Nail is a 2006 Clarion-Goldfield graduate. He’s back in his home district this year to teach 9-12 PE and will also be helping in the tech department with the school website and some Audio/Video. He also coached baseball this past summer. He spent the past seven years teaching at Panorama CSD and also opened his own business in Panora for three years after year five of teaching. Mr. Nail earned his degree in Physical Education with a health and coaching minor from the University of Northern Iowa.
He said, “My goal is to bring my pride in CGD to our district and create habits in our students that they can take with them long after they graduate. As the baseball coach, I hope to make our program into one that competes for conference and state titles. I just want to be an important part of our staff that can help move CGD moving forward anyway I can.”
“My wife, Jessica, is a 1st grade teacher and my daughters, Kinlee and Elsie will be in 4th grade and 2nd grade respectively. We also have numerous parents, aunts, uncles and cousins in the community,” Nail said.
Mr. Nail added that he and his wife coach numerous sports but if they have free time, they like cheering on the Hawkeyes and creating memories with their family.
Christen Foster-Thomas
Christen Foster-Thomas comes to the district from Hampton. She will be teaching 7th and 8th grade science classes. She has a bachelor’s degree from Luther College in Decorah where she majored in Elementary Education with middle school science and math endorsements. Prior to this year, Foster-Thomas taught for three years at Estherville Lincoln Central Middle School as the eighth-grade science teacher before joining the team at CGD.
Regarding her goals for the upcoming year, Foster-Thomas emphasized, “I want to encourage students to ask questions and to look at the diverse ways we can find answers to the challenges of the world around us. We are all learners and will be learning together this school year. I want students to know that they are safe to explore the unknown and confusing.”
She is the daughter of Heather and Chad Foster, wife of Grant Foster-Thomas, and proud dog mom of Blossom and Daisy. Foster-Thomas added, “When I am not spending time in my classroom, I like to craft and create. I have recently learned how to quilt and have been trying my best at completing those projects in my spare time. When I am not in my craft room, you can find me with my dogs snuggling up for a movie or my favorite shows”.
Joseph Granzow
Joseph Granzow, or Mr. G, as his students tend to call him, is originally from Eldora where he grew up on a farm. He is the new Secondary Vocal Music teacher and will be directing the 6th grade choir, the 7/8th grade choir and the High School Choir.
Granzow noted, “I will also be in charge of the fall musical productions and look forward to facilitating all the young talents that the school and community have to offer. I am hoping to have high school students interested in auditioning for the Iowa All-State Choir and middle school students for the OPUS Honor Choir this fall.”
Granzow has two undergrad degrees from the University of Northern Iowa – one in Opera Performance and the other in Music Education. He also has a Masters in International Education from Framingham State University, and received his final Masters from Boston University in Music Education.
Granzow has a rich teaching history under his belt. “I have been an international teacher for the past 24 years of my 26 years of teaching experience,” he explained. “I have taught in Mexico, Brasil, Malaysia, Italy, Germany and most recently back in Mexico. I have directed numerous choirs and musical productions, as well as teaching all sorts of performing arts options and even some technology and publications classes. Before going international, I taught briefly at Eldora-New Providence as a short term substitute as well as two years at East Central and Preston, now known as Easton Valley.”
“My goal is to spark an interest in the performing arts for those who have yet to find their talent, and to facilitate those who already have. All students want to succeed, and my job is to help allow that. I hope to continue the tradition of music at CGD and see where we can go with it!”
He stated that his hobbies are anything related to musical theater. Whether going to shows in New York or London, or directing them in schools or communities. He also enjoys baking, traveling, reading, singing, and spending time with family and friends. His parents still live on the family farm in Eldora. His father is a retired farmer and mother is a retired English teacher. He has an older brother who lives in Sutherland and a younger sister who resides in Sioux Falls, SD with her husband and three children. “I am a proud uncle to Maddy, Seth and Charlie,” he added.
