Teacher Features

After 20 years of teaching, Mrs. Pam Yanusko, FCS teacher and the Preschool instructor, will retire. When “Mrs. Y” first arrived as a teacher at BASH, there was a preschool established, but it wasn’t the preschool it is today. “A teacher named Mrs. Betty Fulmer started the preschool in the mid-90’s. However, it really was primarily a 'Play School',” she said. “I worked on developing i...

Mrs. Trina Kraus only began teaching at Boyertown Area Senior High this fall, when she was hired as an English teacher. Some might not know she  also just began a career as a published author. Her book, “Explosions of Joy,” was published in March, 2017. The book was co-written with Paul Yin and is a memoir about his experiences as grief counselor for the families of passengers on miss...

Mr. Brendan Dunne is a new ninth grade English teacher. However, he was here before as a student teacher. A few years before being hired this fall to replace Mr. Scott  Didyoung who retired, he helped teach 11th grade Academic English with English Teacher Ms. Sue O’Brien.  Because of this, Mr. Dunne -- who teaches Honors and Academic 9th Grade English -- knows his way around the school bett...

Mrs. Wynands has taught students with disabilities at BASH for 19 years. The fact that she herself has a disability gives her a unique perspective that allows her to better relate to her students. “I understand the struggles the students are going through,” she said. Mrs. Wynands was born with Cerebral Palsy, and has to walk with a cane for balance and a walker in the halls for safety....

A lot of people wish they had pursued their true passion in life. Mrs. Sandra Beck is someone who actually has. In her 37th year as a Spanish teacher, she says she liked Spanish in high school, then fell in love with Spain when she took a school trip there. She also thought she would enjoy teaching, so her career path became obvious.   "I feel very lucky to have loved my job for all these y...

Next school year will bring a new soccer season and a new play, but with a different coach and director -- for the first time in more than three decades.   Mr. Scott Didyoung, who has taught English in the district for over 37 years -- while also coaching varsity soccer and directing the high school musicals -- is retiring this year. The 9th grade English teacher taught at Junior High East before ...

Social studies teacher Mrs. Ashley Gillman has a passion for teaching and learning, but she also has a passion for sports and fitness. She recently just participated in a pushup contest in honor of the veterans that came to Boyertown and completed a total of 301 pushups, tying for the win. She says she did the pushups without much training. “This year I didn’t do as much preparation as th...

Most students know Mr. Bill Cherkasky as the telecommunications teacher who runs BASH-TV -- but he also is a vending machine expert. He bought and refurbished the two drink machines set up near the weight room, along with a machine by the Cub Gym, and drink and snack machines for faculty. He earns the school money by doing this. Any money made on the machines goes into repairs for the machines ...

  Science teacher Mrs. Elizabeth Shumock is known for spontaneously breaking out in French in class, especially when she is mad. “Sometimes she talks in French, but I don’t know what she’s saying,” said Sophomore Shannon Ludwig, who has Mrs. Shumock for biology. So where does the French come from? Mrs. Shumock was born in D’Oleron, France, which is one of the three small island...

New biology and chemistry teacher Mr. Robert Podlinski says he is glad to be back in a science classroom again. Certified in both math and science, he spent the last five years teaching math at Jim Thorpe Area High School before being hired by BASH this year to teach biology and chemistry. “I am thrilled to be back teaching science!” he says in the introduction on his teacher web page. Mr....

It was a great teacher who inspired Mr. Brady Wise to go into education. “I had a phenomenal honors English teacher in 11th grade, and after leaving her class, I knew that I wanted to do her job very early on,” said Mr. Wise, who grew up in Lansdale and went to North Penn High School. A decade later, he is doing just that. Mr. Wise now teaches 11th and 12th grade English, having been hired this...

Ninth and 10th graders are not the only ones who had to adjust to a new school this year. With the addition of almost 600 9th graders to the school, a number of new teachers also were transferred from the district's middle schools. Just like students, they have had to find their way around a new building and adjust to a new workload. “The high-school is so much bigger than the middle school, and with that there is...

Mr. Robert Ramsey is a new business teacher this year, but he was already well-known at BASH. A long-term substitute business teacher during the 2014-15 school year, he also was in charge of Stage Crew. Hired full-time this year to teach Criminal/Civil Law, Entrepreneurship, Word, and Powerpoint Access, he has also reclaimed the helm of Stage Crew Advisor. Being Stage Crew Advisor is important to him, h...