Meet The New Faces At Kennedy

Jeffrey Rassmussen explained how his wife got a job in Iowa City and when he asked about where he should take his teaching, “I asked them the place to be and they said Kennedy was that place.” Rasmussen will be teaching Geometry and Algebra One after moving here from Bismarck, North Dakota.  He used to coach golf while in Bismarck, but had to step away. “It got to a point I was starti...

Nate Greene is Kennedy’s new chemistry teacher. Greene used to teach at Xavier but is excited to work with Kennedy students. “I really like the administration and the kids' work ethic.” Before teaching, Greene explained his work being in a lab. “I’ve worked in many lab settings for about a decade before being a teacher, it’s a very unique experience that not everyone gets to do.” ...

Dustin Malec came to Kennedy to teach Spanish One and Two along with ELL Reading and ELL Language Arts. Malec will also be coaching the debate team this year. Malec enjoys teaching language because he feels it's important to learn about the rest of the world and the different cultures. Malec has been living in Cedar Rapids for 7 years now and heard great things about Kennedy, mentioning the staff...

John Hall is actually not a new teacher, but a returning one. Hall directed the Kennedy Orchestra for 16 years, then retired in 2018. Hall came out of retirement just for this year while Kennedy continues to search for a permanent new director. Hall explained how he never left Kennedy, “I was coming in as a string bass coach over the last few years.” Hall looks forward to what he can do wi...

Chastity Williams is the first of three new study hall supervisors this year at Kennedy. “I just love the amount of rigorous classes they have that continue to encourage kids to really work hard and study and use those courses for real life,” Chastity said when asked about moving to Kennedy. “Whether it's work, whether it's going into new careers, whether it's furthering their education, ...

Clark Daverbalus is the second of three new study hall supervisors at Kennedy. Daverbalus came to Kennedy after being asked to come and he agreed. When not teaching, Daverbalus owns his own security business, “[I’ve] been doing it for the last eight years.” Between his business, work and his kid, Daverbalus explained, “I don't know what free time is.”...

Dottie McNabb is the final new study hall supervisor at Kennedy. She explained how she came to Kennedy because her kids come to school here. “I thought I’d come too and enjoy their last years with them.”  Outside of teaching, McNabb stays busy with her kids' extracurricular activities....