Special Guest Column by Horizon Assistant Principal Tim Keigley

Little did we know a year ago when we hired Paul Rosser to lead our Ferndale School District Transportation Department that his experience as Green Beret and Mountain Guide would come in handy navigating the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic.

When Paul’s wife, Jeanne, a professional writer and policy analyst, saw the opening for a Transportation Director in Ferndale, they were intrigued. The couple, who met in Wyoming after Paul returned from Iraq, were just completing Paul’s book on leadership (which now awaits publication), and they were ready for their next adventure. Paul’s civilian career as a mountain guide had previously brought him to Bellingham, where the two were married and relocated for a time with their teenager, who began high school at Sehome, will graduate from Jackson Hole High School this spring, and will head to college in the fall. Paul and Jeanne had fallen in love with the area, so they were eager to settle down in Ferndale when he was offered the position as the school district’s Transportation Director. 

Paul is definitely the right guy for the job.  A former Battalion and Task Force Commander with wartime experience, this retired Green Beret Colonel has served in the Regular Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve. Since commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant, he has been responsible for soldiers, material, and equipment, including motor pools and other rolling stock ranging from snowmobiles, wheeled vehicles, and track vehicles. During his Reserve time, when he was not deployed to remote regions of the world, he spent time as a mountain guide for the American Alpine Institute, leading clients up alpine routes in the North Cascades and expeditions to Alaska and Denali.

Guiding teams through challenging terrain with unexpected turns and twists for nearly three decades has prepared Paul to ensure our transportation services are executing the best possible actions to support students and their current distance learning needs.

Paul is quick to point out that it’s all about TEAM, and he says he has a great one in Ferndale.   

Two of Paul’s team members are Racheal Upper and Susan Mittelstaedt.

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Racheal has worked as a bus driver for the Ferndale School District for three years. She says, “I love driving bus and being part of the kids’ lives. I get to see them every day and watch them grow.” 

Before she joined the district team, Racheal worked at the refinery as an expediter. Her job was to move trucks and workers from where they were to where they needed to be.  

Racheal and her husband of 32 years, Kevin, first met in middle school. She grew up in Everson and graduated from Nooksack High School, while Kevin graduated from Ferndale High School. When they reconnected, Racheal moved to Ferndale, she and Kevin married, and they started a family. Their 28-year-old son Ben, a FHS graduate, works as a mechanical engineer in Stanwood, and is planning to be married in July. Their 25-year-old daughter Brianna, also an FHS graduate, works as a kindergarten teacher in Stanwood.   

Outside of work, Racheal enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and baking. She says baking cookies and cakes is her form of “therapy” -- a therapy that has had many grateful beneficiaries.

In the pre-COVID-19 world, Racheal drove a route that covers the Portal Way area. She transported students to and from Cascadia Elementary, Vista Middle School, and Ferndale High School.

With the advent of distance learning, Racheal’s new responsibilities include delivering lunches, breakfasts and paper learning plans to students who need them. She also picks up completed homework from students and gets it back to their teachers. On a typical day, Racheal delivers 120 breakfasts and lunches.  

Asked about some of the reasons she loves her job, Racheal shared a story from a particularly cold stretch this past winter. She said she noticed one of her kids getting on the bus without a warm jacket. She went to work and located a brand new winter coat, which she left on the bus seat where the student routinely sat. The coat was accepted with a smile of acknowledgement, and both Racheal and the student went on with their day, their connection a little stronger than it had been the day before. “It’s the culture of our transportation team to be helpful and go out of our way to support students and each other,” says Racheal. “Her keen awareness of what students need to be ready for learning is impressive,” adds Director Rosser. 

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Like Rachel, Sue Mittelstaedt, finds the profession of driving a school bus a natural fit. “I have always liked to drive. And of course, I love my kids,” says Sue. “My route driving special needs students suits me. I’ve gotten to know the kids and their parents, and I’ve have gained a fuller understanding of the challenges they face on a daily basis.”   

Sue’s pre-Covid-19 route started at 6:30 am and ended after 4:00 pm. On average, she drove 65-70 miles a day transporting students from Ferndale to Custer and the Blaine area and back.

Sue grew up in Vancouver, Washington and moved to Bellingham in 1985. She graduated from Western Washington University in 1987 and moved to Ferndale in 1990, because, she says, “housing was cheaper in Ferndale than Bellingham, we knew the schools were good, and it seemed like a perfect place to raise a family.”

Fast forward to 2020, and Sue and her husband of 31 years, Steve, have three children: Lauren, Sarah and Sean. Lauren and Sarah, 28-year-old twins, graduated from Ferndale High School in 2010. Lauren still lives in Ferndale, and Sarah works for Campus Ministry at the University of Idaho. Sean, a 2015 FHS graduate, lives in Las Vegas, where he is pursuing a career in film.  The entire Mittelstaedt family shares one common educational milestone:  they all are graduates of Western Washington University.  

Sue has been looking forward to using the new recreational vehicle she and Kevin recently purchased to travel to one or more national parks this summer. “Great timing huh?” she quips. She is also looking forward to her daughter’s Summer 2020 wedding, “even though,” she says, “our celebration may not look the way we once envisioned it, given these crazy times.” 

During this period of remote learning, Sue routinely delivers meals to students across the district. In addition, she has been brushing up on her skills by taking advantage of a variety of online professional development courses on topics ranging from driving in adverse weather to supporting student’s social and emotional growth and well-being. 

Sue says she has enjoyed getting out and interacting with people, looking into their faces, and seeing and hearing their appreciation. “I don’t know about others, but when I’m out and about in the grocery store and such, I have found myself avoiding eye contact, keeping my distance, and rushing to get what I need and get home. But when we are making deliveries to students, it’s been different. We’re connecting even though we’re staying six feet apart, and it’s been good.”

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After their deliveries have been made, Rachel and Sue meet up with Transportation Director Paul Rosser back at the bus garage where the district’s fleet is kept, lined up neatly like a row of shiny new cars at a dealership. All the buses are obviously well cared for, and the pride Sue and Rachel take in the buses assigned to them is palpable.

Looking down the yellow line, Paul shares his take on his transportation team and the district. “I love working for the Ferndale School District,” he says, “because district leadership gives me the latitude, flexibility, collaboration, and support I need to run a high-performing transportation team. Our drivers, mechanics, and dispatchers are great professionals. They are mature problem-solvers and resourceful go-getters. I am blessed to work with great people in Ferndale!”   

When asked what is most important for his team in planning for the upcoming school year, Paul replies, “My mantra is ‘this is a marathon, not a sprint.’” He is adamant with his crew that their mission during the Pandemic is “to provide transportation and logistic support as required by the district, its schools, and other government agencies. Teamwork and mission accomplishment are what matters -- for our students, staff, and families in Ferndale.”

If you need food or learning packets delivered, or completed assignments picked up, please contact Ferndale Transportation Dispatch at 360-383-9236.

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Tim Keigley has worked the past 20 years for the Ferndale School District.  He began as Assistant Principal and Dean of Students at Ferndale High School in 2002. Later, he served 4 years as Windward High School principal.  Currently, Tim is Assistant Principal at Horizon Middle School.  When he isn’t working, Tim loves to spend time outdoors with his wife Mary,  9 year old son Max and 10 year old daughter Kaya whether it be gardening, hiking, camping, skiing, surfing, bodyboarding,  mountain biking, tennis, fishing, or some other on the go activity.

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This guest column is part of a blog series documenting life in the Ferndale School District during the 2020 School Closure. Watch for more coming soon.