Spruce Mountain Schools: Meet the Staff!

Spruce Mountain Primary School

Dawn Pettengill is a second grade teacher at the primary school. She has been teaching for more than 30 years. After graduating from University Maine Orono, she began teaching at Mountain Valley Middle School. When her husband transferred jobs away from Rumford, she moved to Livermore Falls Middle School. Upon the creation of Regional School Unit 73 she continued teaching at Spruce Mountain Middle School. She grew up in DIxfield, Maine graduating from Dirigo in 1982. She, her husband, son RJ, and their 2 dogs Marnie and Stormey, live in North Monmouth where they enjoy much time with friends and family. Yearly vacations to the Caribbean and other beach locations keep her rejuvenated for the school year. Her plans for the future include an Alaskan cruise and a trip riding the roller coasters of the United States.

Spruce Mountain Elementary School

Teresa Schmidt has been a teacher for so long that she teaches the children of children she has taught over the years! When she is not teaching, you can find her in her garden, sewing room, hiking, kayaking or running and exercising. Growing up in a family of 13 prepared her for a lifetime filled with the sounds of children. She has enjoyed all the years she’s been in the classroom and continues to do so.

Spruce Mountain Middle School

Amanda Gage-Croll is the Gifted and Talented Coordinator for RSU 73. She began teaching math and science in 2008 at Livermore Falls Middle School and has been with the district ever since. She has also served as a third and fifth grade teacher at Livermore Elementary School and as a sixth grade math teacher at Spruce Mountain Middle School. She enjoys spending her free time with her dogs, cats, and chickens. She enjoys reading, music, and outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and skiing.

Spruce Mountain District Librarian

Amy Ryder became RSU 73’s district librarian in 2016. She loves serving the four schools, 1500-ish students and hundreds of staff of her community. She runs the high school Makerspace and Read What You Want Book Club. She lives in Jay with her husband and two children. When not at school or driving her kids around, you can find her hiking, running, reading (of course), or at the beach.

She was previously a middle school librarian, taught fifth grade and preschool, and worked in the children’s room of a public library. She earned her MLIS and certification at Simmons College GSLIS in 2004 and her education degree at University of Maine Farmington in 1998.

When asked what she likes best about the library, Mrs Ryder responded: “Let’s be honest: sometimes schools have to teach things that people don’t use very often. In the library we don’t have that problem. We teach reading, research, and technology skills. No one gets through a day without using all three of these! I also love being able to work with a huge variety of people every day. My ‘students’ are sometimes kids, and just as often teachers, principals, or others in the school community.”