The Avon School District will welcome a new K- 5th grade special education teacher for the 2024-2025 school year, Ashley Cihak. Ashley has been teaching for the past 14 years. Her entire teaching career until this year has been with the Wagner Community School District. Six of her last 14 years were in Elementary Special Education, with the last eight years teaching second grade.

Ashley had wanted to be a teacher since she was a kindergartener. She was very fortunatetohaveanamazing teacher in the South Shore SchoolDistrict,Mrs.Wartenbee. Ashley grew up in the South Shore and Deuel area. She enjoyed playing school throughout her childhood. It wasofnosurpriseaftergraduating from Yankton High School that Ashley decided to attend the University of South Dakota to pursue her BachelorsDegreeinElementary and Special Education.

Ashley is truly excited to become an Avon Pirate this year. She is looking forward to being able to get back into small group instruction and seeing the gains that her studentshavethepotentialto make throughout the school year. Being a new teacher for the Avon School District, Ashley’s goal for her first year and really every year is to help her students make gains, celebrate their successes alongtheway,andhelp themtobecomesuccessfulin an academic setting. Other school related activities that Ashley will be a part of this school year will be assisting with concessions for the at home volleyball games as well as a Response to Intervention (RTI) team member. As an RTI team member, she will use her expertise in special education to help identify students who may be struggling and provide them with any extra help that they may need.

Ashley is married to Ryan Cihak and the couple has two children,BrocandHaddie.Her children are already Pirates as they attend school in Avon. What really drew Ashley to the job of teaching in Avon was that her and Ryan have seen the amazing things that their children have done, seen the gains that the teachers have made with them as well as can see over the years how muchtheirchildrenhaveloved being a part of the Avon School District. She knew that if she ever were to get the chance to become a part of the Avon School District that she would be joining another amazing school family. She is very proud that now all four of her family members will officially be Pirates!

The family also has three dogs: Lettie, RJ, and Maggie. Ashley and her husband live on a farm as Ryan custom feeds cattle as well as has his own cattle. They also have several horses, with a new horse coming soon for their children. In their free time, Ashley and her family enjoy going for drives and visiting with friends and family. AshleyalsoenjoysHallmark movies.Herfavoritemovieis Something Borrowed. One of the last books that Ashley read was about the Science of reading which was very enjoyable and gave her some new ideas and perspectives. One of Ashley’s bucket list itemswouldbetotraveltoNational Parks near the Rocky Mountains and drink coffee on a patio enjoying the view with her family.

Welcome to the Avon School District and we hope you have an amazing year!