About Our 8A Teachers
Ms. Darling
I have been at WMS for many years and love teaching 8th grade. Currently I am teaching Global Studies which focuses not only on physical geography, but the relationships between countries and cultures. I also offer a trip to Washington DC in the spring of the year for 8th graders who are interested. This is a non-school sponsored trip and totally optional. I work with a company in DC and it is a great opportunity for kids to see civics in action in our nation’s capital.
Mr. Hertz
My name is Casey Hertz and I am originally from Ocheyedan, Iowa. I attended Sibley-Ocheyedan High School and graduated in 2012. After graduation I attended Southwest Minnesota State University where I played college football for four years. I graduated in 2016 with a degree in Biology and General Science Education. My first teaching position was at Cedar Mountain High School in Morgan, Minnesota where I taught 7th, 8th, and 11th grade science. My first year at Worthington, Minnesota was the 2017-2018 school year and I taught 6th and 8th grade science. In addition to teaching I will also be coaching middle school football and high school boys basketball. I have a passion for working with kids and instilling in them a love for science and self improvement. It is my goal to build positive relationships with students and encourage life long learning!
Mrs. Hietbrink
My name is Mrs. Hietbrink. I am a graduate of Worthington High School, and I received my degree in Elementary Education with a 5-8 English/Language Arts licensure from Southwest Minnesota State University.
I have been teaching 8th grade English in District 518 since 2009. I enjoy teaching at the middle school level. I incorporate technology into my classroom as much as I can–from the Smart Board to text messaging to interactive web sites to iPads.
Mr. Prunty
I was born and raised in Austin, Minnesota where I graduated from high school in 1990. I then attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa majoring in mathematics and secondary education. After graduating in 1994, I was hired by the Worthington school district to teach math classes at the high school and middle school. I spent the first three years traveling between buildings before settling in at the middle school as an 8th grade math teacher. I have been teaching 8th graders ever since.
I enjoy the challenges that come along with being a middle school teacher and love working with kids. I have been very fortunate to be a part of a school district with caring staff members and enthusiastic students.
Mr. Rasmussen
Hello everyone! My name is Shaine Rasmussen I am the new 7th/8th grade Science teacher here at Worthington Middle School. SCIENCE ROCKS….especially if you are studying Earth Science.
I grew up in Fertile, Minnesota which is a small farming community in the Northwestern corner of our beautiful state. I attended Concordia College –Moorhead, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Biology. My Master of Arts-Teaching degree was earned at Brandman University in California.
I had several professional jobs over the year, but my favorite was being a substitute teacher. After nine years of subbing, I decided to pursue my teaching credential in Science.
I’m passionate about Animal Conservation and Ecology issues, and I tie this into my Life Science Instruction. Finally, I love to spend time walking my dog, Waffle. If you see us walking around town, be sure to stop and say hello!