World Languages
Spanish- Amy Jo Gaebe
íBuenos días! Hello! My name is Amy Jo Gaebe. I began teaching Spanish here at Eden Valley-Watkins in 2024. I am a Minnesota native and taught Spanish and ESL at Paynesville Area Schools for 17 years. I studied at the University of North Dakota - Grand Forks graduating with my teaching degree with French and Spanish majors. I was certified through Mankato State University for teaching English as a Second Language.
My current classes include Spanish in levels 1 through 4 and an exploratory-level. Currently, Spanish 4 students are able to take college-credit from Southwest Minnesota State University. I also work with multilingual students as they learn English. I’ve had the opportunity to travel abroad with students now for over 20 years. I love to travel with family, friends and students to places in Spain, Portugal, France and Costa Rica. There are still many more countries I hope to see with students!
(320) 453-2900 x 1109
German- Donna Orbeck
Moin Moin! My name is Donna Orbeck I began teaching German here at Eden Valley-Watkins in 2007. I am a graduate of Minnewaska Area High School and received my degree from St. Cloud State University. I also spent a semester studying abroad in Graz, Austria with the University of Minnesota. This truly solidified my decision to major in German, and I’ve loved it ever since.
My current classes include German in levels 1 through 4 and an exploratory-level, which is taught to all 8th graders. I thoroughly enjoy teaching about the language and culture of my ancestors. I’ve had the opportunity to travel abroad with students now for over 15 years. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your students use the skills in which you’ve taught them out in the real world. I realize that this is something unique to my program.
Being a teacher in a small school district also means that you help out in other areas. My other responsibilities include teaching the High Ability program to students in grades 7, 8 and 9, working with our ML families, as well as being the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) coordinator for our school.
(320) 453-2900 x 1107