School Staff Spotlight: Craig Rehmann working to make a difference

article and photos by Amy Haggerty

After 12 years with Stockbridge Community Schools, Craig Rehmann still likes teaching every day and says there are great students in the district.

Craig Rehmann comes from a family of teachers, so it’s no surprise he would also choose a career in education.

The fifth-grade teacher who teaches every subject to his class at Heritage Elementary School grinned and said, ”I’m a product of my environment.”

Both his grandparents and an aunt were teachers, and he saw the relationships his relatives developed with the students. Rehmann realized how they changed the kids’ lives, and he wanted to do the same.

Now after 12 years with Stockbridge Community Schools, he still likes teaching every day and says there are great students in the district.

“I enjoy watching the kids grow throughout the year, both academically and also mature,” he said.

Sarah Bentley, principal of Heritage Elementary School, said she “appreciates his efforts in creating solid, positive relationships with students.” She added, “He goes above and beyond to create a safe and fun learning environment. He also works hard at establishing family relationships, which greatly benefits our students.”

Rehmann, a native of St. Johns, Mich., serves on many school committees, and his efforts behind the scenes make Heritage a great place to work and learn.

“Rehmann is a building leader among his peers,” Bentley said.

He landed his teaching job in Stockbridge right after graduating from Aquinas College. He also has an educational leadership degree from Grand Valley State University.

Rehmann met his wife, Stacy Leatherberry, in 2008 while she also was teaching at Heritage Elementary. She now works in the Chelsea school district. They have two children, Kayden, 7, and Kenley, 2.

Rehmann likes having a classroom where students interact, laugh and joke around, but yet know when it’s time to settle down to business.

His best advice to his class is something all students may keep in mind. “Enjoy your friends, the teachers and all of the other adults in the building who are there to help you,” he said. “Also, remember to learn something while you are there.”

For Rehmann, “it’s all about the little things,” and he encourages students to never give up.

His best advice to his class is something all students can keep in mind.

“Enjoy your friends, the teachers and all of the other adults in the building who are there to help you,” he said. “Also, remember to learn something while you are there.”

Through the years, Rehmann has kept the many letters of thanks from former students and parents.

“To me, those letters are my accomplishments,” he said, “because I made a difference in that child’s life.”