Yvette Bohman - Special Educator
Yvett at the Beach

Yvette Bohman moved to Vermont in 2010 and has been in Special Education since then. She helps families and children navigate Individual Education Plans and provides services for children from kindergarten through eighth grade. She graduated from SUNY Oswego in 2005 with a degree in Elementary Education. She then attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she earned her Master's in Education as a Literacy Specialist. When she moved here, her husband ran into his old bus driver, John Freitag, who was the custodian then. He had mentioned a job opening at the school. That's when Principal Jonathan Freeman took a chance on a young teacher willing to build on her degrees and become a certified Special Education Teacher. She loves this beautiful town and building relationships with each family she works with. When she's not teaching, you can find her swimming somewhere or playing outside.

Julia Martin - Paraprofessional
A young woman is smiling to camera in front of a lake; she is holding a fish in one hand.

Julia was a student at Newton starting in 2009 as a kindergartener, and graduated in 2018. In 2021, she joined the One Planet after-school team at its Newton location. Julia enjoys the outdoors, camping, fishing, hiking, and playing games with family and friends. She also lead a week-long high school outdoor adventures; canoeing is the fan favorite!

Brenda Kniffin - Paraeducator
Half the face of a white woman with blonde hair standing in front of green forested hills and a river, Brenda Kniffin Paraeducator.

Brenda was a volunteer and substitute teacher at Newton School before becoming an official staff member in 1998. Since then, she has become a “Highly Qualified Paraeducator” and has enjoyed working in all grade levels. When she is not in school, Brenda likes to spend time with her family in the great outdoors. You can reach Brenda at bkniffin@wrvsu.org.

Ashley Welch - Paraprofessional
Ashley

Ashley started working in the White River Valley Supervisory Union in 2022. She has been working with children for 14 years. Ashley received her associates degree in early childhood education at the Community College of Vermont in 2021. In her free time she enjoys reading a good book and making fun memories with her family and friends. She lives in Strafford with her husband and energetic son.

Randi Merchand - Paraprofessional
Randi

Randi grew up in Utah where her family still lives and visits as often as she can. She moved to Vermont in 2003 with her husband. They now have three children who all have attended The Newton School. She worked in child care for 20 years working with ages birth to five in many roles including Director. After she left child care and looking for a change she started as a substitute at Newton and has been a para for the last two years. She loves spending time with her family traveling on new adventures, reading a book, loves dance parties, and loves being with people.

Occupational Therapist
Rachel

Rachel grew up in small town Southern Indiana/Northern Kentucky, enjoying time on her family’s small farm and working at the local general store through high school. She later attended Trine University to play basketball and get her undergraduate in Exercise Science, then continued her education and gained the credential of Doctor of Occupational Therapy, graduating in 2025. Since, she has been a pediatric occupational therapist, traveling and living in various places ranging from Arizona to Michigan to Rhode Island, and now Vermont! When not at work, you can find her hiking and exploring new places, popping into local shops to feed her shopping passion and meet new people, as well as finding the best foodie spots to try.

You can reach Rachel at rachel.stewart@wrvsu.org.