There was a time during this school year it looked like Days Creek Charter School was only going to get Micah Kruzic as a teacher for a few weeks before she moved onto another job.

There was also a time when we thought Mrs. Suhrstedt was gone for good.

But after a turn of events, the school has ended up with both, and students are happier for it. Keeping Kruzic, known by elementary students as ‘Miss Micah’ likely wouldn’t have happened had Suhrstedt not briefly left.

Suhrstedt, known as ‘Mrs. S’ by, had been the elementary science teacher, but left in the fall to become director of the Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub at Umpqua Community College. But what seemed like a logic fit wasn’t.

“The job at UCC wasn’t as advertised,” Suhrstedt said. “There was a lot of controversy and it wasn’t a good fit for me or my family, especially as a busy mom to two small children.”

Unwilling to accept a job she didn’t like, Suhrstedt saw that Days Creek was advertising for a grant coordinator. Two weeks later, she was back on campus.

“I also missed working with young people and helping them plan for their future,” Suhrstedt said. 

Suhrstedt’s daughters, Norah and Olivia, both attend Days Creek and are taught science by Kruzic.

Kruzic’s original plans for 2022-23 included a trip abroad.

“I was planning on going down to Southern Mexico to a school to learn Spanish,” she said. “I was not planning on staying here at all. I had a few weeks before I left when Mrs. Knapp asked me to be an aid in the Kindergarten classroom. I said yes, thinking it would only be a few weeks and I needed the extra money.”

When Suhrstedt left, Days Creek scrambled to put Kruzic in the science role.

“At first, I was hesitant, but Days Creek School has been such a big part of my life I decided to stay,” she said. “Science is ultimately what I love and knew it would be a good fit for me. I would also be around for my brother’s senior year.”

Landon Kruzic, the youngest of four siblings, graduates on Saturday. The school may be Kruzic-less as Micah Kruzic is not returning next year.

“It has been a great opportunity and I have learned so much, but I want to do some traveling,” she said. “I am not sure what that will be yet, but I am still thinking about Mexico. I still have a passion for teaching and Days Creek will always be home to me. Maybe it is in the cards to come back one day.”