District welcomes new teachers

School is back in session, and three new teachers are at the helm, along with a paraprofessional who achieved her teacher certification. 
Nora Smolnisky is the seventh and eighth grade English Language Arts teacher at Custer Jr./Sr. High School (CHS). 
“What I enjoy most is helping students learn how clear and effective communication and strong thinking relate to their lives both now and after formal schooling,” said Smolnisky.
Originally from Worthington, Minn., Smolnisky lived in Sioux Falls and Izmir, Turkey before settling in Custer almost 10 years ago. 
“After moving back from Turkey, my husband, Sam, and I took a long road trip to see the country and determine the best place for us to live. One night, sitting in a deserted campground in Tennessee, we realized that we were comparing every spot with the Black Hills, so we decided then and there to make our home in this beautiful landscape. While we chose the Custer area for its landscape, we stayed for the great community,” said Smolnisky. 
Smolnisky has been a teacher for almost 15 years and taught junior English and senior projects at CHS before taking a break from teaching to raise her daughters, Mira (6) and Freya (4), and to start their business, Don’t Panic Wilderness Medicine. 
“Before Custer, I taught two years at the American Collegiate Institute, a private high school in Izmir, Turkey, and before that I taught at Washington High School in Sioux Falls. I have substitute taught in over 250 classrooms at all ages and subject levels,” said Smolnisky. 
Heading into the 2026-27 school year, Smolnisky is most excited about working with middle school students again. 
“I think middle school-aged students are great because they have the energy and humor of young kids, but they are also learning a lot about who they are and what they want to be as they get older. They are ready to be challenged,” said Smolnisky.
One piece of encouragement Smolnisky wants to share with her students is, “You can do hard things.”
“If you would like to be a guest speaker, volunteer or host a field trip, please let me know. I believe students learn best from a wide- range of experiences and human interactions, and I would love to set something up. My email is nora.smol
nisky@k12.sd.us,” said Smolnisky.
Also new this year is Reilly Lane, who is teaching junior kindergarten through eighth grade art in Custer and Hermosa. 
“I’ve loved making art and drawing for as long as I can remember, so I always knew I wanted to do something involving art,” said Lane. 
Originally majoring in graphic design at Black Hills State University (BHSU), Lane’s high school art teacher convinced her to pursue teaching, although she wasn’t entirely sure about it until her last year in college. 
“My final practicum and student teaching experiences were a blast and gave me all the confidence I needed to know I made the right choice,” said Lane. “I love how freely creative and silly the younger students are, while older students’ sass livens up the day, and their artistic skills are much more developed, meaning they can make some really cool stuff with a little more meaning and depth.”
Lane moved to the area from Rose Hill, Kan. While visiting her older brother at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, she toured BHSU and fell in love with the Black Hills. 
“I’ve enjoyed my time here so much that I wanted to stay in the area after graduating. Through my student teaching experience, I’ve met many amazing people, and one of them pointed me in the direction of this position. I really love the community I’ve become part of here and want to continue meeting people and building upon what I’ve learned, both personally and artistically,” Lane said. 
This is her first teaching position, although she completed practicums at Sundance (Wyo.) High School and Lead-Deadwood Elementary School, followed by student teaching placements at Rapid City Central High School and Rapid City South Middle School.
Heading into the school year, Lane said, “I’m excited to see what students will create and the ideas they come up with for different projects, and, of course, I’m looking forward to getting to know them. I’m also excited to meet more of the school staff and get into the flow of things at both Custer and Hermosa.”
Inspired by her own experiences, Lane said she would encourage her “students to try things even when they’re not sure they’ll be good at them. You’re allowed to be bad at something while you’re learning it. Some of the best opportunities I’ve had came from simply saying yes and figuring it out along the way.”
For Lane, this included taking a canoe-building class in college on a whim when she was a little intimidated by power tools. Through the process, Lane gained the confidence to try other things she never thought she could do, from teaching music to using a table saw.  
 “I’m really excited to start my teaching career here. I’ve spent the last few years learning a lot about art and teaching, and now I’m excited to finally put it all into practice, keep learning from the people around me, and see what my students and I come up with together,” said Lane. 
Over at Custer Elementary, Marc Lerberg is teaching third grade and said, “I appreciate their positive energy, youthful perspective and enthusiasm to learn.” 
Lerberg is originally from Parshall, N.D., located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. 
“I have been coming to Custer during the summers for many years, and I have always enjoyed spending my time in the Black Hills. Custer School District (CSD) offers a great opportunity for a wonderful work-life balance, which is very important to me,” said Lerberg. 
Lerberg has been an educator for 18 years and has taught in Arizona and Washington. 
“Last year, I worked as a special education paraeducator for the CSD,” said Lerberg. 
This year, Lerberg said he is looking forward to building positive relationships with his students and fellow staff members. 
One piece of advice he would like to share with his students is that “mistakes help your brain grow stronger, so keep working hard and have fun learning.”
“I am incredibly excited and honored to serve the students and parents of this wonderful community. I look forward to working in the CSD and continuing to build a bright future for our students,” said Lerberg. 
Finally, Kristy Reindl will be teaching middle and high school special education. 
“I love the challenge of finding new ways for students to learn. Not everyone learns or understands the same, and finding what works for them is my favorite,” said Reindl. 
Reindl was born and raised in Custer and has lived here her entire life. 
“This is my seventh year with CSD. I was a paraprofessional for four to five years and then started college to get my degree in teaching. While I was going to school, I was also teaching as a teacher apprentice in the MS/HS Special Ed room with the help of my co-teachers and (Dr.) Rhonda (Frederick), our SpEd director,” said Reindl. 
Reindl loved working as a paraprofessional. After a couple of years watching the third and fourth grade special education teacher and with a push from the director at the time, she decided to pursue a degree. 
“I loved seeing the difference that she made in the lives of her students, and I wanted to do that too. They were both my inspiration,” said Reindl. “When you put your mind to something, you can do anything.”
This year, Reindl said she is looking forward to having her own classroom and finally being certified. One piece of encouragement she would like to share with her students is to “never give up. Just because something is hard doesn’t mean you can’t do it.”
“I can’t wait to see my students again. I have missed them. It’s time to get back to learning,” said Reindl.