Mr. Ray Werner

PE is not for everyone, but when you add Outdoor Education teacher Mr. Ray Werner, it just might be the highlight of your day.

Frankly, the best way to describe Werner’s personality would be to take a step into his room: it’s almost as if it is crafted from pure joy, as music  radiates through the halls during each passing period. The walls and ceiling are adorned with mini tapestries, swooping ribbons, snowshoes, actual shoes, and an outdoorsy mural. It’s a busy environment, yet somehow, you feel at home.

A reason for that familiar feeling could be the kitchen appliances by the door, or somehow, the drill press sitting by the wall, but it’s most likely due to all of the positive juju he brings to class with his very presence.

“From the very first day I met Mr. Werner I knew that I was going to have fun in Outdoor Ed. He has a huge personality that almost seems ready to knock you down if you’re not ready for it,” senior Andy Wehmeyer said.

Werner is known for his enthusiastic and willing attitude that he brings to his classroom. Wehmeyer adds that he always welcomes everybody “with a huge smile and an undying passion to make his class the one you talk about at the dinner table.”

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire faculty at LFHS has been forced to find new ways to teach their classes remotely.

For Werner, this seemed a difficult task, considering that many of the group activities conducted even within the first few weeks of school now had to be done virtually. Luckily, he has had much success shifting his class online, already having made an impression on his newest crop of Outdoor Ed students.

“I think Mr. Werner really enjoys socializing with his students as well as getting to know everyone individually,” says junior Emilia Miller. Werner’s trademark paper-manipulating get-to-know-you game on the first day of class, while it may not have been in person, still proved to be an enjoyment for all, allowing everybody to interact, laugh a little, and get their creative juices flowing.

“He knows how to make any task interesting and is pretty funny, too, but he still makes sure to address the serious stuff,” senior and Outdoor Ed TA Natalie Waite said.

Werner gracefully integrates heavier topics such as gun control, wildlife safety, and mental health into his classes while still maintaining the lighthearted, fun nature of the program, which is never an easy feat.

The impact Werner has on his students is reflected within the character of every new face he meets, every new student he graces with his contagious happiness.

Waite speaks for many of Werner’s students when she says, “He means a lot to me, Outdoor Ed means a lot.”