2022 Finalist Profiles

Angela Graf (2nd Grade, Burleigh Elementary)
Angela is an impressive teacher who consistently obtains high results with her students. She stretches every minute of every day to meet the needs of her kids. She is generous with her time and is always willing to help her colleagues and their students. She exemplifies the meaning of Teamwork and maintains a great relationship with her students and their families. A day in her classroom shows how she is ALWAYS engaged with her students and how she helps them to achieve growth throughout the year.

Heidi Hudson-Mairet (Special Education, Tonawanda Elementary)
Heidi always comes to school with an infectious smile. Her strong active listening skills, non-assuming personality and extensive skill set help her do what is best for all students at every possible moment. Heidi’s compassion and respect make her an amazing collaborator with educational staff, parents, and students. The challenges that may arise within the classroom never sway her pleasant demeanor and her strong desire to make each student feel loved and supported.

Katie Johnson (2nd Grade, Brookfield Elementary)
Katie Johnson has built a wonderfully inclusive classroom as she works on behalf of all students. Katie has a positive and encouraging attitude that embraces all students as she works relentlessly to meet their diverse needs. This year especially, Katie has used her deep experience and instructional skills to move all students forward, modeling perseverance and grace along the way.

Julia Richardson Kroll (2nd/3rd Grade, Virtual Classroom)
Julia is teaching virtually this year and manages many different things seamlessly. She teaches a continuum of learners with students in 2nd and 3rd grade, communicates work and progress using two different learning platforms (Google and Seesaw), and commits herself each day to moving all students forward. Julia also leads her in-person 2nd Grade teacher team meetings, and has earned high marks from families and colleagues for her work this year.

Jessica Smith (Special Education, Swanson Elementary)
Jessica is in her fourth year as a Special Education teacher at Swanson. She is an informal leader on her team who always provides assistance to her colleagues. Jessica has quickly become an expert at finding ways to support dysregulated student behaviors and helping students with executive functioning challenges be successful in the classroom. Jessica knows her students and her IEP meetings are filled with joy as she highlights great things about the student. Her love of students is evident to both parents and staff.

Chris Swenson (Music, Dixon Elementary)
The music program at Dixon is unparalleled, thanks to Chris, who leads all 680 students in this amazing process. He creates a new appreciation for music within the hearts of his students. Chris is a pillar of strength and support for his students and community. He reaches out to students personally when he sees them struggling to make sure they know they have his support. Mr. Swenson is a role model for other staff and teachers and is invaluable in the lives of his students.

John Kish (Science, Wisconsin Hills)
John is a model for classroom management and impactful learning. Earning the respect of both his students and colleagues, John’s engaging lesson plans embed strategies to help students learn at their own pace. He skillfully blends structure and student-choice, allowing his classroom to be a safe place to explore new and challenging concepts. John advises MAPS Club and National Junior Honor Society, and his compassion shines through when he ensures parents don’t turn left in the morning parent-pickup line.

Chris Minchk (Applied Tech/Engineering, Pilgrim Park)
Chris Minchk loves working with students and it’s obvious in everything he does. Chris has a passion for education and continues to grow as an educator as he transitioned from a special education teacher into computer science. He is very student-centered and willing to go above and beyond to help his students be successful. Beyond his collaborative and engaging learning environment, he is involved in many extracurricular offerings including golf club, ping pong club, cricket club and he serves as the BEHS golf coach.

Amanda Patino (Music, Wisconsin Hills)
Amanda is adored by both parents and staff and has brought new energy and life to the WHMS Choir program. She finds a way to ensure that each student knows their value and that they hold a special place in her classroom. Amanda is constantly reflecting and looking for ways to improve her craft, and has received recognition throughout the WHMS community for her amazing work. She serves as a great role model for her students and helps to make their days extra enjoyable. Her program’s positive impact is recognized by the student body, noted by the doubled number of enrolled students for the upcoming school year.

Michelle Pavletich (Math, Pilgrim Park)
Michelle is a phenomenal math educator and consistently shows strong results in her classroom. In addition, Michelle is a leader in many other aspects of the school including teaching AVID elective, math department chair, and AVID coordinator. She is constantly reflecting on how to enhance instructor practices through the use of AVID strategies, and has become a champion of those strategies and their impact on all students. Michelle is intentional in her work and is an integral part of leading and planning building professional development.

Ryan Cramer (English, Brookfield East)
Ryan’s work in the classroom builds confident writers and citizens through his English lessons. His unwavering dedication to the students of Brookfield East shines in all that he does, empowering students to find their own voice in their words. He has also developed The Writing Center - an opportunity for students to continuously improve their writing outside of his lesson time. In addition, he gives up time after school each week to advise a Mental Health Awareness Club, another amazing contribution to both his own students and those outside of his classroom.

Matt Dapelo (Social Studies, Brookfield Central)
Matt is an exceptional teacher, engaged department leader, and is an active and collaborative participant in the curriculum renewal process. He is also an AVID teacher and utilizes AVID strategies with all of his classes to impact student success. Matt’s work with the student council helps make deeper connections with students in and out of the classroom, and has provided numerous opportunities for students to have a voice and make an impact on the school.

Melissa Graesser (Special Education, Brookfield East)
Melissa captures the definition of Spartan Excellence in all that she does - “being better today than you were yesterday, and being better tomorrow than you were today.” Her flexibility, patience, humor and empathy are admired by her colleagues and help bring joy to her students. Her advocacy for her students helps them to engage in lessons, build social-emotional learning skills, and form positive relationships with fellow students and educators. Melissa is also the Key Club Advisor and their work this year has helped Afghan refugees and victims of the Waukesha Parade Tragedy.

Renee Smith (Math, Brookfield Central)
Renee is an extraordinary math and AVID teacher. She implements AVID strategies and stellar teaching methods into her math classes to positively impact student learning. Renee is approachable and always there when you need help. She explains math concepts with relatable, and often entertaining, stories to apply them to the real world. She is amazing, inspirational, caring, inviting, and kind. She is a phenomenal teacher that makes all students feel included and empowered in their learning.

Tiffany Bianco-Murphy (Special Education, Wisconsin Hills Middle School)
Tiffany’s tremendous skill and relational-capacity is that of a veteran educator. She is a strong collaborator in planning effective lessons that serve all students. Her flexibility and ability to shift thinking and implement strategy groups is proactive, and she is always advocating for her students in all that she does. Her collaborative mindset and positive disposition make her an incredible value-add to the WHMS Special Education Department. Tiffany has earned the respect of her colleagues as she continues to do the work of tomorrow today.

Scott Hestekin (Special Education, Brookfield Central High School)
As Scott embarked on his first year of teaching, he quickly developed an unwavering support for all students and instilled a belief that they can truly reach their goals and their fullest potential. Scott has successfully planned instruction for a wide variety of students, while navigating online learning systems, paperwork, and challenging situations. He has a very thoughtful approach and he is a great teammate and colleague. Scott’s depth of knowledge around student development has been instrumental in the success of many students this school year.

Brianna Kesler (2nd Grade, Tonawanda Elementary)
Brianna has a natural gift for teaching and is unwavering in her demeanor towards students. She accommodates all students within her classroom by making learning fun, encouraging participation, and addressing challenges with empathy. Her kindness and compassion towards students helps them to stay engaged in their learning and to flourish in and out of the classroom. Her work embodies the spirit of Tonawanda Elementary, fostering a sense of belonging in all that she does.

Carolyn Kusel (Occupational Therapist, Swanson Elementary) 
Carolyn is an amazing Occupational Therapist (OT)! As a new OT this school year, she hit the ground running. She serves many students on her caseload and is at every PLC meeting to creatively co-plan with other educators.  Her knowledge of OT combined with her in-depth knowledge of the students is very impressive! This year she helped to revive the sensory room space by creating structures for its use, including visual instructions to ensure a successful experience for all students.

Morgan Sternad (Special Education, Burleigh Elementary)
Morgan has quickly established herself as a leader at Burleigh who engages in problem solving student and school needs. Morgan actively guides the work of special education assistants and serves as a building literacy leader. Her relentless pursuit of what is best for her students knows no boundaries, including riding the bus with a student on the first day of school. Morgan has a strong voice of advocacy, is adept at bringing people together, and manages a wide range of crisis situations with relative ease and a positive mindset.

Cortney Stohl (Kindergarten, Brookfield Elementary)
Cortney has been a fantastic addition to the Brookfield Elementary Kindergarten team. Courteny’s preparation at the start of the year matched that of veteran teachers, and her communication with families is consistent and clear, allowing her to form positive relationships with her students and families. Courtney thoughtfully plans to meet the needs of all students through conference strategy groups, and her classroom routines and procedures allowed her students to focus on a high level of learning with care and support.

Brian Brown, Tonawanda Elementary (Route 35)
Brian is not only a regular route driver with GoRiteway but also one of the primary trainers of future Elmbrook drivers. His role as trainer has been especially challenging this year, with unusually high driver turnover and many new trainees. Brian has flexed his schedule to train drivers after hours and on weekends, just to help alleviate the driver shortage. On his regular Tonawanda route, Brian models best practices by always greeting students by name and making a ride on his bus both safe and enjoyable.

Sharon Heilman (72 Swanson, Burleigh 1 Midday, Many Others)
Functioning as the face of Elmbrook transportation for several students with disabilities and 4K students, Sharon is a friendly, high-energy individual with a great sense of humor. Her approachable manner engenders immediate trust in many a worried parent and/or reluctant child on a daily basis. Sharon’s commitment to GoRiteway and service to the District often places her ‘on call’ in times of emergency, and she continues to do more than her part to help achieve a stable and consistent transportation experience for our students.

Javonzaria Oliver (Pilgrim Park 17, Burleigh 12)
Javonzaria is a fun and relatable driver for Pilgrim Park and Burleigh students. She always has a smile on her face and truly loves the kids she transports on her bus. She is quick to address issues on the bus and communicates promptly with parents. Javonzaria is truly an asset to the Elmbrook community,  and families are lucky to have her as the driver of their bus as she transports students to school happy and safely every day.

Nicole Heller (Psychologist, Burleigh Elementary)
Nicole’s impact on the students, staff and families of Burleigh is felt in every corner of the building. She is a warm and understanding professional and has experience and strategies for every situation. She offers guidance, support, and next steps to students and staff, often leveraging community resources. Nicole develops others’ capacity, including facilitating the work of graduate students and mentoring new staff. Nicole connects with students through social groups and lunch bunches, making sure her students know they are her number one priority every day.

Jason Lippold (School Counselor, Brookfield East High School)
Jason Lippold is the gold standard in Student Services and is always working to close gaps - even taking up driving students during the current transportation shortage. He builds social-emotional skills in students and goes above and beyond to make connections that help keep them committed to their own well-being, classwork, and post-secondary endeavors. Jason is the Hope Squad advisor, coordinates the Elmbrook Education Scholarship process, and advocates for the mental health of all students, always leading with empathy and showing that he truly cares.

Katie Prestegard (Speech/Language Pathologist, Swanson Elementary)
Katie is a Speech/Language Pathologist and serves as the team lead for the special education team at Swanson, helping to build capacity among the team and mentoring new therapists. Her knowledge of assistive technology has been a game changer for improving early literacy for multiple students in grades 1 and 2. This year, Katie also adapted the running record assessment so that all students can demonstrate their learning. Her capacity to think outside the box of ways to meet student needs is amazing!

Heidi Rowley (Psychologist, Tonawanda  Elementary)
Heidi is always there to support her fellow educators and is relied upon by administrators, parents, and colleagues alike. She always leads with a calm and patient demeanor and makes her peers feel heard when they collaborate. Her eloquence in wording with difficult situations helps both educators and parents find what is best for students. This year she coordinated the Art Therapy program with Wellpoint Care Network to further support students’ social-emotional development and well-being.

Monica Bianco (Summer School & Assessment Coordinator, District Office)
Monica has coordinated summer school through not one, but two pandemic summers, tackling all of the challenges and logistics necessary to provide fun and enjoyable learning opportunities for over 2,000 students. Monica is a quick-thinking, problem-solver who manages the unexpected with ease, while interacting with parents, staff and students simultaneously. Although our summer school program has experienced great growth over the past several years, Monica continues to seek ways to work more efficiently, communicate more effectively, and provide more opportunity for our students.

Ann Czajka (Office Manager, Fairview South)
In addition to serving as the welcoming face of Fairview South, Ann graciously accepted the role of coordinating a winter clothing drive with the students and staff from Fairview South & Elmbrook’s Project STRIVE. Together, they collected and distributed nearly 150 articles of winter clothing which included sorting, washing and packaging. Ann’s organization and communication skills thrived as she supported the work of students and staff, which ultimately impacted over 100 families in our community. It is because of people like Ann and her team that our community is a better place.

Lisa Giammo (Student Services Assistant, Pilgrim Park Middle School)
Lisa goes above and beyond in all facets of her job including onboarding new students and families, 8th grade promotion, or coordinating care for students. She will do anything necessary to support staff and is beyond knowledgeable regarding the scope and sequence of her position. She is a team player who is always willing to learn, and is constantly thinking up fun, creative ways to celebrate student success, like partnering with community organizations (e.g. Bucks, Brewers) for GPA incentives. Lisa is an incredible asset to our school and school district.

Christy Westfall (Assistant to Superintendent, District Office)
Christy serves three entities with tremendous grace and competence; the Superintendent, School Board, and the Community. Her work is simultaneously scrutinized and appreciated as she captures and prepares for all aspects of Board Meetings. This year, Christy has increased transparency with the District’s election process, and has invested hundreds of hours facilitating nearly 100 open records requests from members of our community with great detail and professionalism. Christy’s positive impact and culture-building is also felt by her colleagues as she leads monthly District Office staff meetings, coordinates reception coverage, and works alongside our senior leaders to tackle the District’s most important work. Her daily effort and execution is recognized and appreciated by all.

Carolyn Hahn (Associate Principal, Brookfield Central High School)
Carolyn is a reflective practitioner who has guided BC’s Special Education Department through several changes, leveraging strong staff relationships and real-time examples to show the way. Carolyn’s personal interactions with students sometimes begin with hard conversations, but her care and concern for all students leaves them feeling supported and valued. This year, Carolyn also served as a docent for the PLC Leadership macro-credential. By modeling desired skills of PLC collaboration and student-centered conversations, Carolyn influenced participants’ understanding of leadership and the impact teacher leaders can make on their work with colleagues.
 

Emily High (Teaching and Learning Specialist, Burleigh Elementary)
Emily has emerged as an outstanding instructional coach, particularly in supporting staff responding to challenging student behaviors. Emily is always willing to problem solve and thinks creatively about large and small solutions.She is sought out by staff as a credible resource and is able to use her strong relationships with staff to inspire change. Emily fills many roles at Burleigh including technology integration and library support. However, Emily is at her best when she is working one-on-one with a student in need of support or stretching a teacher’s capacity through a coaching session in a classroom.

Elizabeth Mallegni (Gifted and Talented Coordinator, District Office)
Liz Mallegni has been a difference-maker since taking on the role of talent development coordinator. She is an opportunity advocate who frequently meets with instructional coaches at each school to discuss the needs of students and ways to meet those needs. Her advice and guidance is immediately impactful and sometimes includes hands-on demonstrations to model student use. Liz is an expert communicator with families, who readily connect with her mission-driven focus and problem solving mindset. Through Liz’s leadership, our 800 Gifted and Talented students, and the staff who support them, have flourished. 
 

Kathryn Ryan (Teaching & Learning Specialist, Brookfield East High School)
Kathryn’s colleagues are inspired by her passion, commitment, dedication, and professionalism. Kathryn’s strong relationships with staff serve as the foundation to successful instructional coaching cycles with staff as she develops their capacity and expertise. Kathryn also serves as the English Department chair, and has combined her Teaching and Learning Specialist and Chair duties to successfully onboard four new English teachers at BEHS this year. Kathryn teaches the AVID 9 course and added an extra English course to her workload this year when staffing challenges arose. She is an expert communicator with staff, families and students, and her work in all capacities is consistently amazing and impactful.

Angie Slonac (Teaching and Learning Specialist, Brookfield Elementary)
Angie serves as the Literacy Teaching and Learning Specialist and has engaged in countless impactful and productive coaching cycles this year to move teacher practices and student achievement forward. She is intentional about every conversation she has and offers teachers and teams a wealth of knowledge around literacy teaching and learning. Angie is data-driven, and monitors progress data to help prioritize her work and the work of the staff. Angie intentionally builds capacity in the learning support assistants and this winter led the 1st grade team through the implementation of recommendations of the Urgency Team. Not surprisingly, their results have been amazing. 

Sherri Bergren (Learning Support, Dixon Elementary)
Sherri’s impact as a reading intervention learning assistant is incredible. She knows families, she knows students, and she knows how to support staff. Sherri is positive and kind, and uses every interaction with others to build people up and make them feel loved. Her ability to instruct in literacy and engage students in an intervention leads to amazing student achievement growth and outcomes. She helps students feel proud of their learning and increases their feeling of self, while still holding them accountable for their learning.

Elisabeth Eaton (AVID Tutor, Pilgrim Park Middle School)
Elizabeth Eaton is an exceptional AVID Tutor who is always willing to put in the extra effort to help her students achieve success. She has a passion to learn and is eager to be part of Pilgrim Park in any way that she can. Elizabeth is the first one to sign up to participate in student-led conferences and is always willing to help out when asked by other staff. She is truly committed to learning and strongly believes in the programs at Pilgrim Park.

Martha Elson-Kujak (Reading Intervention Assistant, Brookfield Elementary)
Martha Elson-Kojak has been a valuable addition to the Brookfield Elementary team who works with students to close gaps. Martha’s approach allows students to be open to the struggle as well as persevere in order to succeed. Her expert ability to engage students while holding them to high expectations has led to amazing student achievement outcomes. Martha constantly communicates with classroom teachers so that student learning is accelerated, and influences others with her positive attitude and contagious energy.

Nina Ordway Medved (Teaching Assistant, Wisconsin Hills Middle School)
Nina is a math interventionist who is always ready to provide the best possible instruction for her students with a can-do attitude. She engages in extra learning opportunities outside of the workday and seeks feedback from her colleagues to help her improve. Nina changes the trajectory of learning for students that struggle and always makes them feel seen and heard. The growth that her students continue to show over the course of the school year demonstrates her outstanding ability to deliver math support to students with significant needs.

Van Donkersgoed (Boys Swimming and Diving Coach, Brookfield Central and Brookfield East)
Van is the head coach of the combined Brookfield East and Brookfield Central Boys Swimming & Diving team and this winter guided the boys to their first-ever WIAA State Championship and 6 school records. Van has created a culture where swimmers of all abilities are inspired to do their best, boasting record participation (62 boys) to match its unprecedented program success. Van's encouragement, sincerity and individualized, goal-setting approach all contributed to an amazing season for our boys swim team.

Brooke Jameson (Cross Country Coach, Brookfield East High School)
Brooke is the head Girls Cross Country Coach who is building a program into a thriving success, finishing 3rd at this year’s Sectional Meet. Brooke serves as a great role model for her student-athletes and supports both their running and social-emotional needs as they continue to navigate life in high school. Brooke is trusted by her student-athletes as she teaches them to be strong and persevere in cross country, academia, and life.

Linda Lied (Tennis Coach, Brookfield East High School)
Linda Lied is the head coach for the BEHS Boys & Girls Tennis Teams. Under her Lied-ership, Linda took her Boys team to an undefeated state championship during the spring 2021 season, and quickly followed that up with a state appearance by her Girls team this past Fall. Her no-cut program encourages participation, skill-building and excellence, and her teams’ recent success is a reflection of her approach, the great work ethic of her athletes, and the tremendous support of the community. 

Jon Vogt (Mock Trial / Tennis, Wisconsin Hills Middle School/Brookfield Central High School)
Jon Vogt’s passion for his athletic programs and students is unwavering. This year he coached both the WHMS and BCHS Mock Trial teams to state championships with near-perfect seasons, defeating a long-reigning state champion in the process. He makes his students feel safe and empowered in their skills, and connected to one another no matter what he is coaching. His Central Mock Trial team will now advance to compete in the National Championships this May!

Reinhard Zaiser (Chess Club, Swanson Elementary)
In his 9th year with the District, Reinhard continues to demonstrate great enthusiasm in his work with students.  Known warmly to students as “Dr. Z,” he helps create excitement for student participation in both chess and Latin clubs with over 50 students participating at Swanson annually.  It is very important to Reinhard that students have exposure to these opportunities and how lucky is Swanson is to have a chess master on staff?!

Rucheeta Arora (Wisconsin Hills Middle School)
Rucheeta is a permanent building substitute and always ensures the learning continues no matter what environment she is placed in. She has a positive attitude and demonstrates the District mission and values whether working as a classroom sub or a one-on-one teaching assistant. She ensures that students feel welcome in their learning environment and advocates for what is best for each kid. Rucheeta is a staple of the Wisconsin Hills school culture.

Gil Marie Janssen (Brookfield Central High School)
This year, Gil stepped in to fill a long-term absence in the counseling department, a role that relies on strong relationships and deep knowledge of the position. Gil’s tenacious efforts to meet the diverse needs of our students has been impressive. Behind-the-scenes, Gil developed her knowledge of the changing landscape of college admissions so she could best counsel students and families. Gil is a ray of sunshine with an infectious sense of humor and warm, kind-hearted personality, who established herself as a trusted adult to many students in a short amount of time.

Paul Jefferies (Pilgrim Park Middle School)
Paul Jefferies' value to Pilgrim Park is evident by the number of students and classrooms that request his support. He does a phenomenal job at cultivating relationships with students and staff. Paul exudes his joy of being in the classroom as he keeps the students engaged and is always flexible and accommodating. Paul offers his support in any way needed from teaching, assistant, or extra classroom support.

Amy DiPiazza (Brookfield Central High School)
Amy has been thoroughly involved in Brookfield Central for the past several years. She has devoted countless hours of time, talent, energy, creativity, and passion to the Drama Department, Athletic Department, and Prom. Amy runs the concessions for the booster club, which is a big job and it’s pretty much year-round. She runs it so seamlessly and she is so committed, and  it raises a lot of funds for students. She is extremely involved in so many aspects of student life at BC, and her efforts impact coaches, students, and parents alike.

Sue Jacobson (Burleigh Elementary)
Fondly known as “Grandma Sue”, this is Sue’s first year volunteering at Burleigh and she has been at school nearly every other day. Sue has become a staple in the main Office helping with paperwork and the bulletin board. She can also be found volunteering in the classrooms, the library, or organizing the Book Fair. One day she brought in a tea kettle to help things feel more cozy in the office which is a perfect example of how she has positively contributed to the climate and culture of the school. She is a ray of sunshine!

Sara Monty and Connie Petersen (Dixon Elementary)
Sara and Connie are the most incredibly humble and dedicated volunteers. They volunteer in the library, put on every scholastic book fair, have been PTO presidents, are involved in the EEF, design costumes for the plays, and are involved in every other facet of the school. They are the heartbeat of Dixon and every student at Dixon will remember the impact of the events that Sara and Connie have helped create and given their time and attention to.

Liz Robinson (Wisconsin Hills Middle School)
Liz Robinson is the Hospitality Coordinator for the Wisconsin Hills PTO and has gone above and beyond in her support of teachers this school year. Despite her busy schedule, Liz finds time to organize special events for the staff at WHMS and coordinate meals to show staff appreciation.