“Exceptional” profiles

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[ March 5, 2026 ] Full Circle: From Peer Connections students to special education teachers High School News
[ March 3, 2026 ] Donna Kolokithas, Allen Elementary Resource Room Teacher "Exceptional" profiles
[ March 2, 2026 ] Pioneer students’ ceramic work selected for national K–12 exhibition in Detroit High School News
[ March 2, 2026 ] Perseverance and Resistance: A Celebration of Us – Skyline’s Black History Month Show High School News
[ March 2, 2026 ] Skyline Blues advances to ICHSA semi-finals after quarterfinal win Features

Sean Eldon, Huron High School English teacher; department chair

April 18, 2019 AAPS News Editor

Photos and video by Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Sean Eldon grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, the oldest of three children to a carpenter and a bank teller. Neither of his parents had a college degree […]

Kate Odette, Huron High School school nurse; Michigan School Nurse of the Year

April 11, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Huron High School’s school nurse Kate Odette—who is also the district’s lead nurse—has just been named Michigan School Nurse of the Year. Odette grew up in western Pennsylvania, attended […]

Thurston’s first grade teachers are a powerhouse team of educators, principal says

April 4, 2019 AAPS News Editor

Story, photos and video by Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor When she was asked to nominate a teacher for the weekly Exceptional series of profiles, Thurston Principal Natasha York said that while every teacher in […]

Kim McLean, Clague Middle School librarian

March 22, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Clague Middle School librarian Kim McLean grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Temple University, where she studied communications and theater. She started her career in book publishing, where […]

LaKeisha Drummer, third grade teacher at Carpenter Elementary

March 15, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Born and raised in Ann Arbor by a mother who often emphasized the importance of education, LaKeisha Drummer attended preschool at Pattengill, Lawton Elementary School, Slauson Middle School, and Pioneer High […]

Claudia Parfitt, A2 Virtual math teacher

March 7, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Claudia Parfitt grew up in Breckenridge, Michigan, a small farm community in the center of the state. She is the youngest of four children born to an elementary teacher […]

Bill Van Loo, technology & engineering teacher at A2 STEAM

February 28, 2019 AAPS News Editor

Photos & video by Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Bill Van Loo is a maker, teacher, musician, and photographer. He grew up in Jackson County and graduated from Napoleon High School. Both of his […]

Christine Woelmer, Allen Elementary librarian

February 22, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Christine Woelmer grew up attending the Ida Public Schools in southeast Michigan. Her father was an English professor at Monroe County Community College, and her mother taught English […]

Sarah Bradley, Abbot Elementary Young Fives teacher

February 14, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Sarah Bradley grew up in Ann Arbor and attended the Ann Arbor public schools. She remembers her first day of kindergarten, walking into Mrs. Clefgard’s classroom at […]

Erin Wright, Eberwhite fifth grade teacher

February 6, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Erin Wright was born in Detroit and grew up mostly in Grand Rapids. The daughter of a special education teacher, Wright knew how demanding and rewarding teaching is as a […]