“Exceptional” profiles – Page 20

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[ October 27, 2026 ] A minute in the room: Skyline High School Sculpture and Ceramics class A minute in the room
[ October 27, 2026 ] A minute in the room: Clare Pape’s Lakewood Elementary kindergarten class A minute in the room
[ October 23, 2026 ] Lisa Bares, Clague Middle School Spanish teacher "Exceptional" profiles
[ October 22, 2026 ] A minute in the room: Pattengill fifth graders take charge of learning in math rotations A minute in the room
[ October 20, 2026 ] A minute in the room: Scarlett Middle School 6th grade science A minute in the room

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 […]

Jennifer Kunec, Pioneer High School social studies teacher

February 1, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Jen Kunec was born and raised in Ann Arbor. Her father, Jerome Jelinek, was a concert cellist and a Professor of Music at The University of Michigan. Her mother, […]

Heather Gray, Wines Elementary special education teacher

January 25, 2019 AAPS News Editor

By Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor Heather Gray grew up with a brother and sister in the small town of Jesup, Iowa. Her parents were both elementary school teachers and she was a teacher’s […]