Staff introductions (Part 1)

During the summer, I have connected with many educators. They have stretched my thinking and given me some great ideas for our school. One of the ideas I really liked was introducing staff to our school community. Each week in our school smore, I'll add a couple more staff members so that you can get to know them for the first time or get to know them better.

Ms. Frei is a proud graduate of the Universtiy of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and teaches math to our 7th and 8th graders. Her hometown is Menomonee Falls and she has two children, Faith and Jordan. Ms. Frei likes to watch Faith play soccer and Jordan play baseball. She also enjoys hiking, reading, and painting ceramics. As a child, Ms. Frei wanted to be a teacher or a hair stylist. Her favorite thing about teaching in Merton is our incredible staff and students. The funniest thing that a student said to Ms. Frei is, "Are you 27 years old?" Her favorite movies are Dirty Dancing and Grease. Ms. Frei loves 80's music, especially REO Speedwagon, and her favorite book is Dear John. I hope this helps you to know a little bit more about Ms. Frei.

Ms. Depies is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in Special Education. She grew up in Mequon but now lives in Wauwatosa. As you can see, Ms. Depies, her parents, and her two older brothers are part of a happy family. Ms. Depies likes to bike, swim, travel, and learn. As a child she wanted to be a teacher! Her favorite thing about working in Merton is, and I quote, "Hands down, the students I get to work with on a daily basis." The funniest thing a student said to her was when she was teaching math to a student who was struggling with the concept of fractions. He was also missing a part of his finger. He then said, "Miss Depies, I have 1/4 of my finger missing." They both laughed and it was also a proud teaching moment. Ms. Depies likes the book Goodnight Opus, the movies Freedom Writer or Crazy, Stupid Love, and the songs Alive by Kenny Chesney and the Dave Mathews Band or Nowhere Fast by Old Dominion. Thanks for taking the time to learn a little bit about Ms. Depies.

Mrs. Oppermann is a proud graduate of Mount Mary College. Her hometown is the Town of Lisbon but she now lives with her family in the Town of Erin. Mrs. Oppermann is married to Doug and they have three children- Emma, Evan, and Eric. She enjoys hiking, fishing, reading, and being outdoors. When Mrs. Oppermann was growing up, she wanted to be a teacher. Her favorite things about teaching in Merton are the awesome kids and families. Mrs. Oppermann says the funniest thing is when the students call her mom by mistake. Her favorite book is Hunger Games, favorite movie is The Breakfast Club, and favorite song is Journey's Don't Stop Believing. Now you know a little more about Mrs. Oppermann.

Mr. Fleischman is a proud graduate of UW-Oshkosh and Cardinal Stritch. His hometown is Antigo. Mr. Fleischman is married to Michelle and they have three children- Jack, Henry, and Brielle. He enjoys grouse hunting, fishing, and hiking. When Mr. Fleischman was growing up, he wanted to be a police officer. His favorite things about teaching in Merton is working with so many unique and interesting learners, many of which are the teachers themselves, not just the students. Mr. Fleischman says the funniest thing is when a student asked him, "What in the world made Shakespeare want to wear pantaloons? Mr. Fleischman thinks that's a valid question. His favorite book is The Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, favorite movie is Caddyshack, and favorite song is No Surprize by Aerosmith (Yes, it's spelled with a z). I hope you liked getting to know a bit more about Mr. Fleischman.

Mrs. Jones is a proud graduate of UW-Whitewater and Cardinal Stritch. Her hometown is Greendale. Mrs. Jones is married to Jeff and they have two boys- Logan and Cameron. She enjoys swimming, traveling, going out to eat with her girlfriends, and the Green Bay Packers. When Mrs. Jones was growing up, she wanted to be a teacher. The evidence of this is in her third grade yearbook. Her favorite thing about teaching in Merton is seeing the kids walk into school each morning for a new day to learn. Mrs. Jones says the funniest thing is when a student said, "Mrs. Jones, you're not snack size, you're fun size.!" Her favorite book is Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, favorite movie is Forrest Gump, and favorite song is Piano Man by Billy Joel. Now you know a little more about Mrs. Jones.

Mrs. Scardino is brand new to Merton Schools. She is a proud graduate of Carroll College and Carroll University. Her hometown is Hartland. Mrs. Scardino is married to Mark and they have two boys- Aiden and Keegan. She enjoys traveling and this summer went to Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. When Mrs. Scardino was growing up, she wanted to be a teacher. She says the funniest thing is when a student asked her, during her 5th year of teaching, if she was even old enough to be out of high school. Mrs. Scardino loves reading Jodi Picoult books and can't wait for her new book to come out in a couple of weeks. I hope you get a chance to stop by and welcome Mrs. Scardino to Merton.

Mr. Middleton is a proud graduate of the California Maritime Academy and UW-Whitewater. His hometown is Woodland Hills, CA. Mr. Middleton is married to Amy and they have three children- Catie, Jack, and Joseph- a dog, and a goldfish. He enjoys running, paddleboarding, and cooking. When Mr. Middleton was growing up, he wanted to be a marine biologist. His favorite thing about teaching in Merton is the positive energy of the kids and teachers and especially the emphasis on treating each other with respect and kindness. He says the funniest thing is when a student said, "I've never seen someone so old who was able to play frisbee!" Mr. Middleton's favorite book is Lonesome Dove, favorite movie is Serenity, and favorite song is "The Weight" by The Band. Now you know a little more about Mr. Middleton.