Kellie Niepokoj-K
Hello Discovery Parents! I am so looking forward to starting the school year with you and your children! Here's a little blurb about me. I graduated from the University of Dayton (Go Flyers!) in 2008 with a Bachelor’s of Science and Education with a focus in Early Childhood Education. For the past two years I have been teaching in a Kindergarten classroom in a northern suburb of Chicago. I have absolutely fallen in love with Kindergarten and cannot wait to get "Hands On, Minds On and Experience Learning" with you and your children. I hope you are as excited as I am to get the school year under way. See you in the fall!
Heather DeNormandie-K
Hello, I am Heather DeNormandie and I will be teaching Kindergarten at Discovery. In 2004, I earned my Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. I have been teaching for 5 years and I received the Wal-Mart Foundation’s ‘Teacher of the Year’ award during my first year of teaching. Education is very important to me and in December of 2010, I will graduate with my Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana Wesleyan University.
As an agent of education and a natural helper, I commit myself as an advocate for children’s well-being in all areas: academic, social, mental, and physical. Being a teacher at Discovery Charter School will allow me to connect with the families I serve and our community. I am excited for our students to experience learning and I am honored to be part of the Discovery team!
Christine Woerner- 1
Hello parents and students! My name is Christine Woerner. I am a graduate of Purdue University Calumet. I will be teaching in one of the first grade classrooms this coming year. I have three years of experience teaching first grade. I find children at this age to be a great joy because they have such a passion for learning. Plus, first grade is where major jumps in reading occur. It’s really rewarding to watch them progress from beginning readers to confident ones.
My whole life I’ve been interested in nature and the environment. Because I’m now able to incorporate these two subjects into the profession I already love, I couldn’t be happier. I am so honored to be a part of the Discovery teaching staff. It’s going to be a great year!
Jennah Shearer-1
Hi! My name is Jennah Shearer and I will be teaching first grade at Discovery. I graduated from Valparaiso University in December of 2009 with my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a Reading Specialist endorsement. Since then, I have worked as a substitute teacher in Northwest Indiana and I took over a leave replacement for a teacher/new mother in first grade. I am so excited to be part of a new team and school and I look forward to meeting all of the students. It is a privilege to be working at Discovery and I look forward to sharing an exciting and rewarding year with everyone!
Kamille Furmon-1
Hello Discovery 1st grade parents! I am excited to work with you and your child this school year. I graduated from Purdue Calumet in 2002. This will be my 7th year teaching. I have been in several school districts teaching 1st and 2nd grade. I have been married for 4 years and have a 2 year old son, Owen. I am excited to start a new adventure and journey at Discovery Charter School. I look forward to working with your child.
Jodi Santana-2
Hi! My name is Jodi Santana. Chesterton is home to my two daughters and me. I graduated from Indiana University with highest distinction. I have taught the last three years at an AQS charter school. I grew up exploring, and enjoying the Indiana Dunes and look forward to sharing the many wonders our environment offers with your children. I am thrilled to be part of the new Discovery Team and know this year will be filled with many wonderful and meaningful experiences!
Jackie Sterling-2
I am a graduate of Purdue University Calumet. My interest in teaching has always been active and a need that I filled with many opportunities to teach and nurture children. In the past, I have helped in creating programs for schools to implement as well as improve. I have worked with "our future", the children, from preschool through sixth grade since graduating high school through many different opportunities. I am very excited to be a part of the Discovery Team! I have every confidence this experience will reveal a more meaningful and memorable experience to both the staff and students!
Sue Gore-3
I am a graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. With seven years of teaching experience in grades 2 - 5, I am thrilled to be a part of the Discovery Charter School. Being an "outside the box" thinker, I create a stimulating learning environment and lessons related to the students' multiple intelligences. I have previous experience in RTI, science fairs, and curriculum mapping. I believe the energy of the staff is waiting to blossom into an environment full of nature and hands-on activities. I am involved in the philanthropic organization Delta Theta Tau. My husband and I live in Chesterton with our two children.
Shelly Williams-3
I am very excited to be a part of the Discovery Team. I am a graduate of the University of Michigan. I have been in the classroom teaching for a total of five years. Most of that time was in second and third grade. I am looking forward to being part of a new beginning where children and teachers will have a lot of hands on experiences and a chance to explore the world around us.
Carrie Hiestand-4
I have six years experience teaching and developing standards-based, inquiry-based environmental education programs and four years experience as an elementary school teacher. I graduated from Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, Indiana, where I majored in elementary education and minored in environmental science. I am so excited to be part of Discovery Charter School where students experience authentic learning by using the community and the environment as the classroom. I look forward to exploring and learning about the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore throughout the seasons with my students!
Mike Simon-4
I am a native of Wisconsin and I received my Bachelor of Science degree from Taylor University in 2008. While at Taylor I was a member of the Trojan football team as a wide receiver from 2004 through 2007. I am extremely excited about the upcoming year and the opportunity to work and interact with students and community. "The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn." John Lubbock
Keith Hiestand-5
I grew up in Chesterton, Indiana, where I developed an early love of the outdoors from exploring the Indiana Dunes and my own backyard. I studied at Deep Springs College and Indiana University-Bloomington where I majored in history and minored in
anthropology. After ten years working in the field of organic agriculture, I recently completed teacher training in the graduate Licensure-to-Master’s program at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At Discovery Charter School, I’m looking forward to helping my students exercise their creativity and critical thinking through place-based projects and environmental stewardship.
Lauren Allison-5
I am a 2010 graduate of Butler University where I received a Bachelor of Science in Early/Middle Childhood Education along with certification in Special Education-Mild Intervention and Reading. Part of my Bachelor studies took place at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia where I studied Reggio Emilia education. I am excited about the upcoming year at Discovery. I want my students, and all the students at Discovery, to realize that they are embarking on a unique opportunity to experience learning in the most meaningful way possible-through their own community.
Martha Metcalfe-6
I am excited to join the Discovery team after ten years of teaching primarily Grades 4-7 in private schools. I received my B.A. in Elementary Education from Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL) and hold certification endorsements in the Language Arts and Social Sciences, as well as Art. I am currently working on my M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, and through my graduate school program I have developed an integrated unit for art and nature studies. I also enjoy theater and have directed over six plays and musicals in my other school settings. I feel so privileged to teach at an innovative and authentic school like Discovery. I can't wait to share my love of learning and nature with my students, and maybe even a little art and drama too! My hope for this year is to see my sixth graders grow into leaders who serve their school and community with integrity and model life-long learning for everyone at Discovery.
Tessa Maguire- (K-2 Team Leader)
I am very excited to join the Discovery team as the K-2 Team Leader. I attended Butler University for my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. This year I will be completing my Master's Degree in Elementary Education at Ball State University and will be receiving a Reading Specialist License. For three years I was a Title 1 and Reading Resource teacher. In this position I assisted struggling readers and provided professional development in reading and differentiated instruction to the teachers in my building. Last year I was a Differentiated Instruction coach and assisted the teachers in my building in meeting the needs of their children in the classroom. I am very excited to be joining the team at Discovery! As the K-2 team leader, I hope that I am able to effectively assist the teachers, and the entire Discovery team, in making this first year phenomenal!
Ernesto Martinez- (3-6 Team Leader)
I am a 2004 Purdue University graduate and I am currently in the midst of acquiring my Masters in Elementary Education and School Leadership at Indiana University Northwest. I have been teaching 3rd grade for the past five years with AQS. In addition I have been working with children since high school in various settings such as tutoring, summer camps, sports teams, after school clubs, and summer school. I am extremely excited to work with the teachers at Discovery in developing authentic learning experiences focusing on our place!
Erin Mueller (Music Teacher)
I am a recent graduate of Butler University where I was involved in the wind ensemble, marching band, and basketball band and was also a member of the women's music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota. I have worked with Candi Granlund at Sycamore School, Ken Belt at Perry Meridian High School and Charles Flowers at Mary Nicholson Academy in Indianapolis as a student teacher. I have spent the past five summers working at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin acting as a counselor for three years and a program director for two years. I am very excited about this upcoming year and anxious for it to finally begin. I believe this year is going to be a terrific chance to learn and grow in new and interesting ways. I for one am eager to see kids getting excited about learning again."
Dave Jutkus P.E.
I recently graduated with a physical education degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. I have had lots of experiences teaching children of all ages. I did my student teaching at a local high school and a local elementary school. These experiences have helped me build confidence and develop myself as a physical education teacher. While in college I was a member of the Purdue Rowing team for 4 years. I was also an assistant baseball coach for Central Catholic High School who won the Class A state championship in 2010. I really enjoy sports, exercise, and fitness and I am looking forward to a great year with Discovery Charter School.
Donna Welsh (Special Education)
I am a career special education instructor of seventeen years who has come back to her roots. Born and raised in Northwest IN, I am a graduate of Chesterton High School, received my BA in elementary education from Grace College in Winona Lake, IN where I met my husband of thirty years. My husband is a minister, and we have had pastorates in IN, OH, VA, and IA.
During our time in IA, I was able to complete my Masters of Education at Graceland University in their pioneering program of Collaborative Teaching and Learning. I believe myself to be very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Discovery Charter School and be in an educational environment that will allow me to use this training to the fullest.
Discovery Charter School
800 Canonie Drive
Chesterton, IN 46304
Phone: (219) 983-9800
Fax: (219) 929-5723
Email: discovercharterschool@aqs.org