Upper School Faculty & Staff

Students must feel comfortable before they can learn. I expect my classroom to be an environment where students are allowed to take risks. I look for situations when I can look at a problem for the first time with students and model for them how to try and potentially fail in finding the right solution, only to rebound and try new ideas.
-Doug Sept

If a student fails to enjoy any piece of literature and minimally improves their writing, but manages to grow as a human being, I feel I have been successful. If a student masters every text and writes beautifully, but has not changed at all since the first day of school, I have failed.
-Jorge Sanchez

It is upon the fundamentals of reading, writing, listening, and speaking that we find access to the good, the beautiful, and the true. Personal invitation for intentional practice of these skills is at the core of my mission as a teacher. Each student in my care is encouraged to create with authenticity, explore complex ideas, ask thoughtful questions, discover joy in learning, and strive for excellence.
- Ashley Anderson

Mother Teresa said: "Do little things with a big heart." My role as registrar / administrative assistant is to assist students, faculty and staff, in addition to maintenance of student records and files. It’s a pleasure to be a part of the Elgin Academy family and an even greater pleasure to help them everyday.
- Anna Przybylski

At Elgin Academy, we dedicate our days to empower and uplift students, ensuring they have the resources, guidance, and care they need to thrive. Our goal is to create a nurturing and inclusive environment where every student's potential is recognized and celebrated. Together, we navigate the journey of personal growth and academic success, fostering a resilient and confident generation ready to embrace the world.
-Helen Elayan

I am passionate about fostering cultural diversity through student exchange and international education. It is my mission to enhance cultural perspectives, mutual respect, and global responsibility through building programs and services for the development of international students, local students and the greater community of Elgin.
-Katie Kruse

My goal as a teacher is to support genuine inquiry, meaningful experiences, and personal connections. It is my belief that learning is about more than information, it is about making relevant connections and applications within a community.
- Brian Allen

In a rising digital age where it is easy to look and not see, art (realism) teaches me how to see and engage reality. This orientation extends beyond an art practice and has become a way of life. I hope that after taking my class students will become better observers of the world around them and be able to see the magic in the ordinary.
- Catherine Bass

My role as an educator is to help each student become a life-long learner, one who is always questioning and seeking, posing new problems and formulating creative solutions, one who digs deeper and reaches farther to find the answer, but understands that the process of seeking the answer is more important than the answer itself.
- Mary Bayer

I love to teach! I have been teaching since 1974 and cannot get tired of the pleasure of working with young people to learn French. I want to create an atmosphere of acceptance, curiosity, and a solid work ethic. It is very important to me to add enrichment - music, art, film expressions of the week, and more. I am very happy to be at Elgin Academy with such fine students and staff. Every one of my students has a different level of language proficiency. I will take them from where they are and lead them to success. We will all be francophiles and not only of France but the many countries where French is spoken.
-Carolyn Dunoon

I lead the class in discussions that develop close readings of passages, through which we build an understanding of themes and how the author explores them; characterization, particularly the characters’ motivations; and narration, including the advantages and disadvantages of different perspectives. This method requires students to be active: to read on their own, to articulate their ideas, to think about other people’s contributions, and to build arguments while revising them.
-Dr. Frank Hering

The short version; My goal as a teacher is to make myself unnecessary. The long version; My philosophy of teaching is pretty simple. I believe, first, that every student in my classes can be successful.
-Jim Kidston

My hope is that all of my students leave my class with a better appreciation of the world around them. I want them to see that what we are learning does not only exist in the small bubble of the classroom, but how it expands far beyond that.
-Jamie Lau

The Latin language did not fall with the Roman empire. The influence of the Romans and their language can be seen in so many aspects of modern life. I hope to help my students make those connections between the past and the present. I want my students to leave my class as critical thinkers, with a strong work ethic and always wanting to learn more.
-Stacey Lorenz

Science reveals the workings and laws of the natural world, while biology explores the wonders of life in that same world. My students will discover through multiple experiences both the wonders of nature as well as the means that humanity has, through science, to preserve nature.
-Bud Mathieu

I take a student centered approach to teaching visual art by combining the experiences, interests, and abilities of all of my students. My goal is to have students create art that is meaningful to them.
- Josh Mettille

By studying the history, language and heritage of others, we begin to appreciate all that we have in common, rather than focus on that which divides us. It is my opinion that the spirit of the lesson is as important as the information presented, and if I can get the material to touch the hearts of my students, it has the power to change their lives.
-Stephanie Metzler

I love to teach! Spanish language and culture have been a big part of my life and I invite my students to explore the beauty in them in my class. Elgin Academy has been an amazing place to teach at. I love getting to know each of my students and belonging to such a close knit community. My goal for my students is for them to appreciate another culture and language to its fullest!
-Renee Nealis

I hope to see students achieve their own potential and become better versions of themselves. By developing their intellectual curiosity, moral character, and social responsibility I want to nurture the students to become well-rounded individuals.
- Kazuyo Noda

There's an inherent joy in learning that's different for everyone. My goal as a teacher is to help each student find that joy as they grow as both life-long learners and persons.
-Kyle Spencer

Music students should learn how to become independent musicians, and lifelong music lovers. My personal goal is to impart my knowledge and enthusiasm for music in the students I have been given the privilege to teach.
-Brian Wrightson