Kelli Mattson – Mrs. Kelli Mattson teaches CAD, Architecture, and Engineering. She attended Lawrence Technological University for Architecture and Eastern Michigan University for her teaching degree. She worked at Holly High School and in Architectural Offices throughout Metro Detroit before coming to West Bloomfield. Her hobbies are reading, playing games with family and friends, bike riding, and walking her golden retriever. She has a husband and three children from ages 7 to 11. She is most excited to learn from the students.

“I love to teach Architecture because I worked in that industry for several years before teaching and I’m hoping that I can inspire other students to take the path of architecture and engineering as well. Everyone seems to have a big smile on their face and I feel welcome and at home already. I’m excited to learn from the students… I think I’m going to be hearing a lot from the students as well and I hope that we can be a good team and work corporately together to have an awesome semester.”

Elizabeth Zuhlke – Mrs. Elizabeth Zuhlke is a Learning Strategies teacher. She attended Albion College and was a varsity swimmer during her time there. She taught at Cranbrook and Notre Dame Prep previously, but she has taken time off to be with her two young boys. “The kids have been super nice and agreeable and welcoming. The teachers also have been really nice and welcoming to me as a new teacher which is nice to have. I like the diversity, and all of the students seem to have well rounded backgrounds. I like to be able to help students in their other classes as they continue in their educational journey.”

Shlanda Bass – Mrs. Shlanda Bass teaches every subject except social studies in the special ed program. She got her undergraduate degree at Oakland University and masters degree at Wayne State University. Before teaching, she worked at a pharmaceutical firm. She enjoys teaching because she likes breaking things down for students, and when students ask for help. She “likes the feeling of being available to help [the students].” So far, everyone at West Bloomfield has been nice and the staff has been helpful. Her hobbies include dancing, cooking, gardening and traveling. She has two kids who attend WBHS and a younger daughter at Gretchko Elementary. She is most excited for “figuring out block scheduling” and adjusting to it.

Andrew Paniagua – Mr. Andrew Paniagua is a spanish teacher this year. He attended the University of Sydney in Australia . Previously, he worked as an English teacher in Madrid, Spain. He also was a middle school Spanish teacher in Virginia, and worked as a substitute teacher at various schools in Michigan. His mom is Australian, but his dad is Spanish. Growing up in a bilingual environment showed him “the value of learning another language and communicating with different people around the world.” He used to work as a substitute in Abbott, so he is familiar with the district. He enjoys being in an environment full of kind, diverse students. Outside of teaching, he likes bird watching, since it reminds him of Australia. Other than bird watching, he likes hiking and gardening as well. He is most excited to get to know the district more, witness growth and confidence in students, and get to better know the community as a whole.

Megan Dutton – Ms. Megan Dutton teaches English 9 and college essay writing. She attended Central Michigan University. Before West Bloomfield, she used to teach 7th and 8th grade literature in Clarkston. She enjoys reading because of how subjective it is. She loves how each person can grasp a different message from each thing you read, and how “there isn’t always a right or wrong answer.” So far, she really likes the community and environment West Bloomfield has, and how there’s a lot of freedom here. She likes to cook, travel, read, and spend time with dogs. She is most looking forward to seeing how far everyone has grown, including herself as a teacher.

Sloan Tymrak – Mrs. Sloan Tymrak is a social studies teacher at West Bloomfield High School. She teachers several classes including economy, U.S history and world history. She attended Hope college and previously worked at a middle school in the Upper Peninsula. She enjoys teaching social studies despite that fact that she used to hate it back in school. After she found a teacher that made it interesting, she “wanted to make history a class relevant to your lives.”

Noah Dyer – Mr. Noah Dyer is a new teacher who studied at Western Michigan University. Previously, he taught music and band at a school near east Lansing. He enjoys teaching music because it’s very important to not only him, but humans as a whole. He believes students can learn “a lot of valuable life and professional skills from playing in band.” So far, he really likes the support and diversity that comes from West Bloomfield High School. It has been a smooth transition for him. His hobbies include bowling, golfing, playing video games and hanging out with friends. He is most looking forward to increasing the quality of performances.

Tarah Ehlert – Mrs. Tarah Ehlert is a new English teacher and she studied at Michigan State with a degree in English and is currently working on her masters there as well. Previously, she was a teacher at the Rochester school district. She enjoys teaching English because she has “a passion for reading and writing.” However, she understands that not every student does, so her main passion is “for the students- in hopes that they could enjoy it someday.” She enjoys reading, dogs and spending time with her family. She says that so far the school has a great community feel and she’s looking forward to accomplish her first official year of teaching!

Lindsay Montayne – Ms. Lindsay Montayne is a new algebra and physics teacher. She studied at Eastern Michigan University and was a previous chemistry teacher from Ridge High School. She also taught science, physics and geometry at a charter school, but before teaching she was a lab instructor at Eastern Michigan. She enjoys teaching physics because you can do “projects that help you learn relevant solutions to advance humanity in a positive direction.” Algebra is fun for her because it helps benefit the seniors before college. She says the staff and students have been very kind and helpful during her transition to a new school. Her hobbies include running and playing the guitar. She’s looking forward to getting to know everyone and getting involved in all the programs here at West Bloomfield!

Kara Liskey – Ms. Kara Liskey is a new math and english teacher. She studied at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. She teaches both math and English for different reasons. She enjoys math because “there’s always a right or wrong answer.” However, she likes english because it gives her the chance to be creative. She says how “these subjects fit together perfectly for me” despite the fact that they are so different. Ms. Liskey’s hobbies consist of singing and playing the guitar, and she is most looking forward to watching the students grow academically.

Van Antwerp – Ms. Van Antwerp is a Paraeducator. She studied at Macomb College and worked at Macomb Intermediate school district before coming to West Bloomfield. Her hobbies are playing softball and volleyball. She has a twin sister and twin brothers. She is most excited to get involved in the sport culture of West Bloomfield and attend football games. “I like being a paraeducator because I can really help and connect with the students in special needs.”