Meet the New Staff

Our students at Avon Lake High School return this fall to see a new face in the band room—Mr. Brunger.

Mr. Brunger attended Kent State University and Walden University to pursue music and teaching, and has previously taught in Cleveland, Firelands, and at Midview.

Although this year marks the beginning of his career at Avon Lake High School, our school is not completely new to him. In fact, Mr. Eddleman, our previous director, was a mentor to Mr. Brunger. “When I first started teaching, he took me under his wing and I learned a lot from him,” he recalls.

During the 2021-2022 school year, he will be teaching many music classes offered at the high school: these include World Drumming, Popular Music Through The Ages, Concert, Symphonic, and Jazz Band. Mr. Brunger emphasizes the importance of having fun during his classes—for example, his World Drumming course. “At the beginning of the year, they were kind of shocked about how much enthusiasm I have for it,” he remarks. “So the goal is to have fun!” When it comes to performing, Mr. Brunger also focuses on the importance of learning more about your instrument, and being able to play it efficiently. “That’s kind of where we’ve been at, it’s just trying to make it enjoyable for everybody, and not one of those ‘boring’ classes where nobody really understands.” Mr. Brunger strives to be a teacher that makes the classroom innovative and entertaining for his students.

This year, Mr. Brunger encourages the band to make every effort, and he “wants them to be happy about the year, especially the seniors.” Due to COVID-19 precautions last year, clubs and school activities were altered, and students weren’t able to have the same opportunities to play their instruments and perform. Mr. Brunger recognizes how difficult of a time it was for seniors last year, and he is hopeful for a more positive and less stressful environment in the upcoming months.

In his free time, Mr. Brunger enjoys spending time with his wife and son, as well as participating in outdoor activities. He also loves to kayak to go high adventure camping; he has even hiked through parts of the Appalachian Trail and Allegheny Mountains.

While in the classroom, students will make note of the message by Mr. Brunger’s desk. And those very words are his advice to the students of Avon Lake, inspiring us to persevere through challenges we face and achieve our goals. “If you run into a brick wall or you get stopped, what do you do? You don’t stand there, you pivot.” Mr. Brunger says. “You just keep going, and that’s my daily goal.”

As a new school year rolls in with new protocols and directives, we are met with many new faces as well. One of the latest additions to Avon Lake High School’s staff is Mr. Kevin Collins.

Collins is a versatile educator; not only is he an intervention specialist but he is also co-teaching biology with Ms. Bottini and physical science with Mrs. Bair and Mrs. Burgess-- all familiar faces around the school. Despite being a fresh face around Avon Lake, Collins is not unfamiliar to the teaching scene, and was teaching at his previous institution in Amherst for 8 years.

“It was a great opportunity to teach and to give back to your alma mater but obviously when an opportunity to teach at Avon Lake comes up, you take advantage of that,” explained Collins when asked about his time at Amherst.

He has been greatly enjoying his time within the Avon Lake community, describing the environment as welcoming and the kids as great.

Despite the occupational move away from Amherst, Collins continues to live in the city with his girlfriend, her kids, and his 3 year old golden retriever. However, he hopes to eventually move towards Avon Lake in the future.

He is also a lover of the outdoors. “I love being outside,” says Collins, “Whether it be in the Metroparks or golfing or whatever it might be. I don’t like being inside.” Due to this love of flora and fauna, he works at Lorain golf course Fox Creek during the summer, where he also enjoys playing the game.

Collins continues to participate in the community through sports. He resides as the JV coach for Avon Lake’s baseball team, as well as the girls’ basketball team, bringing forth 10 years of experience coaching baseball and his 5 years as head coach of girls’ basketball from Amherst.

Overall, Collins can be described as enthusiastic about the new school year and being incorporated in such a good school system with noteworthy students. In addition to the academic year, “It’s fun to be at a school where the football team is good,” says Collins, speaking like a true Shoreman.

At the far end of the guidance offices you will find Mrs. Archer, the brand new guidance counselor. Her dimly lit office is cozy with Christmas lights strung all around the room and her smile is just as comforting as the atmosphere that her office radiates. She seems the perfect fit for working with kids, but that’s not how her journey started out.

Mrs. Archer began her career as a non-profit worker in Cleveland doing large-scale fundraiser events for nonprofits like the Greater Cleveland Foodbank and the Mandel Jewish Community Center. While the work was fulfilling, she wanted to have more interaction with the people that she was helping. Thus, a scene in a book sparked a wonderful memory and new career path.

“I had an awesome high school guidance counselor, and one day when I was reading this book where it referenced this senior going to their guidance counselor. It was like this light bulb moment for me.”

Starting her new chapter, Archer applied to Cleveland State and got her second degree. Previously, she had graduated from Mount Union where she was on the Track and Field team. To this day, she holds the school record there for the 400 meter.

Archer’s last job was at Highland High School, where she also worked as a guidance counselor. She is excited to be back on the west side of Cleveland though, as her husband and her are both Fairview Park natives. Avon Lake High School stands out to her as a place where students really support each other and want the best for not only themselves, but their peers. She sees this even in the small things, like the band playing every Friday morning with the cheerleaders.

Mrs. Archer would like to remind all students at ALHS that her door is always open. She wants to be visible to her students and for them to know that she can help them with more than just her schedules. She is always willing to help emotionally support her students and wants that trait to be visible to all staff and students this coming school year.

The Spectrum is eager to welcome ALHS’s newest english teacher: Mrs. Grissinger!

With 26 years of experience, Mrs. Grissinger is a teacher like no other and she is already teaching several classes this school year.

“This year,” she explained, “I am teaching English 9, English 10, Language Arts Skills, and Reading and Literature.” As an English teacher, she puts a lot of care into each one of her classes to ensure that each student is engaged in learning language and literature.

In her short time at the high school, Mrs. Grissinger has already become quite popular among students. “This year, so far, has been awesome!” She continued, “The students are kind, respectful, and diligent; the teachers and staff are extremely helpful and friendly.”

Avon Lake High School has made a very good impression on Mrs. Grissinger and she is enthusiastic about being part of the Avon Lake community. “I’m excited to be back at my alma mater, and I’m looking forward to working with the amazing staff and students,” she expressed.

Mrs. Grissinger is excited for ALHS to get to know her too. “I love reading, working out, spending time with my family, and watching movies. I’m a huge Broadway musical fan, so students may see that popping into some of my lessons,” she adds. “Sports are another love of mine, particularly football. I’m an avid University of Michigan and Cleveland Browns fan.”

Mrs. Grissinger is preparing for a fabulous school year here at Avon Lake High School, and she plans to make it just as fabulous for every student she may encounter.