Meet the Teachers & Teacher Contacts

Mrs. Mulhern: Language Arts & Social Studies

Welcome Grizzly Families to Team 6-2! I am delighted to be starting my 19th year here at Granger Middle School. I am married to my husband, Mike, who I met here at Granger years ago and we have two sons Weston (7) and Declan (3)...we are never not busy!

I absolutely love being a Grizzly! I am also a University of Dayton Flyer, where I received by Bachelors Degree and a Masters in Reading from Concordia University Chicago, Go Cougars!

My favorite parts about being a teacher is getting to know my students, helping them grow into young adults, and sharing my love of reading. I am looking forward to an enjoyable and successful year on Team 6-2! #pawsup

Contact Information: Kelly_Mulhern@ipsd.org; 630-375-1010 Ext. 54509

Mrs. Jones: Language Arts & Social Studies

Hello Granger Grizzlies! I have been teaching middle school for the past 16 years, with the last ten years being spent here at Granger. I have two children- a daugther in first grade and a son in preschool. On the weekends you can find me on the soccer field, tennis courts, hockey rink, and dance studio cheering on my little ones. My kids and I enjoy exploring different parks, playgrounds, and libraries in the area. You can also find our family cheering on all of our Chicago sports teams, especially the Chicago Bulls.

I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. I also have a Master's Degree in Reading Instruction as well as a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership.

I am an avid reader and can't wait to share my love of books with my students!

Contact Information: Alona_Jones@ipsd.org

Mrs. Nowoj: Math & Social Studies

Hi Grizzly Fans! I am so excited to start another year at Granger! I am starting my 18th year teaching with it being my 13th year at Granger. My husband and I are 204 parents to our SENIOR, our middle is a sophomore at St. Louis University and our oldest is a senior at Creighton University. As if our house wasn't busy enough, we have a dog, hedgehog, land snails and lots of fish! I enjoy peloton, lifting weights, and listening to audible books in my free time.

I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in elementary education with a math concentration while I earned a masters from Northern Illinois in Instructional Technology. I love being in the classroom teaching and learning with students.

Contact Information: Michele_Nowoj@ipsd.org ; 630-375-1010 Ext. 54513

Mr. Palomo: Support Teacher

Hi Grizzlies! I am so excited to be here at Granger! This is my second year here at Granger! I graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications; I also graduated from National Louis University with a Masters degree in Special Education. When I'm not at Granger I like to spend my free time working out, hanging out with my family and friends, or going to concerts! I can't wait for a great year with you all!

Contact Information: Zachary_Palomo@ipsd.org

Mrs. Schmidt: Language Arts and Math Plus

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! This is my 30th year teaching and 6th year at Granger! I grew up locally and live nearby in Naperville with my husband Doug. I have two kids: Olivia and Nicholas. Olivia graduated this past spring from University of South Carolina and Nick is a sophmore at the University of Missouri.

Completing my undergraduate studies at North Central College in Naperville, I also have Masters degrees in curriculum/instruction and reading from North Central and Concordia College as well as certification in math. Besides teaching 6th grade, I coach volleyball here at Granger. Both my kids and myself have 10 plus years each of playing volleyball in addition to my coaching for over 20 years! We are a sports family!

I look forward to teaming with you and your child to make a smooth transition into 6th grade! My passion is to work to make lifelong learning a natural part of our daily lives. Bringing compassion, laughter, acceptance and understanding into my classroom is a must for my students. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or concerns.

Contact Information: laura_schmidt@ipsd.org

Mrs. Smid: Social Studies and Interventionist

Welcome to team 6-2. I am so excited to be a part of your first year as Granger Grizzlies. This is my 15th year teaching in district 204. I am excited to be teaching 6th grade Social Studies and working as the building Interventionist. I have been married to my wonderful husband Paul for 31 years. My three children Jack, Megan and Danny are all 204 graduates! They are all doing great!

I am so happy to be a part of the Granger family. I earned my Bachelor's degree from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. My Master’s degree in teaching is from National Louis University.

I am looking forward to having a wonderful year with our newest Grizzlies!!! Go Grizzlies!!!

Mr. White: Science

Welcome to the Grizzly Den! I am starting my 31st year teaching at Granger Middle School! I have taught all the grade levels here at Granger, but hold a special place for my sixth grade Grizzly Cubs! I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Western Illinois University in Physical Science and Biology, and also have a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at National-Louis University. I am married to my wife, Lynne, and have two daughters, Caroline, who graduated this past spring as a Mizzou Tiger and Chayse, who will be starting college at Iowa State University. On the weekends, I enjoy relaxing with family and friends as well as with my three pups, Lacy Lou, Addison, and Ivy Jane who are always at my heels as we watch NASCAR, grill and listen to some favorite tunes.

Fun Fact: I am the "keeper" of the Granger Sign!

Contact Information: Shawn_White@ipsd.org ; 630-375-1010 Ext. 54538

Mrs. White: Social Studies

Hello 6-2 Grizzlies! I am excited to be teaching Social Studies on the team this year. This is my 24th year at Granger and my 35th year in education. This year, in addition to teaching 6th grade Geography, I will continue to dedicate my day to teaching Strategic Reading classes in both 6th and 7th grade.

I am happily married to my husband Brendan, who plays guitar in his free time. We love dogs and have been fosters for the past several years. We also have 3 of our own in the family. When we aren't with them, we love to travel. London was our big summer trip this year.

I love to spend time with my Grizzlies outside of curricular classes, so I am a Granger yearbook advisor as well as Cricket Club coach. I hope to see some of my 6th graders at these fun activities. In the meantime, I hope you are ready for an exciting first year in middle school.

Contact Information: Kathy_White@ipsd.org ; 630-375-1010 Ext. 54537

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