Meet Your Teachers
Shanna Beckfield
Room 154 (608) 204-4790 rslenoirbeck@madison.k12.wi.us
I am Ms. Beckfield and this is my first year at Toki Middle School. This will be my second year teaching 7th Grade Humanities. I graduated from the University of St. Francis, in Illinois with a degree in Elementary Education and continued on to earn my MA in education as well. I have previously taught in numerous schools throughout Madison School District and I'm hoping that Toki will be my home until I complete my administrative degree and become a principal.
In my free time I'm a mother to 7 children (22, 18, 16, 13, 11, 7, 3), and I enjoy writing (I'm currently working on two books), singing, dancing, gaming (I'm mostly alright), love music and the beach, working out, embracing my creative side, and most of all love learning and giving to others!
Lindsey Van Handel
Room 157 (608) 204-4791 ljboland@madison.k12.wi.us
I am Ms. Van Handel, and this will be my 5th year teaching at Toki. I teach 7th grade AVID and Science! I went to school at UW Madison and graduated with a degree in Natural Resources and Wildlife Ecology. I then attended Concordia University for my teaching certification.
I live in the Meadowood neighborhood with my husband, son, 2 dogs, and 3 cats. I enjoy being outdoors, watching birds, hiking, camping, and paddling my kayak!
Janelle Jeter-Smiley
Room 162 (608) 204-4796 jkjeter2@madison.k12.wi.us
I am Mrs. Smiley and this will be my second time here at Toki after doing my student teaching here at Toki in 2011. I graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Elementary Education with a major in political science and history. I am entering my 7th year of teaching. I have spent the last 4 years teaching in my hometown of Washington, DC
I am really excited to be back in Madison and back at Toki. I am looking forward to co-teaching Math with Ms. Wagner this school year. I enjoy spending time with my husband and 3 active boys who are growing into awesome young men. I also love music and watching sports (especially badger football).
Norma Sanchez
Room 159 (608) 204-4793 nsanchez@madison.k12.wi.us
My name is Mrs. Sanchez and I teach Spanish 1. I have been a Spanish teacher at Toki Middle School since 2004. I was born and raised in Bolivia and at the young age of 10, I started learning German. It was there and then when my passion for learning different languages started to blossom.
I graduated in 2003 from UW-Whitewater with a degree in Secondary Education. I am excited to instill the love of learning another language to the 7th graders and because I have taught for so long at Toki, I will have many siblings of this year's students and look forward to getting to know this year's group( while making connections to the past.)
In my free time, I like to dance, spend quality time with my family and to exercise. During the summer, I like to visit family members who live in different parts of the country. This past summer, I went to Bolivia. It was amazing!!
Hillary Wilson
Room 161 (608) 204-4795 hwilson2@madison.k12.wi.us
Hi! My name is Ms. Wilson and I am a 7th grade Humanities and Science teacher. This is my first year at Toki and I am very excited to be here! I am coming to Toki from Queen of Peace in the Madison Diocese and cannot wait to be back working in a public school system.
I received my BA in Elementary Education with endorsements in Mathematics and Social Studies from Loras College, Go Duhawks! I moved back to Madison after graduating in 2013 and live downtown, right by the Capitol, with my husband. I am a soccer fan/player/coach, I love the Badgers, and spend lots of time with my family and friends. I am so happy to be a part of the Toki team and cannot wait for an excellent school year!
Stephanie Stroik
Room 163 (608) 204-4797 sastroik@madison.k12.wi.us
My name is Mrs. Stroik and I am the Reading Interventionist at Toki. This is my second year in this position and my tenth year at Toki. I will be working with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students to help them boost their reading skills to be more confident in the work we do at Toki.
I am a UW-Green Bay alum with a degree in elementary education and Master's Degree in reading from Concordia University. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and my cat named Charlie. I am looking forward to getting to know as many of the wonderful 7th grade students as I can this year. I am excited for a great year!
Molly wagner
Room 162 (608) 204-4796 mmwagner@madison.k12.wi.us
Hello! I'm Ms. Wagner, one of the 7th Grade Math teachers and this is my 7th year of teaching at Toki. I grew up in the Orchard Ridge Neighborhood and, after attending college in La Crosse, ended up right back in my old neighborhood as a teacher. :)
Teaching Math is important to me because I know how valuable it is as an adult and how often you can use it to make your life easier. I want to be able to teach my students how Math can affect their lives and make them better.
I love spending time outside- going for walks, hikes, and reading a good book. My family and friends mean a lot to me and I enjoy spending time with them as much as possible.
Olivia Schmidt
Room 160 (608) 204-4794 ocschmidt@madison.k12.wi.us
My name is Ms. Schmidt and I teach humanities (ELA/SS). I got married last year and changed my name, so you may know me as Ms. Hoff. This is my fourth year at Toki, but my first year teaching humanities. I previously taught social studies and am excited to blend it with English Language Arts. In humanities class we will explore places and cultures all around the world using a variety of texts to improve your literacy skills.
I am a UW-Madison alum with a degree in elementary education. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and being in nature. This summer I went to Rhode Island for my sister's wedding and spent a lot of time in northern Wisconsin. I am excited to get to know all of you this year and to explore around the world together.
Katie McArdle
Room 160 (608) 204-4794 kmmcardle@madison.k12.wi.us
My name is Ms. McArdle and I am a 7th Cross Categorical teacher. I will be supporting one core of Math with Ms. Pirkl and two cores of Humanities with Ms. Schmidt. This is my third year at Toki and my eleventh year teaching. Prior to working in Madison, I taught in Washington, D.C. and Arkansas.
I earned my BA from the University of Notre Dame in Political Science and, in 2015, earned my MS from Johns Hopkins University in Educational Studies. I grew up in Wisconsin and am happy to be back in my home state. In my free time, I enjoy exploring Madison (by bike or foot), spending time with friends and family, baking, and travelling.
cory Miller
Room 158 (608) 204-4792 clmiller@madison.k12.wi.us
My name is Ms. Miller and I teach Humanities. This is my fourth year teaching this class at Toki. I love to read myself and I want to share that love with my students. One of my favorite book series is Harry Potter!
I am a UW-Whitewater alum with a degree in elementary education with a minor in Literature. In my free time, I like to spend time with my family, friends and my cats Spot and Sace'. I also enjoy reading, and being outside.
KENNIS NEGRON-VAZQUEZ
Room 172 (608) 204-4862 knegronvazqu@madison.k12.wi.us
Hello! I'm Mr. Negron-Vazquez, one of the Bilingual Resource Teachers at Toki Middle School. I work with both 7th and 8th grades. This is my 5th year of teaching at Toki.
I work with several newcomers to the United States from various countries teaching English as a Second Language. It's important to me because I know how valuable it is to be proficient in English and how it can improve more than just academics. I also want to be able to teach my students how important it is to value the language and culture of others.
I love spending time outside, walking around my neighborhood, biking around town, or hiking in the state parks. I love to read, especially science fiction and graphic novels. I'm also a big cinephile (movie-lover) and enjoy finding new music to listen to!