Mr. Collins, a former teacher at Pennfield High School, is now back and subbing for other classrooms. He enjoys subbing because it gives him extra income without the same responsibilities and stress of having his own classroom. As a substitute, he doesn’t have to create lesson plans, grade papers, or write tests and quizzes, and can do what he wants. His years of teaching experience also help him understand students and establish authority in the classroom. He said, “I give them the soccer warning, the yellow card is the first warning and the second is a red card, and you go to the office.” While he misses having his own classroom and a key to get into the building, he enjoys getting to know different students and having more freedom. He also added, “I'm experimenting, so if things don’t go well, I can always find something else to do.” He has only subbed for Mr. Podolan so far and will see how it goes later on. 

Mr. Klepac lives in Lansing with his wife and kids. He enjoys movies, sports, sweet foods, and spending time with friends. Klepac started teaching at Pennfield because it was the first school to hire him, and he decided to stay. Teaching runs in his family, with his mom, aunts, and grandparents all being teachers. He enjoys Penfield because it is the right size and has great students and staff. Some of Klepac’s favorite memories involve hanging out with other teachers at the pep assemblies and going to the games. It's a fun job most of the time. His advice to students is simple: “Think about someone other than yourself. The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

Guess who the new face in the hallway is… Mrs. Leach, our new hall monitor, walks the hallways during class and checks for kids who aren't in class or in the right one. She is also in both lunches to keep “an eye on things.” Leach enjoys spending time with her husband and kids and camping on her off hours. A great memory from her childhood is “going to every football game with my best friend and just hanging out.” Leach's advice is, “Life is hard; don’t give up on yourself and reach for stars.” She came to Pennfield so she could spend more time with her family. Leach says the craziest part of the school during class time is the bathrooms or main stairs. A way she deals with conflict in the hallway is asking good open-ended questions, letting the kids talk, and then giving them advice or a better option to choose from. Please say hi and welcome our new hall monitor when you get a chance!

This school year has brought some big changes for some Pennfield staff, including more time in the classroom and a new role as the voice behind Pennfield games.

Mr. Doerr's biggest change came this year as he became a parapro. With seven hours of classes each day, Doerr says, compared to last year, there are now more opportunities than ever to make a difference in the classroom. With support from the staff and Principal Mrs. Hill, the job has started to feel like home. Outside the classroom, being the PA announcer has become another highlight. Doerr's favorite part is creating an exciting atmosphere and getting fans involved. After three football games, the biggest takeaway has been the strong fan support for the football team, cheerleading, and band. Doerr's said his biggest goal is to keep announcing for years to come and, hopefully, become known as the voice of Pennfield Athletics.

Mr. Porter, a Pennfield High School PE teacher, has started a new job at Eaton Rapids High School, where he is making an impact both in the classroom and on the football field. As a coach, Porter says he hopes to bring a positive attitude to the athletes and encourage them to believe in themselves and their teammates. He also wants his athletes to learn from both their successes and failures and use those experiences to improve. When asked about the difference between Pennfield and Eaton Rapids, Porter said he sees more similarities than differences, explaining that both schools have student-athletes who want to compete at a high level and become better. At Pennfield, Porter teaches strength and conditioning, helping athletes become the best versions of themselves. He is the head football coach at Eaton Rapids, where he focuses on teaching his players important lessons both on and off the field.

Let’s welcome our new science teacher! After buying her new home, Ms. Hebenstreit said she wanted to work at a school where she could truly impact youth in her own community. Hebenstreit grew up in the neighboring district; she always heard good things about Pennfield. When Hebenstreit has students who are not naturally inclined to science, she challenges them to think outside the box and keeps science relevant. Hebenstreit says science is a natural way of thinking. She mentions that we are constantly asking questions and applying the scientific method, whether that be baking cookies, solving a math problem, or building a PC. She then finds innovative ways to apply it to their next projects. Hebenstreit believes that being a good teacher means being someone who students can connect with and build friendly relationships with. She also believes that a good teacher is someone who is excited, motivated, and strives to see the “aha” moments that students experience. She truly feels that she exemplifies these qualities because she is always working with students to build meaningful relationships and celebrate their successes. She is also very passionate about the subject areas that she teaches and enjoys providing fun, innovative ways for students to see the practical side of science. In high school, Hebenstreit enjoyed being a member of the FFA program. It was because of the FFA program that she became more interested in teaching.  She enjoyed going to local sporting events, participating in sports herself, and getting the most out of her high school experience.

Meet Amanda Elliot! She is 34 years old and is a mom of three. Besides working at the school, she also works as a server and bartender. Currently, Elliot is filling in for Mrs. Treadway as she recovers. She is enjoying her time filling in. Elliot feels bad for her students as they miss Treadway. She said she has had no trouble, minus a couple of minor behavioral issues. Elliot plans to stay at Pennfield until her kids graduate.

When asked whether she would like to continue subbing or move into a more full-time teaching career, she plans to stay in the sub area. She does not have a teaching degree, but did take the MTTC test around 2010. She does not plan on trying to get her degree as of right now. She enjoys subbing because it does not come with all of the responsibilities a regular teaching job has. Mrs. Elliot loves her job and helping students succeed. As for Treadway, she is currently recovering and has been in contact with some of her students. Let's wish both of them the best of luck!

Mr. Flees is one of our wonderful history teachers at Pennfield. Mr. Flees normally teaches a class of 28-30 people, but this year things turned out a little differently. When Flees saw there were only three people, his initial reaction was “Oh crap!” He hoped everyone would stay in the class since there were so few people. “Having a three-person class definitely throws me off at times, but it's nice because we can get into deeper discussions about history!” Flees' goal is to prepare everyone for the AP Exam and build deeper connections with all three students. “Also, with only three students come challenges, but I was also excited that I could make good connections with three students and get into some good history discussions.”

This year, Pennfield High School welcomed a new secretary, Mrs. Korloch, who was excited to make the move from the middle school to the high school. She said she was “super excited” to come to the high school, especially because she gets to see students she knew from middle school. Korloch decided to become a secretary because she really enjoyed working with Ms. Romig at the middle school. Her favorite part of being a secretary is interacting with students, getting to know them, and watching them grow from middle school into high school. Having her child at the school also makes her experience special. Although she does not see him much during the day because he attends CACC, she still enjoys seeing his face every day. Overall, Korloch says she enjoys the school environment and seeing familiar students from Rhanin, her son’s class, and she is happy to be part of the Pennfield High School community. 

Say welcome back to Mr Podolan! He's recently moved into the high school again after being in the middle school. His classroom behavior between middle school and high school has changed drastically. He says to adjust his teaching style in the middle school, he has to “be much more structured and explicit with every instruction and expectation. High school students are generally better equipped to understand how to transition between activities or meet basic behavior expectations.” Podolan says he appreciates the calmer energy that high schoolers have. He says he prefers teaching high school, as it fits his personality more. He coached JV football with Mr. Boyd for three years. “I worked as the defensive coordinator and loved coaching with him.” Something that he finds rewarding as an English teacher is his students realizing that having good reading and writing skills pay off in everyday life, as these skills aren’t just for school. Also say congrats to him and his wife, as they are expecting their second child, a boy, in October! His first child is in 2nd grade and already reading at around a high school level! “I am very happy and proud of my little family!”

Pennfield’s newest teacher, Mr. Bilicki, is bringing energy, curiosity, and a love for learning to the classroom. This is his second year teaching, but his first at Pennfield. He previously taught Algebra 1, Physics, and Introduction to Coding at Potterville High School. He chose Pennfield because of the location, supportive staff, and opportunities to work closely with the teachers in his department. As he puts it, “A school with growth in mind is a great place to start your career.” Mr. Bilicki graduated from Olivet College with double majors in Chemistry and Mathematics. He was also a dual athlete in men’s volleyball and tennis. He credits Washtenaw Community College as a major turning point in his life and says, “I cannot stress enough how helpful a community college can be for anyone.” His biggest inspirations include his former teachers, Mr. Green and Mr. Ritter, as well as Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. But when it comes to his teaching style, “most of it is from Mr. Green.”  He added, “Mr. Green, if you read this, thank you for being you." After his first few days at Pennfield, Mr. Bilicki says the students have already brought him “almost every emotion available.” His goal is to let students “be them” while helping them develop the skills they need to grow. He added, “ Please never stop asking questions. I don't care who you are or how old you are; never stop asking questions!”

We are thrilled to have Mr. Bilicki in our school and being a part of the community. His classroom is in the red hall; if you see him, smile and say hello!

Mr. Riley came back as a long-term substitute after being away for three years because he missed his students and the relationships he had built with them. He expects his students to be respectful, kind, and willing to build a positive relationship with him.

“I would love to teach PE or Weightlifting, but realistically I’ll teach high school science.” One of the most unusual jobs he has had was working as hospital security, which he described as both cool and scary.

Mr. Riley says one of the hardest parts of teaching is staying organized and consistent while also helping students with different needs. One of his most memorable classes was an eighth-grade English class. Those students are now juniors and part of the Class of 2028.