Mrs. Berchem loves teaching music at Wilson Elementary School! This will be her 9th year at Wilson, and her 30th year of teaching and sharing her passion of music with young people! She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education (PK-12th grade), with emphasis in Vocal/Choral Music and Vocal Performance from Northern Michigan University, and a Masters degree in Music Education, with emphasis in Vocal/General Music and Choral Music from Kent State University, Ohio.

She has taught elementary and middle school music in both Wyoming and Wisconsin, with many of those years spent as a 5th-8th grade choral, vocal jazz, show choir, and musical theater director in Port Washington, WI. In 2008, she was awarded the Herb Kohl Teaching Fellowship Award.

Mrs. Berchem was part of the WSMA Middle-Level State Honor Choir Project coaching staff, has served as a WSMA state honor choir and solo/ensemble adjudicator, SASD middle school music festival adjudicator, and has worked as a guest clinician for area choirs. Several summers were spent teaching at Wolverine Vocal Music Camp in Michigan, Northern Michigan University Band Camp, PWSSD Summer School Voices in Motion classes, and Lakeland University Summer Music Camp. She also directed the Children’s Music program at First Congregational Church of Sheboygan for many years. She recently served as the Vocal Music Director for Sheboygan Theatre Company's production of Mary Poppins (Fall 2024), and Dare to Dream Theatre's production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Spring/Summer 2025).

Mrs. B and her husband reside in the beautiful Black River area of Sheboygan. When not out singing and performing with her group Tonic Roots or other musical projects locally, you might find her out for a walk, hiking in the woods, putting miles on her bike, enjoying coffee on the porch, out listening to live music, or gardening/landscaping in her yard. 

Music is an art form that actively engages children and people of all ages, in all aspects of their lives. Some of Mrs. B’s favorite moments in the classroom occur when students are engaged in creating, collaborating, and producing music as a collective team. Her classroom is inspired by concepts from both Orff and Kodaly teaching methods, as well as the World Hand Drumming curriculum and cooperative learning concepts, which allow students to learn music in a sequential and natural way, while encouraging creativity, movement, exploration, musical independence, improvising, composing, and hands-on musically rich experiences. She hopes that her students come home from school excited about what they are learning in music classes, and find their creative energy to be spilling over into all areas of learning and life.

Please feel free to reach out anytime with questions or concerns, as we want to ensure your child has a positive and enriching experience in music! aberchem@sasd.net