Welcome to the Rams Family, New Faculty and Staff

Lower School

Mason Hunt ’15 – First Grade Teaching Associate

Mason is joining us as a 1st Grade Teaching Associate. He is very familiar with MICDS as an alum and due to his work in Camp Pegasus and in the Lower School Extended Day program. Mason has a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Education, and he is eager to continue his educational career at MICDS. He is proud to share that this school year will be his 19th at MICDS!

Meg Mottl – Third Grade Lead Teacher

Meg is joining the 3rd grade team as a Lead Teacher. She has many years of experience in the field of education from her time as a teacher in the Kirkwood School District at both the elementary and middle school levels. She has also worked as a tutor through the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition and has worked as an Admissions Director. Most recently, Meg taught in the Ladue School District as a long-term substitute in 3rd grade at Old Bonhomme this past year as she transitioned back to teaching after spending time with her family. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and is certified as a reading specialist. Welcome, Meg!

Kara Pracht – First Grade Lead Teacher

Kara is joining the 1st grade team as a Lead Teacher. She is already a familiar face at MICDS, having recently worked in the MICDS Business Office and as an MICDS coach. Her heart has always been in teaching, and she has taught early childhood as well as 1st through 3rd grade students. Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education. A fun fact about Kara is that she was able to meet two Olympians and see and hold an Olympic Gold Medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics! Welcome to Beasley, Kara!

Laura Pupillo – Lower School Science Teacher

Laura is joining us as the Lower School Science Teacher in Beasley. She taught most recently at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School where she worked as a 4th Grade Teacher and the STEAM Coordinator for the school for a number of years. She also has many years of experience in teaching 2nd through 5th graders at the Soulard School and worked in early childhood education before that. Laura has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and a Master of Science in Education in K-8 Math and Science Education. A fun fact about Laura is that she and her husband live on a farm where they grow food for their family and educate others on farming and agriculture. Laura looks forward to bringing her agricultural skills to our MICDS students as well. Welcome, Laura!

Miriam Rotskoff – First Grade Teaching Associate

Miriam will be joining the 1st grade team as a Teaching Associate this year. She has 10 years of teaching experience from her work in both early childhood and elementary classrooms, and she is joining us most recently from Washington University Nursery School. Miriam has taught 3rd grade in the School District of Clayton locally as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade in Denver, Colorado. Miriam attended the University of Colorado and has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, with an emphasis in literacy instruction. In addition to being a new faculty member at MICDS, Miriam will also be a new MICDS parent this year. She is thrilled to join the MICDS community. Welcome, Miriam!

Middle School

Nick Bideler – 7th & 8th Grade Vocal Co-Teacher and Accompanist

We are excited for Nick to expand his role at MICDS as a part-time accompanist and co-teacher for 7th and 8th grade vocal with the hopes of continuing to accompany performances across the divisions once they return to our programs. One fun and interesting fact is that aviation is his second dream. Nick is also a commercial-rated pilot and is starting the process of purchasing his own little twin-engine plane. Welcome, Nick!

Zac Bilyeu – Middle School PE Teacher & Athletic Administrator

Zac comes back to us after first coaching lacrosse for the Upper School in 2007 by way of Collinsville High School. He will be joining the PE faculty and athletic administrative team as well as coaching football and lacrosse. Zac started out in broadcasting communications. A fun fact about him is that he worked for Randy Karraker and Bernie Miklasz as a producer for their radio show in his first “professional” job. Welcome back, Zac!

Fred Bouchard – Middle School PE Teacher & Head Football Coach

We welcome Fred to our Middle School PE faculty and to the athletic department as our Head Football Coach. Fred is excited to return to the classroom after his years in administration, most recently in Decatur Public Schools as the Assistant Superintendent of Schools. A fun fact about Fred is that he is has 11 siblings (he’s the ninth of 12) who reside from Alaska to Maine. One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that he and all his siblings in April started the tradition of Zooming the first Sunday every month and they intend to keep it going well beyond the pandemic.

Michelle Bouchard – Middle School Science Teacher

Michelle is joining the 7th grade team and science department. She is excited to return to middle school science and has taught multiple levels and subjects in her 33 years in the classroom. Most recently, she taught home economics in Decatur, Illinois. Her fun fact is that she knew she wanted to teach as soon as she went to kindergarten. Welcome, Michelle!

Olivia Halverson – 7th Grade English Teacher

We welcome (back) Olivia Halverson as a 7th Grade English Teacher and team member. She spent the first half of last year with us as a student-teacher through Concordia University Chicago, and we are thrilled to have her on board full time. Olivia is excited to nurture students’ love for reading and writing and to empower students as critical thinkers in the classroom. When she’s not in the classroom, Olivia loves to watch Blues hockey; a highlight of her year last year was watching the Stanley Cup banner raised at the Enterprise Center. Welcome again, Olivia!

Steve Looten – Middle School Math Teacher

Steve joins the 7th grade team as a Math Teacher. He comes to MICDS from Minnesota where he started his career in the theater and then found his way to mathematics instruction. Steve worked in theater across the country where a stop included St. Louis with the Winter Opera. He is an avid board game and karaoke fan. Welcome, Steve!

Upper School & New Department Chair

Diane Broberg – JK-12 Math Department Chair

Diane, our new JK-12 Math Department Chair, has taught for math for over 30 years. She moved here from Rochester, New York, where she served as the Math Department Chair along with the Dean of Students. Diane has taught 5th grade math through college level calculus in addition to teaching math for elementary school teachers. She is a Regional Instructor for Texas Instruments where she writes curriculum and delivers professional development for math and science teachers across the US. She enjoys teaching teachers and challenging them to build their tool kit to more successfully engage their students.

Diane and her husband have two daughters who are her pride and joy. She likes to volunteer and introduce students to community service; giving back to others is a passion of hers. Diane is also an avid runner, having completed numerous half and full marathons. She qualified to run the Boston Marathon but has yet to do it. In her free time, she likes to walk, run, bike, cook/bake, knit, and crochet. Welcome, Diane!

Max Campbell – Upper School History Teacher

We are pleased to welcome Max to MICDS as an Upper School History Teacher. He most recently worked as an Educator and Museum Scholar at the Museum of the City of New York and is excited to be returning to his native St. Louis to join the MICDS community. Max holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Arts in American Studies from Columbia University. Outside of school, Max likes to spend time taking pictures and riding bikes. Welcome, Max!

Heidi Lim – Upper School English Teacher

Heidi is joining us as an Upper School English Teacher. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Yonsei University in South Korea. She also has a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis, where her dissertation was on masculinity and narrative in British fiction. Heidi most recently taught at Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. MICDS is a special place for Heidi’s family because her daughter’s single victory in her entire (short) tennis career was at MICDS. A fun fact about Heidi is that her favorite animal is the ocean sunfish because she admires its general approach to life and thinks they are hilarious and majestic creatures. Welcome, Heidi!

Kelly Weidenmiller – Upper School World Language Teacher – Spanish

We’re thrilled to welcome Kelly to MICDS as an Upper School World Language Teacher for Spanish. Kelly is 6’1” and loves basketball. She comes to us from New Buffalo, Michigan, where she taught at New Buffalo High School for 11 years. With experience teaching all levels of the language, from level 1 to AP, Kelly is excited to be a part of a diverse, talented World Languages Department and continue to grow as an educator who is passionate about inspiring the next generation of curious, critical-thinking learners who have deep intercultural understanding. Welcome, Kelly!

Staff

Kerry Bryan – Admission Database Associate

Kerry Bryan, our Admission Database Associate, started at MICDS at the end of January and what an incredible addition to our Admissions team she has been! Before joining our School, Kerry worked in the beer industry at New Belgium and has been a rowing coach for many years, coaching several MICDS student-athletes along the way! Her athletes have won multiple Midwest Championships, been recruited to D1 schools, and been selected to participate in Junior National Team camps. She is also a U-16 Olympic Development Program coach.

Kerry says the best part of working at MICDS so far are the people “because everyone is working their hardest for the community! They are friendly, helpful, kind, and talented; it’s fun to be around such a positive group of people.” In addition to coaching, Kerry loves running, biking, reading, and cooking with her husband. A fun fact about Kerry is that she has traveled to 30 countries and taught English in Vietnam. We are so grateful to have Kerry on our team!

Tori Menke – Administrative Assistant to the Head of School Office

Tori, our new Administrative Assistant to the Head of School Office, previously worked as a commercial real estate manager here in St. Louis. A fun fact about Tori is that she performs with local opera companies. Her main joy in life is the people around her, especially her husband Corey and her two-year-old son Walt. She loves movies and books, and she is a proud Hufflepuff as is her dog Luna. We’re thrilled to have you at MICDS, Tori!

Stephanie Presson – Lower/Middle School Nurse

Stephanie jumped right in this summer as we relied on our nurses’ expertise in our back to school health and safety plans. She has already proven herself to be a compassionate, steadfast, and calm voice of reason and has the best interests at heart for our students and community. She came to us from Carondolet Leadership Academy in the city where she served as their school nurse since 2018. Stephanie also brings a wealth of clinical and school nursing experience having previously worked at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the Affton Early Childhood Center, and St. Louis University Hospital. One fun fact about Stephanie is that during quarantine and over the summer, Stephanie and her two daughters loved to join birthday parades for kids in their community! Welcome, Stephanie!

Teron Sutherlin – Associate Director of Admission – Upper School

Teron, our new Upper School Associate Director of Admission, comes to MICDS from the Overlake School in Seattle where he served as Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Aid and had an enormous impact in the community during his tenure there. Teron is most proud of starting Overlake’s first minority scholarship and helping build a free summer academic program for underserved students in the Seattle area. Teron’s passions include football, basketball, soccer, and cooking. A fun fact about him is that he is a seasoned barber with over 15 years of experience. He and his wife welcomed their first child, a son, just this summer, and we are thrilled to welcome Teron and his family to the MICDS community.

Taquera Walker – Middle School Counselor

We are excited to welcome Taquera Walker, our new Middle School Counselor. Taquera brings experience having served as a school counselor in Webster Groves School District, providing direct student support at Whitfield, and through private practice. Her colleagues describe her as a skilled counselor with a calming presence. We are looking forward to her utilizing her creativity and passion while connecting with Middle School students in her reportedly remarkable ways! One fun fact that Taquera shared about herself is that she learned how to braid her own hair during quarantine! Welcome, Taquera!