Photographs in article submitted by staff.

McKenzie Mamayek

As the 2024-2025 school year begins, you might find some familiar faces around the Hamilton school district, along with quite a few new ones. There are a total of 12 new staff members around the entire district. These new staff have expressed just how excited they are to be a part of the Hamilton school district, and they are extremely impressed with our Charger pride! Each staff member was asked to answer a few questions about themselves and their prior experience in education (if any). Let’s help welcome Hamilton’s new staff members!

Ms. Jessica Tasev

Subject: Science

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I have a husband, a 1 year old daughter, and a dog named Gizmo. I like to be outside–hiking, camping, and going to the beach. I love to travel and have been to 14 countries so far.

How long have you been teaching?

This is my 11th year of teaching!

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

I was previously teaching at Whitnall High School.

What classes are you teaching this year?

I will be teaching AP Chemistry and Chemistry.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

There seems to be a lot of pride in the community about the growth the district has experienced over the years.

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

I graduated from Hamilton!

Ms. Bianca Santmaria

Subject: Spanish

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I am an outgoing individual who loves an adventure! You can find me traveling Latin America with my husband Rodrigo, reading at a local coffee shop, baking cookies, catching some sun on the beach, on a nice long run, or at the gym! I am the oldest of four and love being a big sister. My parents live down the road from me and I feel lucky to be able to see them often.

How long have you been teaching?

I will be entering my seventh year teaching and am extremely passionate about it. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was little, which helped me decide on attending UW-Eau Claire due to their recognized education program.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

Before Hamilton I taught at Cedarburg High School.

What classes are you teaching this year?

I am teaching Spanish 2 and 3.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

So far Hamilton seems like a welcoming environment where people are not afraid to get to know you. I'm really looking forward to becoming part of the staff community & connecting with students.

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

An interesting fact about me is that I met my husband waitressing at a Mexican restaurant, Tello’s, in Port Washington.

Ms. Abbie Hunt-Halfman

Subject: Speech and Language Pathologist

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I am originally from California, though this is now the 4th state that I've lived in! My husband and I have a black cat named Viv. In my free time I enjoy reading, gardening, dancing (I've danced my whole life in a variety of capacities from dance studios, to dance teams, to dance companies!), and exploring Milwaukee.

How long have you been teaching?

I have been a speech-language pathologist for 4 years–this will be my 5th!

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

This summer I moved to Wisconsin from Chicago, IL where I worked in the Naperville 203 school district for the last 4 years. Prior to that, I completed my Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO. There I had multiple clinical, school, and hospital sites that I worked in.

Can you describe a bit about what your job entails and what you do for students?

As a speech-language pathologist, I help students in a variety of areas related to communication. My goal is for every student to communicate their wants, needs, thoughts, and ideas in a way that is authentic to who they are.

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

I have a twin sister! We're fraternal, so not identical, and look like sisters but people get confused when they try to figure out who is older. It's my sister by 1 minute!

Mr. John Ziemer

Subject: AET

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

My amazing wife Rachel and I have been married for 12 years and we have two awesome kiddos, Mason (10) at SSI and Finley (6) at Woodside. I have way too many hobbies, but the big two are making and golfing. I leave it at making because this encompasses many things; woodworking, metalworking, building, creating, designing, photographing, and tinkering. Golfing for anyone that knows me, is also a very big part of who I am. I am a very competitive person and this allows for me to always challenge my competitive drive by making myself a better golfer. I compete in the state and have qualified for the State Amatuer the last two years.

How long have you been teaching?

This is my second year teaching. I used to work in packaging as a designer and manager of a packaging team for Kohl's.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

My previous year of teaching was at Pewaukee Middle and High School.

What classes are you teaching this year?

I am teaching in the AET program; Woods 1, 2 and 3.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

Hamilton is a great place, so many nice people wanting to help out and make me feel welcomed. I am really excited to be here!

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

I sang in the Appleton Boys Choir and had many solos, two of which I sang in a tour around Mexico and for a director’s conference in Minneapolis.

Ms. Sheila Frafjord

Subject: Business Education

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I attended UW-Whitewater for my undergraduate (Business Administration) and master’s degree (Business & Information Technology and Vocational Education). I have always enjoyed learning and teaching about business and business concepts. I am married to my husband (Brent). We have twin boys (Phillip and Erik), who just graduated from Ripon College last year, and our daughter (Anna), a junior at Lewis University. We have been lucky to watch all the kids play baseball and softball in college. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, sporting events, hiking, and reading.

How long have you been teaching?

I am entering my 15th year teaching.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

Before coming to Hamilton, I taught in the Menomonee Falls and West Bend School Districts and in Hartland. Before teaching, I held various roles in the corporate world, including an Inside Sales Engineer, Talent Performance Associate, and other roles. I enjoy bringing these real-life experiences into the classroom.

What classes are you teaching this year?

I am teaching at Templeton and Hamilton. At Templeton, I teach Introduction to Business and Marketing. At Hamilton, I am teaching Personal Finance and Work Experience classes. I also teach a Business Management class at Carroll University.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton High School?

My first impressions of Hamilton High School have been overwhelmingly positive. The students here are also remarkable. They exhibit enthusiasm and curiosity, which makes for a great school atmosphere. It’s clear that there is a strong sense of community, and I am excited to be part of it.

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

Our kids all graduated from Hamilton!

Ms. Brooke Gronitz

Subject: Exceptional Education

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I am married to my husband, Dan, and we have 2 kids. Allison is 14 and Ryan is 9. We have two cats, Nyla and Basket. We like to play board games, go to museums, and do anything with puzzles.

How long have you been teaching?

I have been teaching for 22 years.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

I taught in Elmbrook for 15 years, Whitnall for 2 years, then Germantown for 5 years.

What classes are you teaching or co-teaching this year?

I am the Beyond 18 teacher and you may not see me very much as we are out in the community for a majority of the day.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

I am very excited to be back at Hamilton, this time as a teacher. I went to school at Templeton and Hamilton (quite some time ago)!. I have enjoyed getting to know new people and everyone has been very welcoming!

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

Something unique about me?? When I was in middle school, I won a raffle contest. I got a limo ride, a year's supply of cookies and a $500 shopping spree at a toy store! I was on the radio and on the news!

Ms. Theresa Mueller

Subject: Science

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I recently moved back to the Milwaukee area after being in Madison for 10 years. I love to read, bake, go to concerts, and spend time with family & friends.

How long have you been teaching?

This will be my 11th year of teaching.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

Prior to Hamilton, I taught at McFarland High School for 10 years (McFarland is just outside of Madison). There, I taught a variety of science classes including AP Biology, Biology, Physical Science, Space Science, and Earth's Climate.

What classes are you teaching this year?

This year I am excited to be teaching Biology and Anatomy & Physiology.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

My first impression of Hamilton is that the staff is so welcoming and clearly dedicated to students and their learning. I am excited for the school year!

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

My fiance and I are getting married next summer!

Mr. Rhys Gibbs

Subject: Physical Education

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I am an only child and graduated from Arrowhead High School. I also recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where I was a collegiate swimmer and helped the men's swim team win their 23rd consecutive WIAC Championship. I enjoy going to the gym and watching soccer (my favorite team is Liverpool FC). I’ve also gotten into fishing over the summer.

How long have you been teaching?

This is my first year teaching as I only graduated in May of 2024.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

I student taught at Wisconsin Rapids - Lincoln High School and at Bannach Elementary in Stevens Point.

What classes are you teaching this year?

I am teaching Fitness at Templeton Middle School and Personal Fitness 9 at Hamilton High School.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

I am really pleased to be teaching here. It was larger than I first thought, but the fitness facilities are awesome! The staff are also phenomenal.

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

My entire family is from England - I was born in England and lived there for 7 years. I then moved to Dubai and lived there for 3-4 years. After, I moved to Wisconsin in 6th grade and have lived in Wisconsin ever since - I became a United States citizen May of 2023.

Ms. Allison Hertel

Subject: French

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself (hobbies, family, etc.)?

I have a son who is a freshman at another school. I love to be active. We live by the Hank Aaron State Trail - where I enjoy bike riding (sometimes to the Domes and back), appreciate long walks with family, friends, or by myself. I belong to a gym and often participate in some group classes. One of my recent favorite classes at the gym is Ringside (kind of like boxing/kick boxing). I take Zumba too. One of my favorite things to do is to dance. I love pictures! Overall in life, I prefer to participate than to spectate when it comes to sports or hobbies, etc. I see life as an adventure and connect with people everywhere I go. I enjoy traveling and prefer to live with locals if at all possible when traveling abroad.

How long have you been teaching?

I began teaching in 2000, but took 1 year off.

Have you taught in other places? If so, where?

Yes, I have taught at Heritage Christian, Brookfield Academy, and St. Thomas More High School. I have taught all ages 4k-12th and then adults also with other programs years ago with Berlitz Language Schools and L'Alliance Française de Milwaukee.

What classes are you teaching this year?

I will be teaching French 1 and French 2, but you may see me in any other class subbing when I am not teaching my classes.

What are your first impressions of Hamilton?

It seems like everyone is here for the same mission. I like the community feel and the support amongst the faculty, staff, and administration. Overall it is a positive community.

What is something unique about you (something weird, surprising, or random)?

There is actually a town in Wisconsin with my last name, though I think it is fairly small - never visited it yet. (My last name is French from the Alsace-Lorraine region in France along the Rhine River on the border of France and Germany).