Go Blue!
I've been a Michigan fan since I was a student in Ann Arbor in the late 60s. I graduated from the School of Education in August of 1970.  I taught first and fifth grade for a short time in the Archdiocese of Detroit before beginning my career in the Troy School District. My experience here has been in kindergarten, junior primary, second grade and fourth grade. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been working in a district with strong administrative and parental support, high expectations, and forward thinking for the past 28 years. I believe this environment is the reason why I still look forward to greeting my students every day!

My education continued through those years with classes from Oakland University, Michigan State University, The Center for Innovation in Education, and countless in-services. It wasn't until 1995 that I embarked on a program culminating in a Master's Degree in Teaching through Marygrove College's Distance Learning Project. I prized the learning I did in these courses as every class related to my own life's work! This realization drives my intent to make learning real in my student's lives as well.

Hamilton Elementary is a wonderful place for our 460 students to learn!  Our teachers are mature and experienced.  Over 82% have served the district for over ten years.  We regularly share our professional development experiences with each other. Our district has received an A+ rating from the State of Michigan.  All of our MEAP and IOWA scores are well above the state or national averages. We have made an effort to include all grade level teachers in workshops that explain the rigors of testing from MLPP to MEAP.  We are an educational "team" in the real sense of working together and camaraderie.  Office, maintenance, and transportation staffs have been in-serviced and are involved in our Bully-Proofing program. Our students have learned conflict resolution strategies and are involved in one of the states first Peer Mediation programs at the elementary level. 

Our parents are supportive and involved -- in PTA, as room parent helpers, and as members of NCA committees. Over 98% of families attend fall conferences.

My personal mission is to help children reach their potential as active participants in the learning process.  I organize my energies toward creating a safe, productive learning environment in which every child feels comfortable setting goals for him/herself, and every child believes that they are capable of reaching those goals.  Every child deserves the opportunity to grow, academically and socially, in an involved, active way every day and I am willing to share my time and effort to help them reach success..