Meet the Faculty
Michelle Blythe
Special Education
mblythe@kwoods.org
Traci Brown
Teacher Consultant
Student Council
Class of 2016 Advisor
tbrown@kwoods.org
MA in Special Education/Learning Disabilities, University of Detroit Mercy
BA in Psychology, Oakland University
Traci is very excited to join KWHS. Her teaching career was launched when her two sons helped her realize that students learn differently. She enjoys helping unique learners navigate their own pathway through learning. Traci does not believe in the word “disability” but rather believes that we all have strengths that help us shine and differences that we need to find a way around.
She enjoys walking in the woods, doing field assessments for the Huron River Watershed Council and kayaking. She previously lived in Singapore with her family and has made more than 300 skydives.
Ken Ferguson
English
Games Club
Classes of 2017 & 2018 Advisor
kferguson@kwoods.org
Course Website: ferguson.kwoods.org
MAT in Teaching, Marygrove College
BA in English, University of Michigan
Ken Ferguson returned to Kensington Woods in 2009. He was a teacher from 2002 to 2004 and then left to do missions work in Tanzania, East Africa from 2004 to 2009. Over the last decade Ken has had experience working a very wide range of settings. He taught at a International Missions school called Haven of Peace Academy in Tanzania. Before that, he worked at various schools in Livingston County including Charyl Stockwell Academy, Renaissance Alternative School and KWHS. For the last two years, Ken has been teaching English in a small Swahili fishing village on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
Ken is very excited about being back and sharing his experiences in his life and his education with the students at KWHS. He loves the friendly atmosphere that KWHS fosters and truly enjoys working every day with the professional, intelligent and motivated staff.
Kim Garber
Math, Science
FIRST Robotics
Class of 2014 Advisor
kgarber@kwoods.org
Course Website: garber.kwoods.org
MA in Secondary Education, University of Michigan
MS in Mechanical Engineering, Oakland University
BS in Mechanical Engineering, Michigan Technological University
Before becoming a teacher, Kim Garber worked at Ford Motor Company for 23 years in engineering. She led a variety of programs, including incorporating sustainable technologies used on hybrid vehicles. She enjoys sharing her engineering experience and passion for solving real world problems using math and science. As a parent of two high school and one middle school students, she understands the necessity of teaching in a relevant and inspirational manner. Her goal is to ensure students leave with a desire and passion to continue exploring mathematics and science.
Bob Gluth
Social Studies
Student Council
Class of 2015 Advisor
rgluth@kwoods.org
Currently working towards MA in Social Science, University of Michigan, Flint
BA in History and Social Studies, minor in Political Science, Eastern Michigan University
Before becoming a teacher, Bob Gluth worked in the Credit Union Industry as a Branch Manager and at World Computer Corporation, as a Systems Manager and Software Trainer. What Bob loves most about his job is watching students mature and grow as individuals. He hopes he plays a positive part in that growth. Bob's favorite quote is attributed to Bobby Kennedy by his brother, Ted, at Bobby’s funeral. “Some people see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I see things as they could be and say, 'Why not!'"
Pam Linn
Main Office
plinn@kwoods.org
Katie Lozar
Health, Physical Education
klozar@kwoods.org
BS Physical Education, Health, and Adapted Physical Education, Eastern Michigan University
Katie joined the Kensington Woods faculty in 2012 school year after completing her BS in Physical Education, Health, and Adapted Physical Education. She also coaches soccer for the Michigan Alliance Football Club and is an Alumni of the Eastern Michigan Women’s Soccer team. Her experiences with the benefits gained through living a healthy and physically active life make her an advocate for the importance of physical education and health in schools. She is excited to share her love of physical activity and health to help students build self-esteem and confidence to face and deal with the issues common to high school students and beyond.
Liz McGuffin
English, Social Studies
emcguffin@kwoods.org
Liz McGuffin joined KWHS after graduating from Eastern Michigan University in 2008 with a teaching degree in English Language Arts and Political Science. She has been teaching Freshmen Seminar - a 9th grade class combining English and Social Studies - since its inception. The class promotes active citizenship and compassion through a study of contemporary social and political issues. This theme of real-world relevance is woven throughout all of Liz's classes, each unit being focused around an important facet of the human condition. Liz's teaching philosophy centers on high engagement, project-based learning, and building student confidence and competence. She has found a wonderful sense of community at KWHS and loves helping students prepare for the responsibilities and opportunities of college life and beyond.
Mara Magyarosi
Art
Art Honors Society
Class of 2017 & 2018 Advisor
mmagyarosi@kwoods.org
BFA in Photography and Art Education, College for Creative Studies
AAS in Photographic Technology, Oakland Community College
Mara Magyarosi joined KWHS after graduating from College for Creative Studies with a dual BFA in Photography and Art Education. She is primarily a photographer, but also has background in painting, ceramics, mixed media, and book arts. As a teacher, Mara’s goal is to have her students think independently and create in their own voice. Her students know that the classroom is for an open discussion of knowledge and it is her responsibility to facilitate the learning, not dictate it. To be able to find that connection with the students and make them feel comfortable enough to create real, emotional work is the key. Her favorite saying is, “In the end, you’ll remember that pressure made diamonds from coal.” When she is not teaching, Mara is organizing gallery shows and is the Michigan State Coordinator for the One Million Bones project, a national art activism project helping with genocide prevention efforts in Africa.
Theresa Marcum
Counselor
Director of Student Services
NHS/Leadership
tmarcum@kwoods.org
MA in Professional Counseling, Central Michigan University
BS, Central Michigan University
Theresa Marcum has held a Professional Counseling license since 1993 and received her Guidance Counseling license in 2003. She has spent her counseling career providing counseling sessions for children, adolescents and families. She has worked in Detroit Foster Care for five years and has since facilitated substance abuse recovery groups for adolescents and adults for the past nine years. Theresa has also facilitated counseling groups regarding anger management, self esteem, sexual abuse and family transition issues.
Shannon Morton
English, Social Studies
Class of 2015 Advisor
smorton@kwoods.org
MA in Educational Studies, University of Michigan
JD, University of Nevada
BA in English, University of Texas
Shannon Morton joined the staff at Kensington Woods in 2012 after receiving her Master of Arts in Education. Before pursuing a career in education, Shannon practiced law in southeastern Michigan, during which time she developed teaching skills as a tutor and mentor for Washtenaw Literacy. She enjoys incorporating real world scenarios, such as legal dilemmas, into the classroom to help her students develop and practice language and critical thinking skills.
Author Alice Munro said that “The complexity of things - the things within things - just seems to be endless...nothing is simple'' Like Munro, Shannon believes that learning opportunities are infinite in scope and depth, and she will work to provide her students the chance to embrace this philosophy as they develop the habits to sustain lifelong learning.
Markus Muennix
Foreign Language
Director of Administrative Services
School Store
Class of 2016 Advisor
mmuennix@kwoods.org
MA, Eastern Michigan University
BA, University of Michigan
Markus Muennix has worked at Kensington Woods since 2005. Markus believes that everybody can learn, that learning is for everybody and that everybody owes it to themselves to learn. "It is my role to help each student to capitalize on their ability and willingness to learn to their highest potential." Markus' favorite quote is by Epictetus from Discourses, “Only the educated are free.”
Jim Perry
Principal
jperry@kwoods.org
MA in Education, University of Michigan
BA in Psychology, University of Michigan
Jim Perry has been working in the field of education since 1992, with particular interest in incorporating experiential education into the small high school model. He has been a member of the Kensington Woods High School faculty since the first year in 1995/96. The most motivating part of his job is seeing students discovering and experiencing new dimensions of their intellect. Jim's favorite saying is, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
Shawn Pollman
Math
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
College Counselor
Class of 2013 Advisor
spollman@kwoods.org
MAT in Teaching, Marygrove College
Certification in Mathematics and Social Sciences, University of Michigan
BA in Economics, University of Michigan
Shawn Pollman has been teaching since 1993, joining Kensington Woods in 2003. Shawn has experience in a variety of educational settings, teaching court placed juveniles, middle school, high school and night school
students. What Shawn loves most about teaching is having the opportunity to build positive relationships with students that often carry on from one school year to the next. "I am always looking for new ways to engage my students and their understanding of mathematics. This position allows me to be creative and to try new strategies in the classroom. I love that I am always learning new things, right along with my students. Our math classrooms are equipped with the latest technology, which allows students to tackle problems which are more challenging and relevant to the real world. It is an exciting time to be teaching mathematics!"
Jessie MacGonigal Pratt
Art
Director of Educational Programming
Athletic Director, Cross Country, Running Club, NHS/Leadership
Class of 2013 Advisor
Course website: pratt.kwoods.org
jpratt@kwoods.org
MA in Art Education, New York University
BFA in Ceramics, Photography and Graphic Design, University of Michigan
Before joining Kensington Woods in 2007, Jessie Pratt taught art at a middle school in the Bronx, NY. What Jessie loves most about her job is seeing her students grow, learn and link what they learn in the classroom to the world outside of school. "I love to challenge them to ask the question “why” and create personal definitions about what art is and can be. Students should feel empowered to create work that makes themselves and others think."
Ian Zang
Science
Class of 2014 Advisor
Course website: zang.kwoods.org
izang@kwoods.org
Working towards a MA in Teaching and Curriculum, Michigan State University
BS in Human Biology, with a specialization in Bioethics Humanities and Society, Michigan State University
Ian joined the KWoods staff in 2012. His teaching philosophy is based around student engagement. He encourages students to take the material they are learning and apply it to their own lives. In his free time, Ian enjoys water sports and fishing and is an avid gamer. He has also been known to dabble in film. His favorite quote is from J.R.R. Tolkein, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."