Manistee Area Public Schools Faculty & Staff

On the Leading EDGE

Our educators empower and inspire our students to recognize their potential, dream big, and make a difference in the world around them.

With a strong desire to rise to the needs of each and every student, the MAPS Administrative Team ensures the campus and faculty offer a diverse and expansive learning environment incorporating innovation in all facilities and programming with strong fiscal management.

Chips Lead!

Central Office & Administration


Location: 525 12th St, Manistee, MI 49660 | Map
Telephone: (231) 723-3521
Fax: (231) 723-1507
Central Office Hours: M-F: 8:30am – 4:30pm


Superintendent: Ronald Stoneman
Board of Education President: Theresa Anderson

Central Office Staff

Ronald Stoneman
Superintendent - rstoneman@manistee.org

Howard Vaas
Business Manager - hvaas@manistee.org

Amber Kowatch
Curriculum Director - akowatch@manistee.org

Sue Gustad
Assistant Business Manager - sgustad@manistee.org

Sara Schubert
Payroll/Human Resources/Insurance/Lunch - sschubert@manistee.org

Nancy Day
Administrative Assistant - nday@manistee.org

 

E – Enrichment– Driving all students toward their full potential

D – Diversity– Providing opportunities to meet the goals of every student

G – Goal-centered– Focusing on individualized ambitions and achievement

E – Endurance– Equipping all learners with physical, emotional and academic skills for success

Our Staff

View MMHS Staff
MMHS Staff  
 
 Name Title / Grade / Content Area Email
 Administrative Staff 
 Andy Huber HS/MS Principal ahuber@manistee.org
 Morgan Nowicki Assistant Principal mnowicki@manistee.org
 Bridget WarnkeDean of Students bwarnke@manistee.org
 Karen BeldoAdministrative Assistant kbeldo@manistee.org
 Kasandra JohnsonAdministrative Assistant kkjohnson@manistee.org
 Guidance 
 Paul Howes Guidance Counselor phowes@manistee.org
 Tara Lange Guidance Administrative Assistant / Registrar tlange@manistee.org
   
   
 Activities 
Kenn KottAthletic Directorkkott@manistee.org
 Beth ForbesActivities Secretary/Assistant Athletic Directorbforbes@manistee.org
 Kendra MikolajczakActivities Secretary/Assistant Athletic Directorkmikolajczak@manistee.org
  District Technology 
 Kenneth Blakey-Shell District Technology Director kblakeyshell@manistee.org
 Gabe Delgado Elementary Device Supportgdelgado@manistee.org
Matt Froncek Apple Certified Technician mfroncek@manistee.org
David Gagstetter Data & Device Systemsdgagstetter@manistee.org
   
   
  MMHS School Instructional Staff 
 Stacey Andrews-RamseySpanishsandrews@manistee.org
 Gregg BennettSocial Sciencegbennett@manistee.org
 Chelsea BurnsPE/Health cburns@manistee.org
 Dan Burns Language Arts dburns@manistee.org
 Troy Bytwork Social Science tbytwork@manistee.org
 Amanda Clemons English aclemons@manistee.org
 Jane Deising Special Education jdeising@manistee.org
 Rachel Edmondson Language Artsreedmondson@manistee.org
 Cindy Erdman Special Education cerdman@manistee.org
 Amanda Feyen Choir afeyen@manistee.org
 Joe Hendges Social Science jhendges@manistee.org
 Marcy Huber Math mhuber@manistee.org
 Kristen Johnson Special Education kjohnson@manistee.org
 Sam Joseph Language Arts sjoseph@manistee.org
 Brooke Koller Special Education bkoller@manistee.org
 Michelle LaPrad Science mlaprad@manistee.org
 Andrea Mack Instrumental Music amack@manistee.org
 Cassie Miller PE/Health cmmiller@manistee.org
 Troy Nezki Math tnezki@manistee.org
 Cheryl O'Connor Social Studies coconnor@manistee.org
 Ryan O'Donnell Science rodonnell@manistee.org
 Mary Olson Science molson@manistee.org
 Amber Poortvliet Science apoortvliet@manistee.org
 Kevin Postma Science kpostma@manistee.org
 Amber Puchtel Art apuchtel@manistee.org
 Tobia Purple Special Education tpurple@manistee.org
 Dan Saylor Social Sciencedsaylor@manistee.org
 Polly Schlaff Language Arts pschlaff@manistee.org
 Devin Schweigert Sciencedschweigert@manistee.org
Whitney Simic-Finch Math wsimicfinch@manistee.org
 Joel Smith Social Studies smithj@manistee.org
 Kathy Smith Math ksmith@manistee.org
 Hannah Starmann Language Arts hstarmann@manistee.org
 Eric Thuemmel Math ethuemmel@manistee.org
 Michael Tilmann II PE/Health mtilmann@manistee.org
 Bridget Warnke Science bdontz@manistee.org
 Amy Watkins Math awatkins@manistee.org
   
   
   
Paraprofessionals
Ingrid BondBand Paraprofessionalibond@manistee.org
Carrie CameronGeneral Supervisionccameron@manistee.org
Courtney ColeGeneral Supervisionccole@manistee.org
Alyssa DewittGeneral Supervisionadewitt@manistee.org
Todd GarberGeneral Supervisiontgarber@manistee.org
Erryn MooreGeneral Supervisionemoore@manistee.org
Kristen MezeskeSensory / General Supervisionkmezeske@manistee.org
Chad RivetteGeneral Supervisionnschroeder@manistee.org
Nichole SchroederOne to One Paraprofessionalnschroeder@manistee.org
Cindy SheathelmParaprofessionalcsheathelm@manistee.org
 Robert Von HerbruckBuilding Substitute rvonherbruck@manistee.org
 Jennifer WilliamsMS Activities Director / Sensory / Library jwilliams@manistee.org
   
 MMHS School Custodial
   
James Kropacek Custodian jkropacek@manistee.org
Dan Lloyd Custodian dlloyd@manistee.org
Steve Sciba Custodian ssciba@manistee.org
   
Nutrition Service
 Keri CarlsonNutrition Service Director kcarlson@manistee.org
Stacy ApplegarthNutrition Servicebapplegarth@manistee.org
Jessica BrownNutrition Service 
 Richard KoonNutrition Service (Driver) rkoon@manistee.org
Bonnie KruseNutrition Servicebkruse@manistee.org
 Terri MorskiNutrition Service (Meals on Wheels) tmorski@manistee.org
 Jennifer RogersNutrition Service (Senior Meals Program) jrogers@manistee.org
 Linda WandrychNutrition Service lwandrych@manistee.org
 Facilities 
Don Olk dolk@manistee.org
Jeff Bowerman jbowerman@manistee.org
Douglas MonteyConsultantdmontey@manistee.org
 Paine Aquatic Center 
Eric Thuemmel ethuemmel@manistee.org
Corey VanFleet cvanfleet@manistee.org
   

 

View Kennedy Staff
Administrative Team

Principal: Joanie Wiersma | jwiersma@manistee.org

Administrative Assistant: Carly Cheever | ccheever@manistee.org


Instructional Staff

Jennifer Abel
5th Grade Teacher  jabel@manistee.org

Wendy Adamski 
Specials - PE/Health wadamski@manistee.org 

Leah Antal 
3rd Grade Teacher lantal@manistee.org 

Krista Bennett
Math Coach kbennett@manistee.org

William Edmondson
5th Grade Teacher  wedmondson@manistee.org

Amanda Feyen
Elementary Music  afeyen@manistee.org

Chasity Gouker
Title I Reading/Literacy Coach  cgouker@manistee.org

Tanya Hunter
5th Grade Teacher thunter@manistee.org

Jaclyn Kaminski
5th Grade Teacher jkaminski@manistee.org

Andrea Mack 
Specials - Instrumental Music amack@manistee.org 

Tina Mannon 
4th Grade tmannon@manistee.org 

Taylor Mellon 
5th Grade Teacher tmellon@manistee.org 

Alayna Neilly
3rd Grade Teacher aneilly@manistee.org

Emily Noteware 
Resource Room enoteware@manistee.org  

Sarah Padgett
4th Grade Teacher spadgett@manistee.org

Michael Rosteck
Specials - Elementary Art mrosteck@manistee.org

Linda Slotegraaf
Elementary Art lslotegraaf@manistee.org

Josh Smith 
3rd Grade Teacher jsmith@manistee.org 

Kayla Szokola 
3rd Grade Teacher kszokola@manistee.org

Sam Zeller
Elementary Coding szeller@manistee.org

Kelly Zimmerman  
4th Grade Teacher kzimmerman@manistee.org

Para-Professionals

Jackleen Bartell  jbartell@manistee.org

Ingrid Bond  ibond@manistee.org

Logan Bond lbond@manistee.org

Melissa Drake mdrake@manistee.org

Jill Johnson jjohnson@manistee.org

Natalie Knickerbocker nknickerbocker@manistee.org

Maggie Madsen mmadsen@manistee.org

Nutrition Services

Carol Hansen  chansen@manistee.org

Laura Olk  lolk@manistee.org

Custodial Staff

Don Froncek dfroncek@manistee.org

Johnny Skocelas jskocelas@manistee.org

 

 

View Jefferson Staff
Administrative Staff

Julia Raddatz, Principal   raddatzj@manistee.org

Kasandra Johnson, Administrative Assistant   kkjohnson@manistee.org

Instructional Staff

 

Elizabeth Adams, Kindergarten    eadams@manistee.org

Wendy Adamski, Elementary PE/Health    wadamski@manistee.org

Krista Bennett, Math Coach   kbennett@manistee.org

McAnn Bradford, Second Grade  mbradford@manistee.org

Linda Coyle, Special Education  lcoyle@manistee.org

Isabella Doolittle, Second Grade   idoolittle@manistee.org

Amanda Feyen, Elementary Music afeyen@manistee.org

Debbie Forward, First Grade dforward@manistee.org 

Chasity Gouker, Title I Reading/Literacy Coach cgouker@manistee.org

Staci Johnson, First Grade sjohnson@manistee.org

Cindy Lundberg, Kindergarten  clundberg@manistee.org

Michael Rosteck, Elementary Art mrosteck@manistee.org

Tracy Shimel, SafeNet  tshimel@manistee.org

Christine Slawinski, Kindergarten cslawinski@manistee.org

Bryan Tomaszewski, Second Grade  btomaszewski@manistee.org

Emily Tomaszewski, First Grade  etomaszewski@manistee.org

Allison Veine, Kindergarten aveine@manistee.org

Michelle Wilson, First Grade mwilson@manistee.org

Sam Zeller, Elementary Coding szeller@manistee.org

Para-Professionals

Bay Anderson  banderson@manistee.org

Shawna Burns  sburns@manistee.org

Hilary Edwards  hedwards@manistee.org

Macie Goodspeed  mgoodspeed@manistee.org

Michelle Johnson  michellejohnson@manistee.org

Katy Lacki  klacki@manistee.org

Amy Miller amiller@manistee.org

Joanie Pointer jpointer@manistee.org

Kristie Schlafley  kschlafley@manistee.org

Misty Weber  mweber@manistee.org

Custodial Staff

Bill Cole  wcole@manistee.org

Susan Steinberg  ssteinberg@manistee.org

Nutrition Services

Melissa Gutowski  mgutowski@manistee.org

 

View Childcare, Preschool & GSRP Staff
Childcare, Preschool & GSRP Staff - 231-398-3758

Sandy Ludwig - Pre-School Teacher & After School Program - sludwig@manistee.org

Amber Hiipakka - Pre-School Teacher Assistant  ahiipakka@manistee.org

Julie Zajac - Daycare Lead jzajac@manistee.org

Brittan Manke - Daycare bmanke@manistee.org

MAPS Great Start Readiness Program Staff - 231-398-3757

Amy Brown, Lead Teacher  abrown@manistee.org

Renee Turmel, Lead Teacher  abrown@manistee.org

Ashley Johnson Classroom Helper akjohnson@manistee.org

Brenda Struble, GSRP Teacher Assistant bstruble@manistee.org

Nancy Zatarga, GSRP nzatarga@manistee.org

View Transportation Staff
Transportation Department (Bus Garage:  231.732.4821)
 
Kenn Kott, Director of Transportation, kkott@manistee.org
 
 
Drivers
Heidi Bradford, hbradford@manistee.org
Bonnie Dutkavich, bdutkavich@manistee.org
Mark Feliczak, mfeliczak@manistee.org
Holly Fortier, hfortier@manistee.org
Marty Johnson, mjohnson@manistee.org
Lori Miller, lmiller@manistee.org
Kendra Mikolajczak, kmikolajczak@manistee.org
Linda Robbins, lrobbins@manistee.org
 
View MAPS Child & Adolescent Health Center Staff

Lori Hopkins, PA-C, Medical Provider, Northwest Michigan Health Services, lhopkins@nmhsi.org

Christine Olen, Clinical Services Manager, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc, colen@nmhsi.org

Cheryl Wolfram, Community Health Worker, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc, cwolfram@nmhsi.org

Derrick Martinez, LLMSW, Behavioral Health Specialist, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc, dmartinez@nmhsi.org

Alicia Harmon, Enabling Services Coordinator/Marketing, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc,  aharmon@nmhsi.org

Mikayla Bajtka, Patient Registration Specialist/Medical Assistant, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc,mbajtka@nmhsi.org

 

Guiding Our Philosophy

Mission

“Chips lead by providing an inclusive, high-quality, diverse educational environment that inspires and fulfills the goals of all learners at every stage of their journey.”

Vision

“Leading a connected Manistee learning community, which supports the educational journey of each individual student, delivering The Chippewa Edge.”

MAPS Leading-Edge Promise

We provide every student with the knowledge and values necessary to become productive and successful citizens of our world. With innovation, dedication, and integrity, we create a learning environment that inspires every student and educator to reach their highest potential.

Goals

– Deliver on our promise to help every student learn
– Support a collaborative learning and working environment
– Bring focused and positive energy to everything we do
– Minimize behaviors/actions/decisions that drain our resources

Guiding Principle: We believe all students can learn.

Non-Negotiable: Achievement – We will find the potential in each student and create an environment that supports their learning.

Definition
  • Every child that enters our school district will receive our attention and dedication to finding the keys to their personal success.
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Guiding Principle: All decisions we make are based upon impact to effect learning.

Non-NegotiableImpact– We will focus all efforts on seeking ways to support and extend learning.

Definition
  • Our focus is always on student learning.
  • We are open-minded, lifelong learners who stay in touch with, share, and use research-based practices.
  • We identify and revise practices that do not help students learn.

Guiding Principle: We focus on goals that drive achievement.

Non-Negotiable: ResultsWe will set measurable goals, identify improvement strategies, and skillfully adapt instruction to meet student needs.

Definition
  • Assessment results are used to inform us about the effectiveness of curricular and instructional decisions.
  • We analyze assessment results hold data-driven discussions and make impactful decisions for improved student achievement.
  • We establish attainable goals for specific measurables, in both instructional efforts and individual student progress.
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Guiding Principle: We are committed to an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

Non-Negotiable: Accountability– We will lead by example and take responsibility for the energy we bring to all that we do.

Definition
  • We reflect the values of our Mission & Vision in our daily practice. When our actions match our words, we build trust and respect with each other, our students, and our support community.
  • We work together to establish an atmosphere of trust and respect, in which we can all feel safe to communicate.
  • Our interactions with students and each other are characterized by the tenets of TRACK.
  • We allow individuals to feel comfortable discussing their observations or concerns with one another because they know they will not be judged or punished.
  • Disagreements are treated with respect and acknowledged as an opportunity to learn and grow.
  • Each individual is given equal time to express an opinion or share an idea.

Guiding Principle: We believe that all students belong to all of us.

Non-Negotiable: GuidanceWe will hold ourselves responsible for supporting the educational experience of all MAPS students throughout our district.

Definition
  • We accept and act on the belief that all students belong to all adults.
  • We are committed to working beyond the boundaries of our classrooms and buildings to serve the needs of every student.
  • We work together for the success of all students, there is no blame when things do not go well, but instead we are committed to seeking solutions to problems or setbacks in the interest of each and every student’s achievement.
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Guiding Principle: Working together enables us to attain our desired outcomes.

Non-Negotiable: Collaboration-We will reach beyond our classrooms and work with each other to identify and support the strengths of every student.

Definition
  • We work together to positively impact student achievement and deliver the Leading-Edge Promise.
  • We focus on and speak only in solutions.
  • Participation in culture building is both a right and a responsibility.
  • TRACK guides the development of character and a positive school environment and is primary to our success as individuals and our ability to instill these values in our students and each other.
  • Our commitment to communication allows for a productive work environment and therefore student success.
  • We put education first, and we know we can deliver on this when we encourage each other to share our best ideas and work collaboratively.
  • Ideas which lead to increased student learning are recognized and praised by peers.

Staff Resources

Students hands reaching together

MAPS Behavioral Health Services

In 2019, the MAPS Behavioral Health Services program was developed through grant funding and in partnership with the Manistee Intermediate School District, CentraWellness, and Northwest Michigan Health Services to address the behavioral health needs of our MAPS students.  The early successes of this program led to consideration of expanding upon the health services provided to our students. 

In 2021, the MAPS Child & Adolescent Health Center opened onsite at MMHS to offer comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services for MAPS students ages 5 to 21 years.  It is open year-round and is comprised of an integrated team of practitioners to address medical and mental health needs.

When the basic health care needs of our students are met, they are better able to perform in school.  Offering accessible care for both preventative and acute care within our district, we intend to provide our students with a holistic approach for overall wellbeing.

Strategic Plan

Letter from Board President and Superintendent

Manistee Area Public Schools 2012-2017 Strategic Plan: Participants Help Shape Vision and Goals for Future of MAPS

The documents below contain the 2012-17 MAPS Strategic Plan. We’re excited about this plan and the possibilities it provides for our students, parents and community to improve education at MAPS.
This plan is the culmination of three community forums, four staff forums, one student forum, one Strategic Planning Team retreat and an electronic survey of more than 109 students, parents, staff and community members.
Throughout the planning process the community expressed high expectations of MAPS becoming a world class school district and having all students graduate from high school. Even though some of the goals are extremely high, they reflect the strong desire that has been expressed to embrace significant change and dramatically improve the school system.
There were several clear and consistent themes that emerged from this process.
  1. While much more work needs to be done, MAPS is headed in the right direction with positive momentum behind the academic growth, instruction reforms and innovative new school choices.
  2. The future of growth and success of MAPS must be a top community priority that requires support from all stakeholders (students, parents, taxpayers, businesses, non-profits, foundations, government agencies, etc.).
  3. As a district, we must do a better job of positively engaging and aligning internal (students, parents, staff and the school board) and external (taxpayers, community organizations, businesses, non-profits, government agencies, elected officials) stakeholders around common goals and strategies to significantly improve academic achievement and high school graduation rates.
Our Strategic Planning Team, comprised of a very broad and diverse group of more than 30 stakeholders, developed the goals. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with all sectors of our community to implement these goals and suggested strategies.
President of the Board                                                                Superintendent

Manistee Area Public Schools Employment Postings

Manistee Area Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer.

District Policy:  Nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, gender, age, disability, height, weight or marital status in all activities and employment.