Hi! I’m Kate Merkel and I teach art here at
Highland.This is my 14th
year at HPJH and before that, I worked in elementary and junior high schools in
Wisconsin.I still reside in the
cheese-head state (Go Packers!) in the city of Menomonie.Yes, that is a long ways away—70 miles
to be exact—and yes, I do make the commute every day.After a long and action packed day at work it is nice to
settle in to the peace and quiet of my rural home which makes the drive
worthwhile.I am married and have
2 grown children,a daughter who
is a guidance counselor near St. Cloud, and a son who is in his last year at
Mankato State University.I guess
my husband is the only one who spends his day in the state!And I cannot forget my “fur-children”,
a dog and a cat.My hobbies
include all sorts of art—imagine that!--,gardening, and traveling.I
look forward to another exciting year with the kids at Highland and hope to
meet parents as well.
I teach 2 courses at HPJH.They are both art classes.Their titles are Art I and, I bet you guessed it, Art
II.Students must pass Art I
before taking the second course.Additionally, I am going to be a co-advisor to Student Council this year
with Ms. Blomquist.This is a new
venture for me, and one I am really looking forward to doing.I also serve on the Leadership Team
which is a small group of teachers who work with administrators to help to make
decisions and policies.
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