Please join us in welcoming Brian Hammer to TKHS as the new Athletic Director!
Story by Julie Makarewicz:
Elementary teacher takes over TKHS athletic department duties
Brian Hammer is trading in his elementary school teacher hat to lead the district's athletic department.
Hammer was named the TKHS athletic director filling the vacancy by retiring AD Dave Chrisinske.
"I'm really excited to work with high school kids," said Hammer. "I love this place and I have a lot of loyalty to TK."
Although he's a Caledonia High School graduate, he and his family have made their home and their careers at TK. Hammer started teaching third grade at Lee Elementary in 2006 and his wife, Sarah, was hired last year as the district's special education director. They have two children, Brody and Brooklyn.
"I just have a passion for TK sports. We have great programs already and I just want to help keep making improvements in all our programs," he said.
Before he started teaching at TK, Hammer was coaching at TK in 2003. Since then he's been an assistant varsity football coach, middle school boys and girls basketball coach, and TAPRC youth baseball coach.
He graduated from Hope College with a degree in elementary education, then earned his master's degree in educational leadership from Grand Valley State.
He said he also wants to make sure every student athlete has the opportunity to accomplish their goals and allow as many students as possible opportunities to be part of a team.
"I'm all for multi-sport athletes and promoting lifetime sports," he said. "I want our students to understand these years in high school go fast and I want them to have fun."
Please join us in welcoming Mr. Kaminski to the High School. Mr. Kaminski will be teaching computer science first and second periods at the high school and will remain at the middle school for the remainder of the day. We are excited to have Mr. Kaminski join the high school family!
Congratulations to Mr. Lambitz on being selected as the new counselor for TKHS! We are very thankful that the board approved the addition of a third counselor at the high school, and we could not ask for a better person to fill that role than Mr. Lambitz. We are looking forward to having an additional counselor to better meet the needs of all of our high school student. Please join us in congratulating Mr. Lambitz on his new role!
Mr. Vickers will be teaching Biology, Genetics, and Chemistry this year at TKHS.
From Mr. Vickers:
After completing my student teaching here at TKHS in 2014, I'm excited to return to this amazing community! I'm a Grand Valley graduate from Northern Michigan who enjoys running (slowly), woodworking (poorly... but I still have all 10 fingers), and making waffles (I actually excel at this). When I'm not teaching or taking classes, my wife and I love to go hiking and traveling, but we're also perfectly content doing crafts on the porch with our two cats. I'm very grateful to be a part of this fantastic team of educators, and I look forward to meeting you all in the fall!
Mr. Reeder on his new position as a social studies teacher at TKHS.
From Mr. Reeder:
Hello, my name is Andrew Reeder and I will be teaching U.S. History and Government this upcoming school year. I was born and raised in Middleville and graduated from TKHS in 2004. I then continued my education at Western Michigan University earning a B.A. in Education with an emphasis in History in 2008. I returned to TK in 2012, and since then I have assumeda few different roles. I've worked in the Alternative Education Program as a Co-Teacher and Para-Educator as well as worked as an Academic Interventionist. I have coached in the wrestling program since 2008, and am currently the Varsity Assistant Head Coach. This will also be my second year coaching at the freshman level of the TKHS football program. On a more personal note, I married the love of my life in April and we hope to be moving to the district in the coming year. We enjoy hiking, camping, and we both love to read! Though I've worked in the district for close to a decade I am excited to take on the new challenge of teaching in my own classroom. I have always seen TK as the place I want to be, and am so happy to have the opportunity to teach in the district I care so much about!
Ms. Loris will be teaching Chemistry this year at TKHS.
From Ms. Loris:
I grew up in a suburb, about an hour north from the city of Chicago, called Hawthorn Woods. Growing up so close to Chicago, I was raised a big Chicago sports fan (Go Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox!), which sometimes doesn’t go over very well with people from Michigan. I am the youngest of four siblings, and I also have a sister-in-law and a brother-in-law. The family keeps growing as I recently became an Aunt to my adorable nephew named Dylan. I went to Michigan State University for my undergrad, where I received a degree in Chemistry (Go Green!). At MSU I went to almost every home football and basketball game all four years, so you could say I’m a big Spartan sports fan. I taught Chemistry the last two years in Midland, Michigan at Dow High School where I shared my love for Chemistry as well as science puns (and really all kinds of puns) with my students. I am excited to continue my teaching career here at Thornapple Kellogg, and I look forward to becoming a part of this community!
Ms. Roblyer will be teaching English 9 this year at TKHS.
From Mrs. Roblyer:
I was born and raised in West Michigan, and I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2016. I currently live in Grand Rapids with my husband Austin and my corgi Daisy. I love music, good books, and spending time with my family. I am passionate about teaching and building relationships, and I can't wait to do just that at Thornapple Kellogg this fall. I'm excited to be a Trojan!