Welcome from our Head of School
Welcome to Wingra School, where, for 52 years, we have proudly stood at the forefront of progressive education in Madison, Wisconsin. As one of the top K-8 progressive schools in the country, we are dedicated to nurturing the unique potential in each of our students. At Wingra, we believe in empowering children to become critical thinkers, global citizens, social justice advocates, problem solvers, and great communicators.
Our approach to education goes beyond traditional teaching methods. We create a dynamic learning environment that respects and values each student’s individuality, fostering a community where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging. Having spent 25 years as an educator in independent schools and having experienced these schools firsthand as a student, I understand the profound impact of feeling included and valued. As one of the few people of color in many of these settings, I am deeply committed to ensuring that Wingra is a place where diversity is celebrated and every student is seen and heard.
In addition to our commitment to inclusivity, we strive to make Wingra accessible to all families. We believe that a quality education should not be a privilege reserved for a few but an opportunity available to anyone who seeks it. Our goal is to maintain an institution that is affordable and welcoming, providing a nurturing environment where every child can thrive.
Thank you for considering Wingra School. We look forward to partnering with you on this exciting educational journey.
Torsie Judkins
Head of School
We pledge to work to end systemic racism not only in our local Madison community, but in our school community as well. (Full statement below.)
Contact Information
718 Gilmore Street
Madison, WI 53711
Phone: (608) 238-2525
Email: info@wingraschool.org
Administrative & Building Staff
Torsie Judkins
(he/him)
Head of School
Torsie Judkins / Head of School
B.S., North Carolina Wesleyan University
M.Ed., Educational Leadership, Manhattanville University
Doctoral Candidate, Educational Leadership, Manhattanville University
With over 25 years of independent school experience, Torsie Judkins is passionate about creating educational environments where all students can thrive. His extensive career has included leadership roles in Admissions, Enrollment, and Financial Aid, as well as guiding schools through accreditation processes. A dedicated advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB), Torsie has worked tirelessly to build inclusive school cultures that empower every student and family.
Originally from the East Coast, Torsie brings a rich perspective on progressive education, and the vital role schools play in fostering community and social change. He began his independent school career at Durham Academy, his alma mater, and has worked at independent schools in the New York City area, and Pennsylvania, gaining valuable experience in diverse educational environments. He has served on multiple non-profit boards and is eager to deepen his connections within the Madison community, collaborating with local organizations to amplify Wingra’s mission and impact. Outside of his professional life, Torsie enjoys watching his kids play soccer, coaching them in basketball, cheering on the Badgers and his other favorite sports teams, golfing, traveling, and spending quality time with his family.
As Head of School, Torsie is committed to Wingra’s progressive roots, its dedication to student-centered learning, and its mission to prepare students to be curious, compassionate, and thoughtful members of their communities.
Megan Diaz-Ricks
(she/her)
Director of Community Advancement
Megan Diaz-Ricks / Director of Community Advancement
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The daughter of Chicano migrant farmworkers, Megan Diaz-Ricks was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin and comes from a long lineage of activists and advocates. Megan attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a non-traditional student and graduated with a degree in Sociology in 2018. Megan was hired under a grant through the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and took on a newly formed role, Coordination of Care Specialist, in June of 2018 with Common Wealth Development. Megan was promoted to the role of Director of Economic Development in April of 2019 where she worked to support the Economic Development section of Common Wealth Development through the COVID-19 pandemic, this work helped her to be recognized as one of InBusiness Magazine’s 2021 cohort of 40 Under 40 Young Professionals in the greater Madison area. In October of 2021, Megan took on the role of Director of Communications and Fund Development with Common Wealth where she learned her passion for developing strong community partnerships to help drive and sustain the important work of grassroots and non-profit groups in Madison. Megan joins Wingra School from Community Shares of Wisconsin, where she worked as the Community Partnerships Director, stewarding relationships with the many corporate donors and community businesses who want to make an impact on the Madison community.
Johanna Schmidt
(she/her)
Director of Enrollment & Marketing
Johanna Schmidt / Director of Enrollment & Marketing
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin
Johanna grew up in Austin, Texas, and during her college years she starting working at a local outdoor gear shop, Whole Earth Provision Co. While working at Whole Earth she pursued many passions, spending a year teaching English in Costa Rica through the Havard International Development Office, completing all necessary coursework for a Masters of Arts in Teaching at St. Edwards University, backpacking, camping, knitting, yoga, dance, and starting a family with her partner Neil. Through all these endeavors she continued working and growing at Whole Earth being promoted to Marketing Manager in 2017.
Johanna and her family are relocating to Madison in the Summer of 2021 and they are excited to get to know the Wingra and larger Madison community.
Elizabeth Garcia
(she/her)
Administrative Secretary
Elizabeth Garcia / Administrative Secretary
Originally from Mexico City, Elizabeth has called Wisconsin home since 1993 and has been working in her role as “The Heart of Wingra School” since 2002. Both of Elizabeth’s daughters, Priscilla and Katherine, attended Wingra School for the full nine year, K-8 experience. Elizabeth’s warm smile is often the first thing you see when you enter Wingra School.
Her organizational skills, gentle ways of tending to children and their minor injuries, coordinating Wingra’s hot lunch program, and close attention to all the details of running our vibrant community have been keeping us humming along steadily. One of Elizabeth’s annual projects is the planning and organization of Fun Day!
Kathy McAleese
(she/her)
Student Support Advocate
Kathy McAleese
Throughout my career, I have had a special interest and concern for those students who are struggling, either academically, developmentally or socially-emotionally. Despite smaller classrooms and holistically-oriented methods, school can become very stressful for these children, eroding their self-confidence and their enthusiasm for learning. Standard diagnosis and intervention sometimes seem inadequate to fully unlock the student’s potential and renewed joy for learning. For the last three years, I have been enrolled part-time in an Educational Support Teacher training program through the Association for Healing Arts in Ann Arbor, MI to be able to more fully support all children to learn with increased ease and confidence. I expect to complete my certificate within the next year.
I am very happy to join forces with the Wingra teaching team as the new Student Support Advocate and I applaud the school’s full commitment to this important support work. After these most challenging of times for all of us, I am especially looking forward to getting to know everyone in the Wingra school community, especially the students, their parents, and an inspiring group of well-rounded teachers.
On a personal note, my husband and I have an adventurous, blended family of six offspring, ages 32-14. Our youngest, Thomas, will begin high school next month. I enjoy being outdoors, traveling, running, gardening, cooking, writing and poetry.
Scott Scholtens
(he/him)
Director of Technology
Scott Scholtens
I was raised in Winterset, Iowa, and graduated from Central College with a degree in International Studies. Since then, my professional path has not been a straight line. I’ve spent nearly 30 years; across various fields, on varying levels of the professional hierarchy, in many countries; looking to connect the dots for my employers, my clients, and my students. I have found my calling in helping others pursue a path of excellence. Whether it be helping a student develop the knowledge and perspective necessary for success, creating an efficient workflow for my digital imaging team, or implementing emerging technologies in my own business, I seek to bring out the best in myself and those around me. I look forward to getting to know all of you, discussing the needs of the Wingra family, and working collaboratively with the team to help us meet the constantly changing challenges facing our students and community.
Dave Hinterberg
(he/him)
Building Director
Dave Hinterberg / Building Director
BFA, Film, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Born in 1978, raised in Newburg and West Bend, Wisconsin. I grew up playing around in the dust of my parent’s wood products manufacturing business. I enjoyed being one of the few people with a camera always at hand. Graduated in 2001 from UW-Milwaukee with a BFA–Film, then worked with other artists at a design-build firm in Milwaukee called Flux Design. In 2004 I took over my parent’s business with my sister. Marketing retail and wholesale, we grew the business of quilting frame manufacturing and developed new products from modified sewing machines to modular furniture on wheels. We sold the business in 2009.
I love tinkering with new product ideas and making all kinds of art from film and photography, iron pouring sculpture, map based topographical art, to large wooden geodesic domes and spheres. I am at home surrounded by aquariums, dirt, and representatives from both the animal and plant kingdoms. I am passionate about science, technology, engineering, and math.
In 2014, I met Weslie, got married, moved to Madison, and while applying for jobs in the manufacturing industry, worked for Rick at Wingra doing carpentry jobs around the school. Rick was about to retire, and offered me his position as building director. I did not expect or intend my profession to be surrounded by children, but soon realized that is what I love.
Teaching Staff
Debbie Blitz
(she/her)
Nest Teacher
Debbie Blitz / Nest Teacher
M.S., Health Education, Hofstra University
B.S. Community Health, Hofstra University
Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Debbie has worked with children in different capacities for many years. She is honored to work and learn in a school that offers an education that truly prepares children for life as adults—to be community-minded, collaborative, and curious.
She worked as a waterfront director at a sleep-away summer camp in Waupaca, Wisconsin where she was able to teach children of all ages how to swim, boat, and water ski. While working on her Masters Degree in health education, she worked in a more traditional environment as Teacher’s Assistant for special education at the high school level on Long Island. After receiving her M.S., she taught kindergarten at a private progressive school in New York City for two years.
Debbie moved to Madison with her husband in the summer of 2007. She is very proud to be part of the Wingra community as a classroom teacher. During her time teaching at Wingra, Debbie also completed a teaching certification program through UW Oshkosh in Early Childhood and Middle Childhood
Debbie’s hobbies are running and participating in triathlons, spending time family, and being active together.
Dawn Mahuta
(she/her)
Nest Teacher
Dawn Mahuta / Nest Teacher
M.S., Library & Information Science, UW Milwaukee
B.S. Early Childhood Education & Teaching, UW Milwaukee
Dawn will begin her 25th year of teaching this fall (2024). Before Wingra, Dawn was at Milwaukee French Immersion School, where she taught 3rd grade for ten years, 1st grade for three years, and Kindergarten for 11 years. Dawn’s commitment to fostering a love for learning is evident in her extensive involvement in extracurricular activities. She has coordinated school concerts, led thematic unit instruction at the MPS Summer Academy, and taught at the French Enrichment Camp, where she integrated arts, science, social studies, and world languages into her teaching. Her participation in professional development opportunities, such as the CARLA Summer Institute, highlights her dedication to staying current with best practices in immersion education. In addition to her teaching credentials, Dawn is an accomplished musician with experience in voice, guitar, and piano and has directed student concerts at the Bastille Days festival. Her diverse skills and interests enrich her teaching and inspire her students to explore their talents and passions.
Lilly Schoone
(they/them)
Nest Teacher
Lilly Schoone
BSE in Elementary Education focused in ESL, UW-Madison 2023
Shannon Richards
(she/her)
Pond Teacher
Shannon Richards
BS, Elementary Education, University of Minnesota-Duluth
MA, Teaching and Learning, NOVA Southeastern University
After working for nearly 25 years in the public school system, I am beyond excited for the next chapter that teaching at Wingra will help me write. As a Madison native, I attended Madison schools K-12 before heading to Minnesota for my degree and starting my teaching career there. In 1997, I returned to Madison and began a 22-year run as a 1-3 grade teacher; most of this time was in a 2-3 multiage room shared with Sky newcomer, Jen Greenwald. During this time, I discovered the value of multiage education, action research, inquiry- and project-based learning, and outdoor education. I worked on several collaborations based on these topics and developed lessons and curricula that challenged the norms.
When I’m away from school, you can find me reading, enjoying music, watching movies, raising butterflies, doing any and all things outside, or keeping up with the busy lives of my family: my husband Ryan, sons Ramsey, Rudy, and Ryder, and golden retriever Mille are always up for adventure!
Jeff Campbell
(he/him)
Pond Teacher
Jeff Campbell
BS, Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Social Studies Secondary Education Certification, Marian University
Reading Teacher Certification, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Orton-Gillingham Certified Teacher
Jeff has worked with Wingra students for two years through his own Reading Tutoring Service. Before running his own business, Jeff taught at Walbridge School, served as a Homebound Teacher for MMSD, and taught at Vel Phillips Memorial High School. Jeff is a dedicated and empathetic educator with extensive experience in reading and dyslexia tutoring. His career reflects a commitment to fostering inclusive, student-centered learning environments emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jeff is known for his ability to build trusting relationships with students, colleagues, and families, and he excels in creating tailored instructional plans that meet the unique needs of each learner. Jeff’s career is a testament to his dedication to educational excellence, ability to adapt to various teaching environments, and unwavering commitment to supporting his students’ academic and social growth.
Rachel Detra
(she/her)
Lake Teacher
Detra
B.S., English, UW-Madison
M.S., Education, Stanford University
Rachel is a Madison native and mom to two little girls. For most of her career in education, she taught high school English at a large high school in San Jose, California. She’s also held roles as Instructional Equity Coach and University Supervisor. Joy and humanity are what she centers in classrooms and why she is so excited to join the Wingra community.
Nina Pomplun
(she/her)
Lake Teacher
Nina Pomplun
Claire Weiss
(she/her)
Sky Teacher
Claire Weiss
-
- B.S., Special Education (Cognitive Disabilities), UW-Madison
- B.S., Elementary Education, UW-Madison
- Over 40 credits in continuing education, including methods classes with Science, Mathematics, Technology, Writing, Reading, and Instruction of the Academically Talented
A Lake teacher for 22 years, this will be Claire’s fourth year in the Sky. Before coming to Wingra in 1999, Claire taught special education at the middle and secondary levels, worked in Madison food co-ops, and spent time with her three children, who are now adults. Claire lives in rural Mount Horeb with her husband.
Personal experiences with progressive education inspired Claire to teach at a school like Wingra. She attended an alternative school-within-a-school in Newton, MA for eighth and ninth grades. Never before had she encountered teachers who would accommodate her learning needs and preferences, including a science teacher who made space in his lab to have an individualized, somewhat self-directed science class. (One week he dumped a bag of cat bones on the table, with instructions to research a cat’s body, assemble and draw the skeleton, and report on it.) She was allowed to spend an entire week puzzling over this challenge, and the ways body systems worked together, as she assembled the skeleton. She not only learned about biology but also that a teacher could trust a student to learn what she needed to learn in order to solve a problem. This early experience made Claire resolve to be a teacher and make a similar difference in her own students’ lives.
After high school, Claire took a four-year “gap year” to work in a local food coop. She then enrolled in the UW School of Education to complete a degree in Special Education. Later, she returned to add another B.S. in Elementary Education, student teaching in a Wingra School classroom! Claire has also vicariously experienced progressive education through her children, who have attended Malcolm Shabazz City School in Madison, an experimental multi-age elementary classroom in Mount Horeb, and The Putney School in Putney, Vermont. In each of these programs, Claire has observed inspired teachers enriching the education and lives of students at all age levels.
Prior to Covid, Claire sought out in-person professional development opportunities. She has attended national and regional Science, Mathematics, Literacy, and Technology conferences, always bringing back new and exciting curriculum experiences to try out with students. For several years in the early-to-mid 2000’s, Claire served as a Teacher-Facilitator at UW-Madison’s College for Kids program, a summer program serving Gifted and Talented youth. 2014, she was honored to participate in the Greater Madison Writing Project, the local cohort of the National Writing Project, which inspires teachers of writing. In the summers of 2016 and 2017, she enjoyed “paying it forward” by teaching at the Young Writers Camp, and hopes to do so again in future years. In 2017, she was given a grant to study Holocaust and social justice education by The Olga Lengyl Institute, based in New York City. In the coming year, she hopes to finish writing a book for young adults about the Holocaust, and to continue teaching at Young Writers Camp in Madison. In 2017, Claire presented Lake math strategies with her team at the Progressive Education Network 2017. During Covid, Claire most recently completed a one-year PBS Digital Media Literacy Certification course and an online course connecting ancestral wisdom and reverence for the Earth with science: Changing Climate, Changing Culture.
When not at school, Claire enjoys camping and hiking, reading, writing, cooking, and traveling. These pursuits have led her to study American Sign Language, Yiddish, Italian, Hebrew, and Chinese, and to travel to Italy and across Hong Kong and Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China, as well as across the United States.
Jen Greenwald
(she/her)
Sky Teacher
Jen Greenwald
BA, Social Sciences, U of California, Berkeley
MS, Curriculum & Instruction, Teach for Diversity, U of Wisconsin, Madison
Master’s certificate, Sustainability Leadership, Edgewood College
Joining Wingra as a staff member feels like a homecoming for me. I attended an independent progressive school in Chicago for 14 years; my own daughters were Lakers and Skyers; and I have partnered with Wingra teachers in various ways over the years. I have been striving for years to be a democratic, progressive educator in public schools and I am thrilled to join the Sky team!
I began my teaching career in 1996 at Midvale/Lincoln and have since taught grades 2-5 in MMSD. Over the years I have partnered with teachers to publish student work, build school gardens, and host conventions for students to work directly with experts in various fields. I am a founding member of Madison’s Caucus of Rank and File Educators (MadCORE). We were instrumental in getting MMSD to participate in the National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action and to adopt a reasonable class size policy. I have held various leadership positions in Madison Teachers, Inc. (MTI). For the past 15 years I team taught with incoming Lake teacher, Shannon Richards at Muir Elementary. One of the things I am most proud of is the outdoor education program we built in partnership with Madison Audubon Society. Our program included lots of reading, writing, science and math as well as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, art and games. Pre-pandemic we partnered with the Pond Team and several MMSD teachers to hold Outdoor Summits for students.
My professional development interests include anti-racist practices, Restorative Justice, adventure-based education and outdoor education.
In addition to teaching I love canoeing, kayaking, skiing, hiking, biking, books, tacos, Wordle, Nerdle and gross and wacky animal facts. My family includes my partner, Jerry, our giant dog, Schatzi and my amazing daughters, Lulu and Ruby Guzman.
Kathy Oker
(she/her)
Sky Teacher
Kathy Oker
B.S., Elementary Education (grades 1 to 9), UW-Madison
Kathy is a firm believer in a progressive approach to education and has loved being a part of the Wingra community since 2000.
A native of Cincinnati, Kathy was educated at the University of Dayton and the University of Wisconsin. She spent eight years traveling the world with her husband, Dave, prior to joining the Wingra faculty. In addition to exploring the U.S. and Canada, the couple spent six months living in a tent in Australia and resided in Taiwan for two and half years, where they taught English.
Kathy considers herself a citizen scientist and a life-long learner. Teaching at Wingra allows her to ask questions and actively pursue an increased understanding of herself and the world each and every day. Kathy and Dave have three children, Willie, Leo, and Laurel.
Lydia Portzen
(she/her)
Sky Teacher
Curriculum & Learning Coordinator
Lydia Portzen
B.S., Elementary Education, Edgewood College
Lydia Portzen joined the Sky teaching team in 2022. Lydia grew up in Madison, right down the road from Wingra, and graduated from West High. After two years at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, Lydia finished her B.S. in Elementary Education from Edgewood College. Before landing at Wingra, Lydia worked as a 4th, 5th, and 6th grade teacher in Oregon. Lydia lives in Verona with her husband and three kids. When not teaching or gobbling up professional content, Lydia enjoys running, gardening, and going on local mini-adventures with her family.
Amanda Pool
(she/her)
Spanish Teacher
Amanda Pool
Master of Arts, Italian, Cornell Universtity
B.A cum Laude., Italian & Bilingual Education, Smith College
Multiple Subject Credentials with English Learners, UC Davis
Amanda served as the Spanish teacher for Wingra School from 2014 to 2018, leaving to care for her young son. Amanda began her teaching career in 2001 with five years as a college lecturer in Italian, building a broad knowledge base in second-language instruction. Wanting an even stronger connection with her students, she has built her later career around working with younger learners. In 2007, she taught at a private K-5 Danish international school, where she further developed her ability to help students in a multilingual setting. She has substantial public and private school experience at all grade levels K-8 as a substitute and student teacher, in addition to her work as a full-time classroom instructor. While at Wingra, she applied her expertise in curriculum development to shape foreign language programming for all students throughout their time at Wingra. She tailored classroom learning activities to the diverse needs of different age groups and enhanced study with music and chants, physical response methods, and multi-age collaborative projects. Going beyond her classroom at Wingra, she connected language learning with each grade’s units, relevant cultural knowledge, and current events.
Aviv Kammay
(he/him)
Music Teacher
Aviv Kammay
Master of Music Education, Northwestern University
B.Ed., Music Education, Levinsky College of Education and Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Aviv is a music educator, Beatles scholar, and composer, born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He plays piano and guitar, and he has taught students in both Israel and the United States, ranging in age from pre-kindergarten to adults.
Aviv’s curricula at Wingra cover a wide range of musical skills: playing instruments, singing, listening, analyzing, and composing. His approach puts a special emphasis on musical creativity, and he creates space for children’s compositions of any style. Through his focus on creativity and collaboration, Aviv encourages, validates, and celebrates each child’s unique musical voice. A strong supporter of collaborative small ensembles as a foundation for musical and social growth, Aviv developed Wingra’s unique Rock and Jazz Band. In this program, Aviv guides mixed-age groups of students as they select, arrange, and rehearse rock, jazz, or pop songs and prepare them for concert performances.
In 2013 Aviv founded Madison Mystery Tour, Madison’s Beatles tribute band. His group performs regularly at venues in Madison and the area, and has gained statewide recognition as an ensemble that specializes in studying the entire Beatles catalog and performing authentic recreations of each song. Aviv presented his scholarly work on the music of the Beatles and its connection to progressive music education in 2014, representing Wingra School among the world’s most highly regarded Beatles scholars at the International Academic Beatles Conference at Penn State University in Altoona. He was invited back to present studies on the Beatles in 2017 (University of Michigan), 2018 (Monmouth University), and 2019 (University of Rochester). In 2021 Aviv’s article on Beatles tribute bands (“How Does It Feel To Be”) was published by Oxford University Press in the book “Fandom and the Beatles: The Act You’ve Known for All These Years.” His upcoming article “Defuse, Dilute, Deflate,” analyzes the Beatles’ self-directed humor in their music.
Each summer between 2003 and 2019 Aviv was the music director at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute, a Jewish summer camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, where he worked in a unique, collaborative fine arts program with youth who have a special interest in musical exploration. Based on his work at camp, Aviv was selected to be a regular lecturer at the Jewish Artists Laboratory at UW-Madison’s Hillel center.
Aviv’s compositions have been performed in Israel and the United States and have won him several awards, including the Guild of Temple Musicians 2009 Young Composer award. He lives in the Wingra School neighborhood with his wife, Parthy, their son, Noam, and their cat Mitz.
Danya Lanphear
(she/her)
Art Teacher
Danya Lanphear
University of Wisconsin, Madison BS Art & Art History
Danya has been passionate about teaching art for over twenty-five years. She believes art education enriches a student’s experience of everyday life. It awakens or nurtures an already growing aesthetic sensibility and love of art that can be a comfort and a joy for a lifetime. Through art education, a student becomes more discriminating and sensitive to the things they observe, use and create. They are learning a mode of expression that allows them to move people in ways that words cannot.
Danya has lived in Madison with her husband since 2000 and they have two grown children. She worked as an Art Specialist at Preschool of the Arts for over twenty years where she enjoyed helping her young artists express their understanding of the world around them through art. Before moving to Madison, Danya taught high school art in Starkville, Mississippi and worked as a jewelry designer/goldsmith in Chicago, Illinois and St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. In addition, she designed and created her own line of jewelry which she sold in galleries and museum stores for several years. In her free time, Danya loves to make art, look at art, hike, travel, and hang out with her family and friends.
Andrea Sherry
(she/her)
Science & Tech Teacher
Andrea Sherry
B.S., Elementary Education, UW-Eau Claire
Andrea was born and raised on her family potato farm in Plover, Wisconsin. She spent her time playing on school sports teams and reading books in the woods. She went to college at UW-Eau Claire and received her elementary education degree in December 2012.
She has recently begun a family of her own. Andrea was married in 2017 and has become a mother to a beautiful new baby girl Nora, and looks forward to this new chapter in her life! Andrea loves to explore new areas by hiking, camping, and canoeing.
Andrea first came to Wingra after researching integrated curriculum and progressive education. She loves the passion for learning that the Wingra community supports. Having choice and advocacy in a democratic learning society is very important to her. Andrea incorporates technology into the classrooms based on the knowledge gained in her student teaching semesters and continued professional development experiences. how to use technology in the classroom. She plans to continue learning and using her experience to benefit her students.
Dana Prager
(she/her)
Librarian
Dana Prager
Wisconsin Library Media Specialist License, K-12
PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, UW-Madison
BS: Elementary Education, University of Illinois, Champaign – Urbana
Dana wants our students to discover a love for independent reading. Dana hopes students can see themselves as well as learn about others from different backgrounds in the books that are part of the library collection. She wants all of our students to discover high quality children’s literature in the library, whether it’s through picture books by and about people of color, stories of immigrants of all backgrounds in realistic or historical fiction, or culturally relevant biographies. In these ways Dana would like students to view themselves as democratic citizens who can make a difference in our world.
Dana is originally from Chicago and has lived in Madison with her husband since 1998. She worked as a Library Media Tech Specialist in MMSD for the last 9 years, the last 8 at Van Hise and the last 4 concurrently at Van Hise and Lapham Elementary. She taught child development classes at Edgewood College for 8 years. Dana taught children’s literature and preservice teacher education classes at UW-Whitewater as well as supervised student teachers. Dana enjoyed completing her dissertation research at the Urban Waldorf School in Milwaukee, WI. Before moving to Madison Dana taught 3rd grade and kindergarten at the George B. Armstrong School of International Studies, a Chicago Public School in Rogers Park.
In her free time Dana loves to read, walk, bike, travel and play board games with her family. She is thrilled to live close to Wingra School with her husband Mike and two sons Avi and Gabe (her daughter Shoshana attends the University of Minnesota:)
Addison Leino-Sparks
(he/him)
Extended Day Teacher
Addison Leino-Sparks
Addison (he/him) is thrilled to be joining the Wingra community as an Extended Day teacher! Born and raised on the east side of Madison, Addison attended Wingra School as a student from age five to fourteen. His mom, Angie, previously worked at Wingra for 32 years and founded the Sparks Family Library!
Addison became passionate about progressive education through his experiences at Wingra and Shabazz City High School, and he is currently studying in the Liberal Arts Transfer program for education at Madison College. Recently, he has worked with Outdoors We Learn (OWL) as a camp counselor for campers aged four to twelve. He loves working with mixed-age groups, and is excited to continue doing so as an Extended Day teacher.
When he’s not working with kids, Addison enjoys photography, writing, nature, and relaxing at home with his two cats.
Dinda Lehrmann
(she/they)
Extended Day & Summer Program Director
Dinda Lerhmann
B.A., Studio Art, Trinity University
M.A., Teaching, Trinity University
Dinda brings a wealth of experience and passion for education to Wingra School. An Indonesian-American artist and educator, Dinda was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and spent much of her childhood in Wisconsin and Java, Indonesia, before moving to San Antonio, Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Trinity University in San Antonio.
Dinda‘s diverse background in childcare and education, including nature-based and arts education, will be invaluable as she leads our After School and Summer Programs. Her commitment to creating a safe and inclusive space for students to explore hobbies, extend their learning, create connections, and have fun aligns perfectly with our vision for Wingra. Outside of her professional life, Dinda enjoys mixed-media art, journaling, meditation, reading science fiction, volunteering, kayaking, and hiking. She recently moved to Madison with her fiancé and is eager to get to know our community.