Curriculum Night Welcome

Hello Doherty Lakers!

We look forward to seeing you for tonight's Curriculum Night. As a reminder, the presentations will occur at the following times.

• 5:00 - 5:30 PM 4th and 5th Grade
• 5:30 - 6:00 PM 2nd and 3rd Grade
• 6:00 - 6:30 PM Kindergarten and 1st

Please plan to go directly to the classroom for the presentation. As this is an evening tailored to adults, we kindly ask that you make alternate arrangements for child care.

In West Bloomfield, we offer our students rich additions to their core curriculum through our specials programs. Below, please enjoy our specials' teachers' welcome messages and contact information.

-Mr. Spitzley

Hello! My name is Kim Kang, and I am excited to be teaching 5th Grade Orchestra in West Bloomfield this year! This is my 3rd year teaching in the district and my 8th year as a music educator. In addition to teaching 5th Grade Orchestra, I currently teach high school orchestra at West Bloomfield High School. Before joining West Bloomfield, I taught 5th Grade Orchestra, along with high school orchestra. I love introducing young musicians to the joy of playing a string instrument and watching their confidence grow as they learn, practice, and make music together. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Eastern Michigan University. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my cat, Winnie, playing violin for weddings, hiking, or reading. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year of music, learning, and fun with our 5th grade musicians!

Hello Laker Nation. My name is Mrs. Plotzke and I am in my second year of teaching choir for the West Bloomfield School District. I was most recently a TK-5 music teacher at McGregor Elementary School and vocal music director at Rochester High School.

I taught vocal music in Rochester Community Schools for 26.5 years and recently retired! Now that I've re-entered the teaching profession in WBSD, I have taken residence as the choir director of an adult community choir, Symphonia Chorale of Romeo, and I'm a staff singer in the CSZ Choir at Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Outside of making music with the best students ever, I love to travel, read historical fiction, watch MSU Spartans football and basketball, and spending time with my friends. I also love being a mom to my rescue dog, Buzzer, and my adult children, Charlotte (24) and Tommy (21).

Hello, my name is Karl Stein and this year begins my fourteenth year teaching band at West Bloomfield. I have taught band at every level from 5th grade to 12th grade. I am currently the band director at WBMS as well as the beginning band teacher for 5th grade here at WB! I got my bachelor's degree in music education from Eastern Michigan University in 2009 and my master's degree in Education Leadership from Grand Valley State University in 2018. I currently live in Plymouth with my wife, two boys, and our dog, Zuzu. When not teaching music, I enjoy playing music, small woodworking projects, and reading. Instrumental music is something your child will enjoy their entire lives, and I am so excited to be with them at the beginning of this exciting journey! This is going to be an exciting year of new experiences and fun, all while making music TOGETHER!

Welcome to the Library! (iCenter) My name is Colleen Mestdagh and I am so excited to help your reader grow and learn! This is my 21st year teaching. Over the course of my career I have been an elementary classroom teacher, teacher librarian and adjunct professor. I have a BA in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University and an MA in Reading. I am a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of K-8 Literacy. My passion is spreading a love of literacy across the entire building. I am fortunate to share inclusive stories with readers and help them find the joy in reading!

I have two daughters who are students in WBSD, my husband is also a teacher and I love living and teaching in our community! I serve on many building and district wide committees to help promote equitable literacy and learning experiences. Reading and traveling with my family are my two favorite things!

September library lessons will focus on book care, learning how to locate materials, digital citizenship and circulation procedures. Students are beginning to learn how to check out books! It's always exciting to get books into the hands and hearts of students.

Students will need to return their library book each week to ensure they are able to check out a new book. I recommend finding a special bin or spot in your house to keep the book for the week.

I look forward to creating a magical learning experience for your child each week in the library!

Click HERE for a quick curriculum video from Mrs. Mestdagh!

My name is Maria Longhi, and I've worked in music education since 2017. I attended Lawrence University for my undergraduate studies in cello performance, which is where I fell in love with music education. I previously taught general music at Walled Lake Consolidated Schools, and taught middle and high school orchestra in Ann Arbor Public Schools. I joined the West Bloomfield district in 2024 and enjoy sharing my love for music with my students at Doherty Elementary and Gretchko Elementary Schools. I am passionate about building confidence in my students and their abilities in singing, playing instruments, building social skills, and creating their own music. I love watching them grow and develop their skills and finding their own unique voice. In my free time I love spending time with my daughter and my dog, writing my own music, and reading and watching mysteries!

My name is Holly Feguer and I am the Physical Education teacher here at Doherty. This is my 4th year teaching Physical Education in West Bloomfield! I graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Health and Physical Education.

This year in P.E you can expect your students to learn their locomotor skills, teamwork, exercises, different sports along with living a healthy lifestyle. My goal for this year is to create lessons for my students to exercise in fun, positive ways! I am so excited to be working with your student this year!

My name is Mary Ellen Merglewski. I am a proud graduate of Central Michigan University and hold a Master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts from Oakland University. I have taught first and second grade in West Bloomfield and am currently a Reading Interventionist at Gretchko as well as a STEAM teacher at Doherty. I am beginning my 34th year in education, and I couldn’t be more excited for the learning and growth with your child this school year!

Outside of school, I enjoy traveling, reading, antiquing as well as playing with our two Border Collies. I love spending time with my family exploring our National Parks and building memories together.

My name is Tammi Cantalupo. I am a graduate of Madonna University and hold a Master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts from Oakland University. This is my 20th year in education and my 5th year as Reading Interventionist at Sheiko Elementary and now Doherty. Prior to that, I was a classroom teacher for 15 years in the Grosse Pointe School District. I am passionate about supporting young readers and look forward to working with your child to make this a successful school year! Outside of school, I enjoy traveling and making memories with my family, reading, and going on walks with my Golden Retriever, Sunny.

My name is Lisa Reed and I am the reading specialist at Doherty. This will be my 33rd year teaching. I have a bachelors of arts degree in Special Education and Early Childhood as well as a masters of arts degree in Reading. I have also taught 3 and 4 year olds with special needs, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade. I have been a Reading Specialist at Doherty for the past 8 years. I have two amazing children and a dog named Lexie. My daughter has started her own career in business and lives in Seattle, WA. My son is a senior in college studying cyber security. I consider it a privilege and an honor to work with the children at Doherty.

In an effort to help students reach their fullest potential, Doherty Elementary offers reading and writing assistance to students that demonstrate a need based upon assessments, prior school performance, and teacher observation. I work with students on reading and writing strategies such as phonics, phonemic awareness, decoding skills, comprehension, and writing. These lessons are given in addition to the reading and writing instruction in the classroom. I will also be teaching one of the Small Group sessions on Mondays where we will explore literacy skills through authentic literacy experiences in slightly larger groups.