November: Meet the Staff

Mrs. Wierschke

My name is Mrs. Wierschke. I teach sophomore and senior high school English Language Arts (ELA) classes here at Wisconsin Connections Academy. I also just accepted the position as WCA's School Counselor.     

I’ve been teaching at WCA for the past 15 years. However, before that, I taught ELA classes at both the middle school and high school levels in the traditional classroom setting. In addition, I have worked as our school counselor.  

When I’m not at school, I spend time reading, giving piano lessons, working in my flowerbeds or volunteering. 

Mr. VanderLogt

Hello everyone! My name is Ben Vander Logt and I am thrilled to be a part of the Wisconsin Connections Academy team! Prior to joining Wisconsin Connections Academy, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a degree in Broadfield Social Sciences. With this degree I became certified to teacher 6th-12th

grade students history, psychology, sociology, and political science. As an educator, my goal is to work with all of my students to help them better understand social studies related topics. More importantly, I will encourage students to take the content knowledge they are learning each day from their lessons and applying it to real life scenarios happening in their community. Rather than focusing on dates and people, I will encourage students to look more closely at general ideas, themes, and trends in social studies.

When not attending school, I enjoy spending time at my family cottage near Oconto, attending family gatherings such as Packer parties or Brewer games, and staying engaged in local volunteer and sporting events. I am also an avid cook who loves to try new things! Some of the foods I love to cook include homemade pastas, soups of all kinds, and homemade pizzas!

I look forward to getting to know the entire Wisconsin Connections Academy Community.

Mrs. Kuhnke

My name is Sammantha Kuhnke and I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in May 2019. I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and this is my first year as a teacher. Prior to graduating, I was a 4 and 5 year old Lead Teacher at Play and Grow Learning Center for about 5 years. I live in Hortonville with my husband Jevis and 3 month old son Pierce. We have two cats and a dog that surely keep us on our toes. I enjoy reading mystery books, going up north, exploring different campgrounds, and traveling around the United States. Traveling to all 50 states is on my bucket list! I am excited to begin my journey as an educator at WCA and I can’t wait to get to know all of my students and families.

Mrs. Hare

Mrs. Lisa Hare teaches Kindergarten. This is her first year teaching at WCA. She has previously taught both third grade and Kindergarten in a brick-and-mortar school. She is married, has two adult daughters and a diabetic cat named Kati. Her younger
daughter is attending the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Her older daughter lives in Appleton, is married, has a one year old son and is expecting another baby in the spring. In her spare time she enjoys reading, traveling, going to the cabin in northern Wisconsin, downhill skiing, and spending time with family-especially her grandson.

Mrs. Crum

Mrs. Crum has been teaching at WCA for 10 years and 29 years total.  She teaches a variety of business courses including Personal Finance, Introduction to Business, Entrepreneurship, Business Communication and many more.  She is also helping with the Freshman Success course this year and looks forward to getting to know students at that level since many of her classes involve upperclassmen.  She lives in Kimberly with her husband and has a son who is a freshman at UW-Whitewater and a daughter who is currently working on her Masters degree in social work at UW-Green Bay. She loves animals and currently has two cats and a dog and enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and swimming.