B.S. Education of the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, MacMurray College B.S. Education Learning Disabilities, MacMurray College; Social Emotional Disorders/Educable Mentally Handicapped Western Illinois University M.S. Instructional Technology/Curriculum Design, SIUE National Board Professional Teaching Standards, certified 2003 National Board Professional Teaching Standards, recertified 2012.
Mrs. Carlson has been obsessed with reading and writing since she was a child. Her mother would not make her do chores if she would read to her younger siblings. Quite the deal for her! She lives in Edwardsville with her husband, John and her black Lab, Lucy (the sweetest and most intelligent dog on the planet). Her favorite activities are spending time with her children Megan and Sean, reading, writing, and walking Lucy on the trails.
Education: Elementary Education, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, 1999 Masters - Education Administration, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, 2006 Previous Assignments:Highland Upper Elementary-grade 5, Alhambra Elementary-grade 4, Grantfork Elementary-grades 5 & 6.
Mrs. Dena Geiger loves to design and build most anything, so teaching math is a natural fit. She and her husband farm between Alhambra and Grantfork. Besides raising crops and hogs, they have raised three daughters – Sadie, a crop consultant with CPS, Claire and Olivia, who are both students at U of I.
Mrs. Geiger enjoys sewing, woodworking, gardening, and cooking, along with leading the Grant Prairie 4-H Club and volunteering at the Madison County Fair.
Mrs. Dena Geiger
Mrs. Amanda Holcmann
Special Education
6,7and 8th grade Special Education Teacher
P.A.W.S Team
Science
Education: BS in Business Administration from SIUE, MA in Teaching, with a LBS1 endorsement from Greenville College.
Ms. Ponce has worked for Highland Community Schools for 15 years as a substitute teacher, Program Assistant, and a Special Education Teacher at Alhambra Primary. She grew up in Highland and has three grown children Brenden, Mitchell, and Amanda. She also had a shih-tzu named Cocoa. Ms. Ponce enjoys spending time with her kids and traveling. In her free time she likes canning salsa and jams.
Mrs. Lana Ponce
Special Education
Mrs. Courtney Taylor
Social Studies