GRAFTON - Key Persons
Bio
Mr. Alan (A.J.) Wellna received his first Call out of college to serve at St. Paul in 2010, teaching social studies to grades 5-8. Mr. Wellna earned his teaching degree in broad field Social Sciences and Secondary Education from Concordia University Wisconsin. In May 2012, Mr. Wellna received a Master of Arts in Teaching from Cardinal Stritch University.
Bio
As a former St. Paul Grafton graduate, I have truly experienced the blessing of a Lutheran education. Inspired by my teachers, and called by God, I entered the field of LCMS teacher. I spent a couple of years teaching 3K and the next 7 were with 1st graders. Recently, I have been working with toddlers and am excited to join the St. Paul staff as the 2K teacher. Young children have such as desire to learn about God's world and their place in it. I enjoy guiding them in developing that curiosity, and using play to begin establishing social and academic skills. Planting seeds for a relationship with their Savior bring me the greatest joy. My husband and I have 2 young children, one whom currently attends St. Paul. We enjoy the outdoors and taking walks with our black lab. I personally enjoy baking, gardening, and taking pictures.
Bio
Early childhood education specialist Dauna has 34 years of teaching in Lutheran schools and public preschool and day care facilities. She has taught Three Pre-Kindergarten at St. Paul for 27 years. Dauna has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Concordia University, Mequon, WI. She has a particular interest in the importance of nurturing the love of Jesus in children and helping parents develop good parenting skills as they raise their children.
Dauna enjoys sports and outdoor activities such as boating, volleyball, walking, and enjoys time with her family.
Bio
Diane has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University, Mequon, WI, and 36 years of teaching experience. She is presently teaching middle school math and art, and is the eighth grade homeroom teacher. One of Diane's goals is to help her students realize that math is a useful tool in everyday situations. She also enjoys planning and leading the yearly eighth grade trip to Washington D.C.
At home, Diane enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. When she is not cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers, you will find her exploring new cookbooks, quilting or relaxing with her dog, Tut.
Bio
Mrs. Willman was born and raised in Milwaukee and has an extensive background in Lutheran Education as she attended Mt. Olive Lutheran School and graduated from Martin Luther Lutheran High School. After high school she attended UW-Madison and majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology. Prior to teaching Kindergarten, Mrs. Willman has served in various capacities at St. Paul including:
1/2 Day Kindergarten Teacher
Long-term and short-term substitute
Sunday School teacher (14 years) and Vacation Bible School teacher (7 years)
Board of Christian Day School Member (5 years)
Helped form "MOPS", developed Christian curriculum for the "MOPPETS" program and taught for five years children ages 3-5
Mrs. Willman has taken course work in SmartBoard technology and completed the Colloquy program through Concordia University to become a "Called" Lutheran teacher.
Mrs. Willman is an active member of the Lutheran Education Association.
In her free time she enjoys watching her 3 sons play in various sports. She also enjoys reading, cooking, crafts and playing volleyball.
"I believe God has given me such a wonderful opportunity to work in this Christ-centered environment, with a gifted and wonderful staff of teachers! It is my privilege to help my students grow in their faith; and to grow emotionally, socially and academically through various hands-on activities. I love working with children! What a blessing they are to all of us!"
Mrs. Clemens just completed 25 years of teaching in a variety of schools and completed four years of teaching at St. Paul.
Mrs. Clemens was born in Richland Center, WI and also lived in Geneseo, IL during her high school years, attending public schools. With encouragement from her mom to be a teacher and attend a small Lutheran college, Mrs. Clemens attended Concordia University Wisconsin and received a degree in Elementary Education/Early childhood(minor).
Just after getting married, Mrs. Clemens began her teaching career in Jefferson City, MO in 3rd grade. She then moved back to Milwaukee area and taught 2nd grade at St. John's, Glendale. It was there that God called her to pursue special education. Mrs. Clemens became the Resource Room teacher at St. John's for Lutheran Special School and Educational Services, working with students K-8 in a pull-out program. Through this organization, she learned to be an advocate for all children and to promote success for each child, especially through differentiation and sensory processing tools.
Mrs. Clemens received her Master's Degree of Arts from Cardinal Stritch University in 2002 with special certifications in Learning Disabilities and Reading Teacher. She is certified to teach children PK-12.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Middle School Staff
Bio
In his 24th year as a teacher, Jeremy is a member of the Middle School staff, teaching Science for Grades Six to Eight. His mission is to give his students a good understanding of he Earth, Life and Physical Sciences. He encourages students to become involved at school and to make school a place where they like to be. Jeremy has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Secondary Education from Concordia University, Mequon WI.
Jeremy and his wife Brenda have two boys, Logan and Nicholas. In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking with his family.
"I want to provide the best Christ-centered education I can with all the different resources available to me. I incorporate hands-on activities because I believe students better understand what they can touch and see. One of my goals is to help students develop a love for science and to see how important it is to their life and their faith."
Job Titles:
- School Office Administrator
Job Titles:
- Guardian Angel Ext Care Director
Job Titles:
- Church Office Administrator
Job Titles:
- Director of Servant Ministry
Bio
Mrs. Pingel joins the St. Paul staff after serving at Bethlehem Lutheran School in Sheboygan for the past 15 years. In addition, she has taught 2nd and 3rd grade for 12 years in MN and IL. Mrs. Pingel received her Bachelor's Degree from Concordia University Wisconsin in Elementary/Early Childhood Education and completed her Master's Degree at the University of Minnesota in Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs. Pingel currently serves as the chairman of the South Wisconsin District Early Childhood Committee and has been the advisor of Middle School Forensics and Student Council extracurricular programs.
Mrs. Pingel lives in Port Washington with her husband Jim who serves as the Dean of Education at Concordia University Wisconsin. They have two children, Josh and Josie. Josh teaches history and economics at Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN. Josie attends Grand Canyon University in AZ pursuing a degree in Secondary Education History and English. During her free time, Mrs. Pingel enjoys traveling to see her kids, scrapbooking, attending theater productions and reading.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- School Principal
Bio
Mr. Michael Yurk has served as Principal at St. Paul since 2008.
Mr. Yurk was born and raised in Sheboygan, WI. He attended Christian day school at Trinity Lutheran and graduated from Sheboygan Lutheran High School. After high school he attended Concordia University Wisconsin and majored in Secondary Education - Business and computer science with a minor in religion.
Prior to coming to St. Paul, Mr. Yurk served at Luther North High School in Chicago. During his 15 years at North he served as Assistant Principal, Dean of Students and Athletic Director along with teaching and coaching. In 2006, Michael received his Masters in Educational Administration from Concordia University-Wisconsin.
Mr. Yurk is a graduate of The Van Lunen Center: Executive Management in Christian Schools Fellowship Program and serves on the LEA (Lutheran Educators Association) National Board of Directors (2016-2019).
Mr. Yurk is a member of the following professional organizations:
Lutheran Education Association (Board of Directors Member)
National Association of Elementary School Principals
The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development
Wisconsin Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development
Van Lunen Fellowship
National Association of Secondary School Principals
Association for Computing Machinery
Mr. Yurk has received the following professional awards:
2017 National Distinguished Principal (National Association of Elementary Principals)
2017 South Wisconsin District Administrator of the Year
2017 Herb Kohl Excellence in School Leadership Award Finalist
Mr. Yurk's interest include spending time with family, sports, landscaping, grilling and the outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Resources and Enrichment Director
Bio
Mrs. Denise Gieschen is the Center for Academic Resources and Enrichment Director.
Mrs. Gieschen brings over 30 years of teaching experience to our staff. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education from Concordia University River Forest and went on to Cardinal Stritch University where she received a Master's Degree in Reading Education. Mrs. Gieschen has taught Pre-K, 1st Grade and 3rd Grade both here in Wisconsin as well as in Michigan.
Mrs. Gieschen is married to her husband Tim. They have four daughters and three grandchildren. Her hobbies away from school include spending time outdoors - kayaking, walking and snowshoeing, along with spending time with family. Denise is also a huge fan of learning things on YouTube!
Bio
Mrs. Haas was born and raised in Minnesota where her father taught at the local Lutheran school. After high school graduation, she attended Concordia University Chicago (River Forest) and obtained a Bachelor's degree as a Director of Christian Education and Elementary Teacher. Following college, Mrs. Haas lived in Lakewood Ohio, Spring Lake Park Minnesota, Chaska Minnesota, and Sheboygan Wisconsin prior to settling in Grafton with her husband.
Teaching at a St. Paul is nothing new for Mrs. Haas. Her student teaching assignment was to St. Paul Lutheran in Mt. Prospect, IL. She also taught 5th and 6th grade at St. Paul Lutheran in Prior Lake, MN. Most of her teaching career was spent teaching kindergarten at St. Paul Lutheran in Sheboygan, WI.
Mrs. Haas obtained her Master's degree from Concordia University Wisconsin in 2007 focusing on Early Childhood Education. She is currently working on a second Master's from CUW in School Counseling.
In her spare time, Mrs. Haas loves spending time with those she loves especially her family. Additionally, she enjoys baking, playing piano, and being near water.
Mrs. Haas believes all children have the ability to learn and enjoys being a part of each student's development. She especially enjoys instilling in them the knowledge of Jesus as their Savior.
Pastor Schultz comes to St. Paul Lutheran Church from Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, Missouri where he has served for the last five years. He received his Bachelor of Arts with a degree in Elementary Education from Concordia Chicago, his Master of Education from Fontbonne University, and his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary.
He and his wife Rebecca met while attending Concordia Chicago. They began dating their freshman year and were married in June following their graduation. While attending Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, they welcomed Isaiah into their family while on Vicarage in Boca Raton, Florida. While serving at Concordia Lutheran Church, they welcomed Gloria and Ezra into their family. Their oldest two children both attend St. Paul Lutheran School. Isaiah (6) is in first grade and Gloria (4) is in Preschool. Ezra (1), their youngest, stays at home with mom.
In his free time, Pastor Schultz enjoys spending time with his family, working outside, and watching the Green Bay Packers. Above all and in every vocation, he seeks to be faithful remembering his confirmation verse:
Job Titles:
- Associate Pastor of Care Ministry Here at St. Paul
Reverend Timothy Maschke is Associate Pastor of Care Ministry here at St. Paul, Grafton. From 1982 until 2018, he was Professor of Theology at Concordia University Wisconsin. Prior to coming to Concordia, he served Lutheran parishes in Itasca (The Lutheran Church of St Luke) and Elgin (St. John's), Illinois.
Prof. Maschke graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1974 with a Masters of Divinity degree and earned his Master's in Sacred Theology from that school in 1981. He received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1984 and in 1993 earned his PhD in Historical Theology at Marquette University under the late Luther scholar, Dr. Kenneth Hagen.
Dr. Maschke taught courses in biblical, doctrinal, historical, and practical theology, with special interests in biblical doctrine, Luther and Lutheran worship. A second (updated and expanded) edition of his book, Gathered Guests: A Guide to Worship in the Lutheran Church, was published in 2009 by Concordia Publishing House. His introduction to the history of Christianity, Called to Be Holy in the World, is available from Wipf and Stock (2016). He has authored several articles in encyclopedias and dictionaries related to his academic interests. He is also a popular preacher and presents at a variety of conferences and workshops throughout the United States. Most recently he has given numerous presentations on the life and thought of Martin Luther.
Maschke is a member of several professional organizations, including the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference and the American Society of Church History, and is the corporate representative for Lutheran Quarterly. He contributes book reviews and articles for several professional journals. He is book review editor for Concordia Theological Journal, a publication of Concordia University.
He and his wife, Sharon, live in Grafton. They have three grown sons and five grandchildren. His hobbies include beer making and gardening, as well as reading and writing.
His responsibilities at St Paul are chiefly in the area of visiting shut-ins and homebound members. He leads a GriefShare program with several volunteers. He also preaches, serves as liturgist, and teaches Bible studies. His favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the Facilities Manager
Job Titles:
- Director of Christian Education
Bio
In her twenty-four years as a teacher, Valerie has focused on music, but has taught a variety of subjects with math being her second favorite class. Valerie joined the St. Paul family in 2004 as the Music Director for the church and school. Her mission is to help students understand and use the elements of music, to help all ages explore music as part of their personal expression, and to encourage everyone to use their own God-given musical abilities in joyful worship.Valerie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Concordia University, Seward, NE, and continues to take graduate courses in music, education, and technology to further her ministry here at St. Paul
Valerie says she enjoys playing piano just for fun, traveling, having summer deck nights with friends, reading and playing with her dog, Luna.
"I am privileged to work with all ages of people from 5 - 85 years old. As a servant leader, I want to first support their relationship with Christ and then encourage a love of improving and using their gifts for the Lord."