Meet the Swanson Elementary Staff Principal H ello, I’m Kori Hartman! This is my eleventh year as Principal of Swanson Elementary! At Swanson, we have a team of dedicated professionals who are devoted to our students and each other. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in French from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater in 1987, and I received a Master’s in Reading from UW-Whitewater, along with a Reading Specialist License in 2001. In 2007, I received another Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Prior to Elmbrook, I worked as a first grade teacher and Reading Specialist with the School District of Janesville for 19 years. I later became an elementary school Principal for Janesville from 2007-2011, and it has been my honor to work at Swanson since 2011. Swanson is a vibrant learning community with dedicated, professional staff committed to making our school an exceptional place to learn and work together. I love being in classrooms and interacting with students as they tackle a project together. I also thoroughly enjoy learning and growing with our staff as we work to provide the best school experience possible for our students. Outside of school, I love reading, cooking, and going to movies with my family and friends.
Associate Principal Hello, I’m Martin Castro! This is my third year as Associate Principal for Swanson Elementary, and I get the privilege to lead the kind and caring staff that work with your precious little ones. I earned both my Bachelors in Psychology (2008) and my Masters in School Counseling (2012) from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Given that I love to learn, I earned my MBA in Educational Leadership from Milwaukee School of Engineering (2019) and am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Leadership at Cardinal Stritch University. Before arriving at Swanson, I served as a School Counselor for Edgewood Elementary in Oak Creek for seven years. I helped lead and facilitate various student learning and engagement teams. I also spent four years as a Lead Counselor at Saint A’s Residential Treatment Center. Swanson truly is a great place to be because of the tremendous students, staff, and families. The available opportunities and resources allow for creative instruction and care for our student’s individual needs. I spend as much time with my wife and our three wonderful children outside of school, doing anything from family game nights to going to Disney World as often as possible. I enjoy reading and occasionally performing in our church’s musical productions in my spare time.
Administrative Assistants Hello, I’m Jen Beug-Hoffman! I love the friendly atmosphere that our staff and students create at Swanson. This is my fourth year in the Swanson office and I just love it here! Our students pride themselves on being helpful and compassionate towards each other as we aim to make everyone feel welcome. I earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from UW- Whitewater and have been with Elmbrook Schools for 8 years. I am the proud mom of two amazing children in the district, and in our free time, my husband and I enjoy staying active with our kids, trying interesting foods, and traveling near and far. Hello, I’m Karen Krzyzak! I love seeing our students as they grow each day and interacting with families at Swanson! I have worked throughout Swanson in various roles including Special Education and Kindergarten Assistant since 2007, and I joined the office staff in 2018. Families will love our diversity and the friendly staff and students at our school. I earned my Bachelor’s in Secondary Education in Speech Communication, English, and Theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My husband and I have three daughters and a son who have all attended Swanson, and we love taking family vacations and watching movies together. I also love attending theatre productions and performing on-stage when I have the opportunity!
4K Teachers
Hello, I’m Vesile Yilmaz! I love witnessing the growth, independence, curiosity, and excitement in my students throughout the school year. As a first schooling experience, I understand the importance of making a positive impact on a child’s learning journey. I was born in Turkey and my big Mediterranean family gave me the roots to remember where I come from and the wings to soar the world and make a difference, one student at a time. Later on, those wings and my passion for education took me and my family to Australia where we lived for 6 years. I earned my Bachelors & Masters in Education in Turkey and my Master in Early Childhood Education in Australia. I have been teaching for 15 years, with four of those years in Elmbrook! When I’m not teaching, I enjoy cooking, reading, spending time with my family, and creating traditional Turkish art. Hello, I’m Lauren Wills! I love watching my students explore their environment and grow throughout the school year. They get such an incredible excitement when they learn something new - it’s really magical and all my students bring such happiness to our classroom every day! I received my Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from UW-Milwaukee and have been teaching for 11 years and this is my first year in Elmbrook. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family and pursuing my interests in photography.
5K Teachers Hello, I’m Sadie Brown! I love kindergarten because every day is exciting and new! I am thrilled to positively impact the school careers of my students and get them started on a journey toward future success. I earned my Bachelors in Early Childhood Education and two Masters in Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. This is my fifth year of teaching and my first in Elmbrook! Outside of the classroom, I love spending time with my family, friends, my English bulldog, and traveling to tropical places with my husband! Hello, I’m Alexa Busalacchi! The excitement my students have for learning is contagious, and I love seeing the pride they take in their accomplishments each day. I think the greatest pleasure in teaching is seeing each child grow academically, socially, and emotionally throughout the year. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. This is my ninth year of teaching and my fourth here at Elmbrook! In my spare time, I enjoy running, going to sporting events, and spending time with my family. Hello, I’m Sherri Brunner! I love getting to spend time with my students every day as they learn, play, and grow. Watching the excitement students have when they learn something new is priceless and I’m thrilled to be able to guide them during the start of their educational journey. I earned my Bachelors in Elementary Education from UW-Milwaukee and have been teaching for 16 years, with 4 of those years in Elmbrook! When I’m not teaching, I enjoy reading, doing puzzles, and spending time with my family. Hello, I’m Stacey Traudt! Every day in Kindergarten is a brand new day with so many possibilities and surprises. I love seeing the growth that Kindergarten students make and being a part of their early education experience. Being able to connect with students and help them develop a love of learning, a feeling of security, and being a part of a community is so special to me. I earned my Bachelors in Elementary Education from UW-Oshkosh and have been teaching for 18 years with 15 of those in Elmbrook! Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family and participating in various activities from sporting events to vacations to boating! Hello, I’m Jennifer Spek! I love creating a family each year in my classroom and teaching the children how to work together and have fun to make it the best year ever. The community that we build is so special as we teach academics along with social/emotional growth. The ability to ignite a child’s love for reading and then watch them successfully tackle books that are beyond their ability is my favorite part of kindergarten! I received my degree from UW-Milwaukee in Early Children Exceptional Education Needs (ECEEN) and I am dual-certified in birth to kindergarten education. I have been teaching for a total of 29 years with 27 of those years in Elmbrook! In my free time, I love to read, kayak, hike with my family, and cook food that feeds a healthy microbiome. Hello, I’m Meredith Wafle! Being able to work with children and help them grow academically and socially each day is a joy. I love the enthusiasm and excitement that fills the classroom as my students grow into readers and writers. This is my 14th year of teaching and eighth year in Elmbrook! I earned a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin Madison and my Masters in Teaching from Cardinal Stritch University. Outside of school, I enjoy my time reading, watching movies, and being active in the outdoors with my family.