Wyomissing Area Welcomes New Faculty
Posted on 10/18/2021
Tiffany Bixler has been working at Wyomissing Area for the past three years with students in grades two and three, and we are excited to have her join the first grade team at the Elementary Center this year. Prior to becoming a Spartan, she taught elementary grades in Susquehanna Township, PA and Fayetteville, NC. She loves working at Wyomissing Area because of the family-like community and appreciates seeing the community and families pull together for events such as the Fourth of July celebration! Mrs. Bixler enjoys being able to share her passion for learning and reading with our younger Spartan students. Outside of school she enjoys reading, gardening, and almost anything outdoors!
Dustin Caruso is the Instructional Support and Social Skills teacher for students in grades seven through twelve, teaching students social and emotional skills. Before coming to Wyomissing Area, Dustin worked locally in the Reading and Twin Valley School Districts for over 15 years, and served as the Director of Special Education at a New Story school. Outside of work, Dustin enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, going to sporting events, coaching baseball and soccer, and vacationing.
Lisa Faust is currently a Reading Specialist at both WREC and the Jr./Sr. High School. She loves to read and hopes to instill that same passion for reading in her students. She believes that there is a book or genre out there that could interest everyone and sometimes we just need a nudge in the right direction. Lisa is a proud graduate of West Chester University and is also a huge lover of all things crafts. She loves a good DIY project or personalizing something with her cricut.
Adrienne Feeser is the new art teacher joining the Art Department at WREC and the Jr./Sr. High School. She is a Kutztown graduate and has been teaching art for over 12 years. Before coming to Wyomissing Area, Ms. Feeser taught for the Parkland School District as well as in the state of Vermont. When she is not in the classroom, she enjoys hiking, gardening, painting, and spending time with her one-year-old son.
Angela Flores, a native Spanish speaker born in Puerto Rico, developed her love of languages early in life as she interpreted for her parents after immigrating to the United States. During college at Slippery Rock University she studied abroad at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid, Spain to broaden her knowledge of a culture different from her own. After graduating from Slippery Rock, she began her teaching career outside of Erie, PA and furthered her studies in Spanish at West Chester University. We are excited about the expertise and experiences she brings and can share with our students as the new Spanish teacher at the Jr./Sr. High School. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling, sightseeing, reading, cooking and trying new things.
Christopher Grasso teaches chemistry at the Jr./Sr. High School. Before joining the Wyomissing Area team, he worked at Upper Darby High School where he taught chemistry, biology, genetics, and physical science. Outside of school Mr. Grasso enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. He is an avid Philly sports fan and loves live music. Little known fact, Mr. Grasso can dunk.
Kristin Holst joins the Wyomissing Area faculty as a Special Education teacher. She chose this path because she has always enjoyed working and advocating for individuals with disabilities. Before working at Wyomissing Area, she was a special education administrator in Berks County and Lehigh County and taught special education in Virginia. Outside of the classroom she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and dogs and as well as tutoring for the Children's Dyslexia Center of Reading.
After twenty years of teaching in the Antietam School District, Dawn Laub joins our Spartan team this year teaching sixth grade social studies and writing at West Reading Elementary Center. Her passions include teaching and learning and she is always looking for opportunities to grow as an educator and learn new ways to inspire her students. Outside of school, she is a dog lover and a Dallas Cowboys fan who enjoys spending time hiking with her eight-year-old dog, Piper. She also occupies her time with her family and being involved in her church.
Lauren Schwartz is a learning support teacher for students at the Jr./Sr. High School. She has worked within the District since 2016 as a paraprofessional and long term-substitute in the Special Education Department, and we are excited to have her as a member of our professional staff. Outside of school she enjoys spending time with friends and family and being outdoors. If she is not working in the yard or on a house project, you can find her sitting by the pool with a good book!
Bridget Stevens is a Speech-Language Pathologist for Wyomissing Area. She works with students on their communication skills which can include speech sounds, language skills, and voice fluency skills. Bridget has worked for Wyomissing Area before, but most recently worked for the BCIU, and is excited to work with students in a variety of grades again. When not at work, she enjoys watercolor painting, interior decorating, reading, and walking with her two Siberian Huskies.
Heather Whitmore is a new addition to our second grade team at the Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center and we are excited to welcome her to the Spartan community.
Julie Winkler joined the English Department at the Jr./Sr. High School last school year and is currently teaching seventh-grade Writing Workshop and reading class. Prior to teaching at Wyomissing Area, she taught high school English at several Lancaster county schools as a long-term substitute. Before becoming a teacher, she worked as an intern for the National Basketball Association and the Denver Nuggets, was the owner of a children’s bookstore and raised her two daughters, who are now 21 and 23. She has a cat named Pumpkin and a big fluffy Great Pyrenees named Sofie, loves to read and write, and is thrilled to be a part of the Wyomissing Area Spartan family!
In addition to these wonderful new additions to our professional staff at Wyomissing Area, we are thankful to welcome long-term substitutes, faculty in new roles across the district, and essential support staff to the Spartan team.