Hi, my name is Ms. Tina. I’ve been working with the DMPS since 2012 but I have specifically been working as a special education associate since 2018. I love working and getting to know all the kiddos in the school and watching them grow.

My name is Kerry Biondi-Morlan and I am the speech language pathologist that serves Lovejoy Elementary School. I was born and raised on the southside of Des Moines. I attended Granger (now South Union, Weeks and Lincoln ‘91). I went to the University of Northern Iowa and received by B.A. in communicative disorders in 1995, and my M.A., in speech language pathology in 1997. I used to work at Mercy Hospital, and have worked for DMPS since 2001.

My husband and I live on the southside with our three teenage children. I enjoy walking and reading. I am a cofounder of a non-profit organization that employees five people.

I love being a part of the Lovejoy team and supporting students to help them increase their communication skills.

Greetings,
My name is Mrs. Charlotte Hayes Brumfield. 2022-2023 is my first year at Lovejoy. I serve as a Behavior Strategist. I have been an educator for 13 years. I have taught Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grades.
I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I attended Louisiana State University, B.R., LA and Drake University Des. Moines, IA.
I relocated in Iowa since 2017. I am a wife, mother of 2 children and bonus mom to 5 children, and grandmother of 4.
My philosophy is that it really does “take a village” to raise a child. I remind myself daily that I am gifted with 24 hours each day and strives to ensure that she makes the most of each minute. I am very passionate about teaching and learning and hold high expectations for all students!

Hello! My name is Lori Craig. I have been a special ed. para-educator for Des Moines Public Schools since 2000. I truly enjoy working with students that need extra support. I am married and have two daughters that have graduated from Lincoln High School. I enjoy riding my Harley, flower gardening, and hanging out with my family.

Hello! My name is Linda Ehrhardt! I am currently a 3-5 Special Education Teacher at Lovejoy Elementary. I have been teaching within the Des Moines district since 2006. I earned my degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa. I also have a K-8 Reading Endorsement from Upper Iowa University. I have two adult children named Jess and Josh. In my free time I like spending quality time with my family and friends, enjoy cooking, reading on my patio, and being outdoors.  I look forward to a year of fun and good times at Lovejoy!

I love working at Lovejoy! I have been an instructional coach at Lovejoy since 2014. I enjoy the opportunities I have to work with students and staff every day. Prior to working at Lovejoy, I spent 20 years teaching middle school students. I have taught all four academic subjects in three different school districts including spending three years teaching math and science to ELL students for Des Moines Public Schools.

I graduated from Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in history and reading. I hold a Master’s Degree in Effective Teaching, Learning and Leadership and Specialist’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Drake University.

 I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children. I like to read, shop, and play games with my family. I love watching students eyes light up when they learn something new!

My name is Yazmin Gonzalez, I was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. when I was just 5 years old. I enjoy helping my Spanish speaking community and making a difference one day at a time. On my free time I love being at home with my daughter Camila!

Hello! My name is Logan Hemphill and I am a Special Education Teacher at Lovejoy Elementary! I’ve been teaching at Lovejoy since 2020. I graduated from Iowa State University with my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with endorsements in Special Education (Strat I) and Reading. I also have a minor in Learning Technologies. I received my Strat II – LD/BD Special Education endorsement from Drake University. I am an LGBTQ+ educator and I am passionate about urban education and anti-racism in our school community. Let’s have an amazing year!

My name is Tamatha Jelinek, I am the Lovejoy Metro Kids Leader. I am from Des Moines, Iowa and recently moved back last year. I have 2 children, one son and a daughter, who are my joy. My daughter has blessed me with a granddaughter named Ivy. I could not be happier serving the kids at Lovejoy, and the afterschool kids. I worked many years for Des Moines Public Schools, and just love this district and all the amazing opportunities it gives each child. My favorite things are gardening and being with family and baking goodies for them.

My name is Kenessa Jones, and I’m so excited to have your student in my groups. I am eager to meet you, and to partner with you on your child’s educational journey! After teaching everything from kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as supporting high school teachers, I teach intervention groups at Lovejoy Elementary and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

A few of my goals are to engage, challenge, and inspire growth in my students. I will do this by creating an environment of mutual respect and a sense of community. Our classroom is hands-on and designed to meet children where they are. I believe in challenging children when appropriate, but also providing supports needed for them to feel success.

I hold myself to the same standards that I hold my students. That is, I strive to become a skilled thinker and learner, and I believe that this process is life-long. Balance and a growth mindset are often critical to our success—both as young learners and adult professionals. With that said, I encourage my students to find the things in life that they’re passionate about, and that bring them joy. You may notice that a lot of the stories I share in the classroom revolve around traveling, music, and working on the farm, as those are the passions I’ve cultivated for myself over the years.

I look forward to getting to know you and your student during the course of the school year, and embracing opportunities for growth as well as celebrating our successes during the months ahead of us!

Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions, comments, or concerns. I hope to work with you to create and guide learners.

Sharing in the Journey,

Ms. Jones

Hi! My name is Kendra Keller. I was raised on a farm just outside of Indianola. I enjoy camping and spending time with my husband and two year old son. I graduated from Simpson College in the winter of 2015 with endorsements in reading and special education. This will be my first year teaching at Lovejoy, but my seventh year teaching in total. My first four years of teaching were spent as a 2nd grade teacher, followed by two years as an interventionist. This year I have been blessed with an interventionist position here at Lovejoy! I absolutely love teaching! It is my mission to instill a love for learning in students. I attempt to teach with a passion for subjects at hand so that students develop a desire to become life-long learners. I am so excited to work with you and your child. It’s going to be a year full of fun, learning, and lots of adventures!

Hello! My name is Maxwell Keller, and I am the school psychologist for Lovejoy Elementary. I was born and raised in Indianola, Iowa and feel that central Iowa has always and will always be my home. I attended Wartburg College for my B.A. in Psychology and earned my M.S. in School Psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2020. This is my first year with Des Moines Public Schools, and I am excited to have recently moved back home to support students and educators here. Outside of work, I live in Des Moines with my spouse and cat, and I enjoy baking desserts, movie nights, and waiting for the college football season.

I have been with the Des Moines Public Schools since 2007. I have worked at both Wright Lovejoy as a K-2 classroom teacher, instructional coach, and interventionist. I am currently serving as a reading/math interventionist. Lovejoy is such a great place to be! I knew instantly that I would love working at Lovejoy because the sign on the door read, “Welcome to Lovejoy—where we foster the Love of Learning and the Joy of Friends.” I graduated from Grand View University with my BA in Elementary Education and from Viterbo University with my MA in Curriculum and Instruction.

As a child, I always wanted to grow up and become a teacher so I feel very lucky my dream came true. My favorite quote is “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Outside of school, I love spending time with my husband and two boys as well as our dogs Murphy and Milo, traveling, reading, watching movies, and shopping.

I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I went to Graceland University, which is what brought me to Iowa, and I have since called this state my home. This is my first year at Lovejoy, and I am extremely excited to be here! I previously taught at Ruby Van Meter School as a Special Education teacher. I am a firm believer that every child can learn, and I will work hard to create an environment where each child can be successful. In my classroom, children will be engaged in a positive environment with the expectation that everyone will try their very best in preparation of becoming uplifting members of the community. I love to be in the classroom, but while I am away, I love to spend time with my newborn son and husband, read books, redo furniture, and make desserts.

“Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning.” -Robert John Meehan

I am the ALP (Advanced Learning Program) Consultant for Lovejoy Elementary. I grew up in this great city of Des Moines and graduated from Roosevelt High School here in DMPS. St. Olaf College is where I spent my college years and received my teaching degree and a degree in Psychology. After college, I moved back to Des Moines and got my first teaching job in Waukee where I taught third grade, fifth grade, and was an ELP (Extended Learning Program) teacher for 13 years.

I began teaching in 2017 at DMPS- all within the Advanced Learning Program. I serve Morris, Lovejoy and Park Ave. I love my job! Being able to support both students and teachers provides an opportunity for me to build wonderful relationships throughout the years and meet the needs of all of my students.

I live in Des Moines with my husband, two daughters- Lily and Elizabeth, and our dog, Goose. My girls also attend DMPS schools. We love to be outside, play games, cheer on the Cyclones and spend time with friends and family! I am looking forward to a wonderful year!

Hello! My name is Kristin Miller. I have been with Des Moines Public Schools since 2010. I am originally from South Dakota and earned my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Black Hills State University in 2003. I taught first grade in South Dakota for 6 years before moving to Des Moines. In 2010, I earned my master’s degree as a Reading Specialist from the University of Sioux Falls. My first two years in Des Moines I taught kindergarten, I then taught first grade for 8 years, after that I taught second grade virtually for one year, and now I am an Instructional Coach. When I am not at Lovejoy, I enjoy decorating cakes, reading, shopping, watching movies, being with friends, and spending time with my husband and little boy. I love teaching because of the huge growth that the students make. I really enjoy watching former students advance through the grades and becoming enthusiastic learners and great citizens.

I started at Lovejoy fall of 2021 as a Para Associate.

Before coming to Lovejoy I worked in the health insurance industry for over 30 years.

I graduated from Lincoln High School and attended DMACC and Grandview for a few courses.

Outside of school my favorite thing to do is to hang out with my 10 grandchildren. I have 5 amazing children, 4 sons and 1 daughter. I have two very lovable daughter in laws.
Sewing is my favorite hobby.

As an interventionist, my hope and dream is that the children at Lovejoy will love learning! I have taught in Iowa and South Dakota over the past 32 years. My teaching positions have extended from Pre-K to Sixth Grade with a majority of my focus being placed in the Reading/Language Arts areas. I love reading and learning! Literacy Skills are an integral part of many things we encounter in life! The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go! ~Dr. Seuss

My name is Amber Smith. I am so excited to be a part of Lovejoy Elementary and look forward to supporting our students in any way I can. I love being in the academic environment and observing all of the potential that roams our halls. I enjoy working with students individually, in small groups and during classroom guidance. I received my Master’s degree from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and my undergrad from the University of Minnesota – Duluth.

Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my husband and two boys. We travel, stay active, explore, read and love to try new things in our free time.

Hi my name is April Stamper. I have worked for Lovejoy for five years. First with the after school program and currently as a Special Education Associate. I love working with the kiddos at Lovejoy. Seeing their happy faces when they learn something new or getting that high five when they finally figure out a tough problem is the best. And their smiles melt my heart. Three is my lucky number. My husband and I have three children, three grandchildren and three dogs. I love to go fishing, walking, hanging out with my family and eating. Halloween is my favorite holiday.

I am excited about my first teaching experience in Des Moines, working as an academic interventionist at Lovejoy Elementary. I hope to get to know many Lovejoy students and their families.

I grew up in Cedar Rapids and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. After working for ten years in the field of public relations and volunteer management, I decided to pursue a teaching career. I completed the Teacher Education Program at the University of Iowa, obtaining endorsements in reading, language arts and social studies.

Prior to joining the Des Moines School District, I taught Title 1 reading and math for more than 15 years in Cedar Rapids. I also worked in the field of adult literacy at Kirkwood Community College.

When I am not teaching, I enjoy hiking, biking and traveling. I am passionate about helping animals and used to do wildlife rehabilitation.