Contact information listed for each teacher.
Feel free to contact us by email or by phone through
the office.
The teachers for 6 Black have Team Planning Time on Wednesdays from 10:50-11:35. This is a great time to call or meet with the teachers as a group. Please contact the advisory teacher or office to arrange a meeting during this time if needed. 651-8800
Meet the Teachers
Mrs. Dena Geiger loves to design and build most anything, so teaching math is a natural fit. She and her husband, Jake, farm between Alhambra and Grantfork. Besides raising crops and cows, they have raised three daughters – Sadie, an Integrated Marketing Advisor with Nutrien Ag Solutions, Claire, an ag teacher and FFA advisor at Highland High School, and Olivia, a civil/project engineer with Jamerson & Bauwens Electrical. After leading the Grant Prairie 4-H Club for 20 years and serving on the Madison County Fair Board, she is an avid supporter of youth agriculture programs. Mrs. Geiger enjoys sewing, woodworking, gardening, and cooking, but most of all spending time with her granddaughters, Ava Rae, Eve Eileen, and Judith Mae.
Mrs. Karen Nave grew up on a dairy farm near Trenton. This upbringing led to a love of science and the outdoors. She has been teaching for the Highland School District since 2000. Mrs. Nave previously taught at Wesclin Junior High and the Triad School District. She and her husband, Bob, have two grown children. Jessica is a cardio travel nurse, and Troy is an engineer in Colorado. Extra time is spent working on landscaping, doing zumba, and pet sitting for her "granddogs".
Mrs. Emily Ham grew up and received her education in Edwardsville. She previously taught sixth grade ELA in Belleville. Mrs. Ham has a love for reading, specifically an obsession with the Harry Potter series. Most of her time is spent reading, but she can also be found socializing with her family, friends, and pets. Mrs. Ham enjoys traveling and collecting magnets from the places she has visited.
Mrs. Emily Ham
ELA
Team 6B
[email protected]
Mrs. Emily Ham
ELA
Team 6B
[email protected]
Mrs. Stephanie Cummings grew up in Seattle, Washington (which explains her love of the Seattle Seahawks) and enlisted in the Army after high school. She lives in Highland with her husband, Donnie, and has three children (Rebekah, Jacob, and David) and two grandchildren
(Kyle and Kaylee). She also has two “puppies” Minnie (Great Dane) and Moose (Doubull Mastiff).
Mrs. Cummings enjoys traveling, trivia, and attending concerts with her friends. She has visited 44
of the 48 continental states and hopes to get to all 50 states by her 50th birthday. She has always
found world history exciting and wishes to share this passion with all her students.
Mrs. Cummings
Social Studies
Team 6B
[email protected]
(Kyle and Kaylee). She also has two “puppies” Minnie (Great Dane) and Moose (Doubull Mastiff).
Mrs. Cummings enjoys traveling, trivia, and attending concerts with her friends. She has visited 44
of the 48 continental states and hopes to get to all 50 states by her 50th birthday. She has always
found world history exciting and wishes to share this passion with all her students.
Mrs. Cummings
Social Studies
Team 6B
[email protected]
Ms. Ponce worked for Highland Community Schools for 15 years as a substitute teacher, Program Assistant, and a Special Education Teacher at Alhambra Primary, before becoming a resource teacher at Highland Middle School. She grew up in Highland and graduated from Highland High School. Ms. Ponce has three grown children–Brenden, Mitchell, and Amanda. She is excited that her first granddaughter is due this October. Ms. Ponce enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and going to concerts.
B.A., Special Education Major, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 2002 M.Ed., Elementary education, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 2009. I began my teaching career at Highland Middle School in 2002. I have taught special education since 2003. My husband’s name is Chris and he works at Cooper B-Line in Troy. We have three children: Trent, Madelyn, and Brayden. Outside of school I enjoy exercising, shopping, reading, and spending time with my family.
Mrs. Amanda Holcmann
Special Education
Team 6B
[email protected]
Mrs. Amanda Holcmann
Special Education
Team 6B
[email protected]
MA in Special Education with Emphasis on Multi-Sensory Instruction from University of Northern Colorado, MA in Sociology from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, Certified Learning/Behavior Specialist in both Illinois and Colorado.
I moved around the country for about 30 years after graduating from Triad High School many, many years ago. I am very happy to have moved back home to be near family and friends a few years ago and to have found my teaching home here at Highland Middle School.
I have two grown daughters, Danica, is an Emergency Room Nurse at Children's Hospital in St Louis, and Hattie recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and was working as an assistant designer and fit model until the Coronavirus hit. She recently moved from LA to Marine, IL where she is living with me and safely waiting out this crazy time.
When I'm not teaching at HMS, I tutor kids with dyslexia and lead professional development workshops for teachers in the area through the Regional Boards of Education. For fun I like to camp with my husband, Buddy, and spend time with my family and friends.
Mrs. Shelly King-Stroff
Learning/Behavior Specialist
Team 6B
[email protected]
I moved around the country for about 30 years after graduating from Triad High School many, many years ago. I am very happy to have moved back home to be near family and friends a few years ago and to have found my teaching home here at Highland Middle School.
I have two grown daughters, Danica, is an Emergency Room Nurse at Children's Hospital in St Louis, and Hattie recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and was working as an assistant designer and fit model until the Coronavirus hit. She recently moved from LA to Marine, IL where she is living with me and safely waiting out this crazy time.
When I'm not teaching at HMS, I tutor kids with dyslexia and lead professional development workshops for teachers in the area through the Regional Boards of Education. For fun I like to camp with my husband, Buddy, and spend time with my family and friends.
Mrs. Shelly King-Stroff
Learning/Behavior Specialist
Team 6B
[email protected]