La Lumiere School welcomed 230 students to campus from local communities, across the United States, and around the world for the School’s 52nd Registration Day on Friday, Aug. 14. Traveling from as near as La Porte, Indiana and as far away as Australia, a diverse group of day and boarding students converged on campus to kick off the 2015-2016 school year. Orientation Week immediately followed registration day and included activities such as athletic practices, “Minute to Win It” games, and a school wide rock-paper-scissors contest. Orientation Week is designed to help students become acclimated with each other, the campus, and faculty members before the first day of classes on Thursday, Aug. 20.
In addition to new students, La Lumiere has welcomed the following faculty and staff members for the 2015-2016 academic year:
Alyssa Trelstad teaches, coaches, and will develop the School’s emerging Wellness Program. Trelstad comes to La Lumiere from Culver Academies where she was an intern in the Wellness Department, taught sophomore wellness curriculum, and collaborated with the departmental team to design and implement curriculum changes. Trelstad also worked in the dorms and coached several sports including crew. Previously she taught and coached in the Athletic Department at The Ross School in East Hampton, New York. Trelstad earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota where she was also employed.
Marje Monroe joins the School in the Health Services Department. She has pioneered and led peer counseling and peer intervention programs, and brings extensive experience in training faculty, staff, and parents in child and adolescent issues as well as student learning differences, accommodations, psycho-educational testing, College Board testing, curriculum development, and student programming innovation and implementation. Monroe was previously the dean of students and director of residential life at Stoneleigh Burnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts and the director of counseling and learning accommodations at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She earned a Master of Social Work from Loyola University, Chicago with a concentration in clinical diagnosis and school social work, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Wittenberg University, Ohio.
Patrick Holmes takes on the role of associate athletic director. He comes to campus from South Bend where he was the assistant program coordinator at the University of Notre Dame in the Academic Services Department for Student-Athletes. Holmes is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and is currently finishing a Master of Science in Sport Management degree with Florida State University.
Jeff Merritt is the assistant director of athletics and varsity white basketball assistant coach. He has extensive athletic experience including continuous work with John Lucas Resources in player development, as assistant coach at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and most recently as the assistant coach at Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida. Merritt earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business management and entrepreneurship from Clemson University.
Chad Tallman teaches history to English as a Second Language (ESL) students, provides academic support to international students, and coaches boys soccer. Tallman brings considerable experience in working with students from other cultures. Previously, he was a sociology and political philosophy lecturer, research fellow, and advisor at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, an English instructor at Chung Dahm Institute in Seoul, South Korea, and a teacher at the South Bend English Institute in South Bend, Indiana. Chad received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, South Bend and a Master in Peace, Conflict, and Development Studies from Universitat Jaume I in Spain.
Amanda Pietrzak is the advancement coordinator and supports the admissions, fundraising, and marketing aspects of La Lumiere. She comes to La Lumiere from St. Mary of the Lake School in New Buffalo, Michigan where she was a second grade teacher. Pietrzak earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana.