Mr. Sova: Assistant Principal

Q: How many years have you been in education?

A: I started in 2006, so just shy of 12 years. 

Q: Where did you get your degree?

A: I went to UW Eau Claire for my undergrad and then MSOE for my MBA

Q: What is one thing that is difficult about being a new staff member?

A: Same answer as what I’m excited about; [I] don’t necessarily have a load of relationships built up, so the challenging part is learning 1,300 names and who they are as human beings.

Q: What is one thing that you are looking forward to this year?

A: Relationships. 100% relationships. [Homestead] is a warm, welcoming place, students and staff…it’s a pleasure to come to work.

Q: What was one challenge going from teaching to administrating?

A: In teaching, your primary responsibility is the students in your class. With administrating you add layers because there are more stakeholders. You add parents, societal pressure for the school to perform, the community.

Ms. Blahnik: Social Studies Teacher

Q: What classes do you teach?

A:I teach AP Psychology and US History. 

Q: What are you most looking forward to this year as a Homestead teacher?

A: Definitely getting to know students and parents in the community, and working with new colleagues and administration to help all the students at Homestead and in Mequon-Thiensville.

Q:What do you love about teaching?

A:I love to see students from the beginning of class and how they develop and grow throughout the term or the year, or even over the course of a few years. 

Q:If you could go back to high school, what would you be most excited about?

A:I think I would take myself a little more seriously. It’s easy to see that in hindsight, right? So I probably would try a little bit harder to apply myself even further in both academics and athletics.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have three books, which would you choose?

A: Probably George Orwell’s 1984, John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, and, definitely Gretchen Rueben’s The Happiness Project.

Mr. Palzewicz: Computer Science Teacher

Q: Where did you teach before Homestead?

A: I taught for one year at Messmer Highschool in Milwaukee.

Q: How many years have you been an educator?

A: This is my second year teaching. I was at Messmer last year and I am starting my second year at Homestead. 

Q: What are you looking forward to this year?

A: I am looking forward to teaching students in my community. I am excited to meet and teach high schoolers.

Q: What was your first impression of Homestead?

A: Definitely a big layout. And the students here really care about academics, it’s fun to be in that kind of culture.

Q: What are you most nervous for this school year?

A: I would say making sure I do right with my students and making sure that they succeed.

Mr. Lindsey: Business Teacher

Q: Where did you get your degree?

A: I went to UW Milwaukee, but I got my degree in accounting and finance.

Q: How long have you been an educator?

A: This is my 5th year teaching.

Q: What is difficult about being a new staff member?

A: For me it was the timing of when I came on board, and losing a week of getting to know my students. I have to figure out where and how the kids work.

Q: Where did you teach before?

A: I was at West Allis in west Milwaukee. For the first few years I was a traveling teacher, and I would have been full time at Nathan Hale this year.

Q: How does it feel to graduate from Homestead and now teach here?

A: Very interesting. If you would have told me as a freshman, who could barely get out of bed to get here by 7:25, that if I were to fast forward 10-15 years I would be getting here by 6:30 as a teacher, I would not have believed you.

Ms. Felten: Science Teacher

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: I teach Biology, Honors Biology, and then the next two trimesters I’ll also have Honors Chemistry.

Q: What was the best part of your summer?

A: The best part of my summer was being able to spend some extra time with my son. We had a couple extra weeks with my moving jobs, so it was super awesome.

Q: What do you love most about teaching?’

A:I love the curiosity of students, and the back-and-forth of questions, that’s really my favorite part.

Q: What are you most looking forward to this year as a Homestead teacher?

A: I’m most looking forward to getting to know everybody and the culture around here. Everything that I’ve seen so far has been really amazing.

Q: If you could go back to high school, what would you be most excited to do?

A: I would probably be most excited to run track and pole vault again.

Mr. Spieles: Math Teacher

Q: Have long have you been teaching?

A: I have been teaching for 6 years.

Q: What school did you come from to Homestead?

A: I came from Carmen Northwest.

Q: Where did you go to college?

A: I went to Lakeland College in Wauwatosa.

Q: What are you most excited for this school year?

A: I am most excited to build relationships. Especially with the freshmen that I have in geometry now, I could have them later on in pre calc as juniors.

Q: What is one thing you did over the summer?

A: I went out west. We went to Colorado and did some hiking.