Click on the teacher's picture to access the class page.

Director: Mrs. Susan Kirby will direct the school for the 18th year. She teaches English in Junior High and oversees the curriculum for each grade. This ensures each grade building upon the others and avoiding "holes" in the student's education. Mrs. Kirby graduated from Teachers' College in Toronto, Canada in 1967. She first taught for the Toronto School Board, where she was designated a Master Teacher after her first year. She later taught for the Mississauga School Board. She took a break from teaching professionally while her children were young and returned to substitute in the greater Toronto area. When her children were all in school, she taught for 5 years at Challenger School in Orem. She has been at Ivy Hall since 1991, and the Director since 1992. Mrs. Kirby has four children and twelve grandchildren.

Office Manager: Mrs. VerDaun Bingham will resume the position of office manager this year. She and her husband have been married 39 years and have 8 children, 22 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. In her early days she raced sports cars with a professional sports car club in California. She is the youngest of 6 children; loves going to movies, seafood and cooking. She loves snow skiing at 72 and is so happy to be administering the Ivy Hall Academy Ski Program this year. She has held administrative-clerical positions for close to 40 years.

Pre-K: A native of Orem, Utah, Mrs. Neilsen has been our Preschool aide since August. Our former teacher, Mrs. Andrea Quinn, trained her to enable a smooth transition when she left to stay home with her new little daughter. Mrs. Neilsen has three children who are students at Ivy Hall. She has been married to her sweetheart, Scott for 10 years. Her mothering skills and her experience with children make her an excellent preschool teacher.

Pre-K Aide: Mrs. Christine Williams will be assisting in the preschool at Ivy Hall this year. She is a native of Utah, but has lived in Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia. Her greatest accomplishment has been to be a mother of three and still live to tell the story. Mrs. Williams' professional experience in education has primarily been with Pre-K through third grade, focusing on English as a Second Language and Special Education Preschool.

	All-Day Kindergarten: Mrs. Whitney Harken is entering her third year with us. She is the youngest of seven children. She grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. She's been married to her best friend, Dallas, for 26 years. They have four children. Their family loves camping, going to the Manti Pageant, and bowling with their Wii.

1st Grade: Mrs. Kathie Hunter begins her 18th year at Ivy Hall. Needless to say she has extensive experience and the patience of a saint. Many students have benefited from having her as a teacher, and nine grandchildren enjoy her as "Grandma".

	1st Grade: Mrs. Suzanne Forstrom will be teaching first grade in the afternoons this year.

2nd Grade: Miss Nichole Willden has been teaching at a private school in Springfield, Missouri for five years. She studied Education and Child Development at Ozark Technical College. She is very excited to be teaching the 2nd Grade this year. The classroom is her favorite place to be, and teaching is her greatest passion. Besides teaching, she also enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She loves to visit museums and theatres. She writes novels, poetry, and children’s books. She loves to write and direct children’s plays. In her free time she goes up into the beautiful mountains to dream.

3rd Grade: Mrs. Joyce Jensen is our 3rd grade teacher. She has her degree in Secondary Education with an endorsement in Music. She has eight children, the youngest of whom is twenty years old. She had five boys first, then three girls. At the moment, she has 17 grandchildren. Mrs. Jensen has a broad experience in teaching. When her children were young she conducted a home school program for them and others in her neighborhood for five years. She has taught in public school for a number of years. Most recently she was a Music Specialist in the Nebo School District. Her love of life has resulted in directing many presentations in children's theater with up to eighty children participating at one time. She has directed fifteen children's productions in the valley. She has taught piano for twenty years and also taught voice for a time.

4th Grade: Mrs. Hannah Ashmore is teaching Fourth Grade. She was born and raised in Georgia and attended private school as a child and youth. She graduated with a degree in Secondary Education English. She taught sixth grade at Ivy Hall four years ago, then moved back to Georgia. She and her husband, Mike, recently returned to live in Lindon.

5th Grade and 6th Grade: Mrs. Lynne Shumway was born in England, raised in New Zealand, raised a family in Australia, and is now a genuine American Citizen. Now you try and work out that accent! This is her third year at Ivy Hall. She is a trained teacher and has worked in the education field for many years, both in classroom and in administration. She is excited to be working with the Fabulous 5th Grade and the Super 6th Grade this year. Mrs. Shumway is an avid fan of the great outdoors, enjoying fly-fishing, camping, and hiking. She also enjoys writing, reading, traveling, and the challenge of new experiences.

6th Grade: The 6th grade will be taught by Mrs. Shumway this year, with Mrs. Cynthia Simpson teaching math.

Junior High: Ms. Michelle Mathews starts her ninth year at Ivy Hall. Previous to teaching here, she taught in the Nebo School District. Before moving to Utah she lived in several U.S. states and in Greece, Italy, Germany and Spain. She has three children. She enjoys reading, running, playing, watching, and coaching sports. She is excited to teach middle school and looks forward to another great year. She says: "I am grateful to work at Ivy Hall where we can learn while feeling safe and loved. I appreciate the things I learn daily from my co-workers and my students."

Spanish: Mrs. Amanda González is our new Spanish teacher. She served a mission in the foreign country of Alaska and there she learned Spanish! She graduated from UVU with a degree in Spanish Education. She loves teaching Spanish and is excited to help the Ivy Hall students to learn about different cultures and improve their language skills. She and her husband, Carlos have been married for 2 ˝ years. She loves travelling and trying new foods. She also loves reading, being outdoors, running, playing racquetball and spending time with family.