“I would like to accomplish lifelong learners with limitless curiosity and appreciation for our world,” said Mrs. Tonja Gerondale, a new teacher here at Notre Dame Academy.

Gerondale graduated from Luxemburg-Casco Spartan High School near Green Bay and stayed in Wisconsin by later attending UW-Oshkosh for college. She majored in Education and Life Science.

After that, she lived and taught in a lot of different places, including Missouri, Texas, Minnesota and Colorado.

“I became a teacher because I wanted to share my passion for the sciences with young minds,” she said.

With all this experience, Gerondale decided to finally settle in Wisconsin and become a teacher at NDA.

She initially started as a substitute teacher at this school for several years, but is now an official science teacher.

“I began subbing here, and I loved the atmosphere,” she said. So, she decided to stay.

Gerondale is currently teaching Biology and Physical Science at Notre Dame, classes usually taken by freshmen and sophomores.

She described her style of teaching as being “as interactive as possible,” by making the class more connected and having them do more work than just notes. 

She hopes that her students will be “learning by doing,” and not just studying for points.

Although learning is her passion, Gerondale likes doing a lot of things outside of the classroom, such as art, hiking, the beach and spending time with family and friends.

So far, she has had a great time here at NDA and hopes to use her interactive teaching skills to make her students excel.