Ms. Megan McLaughlin
I am beyond proud to be the new 8th Grade
Administrator. I am originally from Massachusetts
(GO PATS!), but I came to Washington, D.C. to
attend American University to study Literature and
Secondary Education. After that, I earned my
Masters in Gifted Education from Johns Hopkins
University. This is my 18th year in MCPS. While
this is my first year as the 8th Grade Administrator,
I was a 7th Grade Team Leader in 2005 when
LMS opened its doors. Both of my daughters will
be students at Gibbs ES in Germantown, so the
current school year is incredibly exciting for my
entire family.
Ms. Amy Zeigler
8th grade World Studies Teacher
8th grade Team Leader
Welcome back! I will be your student’s teacher for 8th
grade U.S. History and leading the 8th grade team
activities and programming this year. I am from
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and graduated from The
American University in Washington, D.C. with a degree
in International Studies and Education and just finished
my Master’s degree at UMD (but my loyalty lies with
Penn State). This is my seventh year teaching and fifth
here at Loiederman. I have a dog named Dexter and
love ice cream. One thing you may not know about me
is that I love water-skiing and running. I am very excited
to start a new year at Loiederman!
Mr. Chet Hardy
This is my 2nd year as a Loiederman lion and my 15th
year as an MCPS school counselor. I have worked at the High
School level for 13 years and am glad for the opportunity to
work at LMS. I earned my BA at West Virginia State University
and my MA at Bowie State University. The thing that I love
most about my job is that I get to make a difference each day I
come to work. Parents- thank you for trusting me with your
children, I am humbled.
I am a humanitarian. In 2011 I resigned from MCPS and
moved to Zimbabwe, Africa to start my own non-profit
organization “The Hardy Trust” where I work with impoverished
school children.
I love being a father to my 4 kids and having my 12 year old
here at LMS with me everyday. Also, I am looking forward to
having my 1st grandchild in about 7 months.
Ms. Dory’Ann Benjamin
Band Director & Digital Music
Teacher
Hello, hope you had wonderful summer, I am excited to be here at
Loiederman for the second year and a part of the 8th grade team. I grew
up in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and moved to the mainland to pursue
my BA in Music Education with an emphasis in Trumpet Studies at
Norfolk State University. After graduating I worked in Iraq as a
government contractor supporting the troops, before returning to St.
Thomas to teach elementary school music. I started playing both the
trumpet and steel drums when I was eight years old and continue to play
both instruments to this day.
One thing you may not know about me is that I have a miniature yorkie
named Yoshi and I love to collect sneakers. I have traveled to many
countries around the world, my favorite place in the world is Dubai.
Ms. Bruck
Art Teacher: Art 8, Foundations Art A/B and Digital Art
My joy as a teacher comes when all students gain
confidence in their thinking and creative skills, so they can
powerfully express their ideas. I earned a BA in Art Ed.
from Rowan University, NJ and a MFA in Studio Art from
Maryland Institute College of Art.
This is my 21st year teaching...eee! I have taught
elementary through high school art in Philadelphia and
Falls Church, VA. My own art uses printmaking, digital
video and large scale installations. I find inspiration hiking,
mountain biking and exploring the city.
Mr. Jose Castro
8th Grade US History
Hello everybody, this is my 11th year at Loiederman.
I was born in Mexico, raised in Texas and Mexico.
This summer my family was very active hiking, fishing,
kayaking, caving, and living outdoors. Our youngest is
now a walking one year old! Our family travels a lot.
We love to go on adventures and find interesting things
to do and great food to eat. My boys and I are huge
Lucha Libre fans. (My uncle was a luchador)
Three boys and myself = an empty fridge!!!
This summer I got my first tattoo, which made me
the last one out of my family to get one. My
mom, dad and sister all had me beat on that.
Welcome to the 8th grade!
Blue Demon!
Ms. Michelle Cohen
Hello Everyone!! I am proud to be an ESOL teacher
at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School. This is my
second year at LMS. I have been teaching in MCPS
since 2001. I am a native Californian, but have lived
in Maryland for a LONG time. I am a proud parent to
twin boys--Arizona & Hanan Guzman. They are
REALLY good students--like ALL OF YOU!! I love to
travel, dabble in photography, and eat Indian food.
Let’s have an awesome year together!!
Ms. Alyssa DeLand
8th Grade English
Hi everyone! I am new to Loiederman this year and it
is also my first year teaching! I am originally from
Connecticut and moved down here to attend the
University of Maryland. As an undergraduate I earned
my B.A. in English Language and Literature, then
returned to earn a Master’s Degree in Secondary
English Education. During my graduate program I
interned at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in PG
County where I taught 12th grade on-level English,
11th grade AP Language, and 10th grade ESOL. 8th
grade is a big change for me, and I am very excited to
see what the year at Loiderman brings and to get to
know all of my students!
Mr. Garland
Teaching science allows me the opportunity to explore
with students the wonderful, physical processes that Nature
offers to us. Directly behind me is Mt. Saint Helen before
her last major volcanic eruption
At home I enjoy bicycling, nature hikes, gardening,
fishing, bowling and day trips with my wife and three
children.
Ms. Guzman
Welcome to another exciting new school year at Loiederman .
I look forward to teaching Intro to computer art
and helping you explore your creativity and inner artist.
I was born in Queens, New York, but grew up in Maryland. My family is from El
Salvador. I am the first person in my family to graduate
high school, college and attain a Masters degree in
Instructional technology. I have been teaching for 13 years. I can speak Spanish and
Italian. I love writing, art, travel, music, sports, new technology, and race car driving
games.
I am the edline user for the school. If you have questions about edline, I can help you
before or after school in room 107. (by the health room)
Mr. Shawn Hillman
I am extremely happy to be part of the ESOL family. I have
taught ESOL for the past 19 years and teach all grades. I
have taught classes in middle school, high school and
college. I have my BA in Justice, Law and Society from
American University as well as my Master’s in International
Training and Education from AU. I love football and was an
assistant coach for Northwest High School varsity and
Rockville High School varsity teams.
Mrs. Stephanie Keith
Welcome 8th graders and parents. I am an 8th grade U.S. History, Read 180 and resource teacher. I
have been at Loiederman for 8 years and with MCPS for 19. I have an undergraduate degree in art
therapy and a master’s degree in special
education.I had a wonderful relaxing
summer much of which was spent hiking
with my daughter, Emily, and, sometimes,
with my crazy golden retriever, Clancy.
I am looking forward to Loiederman’s
eleventh year and getting to know all
of you better. I, like Megan, am also a
Boston fan-in all sports.
Mr. Benjamin Minturn
Hello! I hope you all enjoyed your summer! Welcome to Health and PE this
year! I teach 8th grade PE and Health. I am from Damascus, MD and
graduated from Shepherd University with my BS in Physical Education. This is
my 3rd year teaching and my 3rd year at Loiederman Middle School. Aside
from my love for teaching,I enjoy the beach and I coaching sports. I coach the
boy’s basketball team and also serve as the Intramural Coordinator for afterschool activities. I also coach high school football at Quince Orchard. I am
looking forward to another great year!
Ms. Chrissy Moore
Greetings and Salutations! I am one of two Lights! Camera!
Literacy teachers at LMS; I am excited to be starting my
third year here and my 6th year of teaching. This year I
will be teaching all three levels of LCL. I have a B.A. in
English (with a track in Film) and a B.A. in Theatre from
Salisbury University, an M.A. in Educational Theatre from
New York University and an M.A. in Teaching from
Salisbury University. I got married this summer and have
three cats named Coles, Aspen and Riley. I went to Key
West Florida this summer and went snorkeling for the first
time in my life; the first fish I saw was a Caribbean Reef
SHARK! It was awesome! One thing you may not know
about me is that I am the Copy Editor for a new print
magazine called Sass Magazine based out of Frederick,
Maryland, I love love love to sing and I am Greek.
Ms. Robyn Paley
I am the theatre teacher at Loiederman and I love
working at the only arts magnet school in MCPS! I
grew up in Island Park, a small town in Long Island,
NY. I have a BA in Literature and Secondary
Education from American University and a MA in
Theatre Education from Emerson College. This is
my 16th year of teaching, and my seventh at
Loiederman. Something interesting about me is
that I have two parrots, Tommy and Gandalf the
Grey. In my spare time, I love to bake and spend
time with my children, Ethan and Adyn.
Ms. Marquia Parker
8th Grade Co-teacher Algebra Prep & Math 7
Greetings! I hope you enjoyed your summer break. I will
be your teacher for 8th grade Resource and Algebra Prep.
I am from Topeka, Kansas. I graduated from Southern
University in Baton Rouge, LA with a BS in Business
Management and from Trinity College with a MAT in
Special Education.
This will be my 12th year teaching middle school math,
and my 4th year here at LMS!
Outside of school I enjoy swimming, playing tennis and
my family. My son is a 10th grader this year in MCPS.
Ms. Sheria Pope
Greetings class of 2016!
Welcome to 8th grade! I am excited to work with your child this year. I am looking forward to
seeing their overall growth, as they begin to think about high school & their career pathways.
I was born and raised in Ohio and spent 4 years in Maine for college.I have a BA from
Bowdoin College and MA from Notre Dame of Maryland University. Some interesting facts
about me- My grandmother is currently 105 years old and my grandfather lived to be 104
years old as well. In addition, my great grandmother lived to be 105 years old.
I have a son in college studying computer programming. He plans to be the CEO of his own
Software Engineering company one day. I love my family who is my foundation and support.
What will your child plan to do in the future? Use this school year to explore and discover with
your child the answers to the question “Who am I?”Create opportunities for your child to
follow their passion, heart, and career pathway to success. Remember we are a school to
home TEAM. I believe Together Everybody Achieves More! Have a great school year.
Mr. Craig Powers
Welcome students and parents. This year,
I am teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish 2.
I grew up in Montgomery County. I hold
Masters degrees from Tulane, in Latin
American studies, and from Johns Hopkins
in Teaching; I am a Central America
specialist. This is my first year at
Loiederman and my ninth year teaching.
I love spending as much of my summer as possible in Guatemala.
Ms. Stacey Royal
8th Grade Science
Hello! I am excited to teach both 8th and also 6th grade
science to the wonderful students of LMS!
I am originally from Rochester, NY, and have lived in
Baltimore for 8 years after moving from NYC in order to
complete my masters degree at UMBC. Aside from science,
I have a deep love for dance! I have danced in college and
professionally, and currently teach hiphop, tumbling, and
contemporary classes. I have an AMAZING six year old
daughter, and am getting married in the fall of this year!
Ms. Amy Shellabarger
English 8
It is such an honor to be teaching English at LMS! I
come to Loiederman after having taught ReadingWriting Workshop 6 in the Upper County Humanities
Center, part of the magnet program at Clemente MS
in Germantown. Before that, I taught English 8 in
Stafford County, Virginia. I am a graduate of
Montgomery County Public Schools and the
University of Maryland--School of Journalism.
When I’m not at school, I’m spending time with my
three girls. We love to visit the library, hike local
trails, attend theater, and sing and dance whenever
the opportunity arises!
Ms. Thea Singleton
8th Grade Algebra Prep & Honors Geometry
Hi there! I hope you had a wonderful summer with your
child! I will be your student’s teacher for 8th grade
Algebra Prep. or Geometry.
I am from Mill Valley, CA (a small town near San
Francisco). I graduated from Iowa State University with
a BS in Elementary Education in 2003, and from
Stanford University with an MA in Education in 2004.
This will be my 12th year teaching middle school math,
and my 5th year here at LMS!
Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family.
My son will be in 4th grade this year in MCPS. He and
I both dance at Maryland Youth Ballet.
Ms. Jessica Stouffer
Algebra
Investigations in Mathematics
This is my first year at LMS and I am excited to
be joining the team! I am from Frederick, MD and
received my degree in Middle School Math and
Science Education from the University of Maryland.
When I am out of the classroom, I enjoy spending time
with friends, visiting my family, or watching Netflix.
Mrs. Shawn Thomas-Royster
I am so glad to be starting my 10th year at LMS! I teach Algebra, Algebra
Prep, and head LMS’ Math Department. I was born and raised in Baltimore,
Maryland, until I came to College Park for college. I graduated from
University of Maryland at College Park with a B.A. in Elementary
Education. I later earned my master’s degree in Instructional Technology.
Although I taught elementary school for several years, my love of math and
my fondness for 11 - 15 year-olds led me to start teaching at the middle
school level 18 years ago.
Back when I was in middle school, I was in all the plays, played the flute,
and got along with all kinds of students. My favorite school assignments
were the ones that allowed me to be creative. I especially loved
making up skits with my best friend, who was in all my classes.
Outside of school I love to dance, bowl, sing, and hang out
with my husband and kids (5, 7, 13, and 25 years old).
I know this will be a great year. I’m so excited to get to
know you all.
Mr. Clinton Thomas
2016
2015 -
Hello everyone my name is Clint Thomas and will
be the Roar room teacher and have a 8th and 7th
grade Resource class. I to want welcome you
back to a great school year ahead of us here at
Loiederman Middle School. I’m looking forward to
working with all of our students and our wonderful
staff.
When I’m not at school I enjoy time with my
family, fishing, cooking out, traveling (driving my
truck), watching a good movie, taking pictures,
and watching the sun rise.
I’m starting my 36th year working in Montgomery
County Schools. I earned my BS from Frostburg
State and my MAT in Special Education from
Trinity College.
Ms. Stacie Wallace
Hello! I hope you all enjoyed your summer! Welcome
to Health and PE this year! My name is Stacie
Wallace and I teach 8th grade PE and Health. I am
from Westminster, MD and graduated from Towson
University with my BS in Physical Education. In
June, I graduated from Nova Southeastern
University with a Masters of Art in Teaching and
Learning. This is my 3rd year teaching and my 3rd
year at Loiederman Middle School. I am super
excited to see what this year will bring!! Besides my
love for teaching, I am a huge Baltimore Orioles &
Baltimore Ravens fan and I try to go to as many
games as possible! I also enjoy running and I will be
running in my 6th race of the year on September 5th.