Endurance House

bshanson@kusd.edu

My name is Mr. Hanson, though some teachers might accidentally call me Mr. Bergen (my first name sounds a lot like a last name). This is my 4th year teaching 8th Grade English, my 5th year teaching English at Lance Middle School, and my 9th overall year with KUSD.
I come from a family of educators- my father is a counselor at Washington MS, my brother teaches Music Therapy out in Colorado, and my wife is also an English teacher at Washington MS.
During the year, you’ll very likely see me wear flannel regardless of the weather outside, hear me talk about the crazy places my wife takes me around the world, and endure my geeked out tangents about obscure media from before you were born.

ahoffman@kusd.edu

I graduated from Marquette University in 2010 with a double major in Criminology and Social Welfare and Justice. I then realized I wanted to be a teacher! I graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 2012 with my teaching license, and have been a teacher ever since. I started teaching reading and science to middle school students on the Northwest side of Milwaukee, where I also coached middle school girls’ basketball. I then taught 6-8th grade math in a Milwaukee Public School for 5 years. In 2017, I got married and my husband and I moved to Sturtevant to be closer to family. In 2019, I transferred to Kenosha Unified and taught 2nd grade at Forest Park Elementary for 3 years. I received my Masters in Special Education from UW-Milwaukee in 2018. I joined Lance in 2022 as a 6th grade math teacher. In 2024, I started teaching 8th grade math at Lance. Professionally, I love to see students grow not only academically in math, but also see them build confidence in math. My husband, Paul, and I have two children: Ava and Alec. Personally, I enjoy traveling with my family. I have been to 11 different countries in my lifetime and cannot wait to visit more!

shamdan@kusd.edu

I am Mrs. Hamdan and I have been teaching 6th grade science for a decade now. In my science class, we focus on exploring, investigating, and applying our learning in hands-on activities. I was born and raised in Jerusalem and it is taking me a long time to adjust to Wisconsin’s long and cold winters! Outside of school, I enjoy hiking and traveling with my family. Speaking of family, I am happily married to my husband, Moe, and we have three children. Let’s not forget about my favorite fur baby, my dog Mila!
I truly consider Lance Middle School not just a place of work, but a second family where I get to create wonderful memories every day with my students and colleagues. I look forward to getting to know my students each year and creating more memories.

kvitkus@kusd.edu

I am Katie Vitkus. Over the past 15 years I’ve taught most subjects including English, Math, Science, and Social Studies across the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. I also dabbled in Family & Consumer Education and Computer Literacy. For the past ten years I’ve settled into my favorite subject area, Social Studies, and have spent the past six years in 8th Grade US History. I have a Masters of Arts in Teaching and a teacher certification in English as a Second Language. I’m heavily involved in school activities, having coached, led field trips (consider joining our Washington, D.C. trip), and run socials to help enrich the social aspects of Lance for our students. I am passionate about ensuring success for every student and making school a positive experience for all students. Outside of work, my family takes precedence; I spend the majority of this season of life cheering on my kids from the bleachers of whatever sport they’re currently involved. Our family enjoys annual spring break trips and summer vacations. I truly love the Lance community and would like to welcome all of the new students, staff and families to our building. Go Bolts!

hgaddy@kusd.edu