Mrs. Lipsey has been working with preschool age children since 2011. In that time, she was a 3k preschool teacher and a nanny. In 2016, Mrs. Lipsey took time off to raise her two children and stay home with them. She has worked and loved working in preschool classrooms. For the last two years she helped and volunteered in her son’s preschool classroom for years 3k and 4k. She has now taught at Tall Oaks for one school year.

Mrs. Lipsey currently lives in Sturtevant, WI with her husband of 10 years, her 7 year old daughter, and 5 year old son. Hobbies include spending time with family, exploring pumpkin farms, going to the beach, gardening, going to parks, baking, and playing piano. Mrs. Lipsey’s favorite time of the year is Fall time when all the leaves turn and she can enjoy a good cup of coffee, surrounded by family and a great Pumpkin Farm!

Email: [email protected]

Mrs. Martinelli loves spending time with her husband, Kyle, and her kiddos. She met Kyle at Crossway Community Church, where they are still members. Mrs. Martinelli and Kyle were quickly blessed to have four kids in five years. They very much enjoy the outdoors- camping, fishing, biking, exploring national/state parks, or just building forts in the backyard. Mrs. Martinelli spends most of her time with family and friends, but also enjoys reading, home rehabbing, and attempting homesteading- chickens, gardening, preserving, teaching.

Mrs. Martinelli grew up in the Twin Cities and earned her BA in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas and her MS in Occupational Therapy from UW-Madison; completing clinicals at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Churchill School in NYC. She then went on to work in a subacute nursing facility, as well as inpatient rehab and home health, before staying home full-time. She homeschooled for three years before sending her kids to Tall Oaks in 2022. She continues to love to learn, experiment and create; she is passionate about helping others and is excited to be joining the TOA team in teaching Kindergarteners!

Email: [email protected]

Mrs. Dubinsky has loved being a part of the Tall Oaks team or the last two years! She studied art at UW-Parkside and mainly focused on painting, drawing, and ceramics. Before Tall Oaks, she was a florist in Milwaukee. She also had experience teaching swim lessons, dance lessons, and art classes at a camp for intercity children. This will be her third year with Tall Oaks Academy and teaching classical Christian education. She loves being a part of the mission of the school and to see God working in the hearts of these children.

Mrs. Dubinsky and her husband Jonathan have been married 5 years and have 2 beautiful pet ducks (Wolfina and Trixie) and a handsome cat (Tigger). They recently moved to the south side of Racine. The both love adventure, whether that’s camping, hiking, kayaking, or 60 feet underwater while scuba diving! A fun fact about Mrs. Dubinsky is she loves sharks and hates being stung by jellyfish! They also love their church family at Racine Living Light. As Christ has been their center all these years, they know nothing is impossible for those who place their faith and trust in Jesus.

Email: [email protected]

Ms. Utigard is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus Christ with children of all ages. This calling over her life started at the age of 17 after returning from a mission trip. Since then, every place of employment has involved working directly with children. She had the privilege of living half a year with a family of eight homeschooled children between the ages of 2-13, and she organized educational activities for the preschool children.

Ms. Utigard has a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies with 21 credits in early childhood education. As most of her places of employment were in urban locations, many of the children she has worked with were multi-cultural and multi-ethnic and most were marginalized and under-privileged. Over the years, she has also worked with faith-based organizations and churches. Positions have included Bible teacher, Bible coordinator, lead administrator, preschool teacher and preschool director.

In her free time, she loves to go for walks and enjoy nature. She also enjoys reading and interior decorating. Creating a cozy environment brings her joy. Ms. Utigard loves utilizing what she has learned from her varied roles of educating, nurturing and caring for children here at Tall Oaks Academy.

Mrs. Villarreal is so excited to be a part of the Tall Oaks family. She has been working with kids for over 10 years in different settings, including daycare, church nursery, VBS and other outreach programs, and as a homeschool mom. She has always enjoyed being a part of their instruction and development.

Her and her husband, Eddie, have been married since 2010 and have 4 children. They love going on family road trips, exploring new places, bike riding together and just spending time with each other. She is currently working on her degree in psychology with Indiana Wesleyan University, and cannot wait to see what the future will bring. Mrs. Villarreal is so happy to teach at Tall Oaks, and look forward with excitement and joy to the upcoming school year!

Email: [email protected]

Jason Hughes lives in Pleasant Prairie with his wife Sarah, son Jacob and daughter Shelby. They relocated to Wisconsin in 2014.

Jason received his Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Level Education (focus on History and Math) from Georgia State University and his Master’s Degree from Concordia University. He began his teaching career in Atlanta, Georgia and most recently taught at Kenosha Christian Life School.

Jason grew up in San Diego and despite being in Wisconsin for years, still can’t get used to the winter. His hobbies include coaching soccer and watching his kids play soccer, baseball, and gymnastics. He enjoys playing golf, volleyball, soccer, or any other sport he can find time for. He and Sarah enjoy live music, catching a movie, or finding a moment to spend together at dinner.

Email: [email protected]

Mrs. Zurbuchen is thrilled to join the team at Tall Oaks Academy. What a privilege, blessing, and an amazing answer to prayer! She loves the Lord and has a passion for teaching and missions. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign and her teaching certification through the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools. She served as a Children’s Leader in Bible Study Fellowship Int’. for 20 years, has taught 2nd Grade for 16 years, and has been on short-term missions trips to the Czech-Republic, Romania, and South Africa.

Mrs. Zurbuchen resides in Kenosha with her husband, Greg. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren! Her favorite hobbies are biking, pickleball, and making crafts.

Mrs. Nelson has lived in Kenosha all of her life. She and her husband have been married for nineteen years and have two children. They attend Kenosha City Church. They love the outdoors and enjoy hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing.

Mrs. Nelson has her Bachelor's degree in Management and Communications from Concordia University. She has worked with children in many different roles including volunteering in children and youth ministries, substitute teaching, homeschooling, instructional support, and teaching sixth grade language arts. She is so excited to be teaching sixth grade this year at Tall Oaks!

Email: [email protected]

Mrs. Reget has been a Special Education teacher in KUSD for 15+ years. She has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and also holds a Reading Specialist Certification. As a founding board member for Tall Oaks Academy, she believes firmly in the philosophies of Classical Christian Education and is so excited to join the staff at Tall Oaks to be able to teach the way she wants to, through the lens of Scripture.

Mrs. Reget has four grown children, and 5 grandchildren, 2 of which attend Tall Oaks so far. She and her husband Chris are members of Crossway Community Church and believe strongly in serving their community, having organized and head the INNs program at their church for 15 years and the local soccer community for upwards of 20 years.

Email: [email protected]

Mrs. Glover Krueger has been teaching since 1978. She came to Kenosha to attend Carthage College and she never left! Two weeks after graduating with a triple major (Art, Music, & Education) she began her career in Kenosha Unified School District. God has continued to open doors of favor to her in the area. She spent 14 years teaching 2nd Grade, Art, and Music at Christian Life School, and 29 years teaching Art Pre-K-5 (+Special Ed), in Racine Unified School District. During that time she acquired a Master’s Degree in Education, then went back to CLS to teach Art K-8 for 4 years. She has also been an adjunct professor at Carthage and taught workshops at the Racine Art Museum.

Mrs Glover-Krueger finds herself both privileged and BLESSED to have taught over 10,000 students throughout her career and now count it an honor to be here at Tall Oaks Academy to help lay a foundation for yet another group of precious souls. She prays that she is able to encourage them to appreciate God’s creation, and inspire them to want to tap into their God-given creativity. Through the use of Art materials, imagination, and Holy Spirit direction, she believes we will develop relationships that will cultivate a climate where each student can strive to be the best that they can be unto the Glory of God throughout their lives.

Mrs. Pitts grew up in Portsmouth, Southern England, in a family with many musical opportunities. From a young age she took piano & clarinet lessons, as well as being involved in vocal groups and orchestras. As a teenager Mrs. Pitts gave her life to the Lord and soon after became an active member of her local church worship team. She moved to London in 2004 to study for a BA in Music, then spent a year in Kenosha as part of the Living Light School of Worship, before returning to England to complete her teaching certification & then working as a teacher across mainly middle and high school age students. Over time she continued advancing her education with an MA in Applied Theology and returning to Kenosha in 2015 to be a part of the 2nd year program with Living Light School of Worship.

Whilst doing the 2nd year program Mrs. Pitts met her husband Zach and they married in 2017, when she relocated from England to Racine, WI, on a permanent basis. They now have 3 children and continue to be a part of worship teams in their local church congregation. Outside of the classroom and church environment the family enjoys being outdoors, watching movies (especially musicals!) and craft activities. Mrs. Pitts is excited to be part of the staff at Tall Oaks Academy with a passion to see children and young people fulfill their potential educationally, have opportunities to express themselves creatively, and come to know their creator God.

Mr. Skarzynski feels blessed to participate in such a wonderful program where Jesus is recognized and the education is genuine.

Growing up, he attended Horlick High School in Racine and later UW-Parkside in Kenosha where he graduated in the spring of 2024 with a bachelor's degree with majors in secondary education (6th-12th grade) and history. As of the fall of 2024 he is going back to school to get certified to teach PE. During his time as a student Mr. Skarzynski has strived to be a true student athlete. He was always involved in sports where he earned various academic honors and was offered a few scholarships in the meantime.

In his free time he is always doing something physical. He has a fondness for Brazilian jiu jitsu, weight lifting, and Muy Thai. Periodically he will play volleyball, hunt, fish, bowfish, and mountain bike at Petrifying Springs in Kenosha.

In PE class he hopes to teach his students about the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, and rest along with the practical implementation of these practices. He believes striving for fitness and health is not only a good way of life, but a way to honor God if done correctly. Mr. Skarzynski also strongly believes there are also good character traits to be learned through PE class such as discipline, cooperation, biblical humility, and mental fortitude. His mottos are… “Do everything to the glory of God,” and, “Failure is acceptable, but quitting isn't” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Salve! Mrs. Hubing brings 8 years of Latin learning and teaching to the table. As homeschooling mom, she has graduated three children from Classical Conversations and still has one who is in 8th grade doing the program. She has a Bachelor of Arts from North Central University in Theater and Communications, and has been a homeschooling mother since 2007. She and her husband Nick moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1999, and currently attend Living Light Church. She is also involved as a teacher and director with Christian Youth Theater. One of her favorite things to do is learn about languages, and read anything she can get her hands on. She finds it amazing how much Latin we speak every day without even realizing! One of her favorite Latin phrases is "Dum spiro, spero." which means, "While I breathe, I hope."

Mrs. Hubing is looking forward to the school year together. Deus tecum sit (God be with you).

Email: [email protected]