About us... Mr. Beck: I am beginning my sixth year of teaching at WJHS. I will be teaching sixth grade language arts and social studies. Prior to this year, I taught seventh grade language arts and social studies for four years at WJHS. I grew up and graduated high school in Highland, Illinois, which is where my parents still reside and earned a bachelor’s degree from SIUE. Outside of teaching, I’m entering my fifth year of coaching varsity and junior varsity boys and girls bowling at Waterloo High School. My wife, Candice, is also a teacher at Zahnow Elementary School and teaches kindergarten. We have a son named Samuel. All three of us live in Waterloo, and I love spending time with them. I also enjoy outdoor activities, such as fishing and hunting, and I enjoy rooting for the Cardinals, the Indianapolis Colts.
Mr. Dahm: This is my 5thyear teaching at Waterloo Jr. High. I will be teaching math on Team Avalanche. I earned my Bachelors degree in elementary education from SIUE. Along with teaching, I am the assistant Jr. High softball coach and I am the JV boys’ baseball coach. I grew up in Belleville, IL and still live there today with my wife, Liz and our dog Lehra. In my free time I like to spend time with my family and friends. Some of my favorite hobbies are watching or playing sports and doing things in the outdoors, such as fishing and deer hunting.
Mrs. Dahm: I grew up in a small town in northern Illinois. I attended Illinois State University and earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Deaf and Hard of Hearing along with an elementary certification. Later I attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE) to earn my Master’s degree in Reading. I also have an Educational Administrative certificate from SIUE. I currently reside in Swansea with my husband, Steve. I enjoy reading, cooking, and getting together with friends.
Ms. Duvall: This is my fourteenth year teaching science at WJHS! I am originally from central Illinois where my immediate family still lives. I first came to Waterloo on a caving trip to Illinois Caverns. I love shows like Planet Earth, Mythbusters, National Geographic and C.S.I. I have a cat named Maddie, and an energetic dog named Indy! I like to read, ride my bike, play volleyball, watch movies, cheer on the Packers, work on computers, and take pictures. I have also played paintball for the first time this summer! Ouch! I hope to one day ride the entire length of the Katy Trail, win a photography contest, and see the Cardinals win another world series!
Mrs. Paulissen: I am originally from northern Illinois but have been in Waterloo for 22 years. I received an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Waubonsee Community College then earned my Special Education degree from Western Illinois University. I am married and have 3 children and 1 grandson. I have been working in the Waterloo School district for 13 years.