Mrs. Lori Wukmir has been a part of our school community since 2004, teaching music and drama! A native of Colorado, she first made a living in the Twin Cities as an actress before receiving her teaching license from the University of Minnesota. She loves getting to know ALL the kids at NDA, but looks forward most to putting them all on stage!
Mrs. Brittnee Olson graduated from the University of Minnesota with her Masters in Art Education. Working with students is a passion of hers. Over the past ten years she worked with students in a variety of ways including nannying, teaching in early childhood education and elementary education. She values teacher and student relationships and seeks to create a safe environment for her students to learn and grow in the art classroom. Mrs. Olson's goal as an Art Teacher at NDA is to help empower students to create artwork that is meaningful to them. Mrs. Olson enjoys hiking, running, art, baking and spending time with her husband, Sam, son, Elijah, and their dog, Rosa.
Mrs. Maggie Turner started at St. John’s in 2007 and joined NDA when the two schools merged to become a regional school in 2013. She has her M.A. in Education from St. Thomas University and her undergrad from Messiah College. She loves seeing the kids practice speaking in another language and being excited to learn about different cultures. Mrs. Turner enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.
Mr. Daren Tesch earned his B.S. in Physical Education from Minnesota State University - Mankato and has been teaching in the Catholic school system and directing athletics for over two decades. On any day you may find him teaching health to the middle school students in the classroom, teaching Physical Education to students in Kindergarten - 8th Grade, or supervising the gym during our home sporting events. He believes in teaching life long health skills to keep our students healthy long after they leave Notre Dame Academy.
Mr. Bestler came to be the Director of Bands at the Hopkins/Minnetonka Catholic Schools in 2000 after several years of working at Hopkins High School. In addition to directing the Notre Dame Academy Bands, he is a performing multi-instrumentalist in the Twin Cities metro area and conducts two adult professional bands. He also teaches the Jazz Studies program at Chaska High School and is the owner operator of a local small business. If you’d like to reach his class website, click here.
Mr. Stoffel comes to Notre Dame Academy from a 20+ year career as a software developer in a wide range of fields and industries. Since 2020, he has been a volunteer teacher of computer programming at the high school level and a volunteer teacher/assistant for STEM at the grade school level. He has a deep passion for technology education and is dedicated to preparing the next generation for the technological possibilities and challenges of the future. Mr. Stoffel enjoys going on bike rides with his wife and two daughters, taking his dogs for walks, and creating things using his variety of technical skills. He can also be found on the amateur radio bands as KF0VZY.
Mrs. Kirsten Segar has taught for over 20 years joining NDA in 2020. She earned her B.S. from Minnesota State University, Moorhead and a Master’s of Education (M.Ed.) in Teaching and Learning from St. Mary’s University in Winona. Over the course of her career, Mrs. Segar has enjoyed a variety of educational roles including being an elementary classroom teacher, a middle school teacher, and a math and reading specialist. No matter what the role, Mrs. Segar’s purpose is the same - to create an environment where students thrive academically and emotionally by building relationships and encouraging curiosity.
Mrs. Nelson is the Learning Assistant for grades K-4. After graduating from St. Olaf and working in the business world, teaching and training adults, she left to raise her two boys, both of whom attended NDA (PK through 8th grade). She understands first hand that everyone learns differently and feels blessed to be able to support the students in any way possible, helping them to feel confident and successful. She joined NDA as a staff member in 2023.
