The Second Grade Team
Sheri Alber
My name is Sheri Alber and I’ve been teaching at Peirce for 15 years. Before that I taught in Cabrini Green, and before that I was teaching in Cleveland, OH. I’ve taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade, and I find 2nd grade to be amazing. The kids grow so much and become so much more independent.
I got my BA in Psychology (best major ever!) from Allegheny College, and 1 year later had a Master’s Degree in Education. Later, I headed back to grad school and got an endorsement in reading and ESL.
I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age, and teaching is my passion. My goal is to help each and every student reach his/her full potential: academically, socially, and emotionally.
I am also a mom to a sibling group of 3 beautiful girls that my husband and I adopted out of foster care. They are now 16, 13, and 9 years old - and very busy!! Last year we adopted a 1 year old dog, Sofi, from Best Friends Animal Shelter in Utah. She is very sweet.
I am looking forward to getting to know my students and their families. It is going to be a great year of learning, growing and having fun! Please reach out if you have any questions. My email address is under my maiden name: [email protected].
Geri Baumgarten
My name is Geri Baumgarten and I am one of the teachers in room 224. This is the beginning of my 7th year at Peirce and 16th year of teaching.
I grew up in New York and then attended the University of Kansas where I studied Theater and Film. Upon graduation I decided to join AmeriCorps and was placed in Chicago. It was here that I attended National Louis University and earned a Masters in Education. I recently renewed my National Board Certification with a focus on Early Childhood Education and obtained an ESL endorsement.
In my spare time I love to hang out with my husband and our 9 year old twin boys. We love to do all the fun things around Chicago as a family. When not out and about, we like to do art projects at home and play with our dog Oscar.
I am so excited for the new school year and to get to know each and every student and their family. I am a firm believer that the key to education is communication between families and educators. Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected].
Victoria Delgado
I am excited to start my 29th year of school all here at Peirce! I have taught music, 3rd grade, and 2nd grade throughout those 29 years. I am a mother of 4 grown children who all attended Peirce as well. My oldest daughter is also a CPS teacher. I have a 4 year old grandson. I am a fluent Spanish speaker who is trained in working with English language learners. I am excited to work with your students this year.
Lauren Graney
My name is Lauren Graney and this will be my 9th year of teaching at Peirce Elementary. For the first 7 years of my career, I taught physical education at Peirce.
In 2011, I graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. At DePaul, I worked for the DePaul Women’s Basketball team as a manager. I traveled all over the United States as a working member of the staff. My senior year of college, I was given the opportunity to travel to the south of France with the team. In 2014, I graduated from Concordia University Chicago with a Master of Art in Curriculum and Instruction with English as Second Language.
I am looking forward to a positive school year and I am so excited to get to know Peirce families in a different way. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns – [email protected].
Cory Muschong
Hello! My name is Cory Muschong. My husband Peter and I have two daughters who attend Peirce. Marilyn will be in seventh grade and Beverly will be across the hall in Mrs. Delgado's 2nd grade classroom.
I have been a part of the Peirce community since Marilyn was in Miss Hopkins’s pre-k class, in 2010. Before 2010, I was a singer, a server, and a yoga instructor. I decided to go back to school as a direct result of my experience as a parent helper in Mr. Wanberg’s class. After having been a recess-monitor at Peirce for a few months, I attended Northeastern Illinois University. I graduated in 2016 and began substituting at Peirce. Not long after, I was offered two consecutive maternity leaves- one in middle school, the other in first grade. I then taught third grade and absolutely loved it. This will be my second year in 2nd grade and I can’t wait to get to know your children and you. This year will be fantastic.
I still sing, both for a living and in class. My classroom is a place of fun, growth and creativity. My favorite thing to do is laugh with my students. Work is important, but being that I have the privilege of spending so much time with your kids, it’s got to be fun and joyful, too.
My name is Sheri Alber and I’ve been teaching at Peirce for 15 years. Before that I taught in Cabrini Green, and before that I was teaching in Cleveland, OH. I’ve taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade, and I find 2nd grade to be amazing. The kids grow so much and become so much more independent.
I got my BA in Psychology (best major ever!) from Allegheny College, and 1 year later had a Master’s Degree in Education. Later, I headed back to grad school and got an endorsement in reading and ESL.
I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age, and teaching is my passion. My goal is to help each and every student reach his/her full potential: academically, socially, and emotionally.
I am also a mom to a sibling group of 3 beautiful girls that my husband and I adopted out of foster care. They are now 16, 13, and 9 years old - and very busy!! Last year we adopted a 1 year old dog, Sofi, from Best Friends Animal Shelter in Utah. She is very sweet.
I am looking forward to getting to know my students and their families. It is going to be a great year of learning, growing and having fun! Please reach out if you have any questions. My email address is under my maiden name: [email protected].
Geri Baumgarten
My name is Geri Baumgarten and I am one of the teachers in room 224. This is the beginning of my 7th year at Peirce and 16th year of teaching.
I grew up in New York and then attended the University of Kansas where I studied Theater and Film. Upon graduation I decided to join AmeriCorps and was placed in Chicago. It was here that I attended National Louis University and earned a Masters in Education. I recently renewed my National Board Certification with a focus on Early Childhood Education and obtained an ESL endorsement.
In my spare time I love to hang out with my husband and our 9 year old twin boys. We love to do all the fun things around Chicago as a family. When not out and about, we like to do art projects at home and play with our dog Oscar.
I am so excited for the new school year and to get to know each and every student and their family. I am a firm believer that the key to education is communication between families and educators. Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected].
Victoria Delgado
I am excited to start my 29th year of school all here at Peirce! I have taught music, 3rd grade, and 2nd grade throughout those 29 years. I am a mother of 4 grown children who all attended Peirce as well. My oldest daughter is also a CPS teacher. I have a 4 year old grandson. I am a fluent Spanish speaker who is trained in working with English language learners. I am excited to work with your students this year.
Lauren Graney
My name is Lauren Graney and this will be my 9th year of teaching at Peirce Elementary. For the first 7 years of my career, I taught physical education at Peirce.
In 2011, I graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. At DePaul, I worked for the DePaul Women’s Basketball team as a manager. I traveled all over the United States as a working member of the staff. My senior year of college, I was given the opportunity to travel to the south of France with the team. In 2014, I graduated from Concordia University Chicago with a Master of Art in Curriculum and Instruction with English as Second Language.
I am looking forward to a positive school year and I am so excited to get to know Peirce families in a different way. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns – [email protected].
Cory Muschong
Hello! My name is Cory Muschong. My husband Peter and I have two daughters who attend Peirce. Marilyn will be in seventh grade and Beverly will be across the hall in Mrs. Delgado's 2nd grade classroom.
I have been a part of the Peirce community since Marilyn was in Miss Hopkins’s pre-k class, in 2010. Before 2010, I was a singer, a server, and a yoga instructor. I decided to go back to school as a direct result of my experience as a parent helper in Mr. Wanberg’s class. After having been a recess-monitor at Peirce for a few months, I attended Northeastern Illinois University. I graduated in 2016 and began substituting at Peirce. Not long after, I was offered two consecutive maternity leaves- one in middle school, the other in first grade. I then taught third grade and absolutely loved it. This will be my second year in 2nd grade and I can’t wait to get to know your children and you. This year will be fantastic.
I still sing, both for a living and in class. My classroom is a place of fun, growth and creativity. My favorite thing to do is laugh with my students. Work is important, but being that I have the privilege of spending so much time with your kids, it’s got to be fun and joyful, too.