M.A. from University of Illinois at Chicago in English Studies

AMY FRITSCH has been at Jones since 1998, the first transition year to the college prep program. She created and taught the German program, as well as doing the initial set-up for Jones' partnership with Hegel Gymnasium in Magdeburg, Germany, through the Goethe Institut's German American Partnership Program (GAPP). The German program has since been discontinued due to lack of enrollment, and the GAPP program was ended in 2006, but she and her family continue to host visiting international teachers and students when possible.

Mrs. Fritsch has been teaching English since her second year at Jones, and has taught English I, III, and IV, and while she enjoys the upper grades, she truly loves teaching freshmen.

Mrs. Fritsch achieved National Board Certification in Adolescent and Young Adult English and Language Arts in 2004 and completed her Master's in English Studies at UIC in December 2006.

Mrs. Fritsch wrote the course description for CPS for the Shakespeare Seminar elective which she teaches at Jones and then, after popular demand from students, wrote the course description for Shakespeare B as well. The two classes, which cover eight plays each over the course of a year, are taught in alternating years, but are not consecutive courses. Mrs. Fritsch also, with outstanding guidance from our partner Judith Stein, created Jones' AP Literature curriculum.

Beginning in the 06-07 school year, Mrs. Fritsch has sponsored the Happy Hands Sign Language Club, Fandom/Gaming/Geek Club, and the Earth-Based Faith Club.

In her free time, Mrs. Fritsch spends time with her children Elisabeth (born 2001) and Benjamin (born 2002), with friends, and in writing and editing speculative and derivative fiction. She moderates several email lists for writers to do specific research (medical, historical, language, and legal) for their stories in the interests of greater accuracy. She hopes to go back to her hobby of making and wearing period costumes once the children are older.

Mrs. Fritsch feels particularly fortunate to have the privilege of working with the outstanding and challenging faculty and students at Jones, and with being able to work with the students' parents and families as well.