STrEaM STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Amy Bonertz

Amy Bonertz, Counselor

STrEaM added a counselor to the staff for the first time in 2019, hiring Amy Bonertz.
While Ms. Bonertz was working in Washington State before joining us, she had experience in the Anchorage School District, working in East Anchorage schools. Ms. Bonertz worked at Bartlett High School for 5 years prior to leaving Alaska. Her familiarity with the East Anchorage community is a big bonus! 

Ms. Bonertz and her husband were excited to return and re-connect with friends and family in Alaska after their long hiatus.   They missed Alaska, and are excited to once again be a part of the Anchorage community and enjoy camping, real winters and the great outdoors.

After leaving Alaska, Ms. Bonertz spent two years at Fawzia Sultan International School in Kuwait.
She then moved to Washington state, working as a middle school teacher, an academic advisor at Edmonds College, and finally as a school counselor.

Ms. Bonertz and her husband Casey enjoy traveling, hiking, and camping. During their time in Kuwait, they traveled throughout much of the Middle East and Europe including: Sri Lanka, Turkey, Oman, Bahrain, UAE, and France.  Since then, they've been able to continue traveling, camping throughout the Pacific Northwest in Washington and Oregon, and they recently took a trip to Prague, Czech Republic and Salzburg, Austria.  


Growing up, Ms. Bonertz always knew she wanted to work in education.  Coming from a small town Nebraska, she is a product of small classes and a close community which has fueled her passion for what STrEaM Academy offers.  She believes being in a close community with small classes gave her the confidence needed to strive in high school and eventually get a master's degree.  It also gave her a sense of belonging, having a voice in classes and great relationships with teachers and classmates. 

Ms. Bonertz thinks it's beautiful to see students excited about science, outdoors, nature, and being together.  Ms. Bonertz shared, "I believe in STrEaM's vision and mission and being a part of this excellent program has rejuvenated my love of education.  In the first week of school, I've witnessed the power that STrEaM Academy has on its students and families and I'm humbled to be given the chance to make it even stronger." 

Ms. Bonertz is the FIRST counselor ever hired at our school, and a perfect fit for the STrEaM Dream Team. She is focused on building positive and supportive relationships with students, helping them to feel safe at school and comfortable in their growth and learning. Ms. Bonertyz has taken a lead role with STrEaM's restorative practices, advisory, social-emotional learning, and assessment. We are so happy to have her in the STrEaM family! 

You can reach our counselor at: bonertz_amy@asdk12.org or (907) 742-9000