Sue Halmhuber Chrostek

Suttons Bay MI

Spouse: Dave

Children:  Karin Chrostek / Scott Chrostek / Jill Bayless

Education:  Graduated from Central Michigan University, BSinED Major: Physical Ed, Minor: Business Ed

Bio: After college, and few jobs in business, my husband and I returned to Birmingham to raise our family. We loved the neighborhood schools and enjoyed the strong family community.

After having three children, I returned to my education roots and began coaching at Seaholm in 1985. I coached women's varsity gymnastics and tennis (travel soccer too). I received the MHSAA Coach of the Year award for gymnastics in 1995 after many successful seasons. It was very rewarding to help young women practice, compete and earn varsity letters in sports as these opportunities were not available to women during my high school years at Seaholm.

While coaching I began teaching the life skills course to special needs adults at Groves High School, which then gave me the opportunity to apply for a position at Midvale Elementary School which was the future home of the BPS Early Childhood Center. I was on the ground floor of opening up this tuition based program that combined typically developing students with special needs students. It was a passion driven endeavor and the team of teachers who started the BPS-ECC created a caring and creative atmosphere for the BPS districts youngest children. I attended Midvale as a student (as did my three children) and teaching in my former 5th grade classroom somehow felt like my life had come full circle.

I retired from Birmingham Public Schools in 2012 and can truly say I loved every minute coaching and teaching in Birmingham Public Schools. My children, Karin (MSU), Scott (UM) and Jill (MSU) all graduated from Seaholm, taking advantage of the wonderful educational environment and athletic opportunities, then graduated from college, all married, and now I have 7 grandchildren.

In retirement I have completed a program to be a Northern Michigan Naturalist (NMC). I am a volunteer Lead Instructor on the Inland Seas which is a 77 foot schooner which inspires curiosity and a passion for the Great Lakes helping students from all over the state become Great Lake Stewards.

My husband and I sing in several community and church choirs and hike whenever we can. We have extensively hiked the National Parks in Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. We researched, planned and summited Handies Peak one of Colorado's "Fourteeners" together. Our most recent trips were hiking across Scotland and a walking/bus trip in Israel.

We currently live in Suttons Bay, Michigan but frequently return to Birmingham to visit our youngest daughter who lives in Beverly Hills. We will eventually have grandchildren in the Birmingham Public Schools and believe it's still a great place to raise a family.

My photos: