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Summit Teacher Profiles
October 2004
Summit's strength as a school is directly related to the quality of its faculty.
The selection process consists of an initial screening of application materials
by the chair or co-chairs of the Selection Committee. Completed application
materials from qualified applicants are then scrutinized by the entire committee.
The applicants with the strongest credentials are invited to teach a
demonstration class to Summit student volunteers while being observed by
committee members. After each class, the students provide their insights
and opinions in response to a set of questions presented by committee members
while other committee members answer the prospective teacher's questions
and discuss details of the Summit curriculum. After an applicant departs,
the committee discusses the students' feedback and their own impressions
of the candidate. Some applicants are invited back for an in-depth interview.
The files of recommended teachers are then submitted to the Summit Board
of Directors, which meets in executive session to discuss each candidate.
Approval is contingent upon completion of reference checks and successful
contract negotiations, handled jointly by the Hiring Committee and the Summit
Board.
The result has been a group of teachers who are not only extremely well qualified
but who have outstanding skills and the enthusiasm needed to bring out the
best in middle-school students. By any measure, students and parents have
been amply rewarded for the confidence they have placed in Summit.
Teacher and Administrator Profiles
Here are profiles of the Summit teachers and administrators for the 2004-2005
academic year. Some of the teachers are employed part time.
David Finell
Principal
M.S. Education, Curriculum, and Instruction, University of Southern California;
M.A. Education, Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles; B.A. Political Science,
University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Finell, Summit's principal, was born and raised in southern California.
He attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned his
B.A. in Political Science. He did his graduate work in education at the
University of Southern California and at Hebrew Union College, both in Los
Angeles. Mr. Finell earned a Master of Science in Education with a focus
on Curriculum Design and Instruction from USC and a Master of Arts in Education
from Hebrew Union College. Prior to joining Summit's staff, Mr. Finell had
been the principal at three independent schools, located in California and
in Colorado, over the past 20 years. An Adjunct Professor in the School of
Professional Studies at Regis University, Mr. Finell also teaches courses
in Religious Studies to undergraduate students. He also has experience as
Chief Operating Officer of a media relations company in Denver. He moved
to Colorado from California in 1994 with his wife, Dorey, and their three
boys, Arieh, Etan, and Benjamin.
Amanda Avallone
Assistant Principal, Curriculum Coordinator, English
M.A. Education, University of Colorado; B.A. English, University of Connecticut.
Ms. Avallone has worked as a teacher, administrator, and curriculum writer
since 1985 in public, independent, and charter schools, as well as in corporate
settings. Her writing experience includes creating educational materials
and curriculum guides for Turner Broadcasting and CNN programs. At Summit,
where she has worked since 1996, she teaches English IV and Literacy, serves
as Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, and directs the
Alternative Licensure Program. In addition to her duties at Summit, Ms. Avallone
works freelance as a consultant and teacher trainer. She also serves on the
National Assessment Governing Board, an independent, non-partisan board appointed
by the U.S. Secretary of Education to set policy for the National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP). In her free time she takes flying lessons,
hikes and skis with husband Bryce, and watches old movies with their two
pudgy cats.
Renee Reaven
Dean of School
Kendra Bartley
Counselor
M.A. Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education, University of Colorado
at Denver; M.A. Human Development, St. Mary's University, Minnesota; B.A.
Psychology, University of Colorado, Boulder.
Ms. Bartley is a Colorado native, and grew up in Boulder. After graduating
from Boulder High, she went to school in Norway for a year and learned to
speak Norwegian fluently. During her college years, she worked as a sensory-motor
therapist with autistic children, and as a music and drama specialist with
developmentally disabled children and adults. Later, she taught life skills
to elderly and handicapped adults as an adult education teacher in the Ventura
County School District in California. While living in Minnesota, Ms. Bartley
received an M.A. degree in Human Development, with a focus on child and
adolescent development. Upon returning to Colorado, she became a member of
the Longmont Violence Prevention Group, and wrote a federal grant to help
fund the Clearview Educational Center, a program for middle- and high-school
students who had been expelled from the St. Vrain Valley School District.
Later, Ms. Bartley became a counselor at Clearview. Ms. Bartley obtained
a second master's degree, in public school counseling, from the University
of Colorado at Denver. She also attained designation as a Nationally Certified
Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.
In her free time, Ms. Bartley enjoys camping trips with her husband and two
sons, as well as hiking, biking, and playing her guitar.
Sondra Barton
German
M.A. German, University of Colorado, Boulder; M.A. Latin, University of Colorado,
Boulder; B.A. German, University of Colorado, Boulder and Universität
Regensburg.
Ms. Barton was born in Elko, Nevada, and grew up in California and New Mexico.
She came to Boulder in 1969 to attend the University of Colorado, where she
received M.A. degrees in German and Latin. Ms. Barton has taught German at
the elementary, high school and university levels, as well as to business
clients, and was an original faculty member for the Kidlingua program in
Boulder. Ms. Barton taught German at Summit since the end of the 2001-2002
school year. She has worked as an interpreter in cross-cultural training
programs for German-speaking children. Ms. Barton is married with three children,
and after many years of home-schooling, she is very excited about being part
of the Summit team. Her hobbies include hiking, skiing and dancing.
Susan Baruch
Art
M.A. Teaching, Bennington College; B.A. Studio Arts, University of Colorado, Boulder.
Growing up on Long Island and in close proximity
to Manhattan gave me many opportunities to be immersed in the arts. As my
love of seeing and making art progressed, so did my love of nature which
brought me to the Rocky Mountains and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
I graduated with a BA Degree in Studio Arts with a concentration in painting
and photography. While at CU I found another passion: traveling. I studied
abroad in Jerusalem, Israel for six months and traveled extensively around
the Middle East and Europe. After graduating from CU, I moved to Winter Park
where I worked as a photographer and substitute teacher. Besides being a
substitute teacher, my teaching experiences range from a swim instructor,
to a Field Teacher at a residential outdoor environmental education center,
to teaching English in Peru. Most recently, I went back to school at Bennington
College in Vermont where I received my Masters in Teaching. While at Bennington
College, I continued to make art and explore new mediums, such as ceramics
and printmaking. When I am not teaching or making my own art, you can usually
find me outside biking, hiking, running or skiing. I am very excited to be
back in Boulder where I can bring my experiences, enthusiasm and passions
into my teaching.
Wendy Blakemore
Spanish
B.A. Spanish (minor in Italian), Stanford University.
As part of her college career, Mrs. Blakemore did independent research in
Tepoztlán, Mexico, in 1973 and attended "Stanford in Italy" in 1974.
Having gained a passion for travel and learning in a foreign environment
during her studies, Mrs. Blakemore became a flight attendant/purser with
TWA upon graduating from Stanford. Flying allowed her to visit many parts
of the world. The Spanish-speaking countries, whose language, history and
culture she loves to share with students, particularly fascinated her. With
the addition of a husband and two children, Mrs. Blakemore stayed closer
to home by flying less. She started teaching Spanish to preschoolers, which
coincided with her children's schedules. To combine her interests in children
and Spanish as her own children grew older, she expanded her teaching activities.
Retiring from TWA in 1989, she has taught Spanish to many students of various
levels and abilities, from preschool to college and beyond and in many settings.
She has been a counselor and instructor at Concordia Language Villages, a
language immersion camp in Minnesota. In August 2000, she received a Target
grant to attend a Spanish immersion teacher seminar through Concordia. Mrs.
Blakemore participated in an educational review in 1997 at El Centro
Bilingüe in Cuernavaca, México. Mrs. Blakemore has received
two Boulder Valley Foundation "mini-grants" to create indigenous instruments
in the classroom. Mrs. Blakemore is married to Kit Blakemore, an attorney,
and has two children: Katy, a senior at Stanford, and Patrick, a freshman
at Cornell University. Her free time is spent observing her students' activities,
volunteering in the community, running, cycling, and swimming. She and her
family continue to travel as much as possible, enjoying Spain, Mexico, the
Dominican Republic, Italy, and England in the past few years.
Mrs. Blakemore sponsors the Spanish Club and coaches Summit Boulder training
and the track team. She received the Summit Outstanding Teacher Award in
2003.
Thomas Blomster
Instrumental Music
M.A. Conducting, University of Denver; B.M. Performance, Metropolitan State College.
Mr. Blomster has been a professional musician
since he was 14 years old. He now assumes many roles in the music industry.
As a performer, he is Percussionist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic
and the Denver Municipal Band, a freelance musician throughout Colorado,
and plays drum set for "The Clay Kirkland Blues Band" and "Goat Magnet" (a
jazz group). Her is a former member of the Louisville (KY) Orchestra, Orquesta
Sinfonica de Mineria (Mexico City), the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, the Denver
Chamber Orchestra, and was Percussionist and Artist in Residence at St. John's
Episcopal Cathedral. Additional performances include the Colorado Symphony
Orchestra, the Boulder Philharmonic, the Evansville (IN) Philharmonic, the
Bedford Springs Music Festival (PA), and the Colorado Music Festival. He
spent four formative years performing at the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Blomster
is also the Music Director of The Mercury Ensemble which has recorded for
Sonora Productions. He has led the following ensembles on the podium: the
Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Denver Chamber Orchestra, The Mostly Strauss
Orchestra, and the Boulder Brass. He was Assistant Conductor for the Junior
Symphony Guild's educational programs "Inside the Orchestra" and "Tiny Tots"
for 10 years. As an educator, he currently teaches at Red Rocks Community
College and previously at Metropolitan State College of Denver and Monmouth
College (IL). He earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Metropolitan
State College of Denver and a Master of Arts in Conducting from the University
of Denver. In yet another role, he writes and arranges for The Mercury Ensemble,
Pangaea, Goat Magnet, and various other projects. His composition, "A Brighton
Serenade" is the title cut for The Mercury Ensemble's CD. Mr. Blomster resides
in Denver and enjoys cycling and gardening when he gets a break from his
many demanding musical roles.
Tim DeBerry
Physical Education
Andrew (Drew) Delaney
Mathematics
B.S. Secondary Education-Mathematics, York College, Pennsylvania.
Andrew Delaney grew up on Long Island then moved to Pennsylvania to complete
his degree in secondary education. After graduating from York College he
moved to South Florida where he taught in an academy for at-risk high school
students in Boca Raton, a Yeshiva in Miami Beach, and in Florida's first
charter high school. During his ten years in Florida, he worked both part-
and full-time with the First Choice Building Maintenance Company as a supervisor
and carpet tech. His wife, Cassidy, is working through her residency program
in Denver, which brought them to Colorado in June. He enjoys deep-sea
fishing and surfing, but has yet to find a good spot for those activities
since moving to Colorado.
Polly Doyle
Spanish
M.A. Spanish (Education concentration), University of Colorado, Boulder;
B.A. Spanish and Psychology, Ohio Wesleyan University.
Born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Ms. Doyle's love of the Spanish
language and culture began during her middle-school years. In 1994, she spent
a year living in Spain where she studied art and literature at the University
of Salamanca. Her teaching career started at Westminster School, a small
private school in Connecticut. In addition to teaching, Ms. Doyle coached
varsity field hockey, lacrosse, and swimming, and was a dorm parent for 40
15-year-old girls. In 2000, she moved to Boulder to pursue a master's degree
at the University of Colorado. During the summers, Ms. Doyle leads month-long
service, learning, and adventure trips in Costa Rica. In her free time, she
enjoys running, hiking, and going out to hear live music.
Jim Fogelberg
Astronomy
Ingrid Fotino
Mathematics
Ph.D. Mathematics, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York
University; M.A., Columbia University; B.A. Barnard College; Baccalaureate
(with honors) Lycee Francais de New York.
Born in Romania, Dr. Fotino was raised in New York and educated in French
schools. She brings to teaching the outlook of two different educational
systems and a critical approach rooted in her love for philosophy, which
culminated in a second place award of at the worldwide "Concours General"
competition among French baccalaureate students. The six years she worked
in aircraft icing research at NOAA's Wave Propagation Laboratory provide
her with a rich source of real-world applications with which she likes to
motivate her students. Her teaching career ranges from a stint as a teaching
assistant in Romanian language classes at Harvard, to elementary math classes
in New York, to calculus and applied math at the Colorado School of Mines
and the Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Eager for more direct contact with students, Dr. Fotino returned to secondary
teaching. A year as a substitute teacher in the Boulder Valley School District
convinced her that Summit was her dream school and she felt very fortunate
to be asked to join its faculty in 1999. Having taught all the Summit math
honors classes, she now concentrates on Proof Geometry and Algebra2/Trigonometry,
working to refine the curriculum and benchmarks for these courses. Dr. Fotino
received Summit's Outstanding Teacher Award in June 2002. She participates
in district curriculum meetings and served on an NSF panel in Washington,
D.C. ,on Teaching and Learning Centers.
As co-founder of a relief organization for needy families in Romania, Dr.
Fotino is active in bringing assistance to her native country. She has been
featured in a Romanian Television documentary on the unacknowledged massacres
she was privy to as a child prisoner in Soviet-era Yugoslavia. She and her
husband, Mircea, are now "semi-native" Coloradans, as their two daughters,
Domnica and Adriana, were both born and raised in Boulder. Sports, ballet,
and travel are her joys outside school.
Monica Haenselman
Library Para-Professional
J.D., Georgetown University; B.A. Spanish and Latin American Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder.
Ms. Haenselman was raised in
Boulder and attended the University of Colorado where she received a B.A. in
Spanish and Latin American Studies in 1985. After seeing a bit of the United States by living in California and Pennsylvania, she moved to Washington, D.C.,
to attend Georgetown University Law Center, where she received her J.D. in 1991.
Ms. Haenselman then moved to Chicago and practiced employment law until she moved to London
with her husband and 3-month old son. They returned to Boulder in 1995 and have stayed put ever since. Ms. Haenselman has three children, ages 5, 9 and 11, all
of whom attend Community Montessori. She enjoys reading, watching old movies
and participating in outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking and biking,
as well as watching other people play soccer.
Debby Hanssen
Health Room, Office Administrator
M.S. Human Nutrition and Nutritional Biology, University of Chicago; B.S.
Nutrition, Whitworth College, Spokane Washington.
Sam Havens
Social Studies, Physical Education
B.A. Economics, Carleton College.
Mr. Havens brings his academic background in economics, history, and political
science to the teaching of American History and brings his experience coaching
junior high school, high school, and college students to the teaching of
P.E. Before coming to Summit, Mr. Havens spent a year teaching English in
Nagano, Japan, through the Japanese Education and Teaching Program. While
in Japan, he combined his interests in athletics and working with young people
by coaching volleyball and soccer. He continues as a volunteer coach for
the Boulder Youth Soccer Association. Mr. Havens was selected as the varsity
coach for boys' soccer at Boulder High School in the fall season, 2002-2003.
In his spare time, in addition to coaching and playing soccer, Mr. Havens
enjoys movies, travel, reading, and sharpening his sense of humor.
Shelly Hendrick
Finance Manager
M.P.A. California State University, Hayward; B.A. University of California,
Irvine.
Benjamin Hirshfield
Choral Music, Theatre, Technology
B.A. Theatre (minor in Computer Science), Hamilton College.
Cheryle Kapsak
Social Studies
M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Sciences: Sociology, Psychology,
Religious Studies, University of Montana; B.A. Religions of the Upper
Mesopotamian Basin, University of Montana; Flute Performance, New England
Conservatory of Music, Boston.
Ms. Kapsak grew up in Missoula, Montana. Born into a family of musicians
and environmentalists, Ms. Kapsak headed east to Boston and studied flute
with the first flutist in the Boston Symphony for four years before pursuing
her academic work in the social sciences and religion. She returned to Montana
in the summers to camp and hike. Her love of teaching has always been central.
She has taught most of her adult life in a variety of settings, from poor
neighborhoods in Chicago to a prep school in Omaha, Nebraska. For the past
several years she has been teaching and designing curriculum at Regis University
in Colorado Springs and Denver. At Regis, Ms. Kapsak has been awarded the
Professor of the Year and Excellence in Teaching awards three times. She
has done sociological research for Habitat for Humanity and for the Montana
judicial system. Now living in Longmont, she and her husband, Dan, are the
parents of Gabrielle, and Mary, university students, and Hannah, a Summit
student. Ms. Kapsak received Summit's Outstanding Teacher Award in June 2001.
She is delighted to be part of the Summit faculty and hopes to continue to
make history a living and exciting reality for her students.
Christopher Koch
Social Studies
M.S. Human Ecology, University of Bordeaux, France; B.A. Environmental Science
and French, University of Colorado, Boulder.
Mr. Koch draws from a well of life experiences to teach World Geography at
Summit. A Boulder native, he left home to pursue a graduate degree in France
through a multi-national program sponsored by the World Health Organization.
While in France, he had the opportunity to travel in Europe, North Africa,
and the Middle East, and later worked on a Greek/Roman archaeological site
for six weeks in Israel. After college, Mr. Koch went to sea for three years,
studying fisheries populations off the Atlantic Coast for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, and later worked as an information technology
consultant for Fortune 500 companies. Outside of school, he spends as much
time as possible in the mountains -- hiking, camping, and exploring the world
with his wife, Valerie, and two daughters, Sophie and Savannah.
Valerie Ammon Koch
Mathematics
M.A. German Studies, University of Colorado; B.A. Germanic Studies, University
of Colorado.
Mrs. Koch began college as an Electrical Engineering major, but decided during
an elective German course that she preferred that course of study. While
finishing up her master's degree in German at the University of Colorado
she decided she loved teaching German and decided to pursue teaching as a
career. She was one of the founding teachers at Summit Middle School in 1996.
She taught German and was instrumental in developing the curriculum for the
German classes. Life does come full-circle, and the opportunity to teach
Algebra presented itself during Summit's first year. Mrs. Koch found that
she loved teaching math and in subsequent years has taught both German and
math. During that time she both taught and developed the Pre-Algebra, Algebra,
and the new Algebra B/Introduction to Geometry courses. She also has been
actively involved in writing and developing curriculum and standards for
the math department. Now with two children, Sophie and Savannah, she had
to make a decision between teaching math and teaching German. Tough as it
was, she decided to become solely a math teacher and has enjoyed every minute
of it. Mrs. Koch enjoys the challenges of juggling her professional and personal
lives.
Cynthia Kolanowski
English, Creative Writing
M.F.A. Creative Writing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; B.A. Creative
Writing, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.
In her autobiography, My Life Story, written at age 12, Ms. Kolanowski
aspired to be either a nuclear physicist or a fashion designer. She did not
then recognize that the union of the cosmic and the cosmetic is (of course)
poetry and for years she wandered Pennsylvania's valleys in search of
enlightenment. Not until she enrolled in a creative writing workshop at Carnegie
Mellon University did she realize that the poems she had been writing could
mean something. She dropped calculus, avoided all seminars on artificial
intelligence, won two awards for her poetry, edited Carnegie Mellon's literary
journal, and was named an Academic All-American in cross country.
The particulars of Ms. Kolanowski's life after college are somewhat unclear,
but it is known that: (1) She moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for the
U.S. Department of Justice in the Antitrust Division; (2) she was a reliable,
though not always agile, member of the Justice Department's softball team;
and (3) she developed an unnatural fear of law school, which led her to apply
to graduate programs in English. In 1996, Ms. Kolanowski moved to Ann Arbor,
Michigan, where she spent mornings drinking coffee and writing poetry, afternoons
studying Latin, and evenings congregating with others of like ilk. While
at the University of Michigan she won the Michael R. Gutterman Award in Poetry,
given to a graduate student whose poetry emphasizes the "new, the unusual,
and the radical" -- words Ms. Kolanowski finds a bit limiting. To support
her café-latte habit, she began teaching writing courses and soon
discovered that she loved teaching more than coffee.
After receiving her M.F.A. in 1998, she returned to her native Pennsylvania
and taught composition and literature at King's College, Marywood University,
and at the University of Scranton while continuing to work on her writing.
In 2000, she had poems published in CutBank and Spinning Jenny. Ms. Kolanowski
now enjoys the spruce and aspen of Nederland along with her persnickety Gordon
setter, Tess.
Laurie Kuelthau
Administrative Assistant
David Liebowitz
English
B.A. English, Columbia University.
A voracious reader throughout his life, he focused on 19th century American
literature and Shakespearean drama in his studies at Columbia. Prior to joining
Summit's faculty he worked as an instructional designer, developing curricula
for nurses and other health care professionals. He bounced between Washington,
D.C., and Brussels, Belgium, when he was growing up, which gave him a unique
perspective on societal interactions by being a part of two different cultures.
He also enjoyed the unique roles of both insider and outsider in each country.
Mr. Liebowitz is an avid runner. He placed third in the USATF New England
Championships and has run a mile in 4:06. Mr. Liebowitz is excited about
his teaching career at Summit and he hopes to learn as much from his students
as they will learn from him.
Anney Perrine
French
Ms. Perrine grew up in Chicago, playing soccer
in the mud and eating superb pizza. During college, Ms. Perrine volunteered
in schools for two years before becoming a Peer Advisor in the Sociology
Department, a position that won her advising and mentoring awards. She also
directed CU's Earth Education Program for a year, bringing environmentalism
to the classroom. Ms. Perrine also completed a Semester in the Rockies with
NOLS, and fell in love with the canyons of Utah. Seeking more adventures
and her first international travel experience, she studied in Thailand for
two months, focusing on the effects of development. From there she went straight
to France, studying language and cooking in Provence for six months. Upon
graduating, Ms. Perrine became a baker and a pastry chef while volunteer
teaching French and taking French courses at CU, with the aim of teaching
one day. After two years of smelling like food, Ms. Perrine turned to what
she knew was her true professional passion, and completed the Master's Plus
program in CU's Education Department. When she is not in the classroom, Ms.
Perrine can be found cooking (well, maybe more eating than cooking), traveling
in the U.S. and the Mediterranean, reading and wandering around in the mountains.
She is also currently working toward a second BA in French. What the Little
Prince might say is essential about Ms. Perrine is that she prefers her food
either very hot or very cold, listens to her intuition, is as interested
in kids as she is in grown-ups, and can't smell very well.
Haydee Phelps
Science
M.S. Geology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina; B.A.
Geology and English, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Ms. Phelps' first charter school experience was as a 6th grade teacher at
Exploris Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was the science
specialist for this grade level. Summer 2002 was her fourth summer as an
instructor for the Duke University Talent Identification Program, held in
the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. In any teaching
setting, she maintains a strong focus on field-based instruction and on a
student-centered, active classroom learning environment. She brings enthusiasm
about teaching science, active listening skills, and an atmosphere of
encouragement to her classroom.
Ms. Phelps held teaching assistantships as an undergraduate and as a graduate
student, and also has presented her academic and field research at professional
meetings in the Southeast. She welcomes the opportunity to learn more about
and apply her geology field skills to the rocks and boulders of the mountains
close at hand in Colorado.
Miriam Pollack
Special Education
Pam Ringenbach
Registrar, Office Manager
Joan Stone
Mathematics
M.S. Management Information Systems, American University; B.A. Mathematics, College of William and Mary.
Mrs. Stone was born and raised in Virginia.
(You will hear her southern accent every now and then!) Mrs. Stone attended
the College of William and Mary where she earned a BA in Mathematics. After
teaching secondary math of several years in public schools in Virginia, she
moved up the coast to Washington D.C. and worked as a computer systems analyst
for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While there, Mrs. Stone earned her MS
in MIS from American University. Then, 25 years ago, she again moved up the
coast - this time to Delaware - raising two children while working as a computer
systems professional for various large corporations, teaching undergrad MIS
courses at the University of Delaware, running her own computer consulting
business, and teaching math and computer classes to middle school students
at a small, independent school. Mrs. Stone moved to Colorado in August, 2004
with her husband Bob to enjoy life and be closer to their grown children,
David and Jennifer, who live and work in the Denver area. In addition to
teaching part-time math at Summit, Mrs. Stone has been accepted to teach
undergrad courses in Secondary Education as an affiliate faculty member in
the School of Professional Studies at Regis University. She may do that in
her "spare" time in the spring, if/when she gets her new house fixed up!
Peter Teasdale
Science
Post-graduate Certification in Education, University College of North Wales
Bangor; Honors Degree, Zoology, University of North Wales Bangor.
Mr. Teasdale brings a diverse range of experience to Summit. Before joining
Summit's teaching staff, he taught in the International Baccalaureate Program
at Poudre High School in Ft. Collins on a teacher exchange, with assignments
in Biology and Advanced Biology. Prior to his arrival in the United States,
he taught integrated science, GCSE Biology and Physics, AP Biology, and
Environmental Science at Ullswater Community College in the United Kingdom.
Earlier in his academic career, he served as the Head of the Lower School
Science department at Lindisfarne College, an independent school, and taught
at Samual Kings School and the Lakes School. While in the U.K., Mr. Teasdale
coordinated the introduction and development of new science courses, developed
a study skills program, coordinated teacher training to introduce scientific
methods and materials, created a website for the International Baccalaureate
Biology course, and contributed to the development of an interdisciplinary
unit on the environment. Mr. Teasdale has led student expeditions to Nepal
and Alaska. He was awarded a Glaxo Wellcome Environmental Science Fellowship
that allowed him to join a team of scientists on an Earthwatch project studying
the wolves and moose of Isle Royale. Mr. Teasdale is an avid bicyclist, having
completed cross-country trips in England and mountain circuits. He has recorded
his travels in photographs, and has been invited to lecture about his journeys.
Stephanie Donaton Weber
Science, Health
M.S. University of North Carolina, Wilmington; B.S. University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor.
Ms. Weber has completed her alternative licensure in science and is currently
studying business development and administration in Boulder. In 2002-2003,
Ms. Weber organized Summit's Science Fair, and in 2003 her efforts are being
focused on health education. In the fall of 2003, she organized the food
drive for the Community Food Share where over 980 lbs. of food were collected.
In addition, Ms. Weber remains active in the development of the BVSD Health
Education Standard in a district-wide committee.
Before coming to Summit, Ms. Weber was an environmental consultant dealing
with wetlands mitigation and permitting. She also studied urban wildlife
and ecology while teaching college level biology courses. Outside the classroom,
Ms. Weber enjoys coaching flag football, volleyball, and lacrosse. She is
looking forward to a good snowboarding season this winter with her husband
and their two dogs.
Cathy Woods
Librarian Media Specialist
M.L.I.S., University of Maryland, College Park; Certificate in Nuclear Medicine
Technology, Johns Hopkins Hospital/Essex Community College, Baltimore; B.S.
Biology, Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), Memphis, Tennessee.
Charlotte Gray, a British poet, once wrote, "The organized soul has one book
beside the bed. The glutton sleeps with a New York skyline lurching an inch
from the bed." Throughout her life, from her early years in Stuttgart, Arkansas,
during her college years at Rhodes College in Memphis, and during the years
she spent in Baltimore in graduate school and as a librarian at the Johns
Hopkins Medical Institutions, Ms. Woods always had a stack of books like
the New York skyline next to her bed. She says, "I love to read!" That's
one reason why she is excited about being Summit's librarian. She also enjoys
teaching other people how to find the information they need. The other activity
that she really enjoys is painting. She especially likes to paint landscapes
from places she has traveled and beautiful flowers she has seen. Ms. Woods
lives in Boulder with her husband, two children (one is a Summit student
and one is a Summit graduate), a Boston terrier, a Siamese cat, and lots
of books!
Neal Zettas
English
M.A. Education, University of San Francisco; Bay Area Writing Project credential,
University of California, Berkeley; B.A. English, University of California,
Berkeley.
Teaching is a second career for Mr. Zettas. Before going back to college
to earn his B.A. degree, he was a purchasing manager for an industrial wholesale
company. A recent transplant to Boulder, in his free time he enjoys coaching
the sports teams of his three active boys. In addition, he likes to camp,
bike, hike, and play ultimate Frisbee. Mr. Zettas says that regardless of
how little time he has left at the end of his day, he always saves enough
time to relax and read a good book.
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