Personal Statement: I have been closely involved with Blacksburg New School since 1989—20 of its 38 years. Prior to my arrival in Blacksburg I earned a B.A. in Psychology and a teaching certification in Elementary Education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. While at SMU I revived the university’s national service organization chapter of Alpha Phi Omega and served as the chapter’s President. I taught a pre-K program and directed preschool curricula as I earned an M.S. in Child Development at Texas Woman’s University. Upon moving to Blacksburg I taught the BNS 1st Grade program for four years before returning to graduate study. I served as the school’s Board President for several years as my children attended the school and as I earned a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Virginia Tech. I focused my doctoral studies on family communication and the mental health needs of children. I worked as an outpatient clinician at New River Valley Community Services for six years. At NRVCS I worked with children, teenagers, couples, and families—focusing on mental health and substance abuse issues. I am both a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). In 2001 I returned to Blacksburg New School full-time to serve as the Kindergarten teacher and to provide leadership for the teaching faculty. Creating a learning environment for young children that is reflective of community, humor, academic rigor, and positive mental health is a joyful way to spend my days. BNS is my community, my family, my home.

Personal Statement: Blacksburg New School is a perfect fit for me as a teacher and as a parent. I appreciate working in such a positive, supportive, and cooperative environment, and knowing that my child is being nurtured and taught in this setting. I love that my child is a valued part of the classroom community as well as the larger school community. It has always been important to me to foster and support a sense of community in my own classrooms. It is exciting and heartening to witness children collaborating with and supporting each other. In addition to building relationships with their peers, I believe it is important for students to have time to think, read, express themselves verbally and in writing, explore their own questions and interests, and have fun with the learning process. I view my students as individuals with different learning styles and needs, and I believe the most effective way to help each child grow is to begin with her/his prior knowledge and life experiences and build upon that foundation.

Personal Statement: I began my professional career as an Army officer. Upon graduation from the University of Southern Mississippi, I was commissioned as second lieutenant in the military police corps. I received a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology. I served many tours of duty during my twenty years of military service to include Kansas, Alabama, Germany, and Washington, DC. During my active duty service, the military sent me back to graduate school, where I earned a Masters of Science degree in criminal justice and corrections. Upon my retirement from active duty, I went to work for the American Correctional Association, where I was responsible for the accreditation process of thousands of prisons, jails, halfway houses and electronic monitoring programs across the United States and Puerto Rico. I worked for this agency for three years before my husband and I decided to move to Blacksburg, Virginia. I had spent many years on the backside of the criminal justice funnel and saw the results of poor parenting, poor education, and low self-esteem. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people and perhaps keep some of them from being sucked into the funnel. Since moving to Blacksburg, I have obtained my second Masters degree, this time in Curriculum and Instruction.

Personal Statement: I earned a B. A. at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1993 with a major in English Literature and two minors: Mathematics and Japanese Language. I continued my education part time in geology at UMass before moving to Virginia in 1994. I am a caver who likes to explore and map new cave systems, so Virginia was the perfect place to move to pursue this passion. Having dreamt of becoming a teacher since the first grade, I decided to take advantage of Virginia Tech's rigorous program. I earned a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a K-8 Teaching Certificate in 1998 and began teaching at the Blacksburg New School in the fall of 1998. I taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades for 3 years before taking a few years off to raise a family of three children. During this time, I tutored students ages 7-14 in mathematics and language arts. In 2004 I planned the 7th and 8th grade math curriculum for the Blacksburg New School and taught those students for 6 weeks of the school year. In 2005, I began teaching algebra and pre-algebra in the Middle School. I believe that students learn best in a caring, cooperative, safe, and challenging environment. I am thankful to have chosen such a rewarding career and to have found the Blacksburg New School which effectively provides such an environment for all of its families and teachers.

Personal Statement: I’m delighted to be the new Spanish teacher at the New School. I have a B.S. in Spanish, a B.S. in International Studies from Virginia Tech, and a Masters degree in Foreign Language and Literature (Spanish) from West Virginia University. I taught 1 year of middle school Spanish in Baltimore City and 4 years of elementary and middle school Spanish at Harford Day School in Harford County, Maryland. I also have worked as the Spanish/Nature/Arts and Crafts teacher at Camp Timber Ridge in Radford for the past 6 summers. I have taught English in Spain for 4 summers and I visit there any chance I get! I am an active volunteer in the international community in Blacksburg and help with political refugees relocated locally and students at the International Center at Virginia Tech. I love teaching Spanish to children, and fostering their appreciation for other cultures and languages.

Personal Statement: I have been a professional musician for what seems like forever! My formal education includes private violin instruction, the University of Arizona (under a full music scholarship), the Juilliard School of Music (violin student of Dorothy DeLay), and Radford University (Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies). I have extensive professional experience in symphony orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and solo repertoire. I have previous teaching experience on the faculties of both the Cleveland Institute of Music and Radford University. I also taught in a string program for the visually handicapped at the Cleveland Society for the Blind. Currently, I am director of the Alleghany Music Ensembles (which includes being first violinist in the Alleghany String Quartet); and do a considerable amount of free lance work as a violinist. I also teach music privately and at the Blacksburg New School. I have taught the violin and music theory for over fifty years, in both private and institutional settings, and have amassed numerous awards, citations, and recognitions along the way, including the prestigious Sword-of-Honor from Sigma Alpha Iota, an international women’s music fraternity.