MEET OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS 2010- 2011
Teacher Dorothy Habecker (grade K/1)
Teacher Dorothy is in her 28th year of teaching young children. She has taught in Friends education for 15 years, public education for 10 years, and has also worked in day care and as an educational consultant for an early intervention research project. When she's not at school, she loves to be outside - hiking, backpacking, camping, canoeing, and gardening. When she can't be outside, she loves to sew, quilt, knit, read and hang out with friends and family. She also plays a mean game of Scrabble! Dorothy has a B.A. in sociology, teaching certification in early childhood, and an M.S. in curriculum and instruction. She has been a member of State College Friends Meeting for more than 25 years. Dorothy has years of experience as a trainer and facilitator in conflict management, and she treasures the time she has spent doing the Alternatives to Violence Project trainings in communities and in state and federal prisons. Dorothy loves teaching young children because she gets lots of hugs and gets to laugh every day.
Assistant Teacher Megan Fletcher (K/1 Teacher Dorothy’s class)
Teacher Lisa Gamble (grade K/1)
Teacher Lisa's passions have always been studying and spending time in the natural world and working with children. She loves to learn about the many fascinating plants and animals with which we share this earth and discover the interrelationships of all living things. Spending time outside hiking, canoeing, backpacking, or just observing helps her maintain (or regain) an inner strength and serenity. Lisa finds sharing her love of nature with children exciting because they have such a natural sense of wonder and children also make each day more fun and exciting. Before becoming a classroom teacher, Lisa worked as an environmental educator and was later a full time mom, home schooling her children for their first few years of elementary school. Lisa has a B.A. in Biology and an M.S. in Experiential Education.
Assistant Teacher Nancy Sommer
This is Teacher Kelly’s fourth year with Friends School where she began as an assistant teacher in our 3/4 and 5th grade classes. Kelly received her degree in elementary education from Penn State and has worked as a substitute in the State College Area School District. In October 2006, Kelly had the opportunity to step into the role of a full-time third grade teacher, and successfully led the class for the rest of the year. Kelly also has experience as a library skills instructor and in developing summer day camp programs. In addition to her teaching experience, Kelly is familiar with the Friends School through her duties as a Jazzercise class monitor. She lives in Pine Grove Mills with her husband, dog, and three turtles.
Assistant Teacher Becky Conner
Teacher Becky is a native of State College and a recent graduate of Penn State with a B.S. in Elementary Education. Becky served last year as a student intern for 3rd grade in the State College Area School district. With a love of the outdoors, she spent a great deal of time throughout her college life studying outdoor/alternative education at Shaver’s Creek. She also served as a counselor at several local afterschool programs and camps. Becky enjoys being outdoors, learning about nature and caring for two wonderful kittens – Ramona and Tela. Through her love of nature, Becky wishes to foster in each child a sense of wonder as they work together to learn about the natural world and the connection of all living things. She also enjoys listening to live music, quilting and sewing and of course, hiking and biking -- anything outdoors
Teacher Sunna deForest (grade 2/3)
Teacher Sunna joined us as a lead teacher last year, bringing an extensive background in teaching, conflict resolution, yoga, and Quakerism. Before joining us at Friends School, Sunna lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she taught at Chinook Montessori Charter School, Elicarvicuar School, Pearl Creek Elementary School, and the Alaska Boreal Forest Council. Sunna’s areas of expertise include service learning, environmental education, adventure learning, behavior intervention, and integrated curriculum development. Additionally, Sunna minored in Russian and Russian literature and is proficient in French, Peace Games, and computer applications. Sunna and her husband Russell are attenders of State College Friends Meeting.
Assistant Teacher Elizabeth (Elli) Bragg
Teacher Elli is the assistant in the second and third grade calssrooms this year. A PSU alum, Elli holds a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies. After working for two and a half years as a family and youth counselor with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Elli returned to Penn State to complete a graduate certification program in Elementary Education. Elli’s student teaching experience was in a 3rd grade classroom at Penns Valley Elementary School. Before joining the staff of the State College Friends School, Elli also worked for several months as a services worker for Lutheran Family Services of Virginia. Elli is excited to return to the State College area and to the classroom.
Teach Nick Jackson (grade 4 and Soccer Coach)
State College Friends School welcomes Nick Jackson as our 4th grade teacher and assistant soccer coach.
Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nick taught 6th grade Social Studies last year in Philadelphia before moving to Centre County. Prior to his experience in Philadelphia, Nick taught 3rd grade for ½ a year in Sioux Falls. With an Elementary Ed major (with endorsements in Middle School Language Arts and Coaching Soccer), and a minor in Music, Nick can often be found singing and strumming his guitar as a means of delivering lesson content. This supports Nick’s philosophy that it is important to appeal to various learning styles. In addition to music, he incorporates drama and kinesthetic activities in his delivery of content. Whether it’s through sports (Nick “loves all kinds" but soccer is his favorite) music or improve in the classroom, he works to build community through problem solving and reaching out to students using a variety of methods – all in an effort to get them to give their best!
Teacher Tim Austin (grade 5)
Teacher Tim grew up in State College, Pennsylvania and graduated from State College High School; however he has called many other places home during his life. Tim has lived and worked in England, South Africa, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Texas. Teacher Tim currently lives in Centre Hall with his wife Deborah. During his travels he has come to understand that although each person is a unique individual, all have the same basic needs in life. As a teacher, Tim’s goal is to prepare his students to meet their own needs, whatever those needs may be, and get them ready to lead happy lives. Tim believes that a teacher’s most important job is to create an environment that stimulates and encourages children’s intrinsic need to learn. He feels that because successful learning is rewarding, the desire to learn grows with each year a child spends in a setting that values their efforts. As a fifth grade teacher at Friends School he has had the opportunity to help his students learn how to learn, how to solve problems, how to adapt to changing situations, and how to have positive relationships with other people. In his spare time Tim enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hiking with his wife and four dogs. When the weather forces him indoors he likes to spend time with his family, especially his grandchildren! Tim spends his extra time restoring old Yamaha motorcycles. Tim received a B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University, in May 2004, and joined the Friends School in the fall of 2006. As part of his continuing professional development Tim is currently taking a Pennsylvania Department of Education sponsored course titled: Using Graphic Organizers: Tools for Organizing Thinking.
Assistant Teacher Rebecca Rumbel (Teacher Nick and Teacher Tim's 4th and 5th grade classrooms)
Teacher Rebecca serves as assistant teacher in the classrooms. Rebecca is a PSU graduate with a B.S. in Recreation and Parks. She has worked for over 7 years at the Shavers Creek Environmental Center. She has served as the Assistant Director of the outdoor school, taught summer camps, and facilitated teambuilding workshops for student and adult groups. Rebecca is also a certified yoga instructor and leads classes at the Center for Well Being in Lemont. We welcome her and her family to Friends!
MEET OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS
Teacher Bailey Kellerman (lead teacher)
Teacher Bailey grew up in the small town of Tidioute, Pennsylvania located on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest, canoeing, exploring, and collecting insects. Bailey still loves insects, animals, and the outdoors. Much of her free time goes toward caring for her ever-growing menagerie, which currently includes two Great Pyrenees dogs, five cats, a macaw, hamster, and fish (at home) and a turtle; fish; mice; a rat; leopard gecko; ball python; iguana; two chinchillas and a guinea pig, and of course, crickets! (at school). More recently, Bailey has taken an interest in astrophysics and is reading her way through the Richard Feynman canon. Bailey is thankful every day that she works at Friends School, a place where she can share her love of science with others and where animals, experiments, and adventures of all kinds are encouraged. Teacher Bailey's undergraduate degree is from the Forest Sciences program at Penn State, and she also earned an M.S. in Entomology from Penn State.
Teacher Christy has taught for fifteen memorable years at Friends School. When she was interviewed at the school, her immediate reaction was, "What a wonderful school!" She was impressed that the students were being taught how to learn, not what to learn and that they were doing instead of passively listening. Teacher Christy embraces the Quaker testimonies that guide the school and values the teaching practices where students are given opportunities to perform community service, and are taught how to use words rather than fists to settle conflicts.
Christy's love of gardening, sculpting, Asian cultures, martial arts and music have found a home in the themes she has taught over the years.
Having always loved language arts, Teacher Christy earned a degree in secondary English education from Lock Haven University. She lives in Bellefonte with her husband, John, her daughter Kathleen who attends Juniata College, and her cat, Blue. MEET OUR SPECIALIST TEACHERS
Teacher Cindy Hanczar (art and physical education)
Teacher Cindy is an experienced athlete who has played on high school and college volleyball, softball and track teams. Cindy describes her goals in PE as learning to play and understand popular sports, emphasizing the importance of fitness, agility and strength, encouraging good nutrition through a healthy diet and hydration…..but most of all, HAVING FUN! She and her family, husband Gordon and son Jake, live in State College. In addition to physical fitness and sports, she enjoys art of all mediums.
Teacher Lou Ann Schafer (lower school music)
(bio and photo coming soon!)
Teacher Ann Clements (middle school music, Peace Choir)
(photo coming soon!)
Ann is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Penn State. She has served as a junior high school music teacher and as director of music education for the University of Washington.
Teacher Rebecca Lerner (yoga)
Namaste and Om are two of Teacher Rebecca's favorite words! She has been practicing yoga for over 30 years and teaching yoga to all ages from senior citizens, pre/post natal, to children. Rebecca has introduced yoga to many local groups including the American Lung Association, the Centre County Prison Society, HRB, SCASD Wellness Days, Delta Program, and the MS Society. Prior to entering the yoga world Rebecca was a jeweler, hand engraver and goldsmith. Rebecca has been an attender of State College Friends Meeting since 1988 and has sent three children through Friends School. Rebecca holds near and dear to her heart her 1001 fond memories of Friends School, gathered while being an active participating parent from 1988-2006. Teacher Rebecca began as a volunteer in 1988, teaching yoga to the k/1 students. Since that time, due to its success, yoga has become a weekly class for all students, grades k - 8. Yoga philosophy of non-violence, contentment, truthfulness and self-control are innately held within the Quaker testimonies of peace, simplicity and integrity. These parallels are shared within the yoga curriculum and stimulate amazing responses from the children. It is an honor and joy to teach with these children! Rebecca and her husband co-own and direct the yoga program at the Center for Well-Being (est. 1976) in Lemont, PA. She is a JR. Int. III certified Iyengar yoga teacher, as well as a Bradley childbirth instructor. Teacher Rebecca has traveled to India five times to study with her teachers. Rebecca continues her lifelong pursuit of yogic knowledge, natural healing with herbs, foraging for wild edible plants, good books, and cozy family times.
Teacher Cathy Herrera (spanish)
Teacher Cathy perfected her Spanish Language studies while a Fulbright Scholar to Peru for two years, playing as principal flute of the Peruvian National Symphony Orchestra. She enjoys an international performing career that often combines her love for the Spanish Language and music, by touring in Latin America under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy. She holds a Doctor of Music degree from the Florida State University where she has also taught Spanish for the Department of Foregin Languages. She has taught Spanish in a variety of settings, ranging from preschool through university level.