Chartwell School and The New High School Project New Faculty and Staff Marika Anderson joins The New High School Project as a math and science educator. She grew up in the Monterey Bay area and went on to earn a B.S. in Kinesiology from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and an Ed.M. in Mind, Brain, and Education from Harvard University. Prior to teaching at TNSHP, she worked as a learning specialist, focusing on math and science instruction in a one-on-one environment with middle and high school students with varied learning differences. When she is not at school, Marika enjoys anything that gets her outdoors or allows her to wield her glue gun! She loves spending time with her family, doing yoga and dance, and practicing her ukulele.
14
Rona Fennessy joins Chartwell as a new language, math, and humanities teacher. After growing up in Hyde Park, Chicago, she earned a B.A. in Anthropology from Northern Arizona University, a teaching credential from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and an M.A. in Reading Education from the University of Rhode Island. Rona has taught in diverse educational settings, including public and independent schools, as well as university classes. Her professional interests are focused on culture and literacy development for diverse learners. She loves to spend time exploring nature, studying ancient people, and reading about life today and long ago. At Chartwell, Rona is looking forward to celebrating the interests of her students while supporting them as they branch out into new learning and exploration.
Dr. Matthew Gutierrez is a new educator at The New High School Project, where he will be teaching literature, world history, government/economics, and psychology. He earned a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an M.A. in Education from Pepperdine University, and a Ph.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice at the University of Redlands. He has presented at various international education and political science conferences on the effects of school demographics on student academic performance. Matthew is very excited to be teaching at TNHSP.
Alicia Kaye is Chartwell’s new fourth-grade teacher. She holds undergraduate degrees in Drama and Psychology from Vassar College, an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University, and a Special Education credential from CSUMB. Prior to joining the Chartwell team, she worked for three years as an education specialist at Cesar Chavez Middle School in Watsonville. Previously, she taught drama to students aged 7-16 at the Scandinavian International Theater School in Gothenburg, Sweden. She has also interned as a school psychologist and worked as a tutor, a preschool teacher, a teacher’s aide, and an afterschool dance and yoga instructor. Alicia believes in creating a positive classroom environment where students are able to enjoy learning and feel empowered to take academic risks.
Chartwell Newsletter – Fall 2013