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Laurel School New Faculty and Staff: 2008-2009
Click to download the 4 pg pdf document
Donald (Chris) Dolton
Upper School Mathematics/Speech and Debate
Familiar to the Laurel School forensics team as last year’s speech and debate coach, Chris returns to Laurel School as part time Upper School mathematics teacher and Debate coach. While completing his double major at Cleveland State University, Chris was an active member of the Student Government Association and served as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Physics.
Education:
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B.S. Mathematics, BA Physics - Cleveland State University
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Post-graduate studies in Optical Physics - Cleveland State University
Holly Fidler
Primary – Third Grade
Holly comes to Laurel from the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School district where she worked in the CHAMPS After School Program as the Wiley Middle School 6th grade Coordinator. Holly also brings her experience as a Middle School teacher in a Columbus Public School French Immersion program. In addition to her classroom duties, Holly has coached basketball, track & field, peer mediation, and Power of the Pen. This summer she represented Laurel at the Georgetown Day School Diversity Collaborative.
Education:
Monica Helinski
School Psychologist
Ms. Helinski is a recent graduate of John Carroll’s School Psychology program. Having spent last year serving her internship in the Brecksville-Broadview Height City School District, she has worked with children and families in a Pre-Primary-12th grade setting. Before that, her practicum was at Chippewa Elementary. She will work with Dr. Lisa Damour in meeting the needs of girls and families throughout the school.
Education:
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B.A. Psychology – Canisius College, Buffalo, NY
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M Ed. School Psychology – John Carroll University
Seth Kushkin
Director of Athletics
A native of Columbus, Ohio and graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Seth returns to Laurel School after serving as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Georgia Tech and Auburn University. Before coming to Laurel in 2003, Seth’s spent two seasons at Purdue and three at Ohio State as assistant women’s basketball coach. In addition to the 1999 national title, Seth helped the Boilermakers capture the 1998 and 1999 Big Ten Tournament Championships. His oldest daughter, Olivia, will begin in Laurel’s 5-day Pre-Primary.
Education:
Pat McCabe
Primary, Middle, and Upper School Drama; Speech
Pat comes to us from Hawken Upper School where he has taught a wide variety of drama classes and has directed numerous productions. Pat also coordinated the dozens of weekly extracurricular club meetings during the school year, and won the 2005-2006 Hawken Teaching Award. Before his teaching career, Pat was a program director at WHK Radio. Pat will develop a Primary drama curriculum, teach drama in the Middle School, teach speech in the Upper School, and join the Performing Arts production team.
Education:
Samantha (Sam) McCarthy
Upper and Middle School Physical Education, Athletics and Lifeskills
Samantha, born and raised in an independent school setting, comes to Laurel most recently from Hathaway Brown, where she was the Aquatics Director, long term substitute Health teacher, and Middle and Upper school substitute teacher. In addition to her extensive experience in the aquatics program teaching girls at all age levels, Sam also served as assistant coach for Middle School softball, Middle School soccer, and Varsity swimming. At Laurel she will teach Upper School Lifeskills and fitness, Middle School P.E., and will coach three seasons in the Middle School. She will also shadow Hope Murphy in 7th grade history.
Education:
Karen Morse
Middle School Math and Science
An experienced teacher who is thrilled by the possibilities the Butler campus offers for curricular development, Karen will teach 5th grade, joining Kaye Ford and Victoria Zalar. She returns to Cleveland after a brief hiatus in Quincy, Massachusetts, where she taught Middle School. Previously, Karen taught in the West Geauga School District, the Cleveland Heights/University Heights District and Hathaway Brown School. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Karen has published more than 30 articles in Parenting for High Potential magazine as their 10 year editorial associate and has presented locally and nationally at universities and schools. She has also written and received more than $70,000 in grants.
Education:
Desiree Parkman
Middle and Upper School Drama
Desiree returns to Laurel after completing a long term assignment in the Middle School this past spring. She will teach dance and choreograph Middle School performances. Desiree has worked and danced on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall and Walt Disney World, and in the National Tour of Dreamgirls. Desiree is currently the Arts and Culture Coordinator for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland where she plans, directs and implements arts programming for six clubs in the city.
Education:
Anne Porter
Upper School History
Anne comes to Laurel this fall after completing her studies at Yale and Harvard Universities. Anne worked as an Assistant Dean, Teaching Fellow, Resident Tutor and History Advisor at Harvard, was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maine, and taught conversational English at Edogawa Junior College in Japan. In addition to her teaching and advising experience, Anne worked as an archeological intern in Germany and an editor and reporter for The Ellsworth American.
Education:
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Ph.D. Candidate (ABD) - Harvard University Department of History
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M.A. History – Harvard University
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B.A. Medieval Studies - Yale University
Melissa Rogers
Upper School Science
Melissa will bring Science Research methodology to the Upper School. She will oversee independent science and engineering projects, helping students set realistic goals and measurements of success along the way. Melissa comes to us from Case Western Reserve where she is the coordinator of the Spectrum/Equinox summer programs.
Education:
Christina Stanek
Middle School History and English
From 2004 - 2006, Christina taught at the Springer School and Center in Cincinnati, OH, where she worked with seventh and eighth grade students in reading, social studies, and writing workshops. She was also a student council advisor and coached a third and fourth grade track team! In the summer of 2006, she trained new teachers at this school to facilitate writing workshops. In addition to her earning an M. Ed. from Xavier this spring, she is a candidate for a second Masters degree from Middlebury College, The Bread Loaf School of English this summer.
Education:
Karen Sunderhaft
Learning Enhancement
Returning to Laurel as a member of the Learning Enhancement staff, Karen has been a teacher for 16 years. She has been spending time learning, writing and speaking about ADHD since 1999. In addition to teaching at Laurel and at University School, Karen has taught at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware and continues to teach 7th grade special education for an on-line public/charter school in Ohio. For three years, she also ran the academic learning center for the Cleveland Clinic’s 8 week summer treatment program for children whose primary diagnosis was ADD. Karen has been educated by some of the most important people connected to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and learning disabilities. Some of these people have included Dr. William Pelham and Ned Hallowell. For four years, Karen was also one of only two teachers asked to be part of the ADHD Experts on Call, a national call-in campaign to provide general advice and referrals regarding ADHD. She has been a regular contributor for ADDitude Magazine, a national magazine for and about families with ADD, since 2003.
Education:
Ariel Warshaw
Upper School History
Ariel is a recent graduate of the Teacher Apprentice Program at Ursuline College. She has done student teaching at both University School and Lakewood High School. In addition, Ariel taught social studies to 5th grade students at a school in Florida. Passionate about the curricula offered by Facing History and Ourselves, Ariel will work to bring that approach more fully into our American History classes. She has also traveled extensively in North America, Latin America, the Galapagos Islands, Europe, the Middle East and French Polynesia.
Education:
Erica Stovall White
Dr. White, a clinical psychologist in Cleveland, will work closely with Dr. Lisa Damour in supporting the emotional health of children, parents, and staff. She is an assistant professor of psychology at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. Additionally, she has a private practice in Shaker Heights, Ohio where she provides psychotherapy to adolescents and adults. She also consults with the Cleveland Browns and various Children and Family Service agencies throughout Ohio. Dr. White has a strong interest in issues of cultural diversity in the classroom, the therapeutic setting and the world at large. Other interests are the experiences of college and professional students. She completed her post doctoral residency at Emory University.
Education:
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Ph.D. Clinical Psychology – University of Michigan
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M.A. Clinical Psychology – University of Michigan
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B.A. Psychology – Spelman College
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