Superintendent/Principal Wanny Hersey Assistant Superintendent Marie Stuart 7th Grade Teachers Stephanie Aman § Lisa Stone 6th Grade Teachers Maureen Schapira § Lauren Saunders 5th Grade Teachers Rebecca Young § Jessica Morgan 4th Grade Teachers Dan Gross § Philip Lee 3rd Grade Teachers Jennifer Anderson-Rosse § Lauren Fraser § Jessica Lura 2nd Grade Teachers Jenny Cheng § Amanda Jenkyn § Dona Kim 1st Grade Teachers Nancy Barlow § Colleen Farley § Danvi Nguyen Kindergarten Teachers Jenny Cronenwett § Margaret Lim § Becky Tingey Specialists Lynn Reed § Jeff Clarke § Mary Kalita § David Belles § Margaret Lim Charles Morgan § Jo Lansdown § Gillian Thowson § Andrew Lipson Merry Kuo § Wency Chinn § Qinglin Yang § Dorothy Han § Lee Kerk § Caroline Lucas Catherine O'Sullivan § Randy Drabman § Nelly Amariglio Associate Teachers Kiwi Capriles § Kelyn Dewar § Emily Greenstadt § Caroline Lucas § Emily Nelson § Windy Orviss Office Staff Kitty Chiu § Colleen Buckley § Jeannene Zettler-Rhodes § Joe Williams

Wanny Hersey - Superintendent/Principal Wanny Hersey has been an educator for over 25 years. Starting as a classroom teacher in Vancouver, Canada, her career in education includes teaching and administrative experience spanning elementary, middle and high school levels. Recruited for her bilingual abilities to California over 20 years ago, she has worked as a self-contained elementary classroom teacher as well as at the middle and high school levels. Mrs. Hersey has taught choir, musical theatre, English as a Second Language, the Gifted and Talented program, English, and Speech across all grades. As a coordinator, Mrs. Hersey has headed programs such as DATE (Drug, Alcohol, Tobacco Education), GATE, Literacy, Title I, BTSA, and Disaster Preparedness. As an administrator, she has been a high school Dean of Students, an Assistant Principal at both the elementary and middle school levels, a summer school Principal K-8, and prior to coming to BCS, the Principal of Bel Aire Elementary School in Tiburon for seven and a half years. During her tenure at Bel Aire, it was named a California Distinguished School in 2000, a National Blue Ribbon School in 2001, and as only 1 of 12 schools in the U.S. that same year, a National Blue Ribbon Technology School. While in north bay, Mrs. Hersey also served as the district BTSA representative to the Marin County BTSA collaborative, the administrative representative for CTAP, Region IV, an integral member of the district's Strategic Planning Committee, and was invited to present at the National School Reform Conference in Florida. Mrs. Hersey is a dynamic leader who has not only been responsible for reforming Bel Aire School but also mentoring teachers and establishing innovative programs for students. Under her leadership, five Bel Aire teachers have been chosen to be the district's 'teacher of the year', her technology teacher has won the CTAP (California Technology Assistance Program) Outstanding Educator award, her GATE teacher was honored as the CAG (California Association for the Gifted) Teacher of the Year in 2002, and it was a Bel Aire teacher who was the first in the district to receive National Board Certification. Programs such as Character Development, Cyber Squad, Web Page Design, Invention Convention, Science Fair, Odyssey of the Mind, and Pals of the Planet Earth have garnered local, county, and state recognitions for Bel Aire students and in 2003, a group was invited to present in Sacramento at the California Department of Education's Technology Showcase, a program that highlights unique and innovative technology projects. Bullis Charter School has also benefited from Mrs. Hersey's leadership. Since opening its doors five years ago, BCS is already recognized as one of the leading public schools in the state and has garnered many accomplishments including: an API score of 973 in its first year (BCS's 2008 API score is 964), a $360,000 State Implementation Grant, and most recently, achieved a full accreditation status for 6 years by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. BCS was also granted its first five-year charter renewal in February 2007. In 2006, Mrs. Hersey was named California "Educator of the Month" by the California Charter Schools Association in recognition of "excellence in improving student achievement and furthering the goals of the charter school movement in providing high-quality education options for the students of California." Last year, Bullis Charter School was also named a 2008 California Distinguished School. Mrs. Hersey is an educator with a significant creative and musical background. As a nationally certified piano and music theory teacher (with the Toronto Conservatory of Music), she started her first piano school at the age of 16. She played the violin, oboe and trumpet through college in bands and orchestras. Mrs. Hersey has studied ballet, completing Royal Academy of Dance examinations and performed in a variety of musical productions including Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, Mame, and even cameos in her schools' musicals! She has also choreographed, directed, and produced student productions such as 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' and 'Peter Pan'. Mrs. Hersey also directed the BCS Choir Director for five years. Top of Page

Marie Stuart - Assistant Superintendent Marie Stuart is excited to be starting her fourth year at Bullis Charter School. She has dedicated over 30 years to education – as a school and district level administrator, as well as a teacher. Originally from upstate New York, Ms. Stuart has lived in Texas, Germany and Spain before settling in Southern California. She began her career as a teacher in San Antonio, Texas where she taught Drama, English and Reading to middle and junior high students. She left public education for a few years to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force base, teaching English to foreign military personal from 37 countries. This experience led her to pursue a Masters Degree in English as a Second Language/Bilingual-Bicultural Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. After completing her Masters, Ms. Stuart took a teaching position with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) in Madrid, Spain teaching ESL to students in Kindergarten to eighth grade. She created the first ESL program, as well as developed and designed the curriculum, for the region. While in Spain, Ms. Stuart was a presenter at the TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Spain Conference. This led to many other opportunities to give workshops and be a presenter for the DoDDS Mediterranean region. Never giving up her love of theatre, Ms. Stuart also directed student plays at the school. Ms. Stuart moved to Southern California in 1982 where she taught a variety of subjects and grades: Drama, English, Reading, ESL and Social Studies at the middle and high school level. Her commitment to students, helping them learn and experience life, led her to be class advisor, drama coach, and Friday Night Live Advisor, as well as a mentor. Ms. Stuart’s experience as an administrator include: middle school assistant principal, summer school principal, Coordinator for English Language Development, Assessment and Evaluation, and Director of Special Projects and Assessments. Additionally, Ms. Stuart was a trainer and presenter for Los Angeles County Office of Education. She has conducted workshops and staff development for schools and districts, and has been a presenter for TESOL California. These experiences have provided her with a depth and breadth of knowledge that she brings to Bullis Charter School. Ms. Stuart is committed to excellence in education. She is excited to be a member of the Bullis family and believes that she will make a valuable contribution to the school. Top of Page

Lisa Stone - 7th Grade English & History Teacher and Team Leader Ms. Stone is excited to return for her 7th year of teaching at BCS! She's especially excited about moving up to 7th grade and being able to focus more on her instruction in the areas of History and English-Language Arts. She spent two weeks this summer on safari in Kenya and Tanzania, which was priceless, and looks forward to sharing what she learned with her students. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations and obtained her teaching credential from San Diego State University. She began her teaching career at Horace Mann Elementary School in the Anaheim School District, where she taught for five years. Then she taught at Bel Aire School in Tiburon for five years before coming to BCS. Besides being a classroom teacher at BCS, Ms. Stone has taken on several additional responsibilities during the past 6 years: Student Council Advisor Conflict Manager Advisor - annually trained students to serve as student leaders in peer conflict mediation Team Leader - works at the grade and site levels to provide leadership in areas such as goal setting, teacher training, team building, curriculum development and implementation, and assisting the administration, as necessary. Strategic Planning Committee Action Team Member - responsible for developing goals and programs that actualize the school's strategic plan objectives BTSA Mentor - works as a trained mentor for 1st and 2nd year teachers to the profession Ms. Stone also belongs to an elite corps of educators who are Nationally Board certified (NBPTS). This prestigious status has only been achieved by 5% of teachers nationally and less than 1% in California. She will be going through the renewal process this year. Top of Page

Stephanie Aman - 7th Grade Science & Math Teacher Stephanie is thrilled to be returning for her 3rd year at Bullis. Having spent the past 2 years as an Associate Teacher, she is excited to move into a 7th grade position this year and truly teach to her passions, math and science. Stephanie has spent most of her life in the Central Valley town of Lodi. There she began her college education at San Joaquin Delta College. During these initial college years, she worked for an after-school program, teaching theater and music in elementary schools. She also spent a portion of that time bringing the arts to children at Mary Graham Children's Shelter in Stockton. In 2004, Stephanie continued her education at CSU, Sacramento, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Child Development. She then pursued and was awarded a Master's Degree in Education and her Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential at UC Santa Cruz. During this time, Stephanie student taught in the 2nd and 3rd grades. During the past 2 years as an associate teacher at BCS, Stephanie has taught both 5th and 6th grade science, as well as the basics of anatomy and physiology through her co-curricular classes. She has also co-taught 6th and 7th grade CPM math. Last year, Stephanie began taking classes to prepare for Nursing School and obtaining a second Master's Degree, which have supplied a strong foundation in physiology, anatomy, and microbiology, as well as statistics. She also volunteers weekly at the UC San Francisco Children's Hospital, where she is able to observe, apply and build on this foundation. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys traveling to new exciting places, as well as revisiting the comfortable familiar streets of the Bay Area and Disneyland (she has a season pass). She spends her evenings reading the classics, watching new movies, and attempting new recipes. She also loves theater and singing, and has had the opportunity to perform in both college and community theater. Top of Page

Maureen Schapira - 6th Grade Teacher Maureen is looking forward to her third year teaching sixth grade at BCS. She has adjusted to the year round excellent weather and likes to spend her spare time exploring all of the wonderful attractions California has to offer. Visiting her three children and two grandchildren was the highlight of her summer vacation. Maureen comes to Bullis Charter School from Wisconsin, where she was born and raised. She attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. Her first teaching experience was in Dallas, Texas teaching seventh and eighth grade science. In addition to Texas, Maureen and her husband have lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois before returning to Wisconsin. Prior to her move to San Jose, Maureen taught sixth grade at Millburn West School, in Lindenhurst, Illinois. Millburn West is a sought after K-8 school in far northern Illinois, with exemplary test scores and model programs. Maureen was the faculty advisor for the school's Cougar Yearbook and served on the School Improvement Committee as well as a variety of curriculum and textbook adoption committees. She has served as Middle School TEAM leader and has been a mentor for several newly hired teachers. In 2001 and again in 2007, Maureen was awarded Millburn's Red Apple Award for teaching excellence. Maureen began a Support the Soldier program for her class in 2002, and continues to correspond with men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her eldest son Craig, an Army JAG Officer, is currently deployed to Afghanistan. Top of Page

Lauren Saunders - 6th Grade Teacher and Team Leader This is Lauren's third year at BCS and will be her sixth of teaching. This year, Lauren will be moving from fourth to sixth grade, as well as serving as the Upper Grade Team Leader. Lauren is looking forward to teaching sixth grade as she will again have some of the students and families who welcomed her two BCS two years ago. Lauren loves working at Bullis and feels so fortunate to be a part of the BCS team and community. She grew up in San Jose and attended Archbishop Mitty High School and then went on to the University of California, Santa Barbara where she received her B.A. in Sociology. Lauren earned her Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential at San Jose State University. Lauren is a lifelong learner and is always looking for ways to enhance her teaching repertoire. She hopes in the near future to work toward her National Board Certification and go back to school to obtain a reading specialist credential and/or her masters in environmental education. Lauren is passionate about the environment and takes every opportunity to link science to other subjects. This past school year at Bullis, Lauren was instrumental in helping start the school garden with Ms. Lura. Lauren's teaching philosophy is that the classroom should be a stimulating environment where students feel comfortable to be curious and express their ideas with their fellow classmates. Learning should be memorable, meaningful, and help students make connections to the real world. Learning shouldnÂ’t only be worksheets and textbooks, it should be engaging and project-based where students have a choice to show their learning in a style that is suited to their learning modalities. Most of all, school should be fun where students look forward to coming to school everyday and love to learn! When Lauren isn't busy in the classroom, she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, orienteering, traveling, ballroom dancing, geocaching, and spending time with her family and friends. Top of Page

Rebecca Young - 5th Grade Teacher Rebecca Young loves teaching fifth grade at BCS! Her objectives as a teacher include fostering critical thinking in her students and empowering them to affect positive change in their communities. She fulfills these goals by facilitating interdisciplinary project-based learning and educating the whole child. Rebecca received her Bachelors in Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) where she was a member of the Merrill College Honors Society and a recipient of merit scholarships. As an undergrad, she led backpacking and whitewater rafting trips and competed in triathlons and marathons in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Her interest in language and cultural studies led her to study at the Baden-Powell Institute in Mexico and the University of the West Indies in Barbados. Rebecca obtained her Masters in Education and Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential from UCSC. Her graduate work in Education was a culmination of many years spent teaching in a variety of capacities. She has taught students in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade as well as worked as an outdoor educator for Life Lab Science Program. She found a home at BCS, first as an Associate Teacher in third and fourth grades and then as a fifth grade teacher. Rebecca grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. She enjoys traveling, reading, running, cycling, cooking, and spending time with her friends, family, and dog. Top of Page

Jessica Morgan - 5th Grade Teacher Jessica was born in Germany, but after many years of moving across the globe, she is proud to call California “home.” After finishing high school in Pleasanton, she received her BA in Music at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a minor in Business Administration. Jessica then moved to Boston and obtained a Masters in Music for Opera Performance at New England Conservatory. While in Boston, Jessica began working in the public schools doing performance outreach. These experiences ultimately led her to work in Africa with children in squatter camps. After returning from Africa, Jessica decided that she wanted to pursue teaching further and added a Music-in-Education concentration to her Masters degree. She was hooked; teaching was her ultimate passion, and she wanted to teach everything! Jessica returned to Cal Poly for her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Single Subject in Music. While working on her Masters degree, Jessica had the privilege of working as the Music Program Director at the Atrium School in Watertown, MA. Her role required her to design and implement a new music program that was fully integrated across subject areas. Not only did she design and deliver instruction, Jessica used it as a research opportunity to improve education and helped her team earn a federal grant. She is an active member of the Music-in-Education National Consortium (MIENC) and consistently collaborates with a team of administrators, educators, researchers and performers at various schools and arts organizations nationwide to foster fully integrated, differentiated learning environments. After a great time working with 3rd and 4th grade last year, Jessica is blessed to be returning to BCS this year as one of the 5th grade teachers. She is looking forward to helping every student experience success in all subjects. She believes that the classroom should be a welcoming and exciting place for students to investigate and seek out a deep understanding while working collaboratively with others. This kind of learning environment is fostered when there are multiple entry points into the curriculum and students have a variety of opportunities to build and represent their understanding. When she's not busy in her classroom, Jessica enjoys singing, playing the piano, walking along the ocean, helping in the community, traveling, and spending time with her wonderful husband, Charles! Top of Page

Daniel Gross - 4th Grade Teacher Dan was born in Plantation, Florida, and was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. After relocating to Atlanta to earn his BachelorÂ’s degree at Emory University, Dan pursued his goal of becoming a published author. While his artist endeavors resulted in two finished novels and twelve short stories, Dan eventually decided that sharing his love of learning and literature in the classroom was an ideal path. Before becoming a public school teacher, Dan taught Pre-K at a private school in Roswell, Georgia. Eventually, his path led him to the University of Georgia, where Dan earned a Master's in Early Childhood Education. He taught third grade in Clarke County, Georgia, prior to his arrival at BCS. Dan and his wife, Wendy, relocated to the Bay Area in the summer of 2007 so Wendy could begin her PhD in Political Science at Stanford University. One amazing opportunity led to another, as Dan is extremely delighted to be a part of the BCS learning community. Dan's classroom praises the uniqueness in each student while engaging in purposeful creative expression, and he looks forward to bringing those values to fourth grade. Most recently, he is proud of successfully implementing two Project Based Learning units to help enrich the fourth grade content standards and is looking forward to continue innovating his teaching practices. In his spare time, Dan likes to write, listen to music, play guitar, bike, watch and follow sports (especially his beloved Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves), and enjoy the outdoors with his wife and two beagles, Holden and Lucy. Most of all, Dan and Wendy enjoy spending time with their one-year-old son, Noah. Dan is proud to be a member of the BCS community and is looking forward to another wonderful and exciting year in the fourth grade! Top of Page

Philip Lee - 4th Grade Teacher Mr. Philip Lee is excited to be back at BCS! Born and raised in southern California, Mr. Lee received his BA at the University of California, San Diego, and completed his MS in Educational Leadership at California State University, Fullerton. Since 2004, Mr. Lee has served as an elementary teacher in Riverside County. In the classroom, Mr. Lee sets high expectations for his students, nurtures each student's individual needs, actively engages his students by making content meaningful, and works hard to create a non-threatening classroom environment that encourages risk-taking. He desires for students to come out of his classroom feeling confident in their abilities and ready to pursue dreams of their own. Some of the extra duties Mr. Lee has performed while teaching include: GATE facilitator, grade-level team leader, writing team leader, instructional coach, SST team, after-school intervention teacher, grade-level technology leader, spelling bee team, yearbook team, and choir director. In his free time Mr. Lee enjoys singing, watching a movie or sharing a meal with friends, relaxing at the beach, and traveling to new places. Top of Page

Jennifer Anderson-Rosse - 3rd Grade Teacher Jennifer was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. She attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo for her undergraduate studies where she graduated, cum laude, with a B.S. majoring in Human Development and a minor in Psychology. During her time at Cal Poly, Jennifer had the opportunity to intern with the Economic Opportunity Commission Teen Academic Parenting Program working alongside a social worker and directly with teen mothers and their children. She was also able to intern in a multi-age grades K-2 classroom at Bellevue Santa Fe Charter School. Through these internships, Jennifer was able to serve the community and find her passion for teaching. Following Cal Poly, Jennifer went to Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena to pursue her teaching credential and a Masters degree in Human Development. She was honored to have professors such as Louis Derman-Sparks who created the Anti-Bias Curriculum. Her education at Pacific Oaks gave her a strong understanding of social justice, diversity in the classroom, and a progressive understanding of education. Jennifer began her teaching career at Franklin Elementary School in Altadena, in the Pasadena Unified School District where she taught first grade for two years. During her time at Franklin Elementary, she completed BTSA, was a member of the School Site Council, and wrote grants for her classroom. Following her move to the Bay Area, she taught at Yew Chung International School, a progressive Chinese/English bilingual school, in Mountain View for four years. While at Yew Chung, Jennifer successfully taught classes in grades one to four and also had the opportunity to help build the school from the ground up. She created the Yew Chung-Silicon Valley standards in collaboration with other teachers as well as held the positions of Lead Teacher and Head of Curriculum during which time she had the opportunity to visit the schoolÂ’s headquarters in Hong Kong to learn more about the philosophy and implementation of their education. In her free time, Jennifer loves to travel and spend time with her new husband. She has had the opportunity to travel throughout Brazil, Europe, Egypt, Israel, Hong Kong and China, Costa Rica, as well as many parts of North America. She enjoys camping, hiking, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her family, friends and dog. She is excited to be returning for her fourth year at Bullis and is celebrating her tenth year teaching. She is looking forward to a year filled with fun, student success and hard work. Top of Page

Lauren Fraser - 3rd Grade Teacher Lauren grew up in Pleasanton, California with her parents and three sisters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and a minor in English from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Upon graduation, Lauren decided to continue her education at Cal Poly and received her multiple subject teaching credential. It was during her student teaching at Bellevue Santa Fe Charter School where her enthusiasm for charter schools was sparked and she realized the many benefits they have to offer students as well as teachers. In 2005, Lauren began her teaching career at Livermore Valley Charter School where she remained for four years. During her time with LVCS, Lauren had the opportunity to teach 5th grade for one year and the third and fourth grade loop for three years. As LVCS was a start-up charter school, it gave Lauren many opportunities to be part of curriculum and assessment planning, textbook selections and join many school-wide committees to keep the school running successfully. Lauren is looking forward to returning to BCS for her second year. She will continue to grow in her enthusiasm and love for teaching at BCS and can not wait to meet her new students and parents. She enjoys planning activities and creative opportunities for her students such as theatre, dance, and art that correlate to the educational standards. Lauren believes in creating a safe classroom environment where students are encouraged to learn at a higher level of thinking while still having the ability to be their own unique and creative person. Lauren also believes in encouraging each student to exceed his or her potential and uses many differentiating techniques to achieve this. In her spare time, Lauren is often running, cycling, and swimming. She enjoys competing in triathlons, running half and full marathons and even competed in a half Ironman. She also enjoys being outdoors, watching sports and spending time with her family and fiance. Top of Page

Jessica Lura - 3rd Grade Teacher and Team Leader Jessica is excited about the upcoming year, her 6th, at BCS. She feels fortunate to be part of a community that values and promotes critical thinking, risk-taking, and global citizenship for everyone—students, teachers, and parents. In her personal and professional life, Jessica has attempted to follow these values through the opportunities she has pursued. She grew up in central New York State. Believing in life-long learning, she attended college in Maine at Colby College, graduating cum laude with a BA in Anthropology and Classical Studies, with a minor in Human Development. She has a Masters in Elementary Education with a focus on Critical Research from San Jose State and is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. She also has environmental education certificate. After graduation, Jessica joined Teach for America and moved to the Bay Area. She taught for six years in East Palo Alto, teaching 1st grade for three years and 2nd grade for three years. She was a 1st grade lead teacher, a literacy coordinator, literacy team leader, a Ravenswood City School District summer institute trainer, and worked with the Youth Community Service (YSI) organization to design a three-day service-learning workshop for teachers. Since joining BCS, Jessica has had many professional development opportunities. She has participated in numerous workshops, including the EWYL and EWYL fellows program at KCI; Adobe workshops on Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, and InDesign; and weeklong workshops on new curricula and teaching techniques. She has also taken advantage of opportunities to expand her own knowledge of the world by traveling. Believing that travel is important in understanding oneself and others, she spent her junior year of high school abroad in Denmark and one semester in college abroad, studying in Kenya. In addition, she traveled to Costa Rica to study butterflies, to Trinidad to study leatherback sea turtles, and to Ecuador to participate in an archeological dig of Incan and pre-Incan structures. This past summer she participated in a Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship to India to study the Indian culture and education system. Top of Page

Jenny Cheng - 2nd Grade Teacher Jenny is new to the BCS community this year and is thrilled to start a new adventure working with the staff, parents, and students! She received her B.A. in Liberal Studies from CSU, Fullerton with a concentration in Elementary Education, a M.Ed. and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from UCLA, and a M.A. in Educational Leadership and Preliminary Administrative Credential from CSU, Los Angeles. Her experience includes teaching underprivileged youth for six years working with grades one, two, and four for Los Angeles USD. During her time with LAUSD, Jenny took on numerous leadership/administrative roles including: Grade 2 Level Chair Pearson Learning Solutions Instructional Leadership Team Leader Beginning Teacher's Support and Assessment Support Provider Professional Development Leader/Ten School ProgramÂ’s Workshop Presenter Los Angeles County of Education School PALs Program Coordinator School for Advanced Studies Coordinator Technology Coordinator She recently returned from teaching English abroad in Taiwan for the past two years to elementary and middle school students. Her mentorship role extended itself to supervising new English teachers and observing teacher trainees for the school. Most importantly, she is delighted to have the opportunity to share her experiences with the Chinese language as well as Taiwanese culture and customs with her students especially since BCS students study Mandarin Chinese! In her spare time, Jenny enjoys traveling, learning to cook, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Because of the abundance of outdoor activities here in Northern California, she is very excited to get out and seek out what the area has to offer. Above all else, Jenny is ecstatic about working with the wonderful community of students, parents, and staff here at BCS and cannot wait for the school year to begin! Top of Page

Amanda Jenkyn - 2nd Grade Teacher Amanda is very excited to start her first year teaching at BCS. This will be her sixth year as an elementary educator, and is thrilled to be teaching 2nd grade, a grade level she's always wanted to teach. Amanda grew up in New Hampshire and Vermont. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA in English, and the University of California, Santa Cruz with an MA in Education and a CLAD Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Amanda taught PE (4th, 5th, and 6th grades) for a year and third grade for two years at Rio del Mar Elementary School in Aptos. She then moved back to New England and taught third grade for two years in Boston, Massachusetts. During her time in Boston, Amanda realized she greatly missed her community in California. So in April of 2010, she packed her car and moved back to the South Bay. This time she is here to stay! Since returning to California, Amanda taught third grade at the Don Callejon School in Santa Clara. Amanda is looking forward to putting down her professional roots and becoming a vital and contributing member of the BCS community! In her spare time, Amanda enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She loves animals (especially dogs!) and greatly values wildlife and nature. Amanda is an avid reader, hiker, and runner. At her previous schools she coached track & field programs and was a participating teacher in after-school homework enrichment classes. Amanda is eager to meet her students and to embark upon a fulfilling and rewarding school year. Top of Page

Dona Kim - 2nd Grade Teacher Dona Kim was raised in Campbell, California. She attended Westmont High School and went on to receive her undergraduate degree from UCLA in Sociology. She returned to the Bay Area to obtain her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at San Jose State University. She returned back to Southern California and received her MA in Education at Pepperdine University. While she was working on her master’s program, Dona began her teaching career in Los Angeles by teaching 1st and 2nd grade students for the next 3 years. In 2006, Dona moved back to Northern California to teach 2nd grade in East Palo Alto. In EPA, Dona was a grade level representative of the SIOP Committee and the Student Site Council Committee. This will be Dona's fourth year at Bullis Charter School, and she is very excited about the opportunity to partner with fellow teachers and parents in creating a motivating and engaging classroom environment for all of her students. Besides her time in the classroom, Dona's passion for children and education can also be seen in her continual involvement with private tutoring for kids ranging from age 7-14 for the past 8 years. In the past, she has also taught Vacation Bible School at her church for several years and played an integral part in planning innovative lessons for Team Kids, the children's ministry at her previous church. Outside of teaching, Dona enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. Dona recently got married and resides in Mountain View with her husband, Paul, and maltese, Pokey. Her other hobbies include playing various sports such as volleyball and tennis, and staying active overall. She is looking forward to another year at Bullis. Top of Page

Nancy Barlow - 1st Grade Teacher Nancy has been a teacher at Bullis for over three years. She is excited to be returning this year as part of the First grade team. During her time at Bullis, Nancy has also taught Third grade and Kindergarten. Nancy is originally from Vancouver where she was a teacher in the Langley school district. In this diverse district, Nancy worked with students from Kindergarten to Seventh grade. Nancy graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree and went on to complete a Bachelor of Education the following year, at which time she received her Professional Development Certification, credentialing her to teach throughout Canada. Both of her degrees are from Simon Fraser University. Nancy enjoys working with young students and plans on completing a Master's degree focusing on early childhood education. Nancy is a life-long learner and is currently working on increasing her French language skills and writing a children's book for her nieces. In her spare time, Nancy loves spending time with her husband, Robert, and cat, Maggie. She enjoys reading, traveling, and photography, not to mention the beautiful California sun! Top of Page

Colleen Farley - 1st Grade Teacher Colleen grew up in Marin County where she attended St. Hilary's, Hall Middle School, and Redwood High School. She received both her undergraduate degree in U.S. History and elementary teaching credential at UCSD. She received her Masters in Education from Santa Clara University. Colleen has been a teacher for nine years and has taught first, second, and third grades. The 2010-2011 school year will be her third year at Bullis Charter School. Colleen is proud to teach at BCS for many reasons, including the abundant professional development opportunities afforded to the staff, the way the teachers work together, and our wonderful community of parents and students. She is immensely looking forward to the new school year. In her free time, Colleen enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, attending Giants games, reading, hiking, and attempting to cook. Top of Page

Danvi Nguyen - 1st Grade Teacher Danvi is thrilled to join the BCS family! A proud Golden Bear, Danvi graduated from UC Berkeley with a double major in Psychology and Business Administration. During her undergraduate years, she volunteered to work with at-risk students and put on numerous events to encourage students to attend college. After a short stint in the corporate world, she left to pursue her passion in teaching. She earned her Masters in Education from CSU Fresno with an emphasis on multicultural education and social justice. Prior to coming to Bullis, she worked as a teacher in the Evergreen School District in San Jose. She previously taught kindergarten, first grade, and third grade. In addition, Danvi taught a summer course on web design with Camp Galileo for students entering 4th-8th grades. From her experience, Danvi understands how crucial the primary years are for developing the skills necessary to become life-long learners. In her classroom, she maintains high expectations for all of her students while establishing close relationships with each individual and their families. Along with excelling in academics, she believes that students should attain positive character traits and be compassionate towards others. She also gives students opportunities to be reflective in their learning so they can feel empowered to take on challenges. Danvi's interests include bicycling, snowboarding, reading, and traveling. She recently got married and purchased her first home in San Jose. Danvi is looking forward to an outstanding, dynamic year at Bullis and getting to know the students, families, and community! Top of Page

Jenny Cronenwett - Kindergarten Teacher Born and raised in Alameda, CA, Jenny loves the Bay Area. She received her BA in American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and went on to earn her California teaching credential and Masters of Arts in Education from UC Davis. After finishing her Masters, Jenny returned to her hometown to teach Kindergarten at Amelia Earhart Elementary School. She has always enjoyed teaching such a special grade and looks forward to continuing to teach Kindergarten at Bullis. Jenny enjoys participating in a number of activities outside of teaching. She has spent many summers as a program director for Cub Scout camps, planning activities and working with camp staff. She also enjoys sports in general and loves to watch sporting events in person (especially Cal football games)! During her time at Cal, she was a member of the UC Rally Committee and was in charge of the card stunts that happened during the football games' halftime show. She has discovered a love for cooking and has been known to bring homemade chocolate chip cookies to just about any social event. Recently, Jenny has started running as a new hobby and was very proud to complete her very first 5K this past June! But more than anything else, Jenny loves to just spend time with her family and friends. Teaching is a job she genuinely loves! Jenny is looking forward to the upcoming school year and all that it may bring! Top of Page

Margaret Lim - Kindergarten Teacher Despite having lived in California for more than ten years, Margaret Lim is a Midwesterner at heart. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, she attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Electrical Engineering. After spending 7 years in the business consulting and high tech industries, she decided to do a career change into elementary education. Margaret received her teaching credential and MA in Elementary Education from UC Berkeley. As part of the two year Developmental Teacher Education program at UC Berkeley, she student taught in a variety of grades, including two semesters of kindergarten. She was also an active part of UC Berkeley's Academic Talent and Development Program, where she taught science for several summers. Upon finishing graduate school, she stayed in the Berkeley area and taught third and fourth grade for two years in the Albany Unified School District. Consistent with the human development focus of her training at UC Berkeley, her teaching emphasizes the holistic development of the whole child, including academic, emotional, and social growth. She recognizes that children have individual learning styles and enjoys teaching through hands-on projects that integrate the personal interests, family backgrounds, and cultural values of her students. Her goal as an educator is to help children develop a lifelong love of learning. In recent years, Margaret has also been the Director of Youth Programs for the Digital Media Academy (DMA). In this role, she developed digital media curriculum in areas like filmmaking and digital art for students ages 6-13. She has also spent many summers directing summer creative art and technology programs at several of DMAÂ’s locations, including Stanford University, UCLA, UC Irvine and UC San Diego. In her free time, Margaret enjoys playing board games, trying new restaurants, skiing in Lake Tahoe, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. As a first generation Chinese American, every year she vows to improve her Mandarin Chinese skills and become fluent! Margaret is thrilled to be beginning her fourth year of teaching and her second year at Bullis Charter School. She has a passion for technology integration, for helping students develop critical thinking skills, and for project-based learning. She is looking forward to getting to know the staff and parent community at Bullis! Top of Page

Becky Tingey - Kindergarten Teacher Becky Tingey is excited to be a part of the BCS team. Growing up in North Carolina, BeckyÂ’s initial love for teaching began when she was a tennis coach. Her love for teaching deepened while working as a teacher's aid at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, Russia, where she had the opportunity to work with children of all ages and cultural backgrounds. She attended Arizona State University where she graduated summa cum laude (GPA 4.0), with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Northern Arizona University, graduating summa cum laude (GPA 4.0). Becky has spent the past two years teaching Kindergarten. This past year she received the Teacher of the Year award. She is looking forward to teaching Kindergarten again this year. Mrs. Tingey's goal as an educator is to increase student achievement by providing the means for students to reach their full potential. This goal involves creating a positive classroom environment, understanding and appreciating culture and diversity, and helping students develop a lifelong love for learning. Becky loves playing sports and last year advanced to the championship game in club basketball. She also enjoys biking, hiking, and sewing. Top of Page

Lynn Reed - Science Specialist Lynn is very excited to join the BCS faculty and is looking forward to creating a new strong and innovative science program. Lynn is a Bay Area native. She attended Awalt High School (now Mountain View) and Foothill College. She received her BS in Earth Science Education from Northern Arizona University. An experienced educator, Lynn holds duel credentials in Physical Science (with authorization to teach Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Astronomy, and general science in grades preK-12) and Social Science. Lynn taught science for 12 years at James Logan High School, which is the largest high school in Northern California and a winner of both the national Blue Ribbon School and California Distinguished School honors. Lynn served as a key member of LoganÂ’s Curriculum Development team. She helped develop innovative science courses, including a course in geology, which was approved as an elective by the University of California. The geology course featured field trips to study coastal processes, the Hayward Fault, volcanoes of the Eastern Sierra and the national parks of the southwest. She has also taught courses in chemistry, biology and introductory physical science. Lynn has been a pioneer in bringing technology into the classroom. While at Logan she worked with UC Berkeley on a project to develop an on-line physics learning environment for students. Lynn is an active community volunteer. In 2007 she co-chaired the California Barons Ball for the American Cancer Society, which took "top gala" honors in California and was in among their top twenty fund raising events nationally. As a BCS parent, she has volunteered in the classroom and in school activities. Lynn enjoys spending time outdoors, especially skiing and hiking. Her favorite way to spend her spare is time is with her husband Dave and her son Justin. Top of Page

Jeff Clarke - Drama Specialist Jeff Clarke returns for his 3rd year as the BCS Drama Specialist. Graduating in 2000 with a theatre arts degree from UC Santa Cruz, Jeff has continually worked over the years as a professional actor, director, dramaturg, fight choreographer, and dialect coach. His acting experiences have taken him from Los Angeles to Nashville, before returning Bay Area in 2005. He maintains close ties with the local theatre community, working with City Lights of San Jose, Pear Avenue Theatre, West Valley Civic Light Opera, the Dragon Theatre in Palo Alto, and Bus Barn Stage Company here in Los Altos. In 2008, Jeff received his teaching credential from San Jose State University. He and his wife welcomed their wonderful boy Max into the world in December 2008, and joined the Bullis team in January 2009. Jeff eagerly awaits working with the talented BCS students to create another year of fabulous productions! Top of Page

Mary Kalita - Dance Specialist & Choreographer Mary Kalita is delighted to return to Bullis for her second year! Mary is a professional dancer and actor with over a decade of experience. A recent Bay Area transplant, she grew up in the Chicago area, where she trained with The School of DanceWest Ballet in the pre-professional program. She went on to apprentice with DanceWest Ballet Company prior to redirecting her passion and focus from classical ballet to musical theatre. Mary attended Millikin University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Her professional performance credits include roles in The Who's Tommy, Singin' in the Rain, The Wedding Singer, Crazy for You, 42nd Street, The Producers, Cats, Showboat, Little Shop of Horrors, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jesus Christ Superstar, Mack and Mabel, Pardon My English, No No Nanette, James and the Giant Peach, Proof, and A Christmas Carol. Mary has taught ballet, jazz, tap, and musical theatre dance to children and adults, beginning through advanced levels for the past 10 years. She has taught for private studios including Novi Performing Arts Acadmey, Geneva Park District and Lynn Kalita Dance Center. Mary has been a Teaching Artist with Starting Arts since 2007, teaching kindergarten through 5th grade dance in public schools around the South Bay. Mary has also served as a choreographer for Starting Arts' productions of Into the Woods, Seussical, Pirates of Penzance, Aladdin, Mulan, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Top of Page

David Belles - Music Specialist David Belles has always loved music. Brought up on American musical theater and Gilbert and Sullivan, his musical tastes have branched out to include all fields of music, from classical to jazz, from rock-and-roll to world music. David entered college as a piano performance major, but early on became involved in vocal music as well. He sang in choir for almost his entire college experience, and it is here that he developed his passion for group music. During college, he was involved in such music performance activities as opera workshop, musical theater ensemble, jazz band, string orchestra (on harpsichord), piano ensemble, and piano accompaniment, along with the annual non-serious PDQ Bach concerts at CSUEB. He graduated summa cum laude in 2008 with a Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance, and received his teaching credential in music the following year. David's professional experience has been also quite varied; he has accompanied for multiple vocal studios in the area as well as for local high, middle, and elementary schools. In 2008-2009, he was the choral assistant for Ken Rawdon's choral music program at Mount Eden High School. For two years, he directed the choir for the Jenny Lin Summer Youth Music Program, and is currently a musical director for Kids Take The Stage, a not-for-profit organization based in Southern California. David has been teaching groups of students for a long time, having taught group piano lessons at the Colton Music Center in Hayward for seven years; during his teaching there, he worked with groups of students ranging in age from four year olds to adults. Throughout his musical career, David has received numerous awards and distinctions; he was given the Dr. David Stein Award for Choral Excellence in 2008, the year that he was appointed the assistant conductor for the East Bay Singers under the direction of Dr. Buddy James. Additionally, he has received multiple music scholarships from both Chabot College and CSUEB. David is excited to be returning for another year of building skills in and developing appreciation for music. Top of Page

Margaret Lim - Technology Specialist Despite having lived in California for more than ten years, Margaret Lim is a Midwesterner at heart. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, she attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Electrical Engineering. After spending 7 years in the business consulting and high tech industries, she decided to do a career change into elementary education. Margaret received her teaching credential and MA in Elementary Education from UC Berkeley. As part of the two year Developmental Teacher Education program at UC Berkeley, she student taught in a variety of grades, including two semesters of kindergarten. She was also an active part of UC Berkeley's Academic Talent and Development Program, where she taught science for several summers. Upon finishing graduate school, she stayed in the Berkeley area and taught third and fourth grade for two years in the Albany Unified School District. Consistent with the human development focus of her training at UC Berkeley, her teaching emphasizes the holistic development of the whole child, including academic, emotional, and social growth. She recognizes that children have individual learning styles and enjoys teaching through hands-on projects that integrate the personal interests, family backgrounds, and cultural values of her students. Her goal as an educator is to help children develop a lifelong love of learning. In recent years, Margaret has also been the Director of Youth Programs for the Digital Media Academy (DMA). In this role, she developed digital media curriculum in areas like filmmaking and digital art for students ages 6-13. She has also spent many summers directing summer creative art and technology programs at several of DMAÂ’s locations, including Stanford University, UCLA, UC Irvine and UC San Diego. In her free time, Margaret enjoys playing board games, trying new restaurants, skiing in Lake Tahoe, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. As a first generation Chinese American, every year she vows to improve her Mandarin Chinese skills and become fluent! Margaret is thrilled to be beginning her fourth year of teaching and her second year at Bullis Charter School. She has a passion for technology integration, for helping students develop critical thinking skills, and for project-based learning. She is looking forward to getting to know the staff and parent community at Bullis! Top of Page

Charles Morgan - Communications Specialist A native Texan, Charles pursued his bachelor degree at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. While at Belmont, Charles pursued studies in business administration through the University's college of Entertainment and Music Business as well as music and sound recording technology. After graduating in May 2007, he then chose to continue his education at New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. Through his coursework in the Conservatory's innovative Music-in-Education program, Charles became involved in the Music-in-Education National Consortium, an organization whose primary focus is providing teaching artists with models for integrated music curricula. Charles' work with the Consortium allowed him active participation in research and development for arts education through preparation of classroom video documentation for presentation at professional development sessions throughout the country. His work helped the Consortium secure federal grants for funding an integrated music program at the Atrium School in Watertown, MA. In addition to his development work with the school, Charles was also responsible for facilitating and promoting an integrated performing arts program by collaborating with other teachers, school administrators, outside arts consultants, and parents. Upon moving to the Bay Area after receiving his master's degree in 2009, Charles began to pursue arts education opportunities in the non-profit sector. He has worked with Performing Arts Workshop in San Francisco helping them to catalog, digitize, and archive an extensive collection of video footage from their teaching artists. Additionally, the San Francisco Opera's newly formed Education Department sought Charles out to provide essential support for the department's new school partnerships program. His duties included maintaining consistent communication with partnering SFUSD teachers and administrators as well as helping with various professional development sessions for classroom teachers and teaching artists. One of his most significant accomplishments during his time with the Opera was securing an outside contract with the Improve Group, a Research, Evaluation and Strategic Planning organization, to evaluate the effectiveness of the Opera's new efforts in educational outreach. Charles is very excited to join the BCS community where innovative and integrated learning is so much a part of the school culture. Additionally, he is looking forward to working alongside such highly motivated teachers, particularly his wonderful wife, Jessica. Top of Page

Jo Lansdown - Physical Education Specialist Jo Lansdown is in her 2nd year at BCS and has been teaching elementary physical education for ten years. Jo was born and raised in Birmingham, England and attended Brighton University. She graduated in 2000 with an honors degree in kinesiology with an education focus. Since moving to the U.S., she has earned her California teaching credential and masters degree in educational best practices. From 2005-2007, Jo wrote curriculum for Rhythm and Moves, an organization that provides PE teachers to schools. Her curriculum is now taught in public & private schools throughout the Bay Area. After supervising a team of 15 elementary physical education teachers in the San Jose school district she came to Bullis with expertise in teaching and a passion for supporting other teachers in their growth. Jo is passionate about developing and supporting a love of lifelong learning. She has shared her growing body of knowledge within the profession through presenting at conferences and teaching an undergraduate physical education teaching methods class at San Jose State University. She believes that a teacher’s central mission is to inspire and then support learning, and recently gave a presentation on this theme entitled ‘Inspiring Commitment to Lifelong Fitness’ at the state conference for physical education. Jo continues to develop strategies to teach content while scaffolding a learner who is passionate and excited to continue a life of active engagement. Jo is a presenter for the state standards facilitator team and feels strongly about continuing her own professional development. She enjoys collaborating with colleagues and attends multiple trainings and conferences each year to promote her growth as a teacher. As a member of the Bullis team, Jo hopes to create a learning environment that is enticing to students at all levels. The goal of her classes is for every student to succeed, while also acquiring the passion and knowledge of movement needed to enjoy a healthy life. She is excited to contribute to the holistic educational environment at Bullis and looks forward to collaborating with all of those connected to this unique learning community. When not teaching, Jo enjoys hiking and geocaching with her dog, all water sports, learning the guitar, traveling and spending time with family and friends. Top of Page

Gillian Boal-Thowson - Physical Education Specialist Gillian is excited to return to Bullis for a second year of teaching, learning, and collaborating with an outstanding staff and parent community. Gillian looks forward to continuing to build a strong physical education program that ignites a love for kinesthetic learning. Before coming to Bullis, Gillian taught physical education for 2 years in the Los Lomitas school district in Menlo Park while completing her teaching credential at the University of San Francisco (USF). Gillian received her B.S. in Kinesiology from San Jose State University before transferring to USF to work on her credential and master's degree in teaching (MAT). Gillian was born and raised in a coastal city in New Zealand. In high school, she was a competitive track athlete and soccer player. Gillian traveled extensively before marrying a Californian and settling down in the bay area in 1997. During her journey, Gillian ultimately decided she wanted to teach others to value what is closest to her heart - building and maintaining a physically fit body and healthy attitude. Gillian believes that fitness should be fun and therefore, uses a variety of teaching styles to connect with her students to create a learning environment that is engaging and relevant to the individual. Gillian also believes in creating a safe class climate through open and respectful communication. Gillian delivers an enjoyable and stimulating curriculum that is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful, and promotes an appreciation for physical activity and a desire to maintain a healthy active lifestyle beyond the classroom. In GillianÂ’s spare time she enjoys running, biking, horseback riding, skiing, golfing, yoga, cooking and playing at the park with her toddler. Top of Page

Andrew Lipson - Art Specialist Andrew Lipson grew up in New York City where he was immersed in New York's culture, diversity, and community of art at a very early age. In the fifth grade Andrew studied art at a New York University. As a teenager Andrew came to Los Altos, California and attended Los Altos High School. During high school, Andrew was a part of a self-directed learning program called Learning Community with whom he traveled to Kenya, Africa where they lived and did service work. After high school, he went on to UC Berkeley and graduated in 1997 with a BA in Fine Arts. In the years following college, Andrew accumulated field experience as a web designer for Net Ease and Media Web in Silicon Valley. Following that he worked at a Sculpture Supply Store and as a mold maker and sculptor for a design and architectural firm in San Francisco. He has also worked as a freelance sculptor and mold maker in his spare time. It was through spending time with his nieces and nephew's in his rapidly growing family that he discovered his gift with children. He decided to pursue a teaching credential and received his multiple subject teaching credential from University of San Francisco in June of 2005 where he completed his student teaching at two of San Francisco's top elementary schools, Alvarado Elementary and Claire Lilienthal Elementary. In the summers of 2004 and 2005, Andrew taught a series of Art Camps at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito to children ages 4 - 12. In addition to these, he worked as an assistant teacher for a robotics camp and an animation camp. The past five summers Andrew has taught art at Camp Galileo in Menlo Park, Los Altos, and Woodside where he tied art lessons to themes such as the Ancient Egypt, Medieval Art, African Art, Modern Art Masters and Mythology. Andrew is the proud father of two children, Hayden who will be five this September and Anita who will be turning three. Hayden will be attending Bullis Charter School this year. Andrew is very dedicated to being the best art teacher he can be. He looks forward to continuing instructing Bullis students in color theory, perspective, use of line, proportion, lighting, and shading by implementing an exciting range of creative activities. Andrew's goal is to inspire and develop each student's artistic capabilities through his instruction and leadership. Top of Page

Merry Kuo - Foreign Language Specialist and Team Leader Ms. Kuo is excited to return for her 4th year at BCS to continue to teach in and develop the Foreign Language Program! Born and raised in Taiwan, Ms. Kuo moved to Vancouver, Canada when she was twelve and experienced firsthand the challenges and thrills of learning a second language. This experience prompted her to study other languages in high school and college as she realized how knowledge in other languages and cultures allowed her to understand and connect with people she otherwise would not be able to. After receiving her B.A. in Spanish and Human Geography from the University of British Columbia, she continued at UBC to work on her teaching credential. In 1999, Ms. Kuo relocated to the Bay Area to attend graduate school at Stanford University where she earned her MasterÂ’s degree in Education with a focus in Language, Learning and Policy. Before joining the staff at BCS, Ms. Kuo taught 1st grade for three years in the Cupertino Language Immersion Program where she taught students all the core subjects in Mandarin and English. She also taught 3rd grade for two years in a charter school in East Palo Alto where she worked with mostly English Language Learners and provided instruction in English and Spanish to support her studentsÂ’ learning. Language is Ms. Kuo's passion. She studied, in addition to Spanish, some Japanese and French in college and is currently learning Italian. One day she hopes to live overseas where she will be immersed in the language environment and learn more about its culture and people. When she's not working, she enjoys singing to her baby son, hiking, traveling, and going for walks with her family. She looks forward to another wonderful year at BCS! Top of Page

Wency Chinn - Mandarin Specialist Ms. Wency Chinn was born in Palo Alto, California and raised in Taiwan by her grandparents. When she was three years old, Ms. Chinn returned to San Jose, California to start formal schooling. She attended elementary and junior high schools in the Cupertino Union School District and graduated from Lynbrook High School. She moved to Southern California to attend University of California, Irvine. Ms. Chinn graduated with a B.A. in Social Sciences and obtained her teaching credentials from National University. She is fluent in Mandarin and is informally learning Japanese. Prior to coming to Bullis Charter School, Ms. Chinn has worked as a Special Education Specialist with three elementary schools in Manhattan Beach. She has taught students from Kindergarten through fifth grade. Ms. Chinn was the case manager for fully included students with disabilities. Her experience working with students outside of a school setting includes: privately tutoring students with learning disabilities, teaching English to students who recently immigrated to the United States, and teaching Mathematics to gifted students at an after-school tutorial center. In Ms. ChinnÂ’s spare time, she likes to go scuba diving, do Bikram yoga, learn to cook, spend time with family and friends, hiking, running, reading, wine tasting, and travel. One place where she looks forward to travel to and scuba dive is: the Great Blue Hole in Belize. Ms. Chinn is delighted to be living in the Bay Area and is thrilled to become a part of the lifelong learning community at Bullis Charter School. Top of Page

Qinglin Yang - Mandarin Specialist Qinglin Yang was born in Anhui Province of China. She received her Bachelor degree in education from Anhui Normal University and a Master degree in educational psychology from Guangzhou Teachers' University. In China, she taught English as a second language. Qinglin came to the United States with her husband in 2000 and began to strengthen her skills and credentials for an American career in education. In 2005, she received her Multiple Teaching Credential and in 2007, joined the California Chinese Teacher Association. In 2008, Qinglin received her BCLAD certificate from San Jose State University and obtained her Single Subject (Mandarin) Teaching Credential. Since 2000, Mrs. Yang has been teaching Mandarin to different levels in both private schools and after-school programs in the Bay area. She has also worked as a special tutor and judge in Mandarin speech contests in local schools. Qinglin is passionate about teaching Mandarin. She enjoys telling stories and teaching Chinese songs and rhymes. Nothing pleases her more than seeing her students improve their Mandarin reading, writing, and speaking skills. Outside teaching, Qinglin enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and watching movies. Qinglin is excited to be returning to Bullis for her second year, and is looking forward to another successful year of learning and fun! Top of Page

Dorothy Han - Mandarin Specialist Dorothy Han grew up in Sacramento, California. She went to John F. Kennedy High School and then moved down to southern California where she earned her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), double majoring in Chinese language and East Asian Studies. It was there that she discovered her love for teaching while taking several education classes and interning at the UCLA Lab School where she worked in a K-1 class and a 3-4 class. Upon graduating, she went on to Loyola Marymount University (LMU) and received her M.A./credential in Elementary Education with a specialization in Literacy and Language Arts. She loves reading and really has a desire to foster that love in her students as well. During her first year of graduate school, she worked as a Resource Teaching Assistant in a classroom of 10 students with special needs, where she created and taught curriculum that would support each studentÂ’s individualized plan. While she was finishing up her masterÂ’s program at LMU, she began teaching 2nd grade in an urban community. After she graduated, she taught Kindergarten at the same school, working with English Language Learners and supporting her students by introducing new and exciting curricula. In her free time, Dorothy loves to run, hike, bake, read, watch movies, hang out with friends, travel, and go on adventures! She is excited to return to Bullis Charter School where she has the opportunity to combine her love for teaching with her love for the Chinese language. Top of Page

Lee Kerk - Mandarin Specialist Lee Kerk grew up in Malaysia, a multi-cultural country, where she learned Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese), English and Malay during her elementary and high school education while speaking Fujianese, a southern Chinese dialect, at home. At the age of six, Lee began to understand Cantonese through daily exposure to television programs from Hong Kong and eventually became a fluent Cantonese speaker. Fascinated by different languages, she also acquired the skills to converse in Chinese dialects like Hakka and Teochew. After high school, Lee went to Taiwan to acquire a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and worked in the communication world for a couple of years. When she discovered her love of working with students after teaching five years in Hong Kong, Lee pursued a Master's Degree in Education. Because of this and her passion for language, Lee became committed to teaching as a lifelong career. The acquisition of different languages helped shape Lee's understanding of the role of language and different cultures in our increasingly smaller and more interconnected global environment. She sees herself as a bridge between cultures because she used to live, study and work in Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong for 36 years before coming to America. Inspired by her son's idea of "opening the front door to America and keeping the back door open to Malaysia", Lee took the leap of bringing her son to San Francisco in 2003 when he was seven. After a year in a credential program at New College of California, she started to teach in Mandarin Immersion programs in Cupertino and Palo Alto in the first, second and third grades. In a teaching career that spans fourteen years, Lee has created her own language curriculum that integrates multiple-subject matter and incorporates technology to make both teaching and learning more engaging. During her three years in Malaysia, for example, Lee developed an ESL after school program for K- 5 students, and during her five years in Hong Kong, she developed a program and taught English speaking adults from the business community to help them learn to speak Mandarin using an innovative Chinese input system widely acknowledged at the time. While teaching in the Immersion programs here in California, she has created and used a great deal of her own curriculum that proved to be effective support material reinforcing student understanding and learning. Besides her love for teaching and children, Lee enjoys music and movement. She is also very enthusiastic about traveling to different places and countries. While in Asia, she traveled extensively in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, and Australia. At home, she likes to watch episodes of the Star Trek series with her 14-year-old son. Lee is thrilled to join the BCS team and looks forward to working with the staff, parents, and students at Bullis! Top of Page

Caroline Lucas - Spanish Specialist Caroline Lucas is an educator of 20 years and holds a M.Ed. from UCLA and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from USC. Caroline has taught for ten years in both Spanish and multiple subject K-8 classrooms in several California distinguished schools in the Bay Area. A professional highlight includes piloting a successful middle school language program bridging students to advanced levels of high school Spanish. Caroline also spent ten years mentoring educators in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Marin Counties. She has lead mentor professional development for the Silicon Valley New Teacher Project and served as an outreach coordinator at the New Teacher Center, leading mentor academies on best practices around the nation. Caroline"s strong knowledge of content and pedagogy, coupled with her love of children and collaboration with colleagues, lead her to receive Teacher of the Year and SuperintendentÂ’s Awards. Caroline is passionate about the Spanish language and culture. Her travels to Hispano-America include serving communities in poverty, chaperoning students on cultural exchange trips and studying at the University of Madrid. For the past decade she has hosted a Spanish exchange student during the school year and resides in Spain each summer with the families of her students. She enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, dancing, playing soccer, and learning with and from children. Caroline has two bilingual elementary aged children of her own and holds a philosophy of teaching the whole child. In particular, she believes in helping empower children to become their best selves and partnering with families for student success. Top of Page

Catherine O'Sullivan - Occupational Therapist M.S., MPH, OTR/L Catherine O'Sullivan is a pediatric occupational therapist for the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE), a public education agency dedicated to serving as an exemplary regional resource to students, parents, and school districts. She has been an employee of the SCCOE since 2001. Catherine graduated from the University of Sydney with a BS degree in 1995. She is a firm believer in life long learning and has recently completed two Masters degree; one in Science (MS) and the other in Public Health (MPH). Catherine is certified to administer the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test. She consults regularly with parents and teachers of children with special needs as well as provides direct services to assist children develop to their greatest potential. Prior to her current position, she managed a private pediatric clinic occupational therapy department on the east coast and has been a pediatric occupational therapist working in the educational setting for ten years. She continues to learn from and enjoy the children she works with every day. Raised in a small coastal town in northern NSW, Australia, Catherine now enjoys her active lifestyle in sunny Silicon Valley, California. Running, mountain biking and travel are among her endless list of interests. She has worked in developing countries, including Nepal and Tajikistan, for Save the Children, an international development organization committed to creating lasting change in the lives of children in the US and around the world. Top of Page

Randy Drabman- Resource Specialist For the past 20 plus years, Randy Drabman has come to an understanding of how to integrate the concept of "quality" into that of "education." Randy holds a Masters in Special Education from the University of Oregon, and an Ed. M. from Harvard University in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy. Randy is an author, and enjoys spending quality time with his family. His special education background is extensive. He has served as a behavioral mentor, a special education teacher, and a special education administrator for the sixth largest school districts in the United States. Randy is an expert in Applied Behavior Analyses. He has been trained in both Direct Instruction (DISTAR) and Orton-Gillingham. Further, Randy is a senior trainer in both MANDT and CPI. He has worked successfully with special education populations from the severely handicapped through the profoundly gifted across preschool through high school populations. His philosophy of leadership has to do with appealing to the best in others. As such, it involves attempting to be a force of positive integration among staff, students, parents, and members of the community. His goal is to inspire others to develop the best in themselves and be motivated to accomplish clearly defined goals. Top of Page

Nelly Amariglio - Counselor Nelly Amariglio was born in Greece and grew up in Israel where she studied psychology and philosophy for her undergraduate degree at Bar Ilan University. For five years, Nelly volunteered in an inpatient and outpatient unit working with children, adolescents and adults suffering from a variety of problems, including traumatic brain injuries, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Ever since Nelly’s service in the Israeli Defense Force, she has been interested in Attachment theory and its clinical applications to individuals and families who have been exposed to traumatic events. Two years ago, Nelly moved with her husband Alon and their dog, Luna to the Bay Area to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (PAU). As part of her clinical training, Nelly has provided counseling services to children, couples, and families and will be working at Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) and Bullis Charter School as a part-time counselor. Nelly enjoys traveling around the world, practicing Iyengar Yoga, running, and spending time with friends and family. Top of Page

Kiwi Capriles - Associate Teacher Kiwi brings nine years of teaching experience to Bullis Charter School. Prior to joining the BCS community last January, she spent six years as a classroom teacher with the Palo Alto Unified School District. She has a passionate desire to make a difference by engaging students in critical and creative thinking while fostering a love of learning. In addition to being a teacher, Kiwi is also enthusiastic about making contributions to the education community. She has taken roles as a District Grade Level Facilitator, Curriculum Developer, Master Teacher, Program Quality Reviewer, Quality Education Liaison and Performance Based Assessment Task Writer. She has also collaborated in school wide cooperative learning and district wide peer coaching programs. Kiwi is returning to teaching after choosing to be home to raise three sons. The privilege of being a stay-at-home Mom gave her the opportunity to be in the schools and experience education from a parent's perspective. Kiwi and her husband, Bob, have just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They are the proud parents of three boys in grades second, sixth and tenth. This native Californian loves gathering with family, walking the beach, gardening, reading, organizing, and is an "irrepressible" Scrabble player. Kiwi Capriles is elated and honored to be returning as a member of the Bullis Charter School community. Top of Page

Kelyn Dewar - Associate Teacher Kelyn Dewar is native to California and grew up in Los Altos. She attended Homestead High School and earned a B.A. in English Literature from San Diego State University. After college, she went into procurement in the high tech industry. Kelyn thrived in her role as program manager leading teams to manufacture new products for computer systems. Through those years, her daughters Cristine, now 20, and Ali, now 16, attended Los Altos elementary schools. Kelyn volunteered in the classroom at Bullis Purissima School, Covington Elementary, and during the first years of Bullis Charter School. She was struck by how much the BCS approach impacted the studentsÂ’ joy in learning. While tutoring students in East Palo Alto for the "I Have a Dream project", Kelyn was inspired to change careers and become a teacher. Kelyn earned her teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. During her student teaching, she sought out alternative schools that focus on social education and practical learning. After receiving her credential in December 2009, Kelyn taught Kindergarten at Collins Elementary in Cupertino during the spring of 2010. Kelyn brings creativity and real-life problem solving to the classroom. Kelyn is really looking forward to returning to BCS as a member of the staff this time. She and her husband, Don, keep busy with cross-country skiing, hiking through the LAH pathways, doing social triathlons, and cooking. Kelyn also enjoys drawing, nature journaling and gardening. Top of Page

Emily Greenstadt - Associate Teacher Emily was born and raised in the beautiful Southern California coastal town of Palos Verdes Peninsula. She is the oldest of three children, and is very close with her sister, Lauren, and brother, Andrew, who has Down syndrome. After graduating from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, she followed in her father's footsteps by attending the University of California at Los Angeles where she majored in English and minored in Education. During her four years at UCLA, she was an active member of Delta Gamma sorority, volunteering at the Los Angeles Blind Children's Center, and acting as the Vice President of Membership during her senior year. Upon graduating, Emily took on the role of Project Coordinator at non-profit organization Lupus LA. She spent over a year and a half leading community outreach projects for lupus patients and their families in the greater LA area. Finally, she realized her heart belonged in education, and she then followed in her mother's footsteps by pursuing an elementary teaching career. She enrolled in Stanford University's Teacher Education Program (STEP) in June 2009, and graduated in June 2010 with a Master's Degree in Education and a multiple-subject teaching credential. Emily's experiences in STEP equipped her with the rich knowledge and skills she needs to be a successful elementary educator. Emily can be found snowboarding on the slopes of Mammoth, Tahoe, and Utah during the winter, . and on the beach playing volleyball in the summer. She is a voracious reader and avid college football fan (go bruins!) Emily is thrilled to be joining the Bullis family as an Associate Teacher, and looks forward to meeting the rest of the Bullis community this school year. Top of Page

Caroline Lucas - Associate Teacher Caroline Lucas is an educator of 20 years and holds a M.Ed. from UCLA and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from USC. Caroline has taught for ten years in both Spanish and multiple subject K-8 classrooms in several California distinguished schools in the Bay Area. A professional highlight includes piloting a successful middle school language program bridging students to advanced levels of high school Spanish. Caroline also spent ten years mentoring educators in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Marin Counties. She has lead mentor professional development for the Silicon Valley New Teacher Project and served as an outreach coordinator at the New Teacher Center, leading mentor academies on best practices around the nation. Caroline's strong knowledge of content and pedagogy, coupled with her love of children and collaboration with colleagues, lead her to receive Teacher of the Year and Superintendent's Awards. Caroline is passionate about the Spanish language and culture. Her travels to Hispano-America include serving communities in poverty, chaperoning students on cultural exchange trips and studying at the University of Madrid. For the past decade she has hosted a Spanish exchange student during the school year and resides in Spain each summer with the families of her students. She enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, dancing, playing soccer, and learning with and from children. Caroline has two bilingual elementary aged children of her own and holds a philosophy of teaching the whole child. In particular, she believes in helping empower children to become their best selves and partnering with families for student success. Top of Page

Emily Nelson - Associate Teacher Emily is thrilled to be joining the BCS team! As a northern California native, Emily is glad to be living close to her family and is excited to be a part of the BCS community. Before entering into the field of teaching, Emily worked as a producer for ABC News. During her time at ABC, Emily lived in New York, Washington DC and Chicago and traveled all over the country covering national news stories. From these experiences, Emily developed a keen interest in learning about the world around her and is looking forward to sharing this passion with her students. After five years at ABC, Emily moved back to California and followed her true desire of working with children and earned her teaching credential from UC Davis. Emily was recently awarded a fellowship from UC Davis, and plans to complete her Masters in Education next year. While earning her credential, Emily worked with a variety of students in different grade levels, and loved the challenge of finding ways to help each child be a part of the classroom community and to be a successful learner. Emily believes that students learn in many different ways, and it is important to give our students multiple opportunities to access the material and to demonstrate what they learned. Born and raised in Sacramento, Emily loves being back in northern California and is looking forward to living in the bay area. In her free time Emily loves to read, cook for friends and family, attend sporting events, and be physically active through running and yoga. Top of Page

Windy Orviss - Associate Teacher Windy grew up in Stockton, California, the oldest of 4 children. She began her college career at San Joaquin Delta College where she obtained her Associates degree in Life Sciences and Liberal Arts. During that time she took a semester off, traveled to Europe to work as an au pair near Nice, France, and met her future husband. When Windy returned state side, she attended UCSB obtaining a Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Health Sciences. After college, Windy moved to Orange County, California where she worked in private schools for three years while she earned her teaching credential from CSU Fullerton. Once she had earned her teaching credential, she moved to the Palo Alto where she taught Life Science at JLS middle school for the Palo Alto Unified School District. Windy holds a multiple subject teaching credential as well as a single subject credential in life sciences. This will be her second year as an associate teacher at Bullis. Outside of school, Windy loves to travel. She has been to several major cities in the Unites States as well as traveled abroad to countries such as England, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Finland. She loves to stay physically fit by swimming and participating in other aerobic activities. Other favorite activities of hers include boating, hiking, learning about nature, and reading. Windy lives in Palo Alto with her husband of one year, Scott. They are looking to the arrival of their first son this August. Top of Page

Kitty Chiu - Executive Administrative Assistant Kitty Chiu was born in Canton, China. She spent 9 years in Hong Kong before immigrating to the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. She attended McKinley Junior High School and Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California. She graduated from Fresno State College with a B.A. degree in Health Science. Ms. Chiu has over 25 years of office administrative experience ranging from financial analyst to executive assistant and office manager. As a mother of two boys, she has over 10 years of school experience as a volunteer mom. Ms. Chiu enjoys volunteer work, spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and salsa dancing. She speaks fluent Cantonese. This will be Ms. Chiu's 7th year at Bullis Charter School and she's looking forward to another exciting year. Top of Page

Colleen Buckley - Executive Administrative Secretary Colleen Buckley was born in Germany; however, she was primarily raised in Louisiana. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Pre-medicine. Upon graduation, Colleen decided not to pursue medical school. Instead, she gained 5 years of administrative experience while working mainly in real estate providing marketing and office support. One of Colleen's greatest joys is to travel. So far she has visited Argentina, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Colombia. In addition to traveling, she enjoys volunteer work, reading, various outdoor activities, and photography. Colleen lives in Belmont with her husband, Eoin, who works as a Project Engineer at Stanford University. She is excited to be back at BCS for another year and looks forward to getting to know all the new students and families. Top of Page

Jeannene Zettler-Rhodes - Nurse Jenny grew up with her parents and 4 siblings in Virginia near Washington D.C. She attended St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Health Services. Jenny moved to the Bay Area after college and did a year of volunteer service in San Jose for a non-profit law foundation working with adults with mental health disabilities. She received her nursing education at the University of California San Francisco and obtained a Master of Science in Nursing in Community and Cross Cultural Health. Jenny has worked as a nurse for the Diabetic Youth Foundation, for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford as both a hospital and clinic nurse, for UCSF as a clinical instructor for nursing students, and most recently, she worked for the San Francisco Unified School District as a School District Nurse. Jenny enjoys traveling, learning about other cultures, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and friends. Top of Page

Joe Williams - Custodian Joe Williams, a Richmond native, graduated from Harry Ells High School and attended Contra Costa College where he played high school and collegiate baseball. Over the last 30 years, Williams has amassed invaluable experience in custodial and maintenance services while employed at Harris Telephone Systems (5y), Bio-Rad laboratories (13y) and the Reed Union School District (5y). In addition to his traditional professional pursuits, Williams spent 5 years working as a professional baseball scout for the Kansas City Royals while continuing to coach local youth athletes throughout the Bay Area. Williams also spends a great deal of his ’spare’ time mentoring and training youth in local Boy’s Club, Police Athletic League (P.A.L.), Little League and PONY baseball organizations in Richmond, Pinole, Hercules, and El Cerrito areas, John Sweat High School, De Anza High School, City College of San Francisco, and Contra Costa College. A strong advocate for quality academics and strong athletics programs, Williams has served as the Athletic Director for Saint Cornelius School (Richmond) since 1997 and actively participates in teaching and guiding athletes into educated, well-rounded citizens. In addition to coaching and mentoring, Williams enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Williams and his wife, Brenda, are parents of four children ( Jeremy, Candi, Joe Jr., and Brandi) and reside in Richmond. Top of Page