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Michele Ferretti
Transitional Kindergarten
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Born and raised in California, Michele has lived in Sonoma County for the last 18 years. She had the privilege of working as a parent volunteer for the Windsor Unified School District while raising her young daughters, which sparked her interest in education. She worked Special Education as a Paraprofessional for 9 years before deciding to go back to school for her teaching credential. Michele became passionate about teaching after seeing the joy in children’s eyes and knowing she had made a difference in many lives.
In Michele’s free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, spending time with her extended family and daughters Marissa and Lexie. Marissa is a student at Oregon State University and Lexie is attending University of Oregon.
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Matt Nightingale
Primary Associate Teacher
Music
Glee Club
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After seventeen years serving churches in Washington, Texas, Oklahoma and California as a full-time music minister, Matt is back to his roots as a classroom teacher. Matt holds a Bachelors degree in music education, and before entering church ministry, he taught music and English in a private high school in Southern California. Matt has always been passionate about helping people learn and grow, so he’s thrilled to be working in transitional kindergarten, world religions, chorus and glee club this year!
Matt’s musical/creative exploits have included performing a solo show at the Tulsa Jazz Hall of Fame, singing the national anthem at two 49ers games and singing with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. His song “Always Entertaining Me” was featured in the hit Korean drama IRIS, and his song “Going Home” was recently recorded by Broadway star and Emmy winner Loretta Devine and is featured on the soundtrack of the short film “Neighbor.” In 2016, Matt and his former wife gave a TEDx talk in our very own Jackson Theater entitled “Choosing Gratitude and Hope.”
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Steve Pile
Primary Associate Teacher
Music
Bachelor of Arts, University of Oregon
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Steve has taught music after school at SCDS since 2006, and many of our musicians got their start with him. Steve has also served in recent years as the band conductor and music teacher at Fitch Mountain School in Healdsburg. He co-founded the Konteh Kunda School of Music in The Gambia, and Steve’s knowledge of West African music and instruments is inspiring. Steve is an accomplished singer/songwriter in his own right, performing solo, with The Steve Pile Band and The George Harrison Memorial Orchestra, and sitting in with Phil Lesh and the Terrapin All Stars. Steve holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Oregon and has completed extensive coursework in music theory, performance, and sound engineering at The Berklee College of Music, UC Santa Cruz, and The Santa Rosa Junior College.
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Steve Bush
Kindergarten
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Steve Bush started his teaching career with the goal of teaching university level psychology but was amazed to find himself teaching kindergarten instead. He quickly realized that teaching the younger group completely fulfilled all of his criteria for leading a happy productive life. Steve Bush never looked back.
Steve began teaching at Sonoma Country Day in 1995. Previously he taught with Santa Rosa City Schools and Family Life Center in Petaluma. He was originally drawn to teaching because of his interest in developmental psychology and his desire to give back to society in some way.
Steve has always been very curious about the evolution of values and belief systems, sociology and psychology. He chose to teach kindergarten because of the incredible level of excitement, energy, curiosity, openness, and authenticity that these young children bring to the classroom.
Steve's hobbies include studying science, ancient history, ecology, and writing children’s books. He is an avid gardener, hiker and cyclist.
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Olga Khaykin
Primary Associate Teacher
Bachelor of Arts, Mills College
Master of Arts, University of the Pacific
Olga has experience in both the public and independent school worlds. Most recently she taught 4th and 5th grades at Guerneville School, and prior to that was a resident teacher at the Town School for Boys in San Francisco. She also has international experience teaching hands-on art and science with The Senegal Project in Senegal, Africa. Olga immediately connected with the warm, collaborative, and progressive community of SCDS, as well as our mission to bring learning to life! She is excited to implement innovative teaching practices in the classroom, and she brings a passion for environmental education to our lower school. For Olga, teaching means connecting with students, supporting them in their intellectual, creative, and social-emotional growth, and weaving her own interests into her lessons. When she’s not teaching, Olga enjoys taking nature walks, learning about herbalism, meditating, cooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
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Molly Hill
1st Grade
Junior Comet Leadership Council Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, Mills College
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While studying English and creative writing at Mills College in Oakland, Molly Hill’s future goals were not necessarily related to education. It was a post-college job at a Berkeley preschool that introduced her to the joys of teaching and sparked her interest in this career path.
Molly began teaching at Sonoma Country Day School in 1991. As a teacher of younger students, Molly keeps in mind the long-term influence she might have. Using the ‘pebble-tossed-into-the-water’ analogy, she is aware of how one lesson, action, or word of encouragement can create a ripple of change, whether big or small. Molly knows the power of an exuberant, knowledgeable, and patient teacher; she is also just as enamored with the process of learning as she is with its end results and consistently tries to model this for her students.
Prior to teaching first grade at SCDS, Molly taught almost every grade from kindergarten through fifth grade. She was the lower school director for five years and has held the positions of math specialist, Kindergarten admissions director, after school program director, curriculum guide co-director, and master teacher, all at SCDS. She considers herself lucky to have found a place that values diligence, intelligence and integrity, along with vision, creativity, and wisdom.
Molly also loves reading and writing fiction and is actively involved in both a book club and a writing group. She also enjoys making things, studying and discussing all things design-related, going on motorcycle rides with her boyfriend, seeing live music and dancing, and spending time with friends and family. Though she has no children of her own, Molly is especially in love with her twin nieces, Addie and Josie.
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Sarah Howe
Primary Associate Teacher
Bachelor of Arts, Framingham State University
Master of Arts, National Louis University
Sarah joins us from the Central Elementary School in Helena, Montana where she worked as an elementary reading and math specialist. Prior to her time at Central Elementary, Sarah worked as an assistant teacher at Francis W. Parker School, a renowned independent K-12 school in Chicago. Sarah finds joy in teaching and sees it as a profoundly rewarding job where she strives to foster personal growth, curiosity, and the foundation for lifelong learning in every child. She admires the supportive partnerships between faculty and families at SCDS that create such a strong community, and looks forward to collaborating with exceptional teachers who share a passion in cultivating a learning environment where students thrive. Sarah is a lifelong learner herself and an adventure seeker, enjoying mountain biking, hiking, running, taking dance classes, volunteering, eating new foods, and baking.
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Monica Mann
2nd Grade
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Monica has spent almost twenty years in education. She has always loved school and knew that she wanted to be an elementary teacher from a very early age. She started volunteering and working in education during her junior and senior years in high school and continued volunteering throughout college. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Sonoma State University and a minor in Biology. She received a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with a CLAD emphasis from Dominican University. She has taught kindergarten through fourth grade over the past fifteen years. Monica has taught drama, been part of Leadership Team, served as a reading coach, grade level team leader, and a master teacher for student teachers. She has attended many professional development workshops in writing and enjoys teaching the writing process to her students.
Monica enjoys spending time with daughter doing many outdoor activities together including mountain biking, hiking, camping, and trail riding in the jeep and on the dirt bike. She also enjoys baking, scrapbooking, and walking her dog.
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Cierra Iribarne
Primary Associate Teacher
Bachelor of Science, Sonoma State University
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Cierra completed her student teaching in first and fifth grades at La Tercera Elementary School in Petaluma in 2018. She served as co-leader of the Robotics Club at La Tercera and has also worked as a substitute teacher in the Old Adobe School District. Cierra is excited to bring her experience in small group math intervention and tutoring to our Lower School. Cierra's educational philosophy coincides beautifully with SCDS's approach to learning, as we strive to meet all student's needs through engaging, personalized instruction and maintaining a culturally inclusive classroom.
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Melissa Kang
3rd Grade
Bachelor of Arts, San Francisco State Univeristy
Master of Arts, CSU Dominguez Hills
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Melissa found her way to teaching after volunteering in the Reading Assistance Program (RAP) through San Francisco State University. Working with third graders, she found herself ignited by her student’s “Ah-ha!” moments. Melissa continued her postgraduate work in Los Angeles, completing her credential and Masters of Curriculum and Instruction at CSU Dominguez Hills.
Melissa has worked at public, private, charter, and now independent schools for almost a decade. She has taught second through eighth grade and is excited for many adventures in third grade! Melissa is passionate about project-based learning, compassionate communication, and children's literature. As a part of the SCDS community, Melissa enjoys collaborating with the students, faculty, and parents in a variety of ways.
When she is not at school, Melissa can be found exploring Sonoma County, spending time with her growing family, hanging with her animals, trying out a new recipe, reading, and doing yoga.
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Heather Zeeb
Primary Associate Teacher
Bachelor of Science, Northern Arizona University
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Heather was born and raised in Sonoma County and graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelors of science in special education and elementary education. Her favorite teaching moments are when creativity is sparked in her students and when their individual personalities shine through their work and participation in the classroom.
Outside of SCDS, Heather enjoys anything and everything that involves the outdoors, including hiking, snowboarding, camping, and playing sports. She also enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, and spending time on her family's farm in Petaluma.
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Amy Baer
4th Grade Humanities & Homeroom
Comet Leadership Council Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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As a native Californian, Amy is excited to teach California history, reading and writing. Amy is a wordsmith with a deep interest in reading and a zeal for playing Scrabble. Amy’s favorite thing about teaching fourth graders is watching them transition into independent learners, yet witnessing their youthful excitement and curiosity for learning. Her experiences with children, both personally and professionally, give her the confidence to guide students in a fun and engaging way.
Amy lives in Windsor with her husband and children. Her oldest son, Robbie, is an SCDS alum ('03), and her daughter Madi follows in mom’s footsteps with her passions for reading and soccer. Twins Gracie and Garrett keep up with the family on the soccer field, bike riding, playing games, and swimming.
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Christy Harper
4th & 5th Grade Math
4th Grade Homeroom
Entrepreneur Club Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, Scripps College
Master of Arts, New York University
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Christy began teaching at Sonoma Country Day School in 2009. As a teacher, she strives to share with her students a passion to work hard and play hard. Math takes a lot of concentration, practice, and hard work, but is also full of chances to explore new possibilities, play games, and learn through real-life experiences.
Christy's favorite memory from elementary school was the day in fourth grade when she really, really understood how to do long division. She knew from then on that she wanted to be a teacher, and for years thereafter could be found perusing school supply catalogs and planning out her dream classroom.
Christy is excited to be back in her native California after living for three years in New York City. While in New York, she received her master’s degree in elementary education from NYU and taught fourth grade at a public school in downtown Brooklyn. She also spent much of her time losing herself in Manhattan neighborhoods, planning her next travel adventure, missing northern California's beaches, and eating New York style pizza. Christy’s interests outside of school include hiking and camping, pretending to be a painter, playing the violin, and traveling to places where she can’t speak the language.
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Tina Poles
TK, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Grade Science
Bachelor of Science, UC Santa Cruz
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Tina Poles has been teaching at Sonoma Country Day School since 2007 and is also the director of the sustainability and environmental science program. Tina’s main habitats are the primary science lab and garden and outdoor classroom. In her classroom, Tina emphasizes 21st Century skills. Tina feels that students learn best when basic skills are linked to complex analytical skills and thinking creatively about applying information to real world problems. These practices help students recognize what information matters, why it matters, and how it connects and applies to the real world. Each grade experiences the outdoor classroom with these goals in mind.
Before SCDS, Tina was the Director of School Gardens at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. In that capacity, she was able to visit hundreds of school gardens around the state, see best practices in a wide range of schools, and bring those insights to SCDS’s environmental program. Tina has a permiculture design certificate and completed a four year Waldorf teacher training program. As a 2010 fellow at the Leadership Institute for Ecology and Economy, Tina spent the year studying local food systems, energy and waste management, water uses, business practices, transportation and social justice, bringing the best practices she learned back to the SCDS community.
Tina lives with her family in a co-housing community in Cotati. She was a founding member, working on the development, design, legal, and marketing aspects of the project. Tina has a daughter in college and her husband is on the faculty at Sonoma State University. All three of them love to travel and have been lucky enough to live in both Sweden and Nicaragua. Tina’s passions are kayaking, reading, and knitting, although she has not figured out how to combine all three of them at once. She loves both hiking and telemarking skiing in the high Sierras. She also likes to gather mushrooms on the coast and is learning how to ferment different foods.
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Allison Fisch
Director of Wellness and Social & Emotional Learning
Bachelor of Arts, University of Central Florida
Master of Science, Bank Street College of Education
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Allie Fisch brings her passion for teaching social and emotional learning to the Sonoma Country Day School community. She is grateful to be part of a school that prides itself on character education and revels in the opportunity to create a sense of resiliency and emotional awareness in her students.
Allie’s career began in independent schools in New York City, including The Dalton School. She relocated to Petaluma from Manhattan and is loving the former "Egg Capital of the World" and the beautiful Northern California weather.
When she's not in the classroom, Allie loves to travel and experience new cultures. She spent a month backpacking through Southeast Asia to build curriculum and is an adventurous eater when it comes to unfamiliar cuisines. Certified in children's yoga, she taught privately to children with emotional and physical needs and is an avid yogi herself. You can find Allie most at home in her kitchen trying new recipes or entertaining friends with her renowned cheesecake.
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Janice Hall
Performing Arts Department Chair
Chorus Director
Bachelor of Music, Vocal Performance, San Francisco State
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Janice Hall remembers the joy of singing from her early grade school experiences. She is grateful that her life has allowed her to experience music from various venues, as an instrumentalist and vocalist, and that she has had many opportunities for travel and cultural exchange. Janice has experienced piano keyboarding classes, playing woodwind instruments in school bands, and training as a classical vocalist where she experienced the thrill of being on stage as a soloist with community and school choirs and orchestras, Broadway shows and operas.
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Jonathan Taylor
Music
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Jonathan Taylor has been teaching at Sonoma Country Day School since 1999. Jonathan’s first instrument was the piano and he has been teaching piano for over 20 years. He plays many instruments including the violin, viola, drums, guitar, and tenor and concert ukulele.
Jonathan is an avid science fiction fan and has been known to arrange some of the music from Star Trek (Jerry Goldsmith) for his groups here at school. His favorite books include the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, an adaptation from the BBC radio show by Douglas Adams.
His favorite place to be on campus is in the theater, on the stage. He shares his love of performance with his students and encourages them to perform on stage throughout the school year.
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Kathy White
K-2nd Grade Motor Skills Class
6th-8th Grade Physical Education
Volleyball Coach
Comet Leadership Council Advisor
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Kathy White joined Sonoma Country Day School in 1999. Kathy loves teaching hands-on activities and believes that athletics is an avenue to learning life skills that children will use for the rest of their lives. As department head, one of Kathy’s goals is that students learn to love and appreciate lifelong fitness and see that it can be achieved many different ways.
Kathy is an avid runner and has participated in the Boston Marathon.
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Noah Parker
Athletic Director
3-8 Physical Education
5th Grade Homeroom Advisor
Bachelor of Science, Sonoma State University
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We are thrilled to welcome Noah, who has over twenty years experience coaching and teaching, to our PE department. Most recently Noah has been a head coach for the North Coast FC Soccer Club, and also spent four years as a PE teacher and Head Coach for the Varsity Boys Soccer team at Sonoma Academy. Noah is passionate about teaching students new ideas, skills and techniques and enjoys supporting his students throughout the learning process, ultimately resulting in increased confidence and skills. Noah states that he is excited to be a part of SCDS’s cohesive staff, working together to create a quality learning environment for students. In his free time, Noah stays active running, mountain bike riding, disc golfing and playing soccer.
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Wendy Gahagan
Art Department Chair
TK-8 Art
8th Grade Homeroom Advisor
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Miami University
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Wendy has brought her experience and expertise with her to Sonoma Country Day School. She believes in nurturing the ever-evolving artist within each student while focusing upon individual skill, creativity, and discovery.
Wendy began her artistic journey in Ohio. She graduated cum laude from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a minor in art history. Soon after graduating, Wendy began teaching. She designed and taught classes for Common Space, a non-profit organization offering summer programs in the visual, performing, and literary arts. She then completed Montessori training and taught pre-primary art at Westside Montessori. Before relocating to Sonoma County, Wendy spent six years at the Toledo Museum of Art, teaching classes and workshops in pottery, drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media to students of all ages.
When not teaching at SCDS or working in her home studio, Wendy has her own business, Zala Studios. Her custom fine interior finishes are found in homes primarily in San Francisco and the Bay Area. She also shares a passion for tennis, hiking, skiing, travel, museums, and music. Wendy resides with her husband, dogs, and 1906 "fixer upper" in the quaint town of Geyserville.
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Faye Kendall
Art
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Colorado State University
Master of Fine Arts - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Faye joins us from The Bentley School in Oakland where she taught art across grades K-8 as well as served as their Assistant Head of Lower School. Previously, she has worked as an Instructor for The California College of the Arts in Oakland, an Artist in Residence at The Oxtail Gallery and Studios in Berkeley, and as the Program Director and Teaching Artist for The Multicultural Youth Exchange in Philadelphia. Faye enjoys fly fishing and spent time honing her craft in Montana this summer.
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Chunxiang Wang
Mandarin
6th Grade Homeroom Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, Baotou Teachers’ College
Master of Arts, San Francisco State
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Chunxiang Wang joined SCDS in 2011 and teaches Mandarin to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Chunxiang obtained her master's degree in the United States after graduating from college in China. She has taught Mandarin in public and private schools at the elementary and middle school levels and also to adults. In China, Chunxiang was encouraged by her college English teacher to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Teaching brings her a sense of achievement and satisfaction. She loves children and has always had a passion for learning. Being able to teach every day makes her feel extremely happy and thankful.
Her interests outside of school include hiking, badminton, tennis, ping-pong, and being with friends and family.
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Galia Brieva
Spanish
5th Grade Homeroom Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, San Francisco State
BCLAD Teaching Credential, San Francisco State
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Galia Brieva joined Sonoma Country Day Sschool in 2010 and teaches Spanish to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. She previously taught Spanish to elementary and middle school students at public and charter schools in San Francisco and Sebastopol.
Galia was born in Chile, raised in El Salvador, and finished high school and college in the United States. Galia first became interested in teaching when she was a ninth grade student in El Salvador. One of her class projects took her into small rural towns to teach people how to read and write. She found this experience extremely rewarding. Galia’s love of children and her personal experience learning English as a second language fuel her passion for teaching Spanish. She shares with students not only the importance of learning a second language but also the value of speaking with your heart.
In her free time, Galia likes to sew, knit, take Zumba classes, dance, and spend time with her family.
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Nina Strika
Director of Learning Support
Master of Science, Columbia University School of Social Work
Master of Education, Bank Street College of Education
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Shelly Laskey
Program Associate
Comet Leadership Council Advisor
Bachelor of Arts, Sonoma State University
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Shelly Laskey is a life-long learner and teacher. At an early age she knew teaching was what she wanted to do. However, she had other experiences to explore along the way.
Shelly was born and raised in California. She has attended schools in Sonoma County and graduated from Sonoma State University with her Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential. Her teaching experiences include both public and private schools. Shelly loves that moment when the excitement and enthusiasm bubbles up in her classroom and she strives to see the joy of learning in each student.
Shelly began teaching at Sonoma Country Day School in 2009. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, music, scuba diving, and motorcycles. Shelly’s red hair, smile and enthusiasm stand out, and she hopes you will introduce yourself to her when you see her.
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Sean Marshall
Maker Associate
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Sean Marshall joined the Sonoma Country Day School community in 2010 as a member of the facilities team, spent time as our Network Administator, and is now our full time Maker Associate, facilitating Maker integration in the classrooms.
When he's not helping students with a project in the Maker Space, Sean loves to sink his teeth into all things technology, enjoys flying drones and kites, and likes to work on large interactive art projects.
