TSA Welcomes New Staff
Photo by Laura DeCapua
From Left Back Row: Zach, Kara, Wendy, Hannah, Cameron, Amos
Front Row: Stephanie, Tracy, Mary, Anne, Camilo
Not pictured: Kate
Welcome to our New Staff!
We are so excited about this school year at The Sharon Academy (TSA)! We have record numbers of new students this year, coming from all over the Upper Valley. We are especially excited to welcome students from two new sending schools – Rochester and Chelsea – to our school.
Additionally, we are pleased to add some amazing, talented, and dedicated staff members to our team this year.
We are excited that Anne Bergeron will continue at TSA, this year as a part of our Student Support Team, working with our Director of Student Services to support our students’ needs. Anne was a Language Arts teacher at the Blue Mountain Union High School in Wells, VT for 14 years. Before that, she taught at Oxbow, Bellows Free Academy, CCV, and Rhode Island School of Design, among others. We are excited to have her experience in leading workshops and tutoring. Anne “(loves) the work of engaging students in the complex and rewarding process of writing in an empowering and supportive way.” She has Masters from Goddard and the University of Rhode Island. Anne is also an outdoors person who likes yoga, hiking, herding sheep, gardening, skiing, and knitting.
Tracy Gillespie is a familiar face for our middle school families, having taught and tutored math for our 7th and 8th graders for many years. This year, Tracy’s role is expanding to team teaching math at the high school with Sandy Thorne. Tracy holds a Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics from Boston University, as well as a degree in fine arts.
Kate Kardashian is our new Director of Student Services. Kate comes to TSA with years of experience working in Special Education, most recently for the Windsor Central Supervisory Union. Before that, she was a Special Educator for Baird Center for Children and Families, Shorehan Elementary, and Hazen Union High School. Kate did Graduate work as a 504 Case Manager at UMass Amherst. She will be working closely with the Student Support Team to provide support for all of our students at the Middle School and the High School. Outside of school, Kate enjoys co-parenting, reading, cooking, and running.
TSA Alum Cameron Pattison (TSA Class of ’13) will be joining us to oversee our after school program, teach electives, and coordinate our new busing. Cameron recently graduated from Colorado College with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Political Science. While in college, Cameron made the Dean’s List the entire time while working as Editor in Chief of their journal, as a Discussion Mediator for a philosophical discussion group, as a peer writing tutor, and as an orientation leader.
Wendy Spector joins the TSA Team as the Digital Communications Coordinator. Wendy graduated from Yale and earned an MBA from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. After a decade in advertising media planning and consumer marketing she worked in non-profits and education and was the first ever Webmaster at the Weston Public Schools, where she developed the district’s digital presence. We are looking forward to the focus she will bring to sharing what is happening here at TSA with the Upper Valley.
Kara Toms is a school-based Clinician working at TSA high school and middle school through the Clara Martin Center. She has been a Student Assistance Provider (SAP) at Second Growth, working in schools ranging from 6th grade to 12th. She has also directed the leadership program for high school athletes, Coaching for Captains, and has worked with a wilderness therapy program. She has Masters of Education from St. Michaels and is a Certified Prevention Specialist. She is also the captain of the Growlers Women’s Hockey team of the Upper Valley!
Middle School
At the Middle School, our newest member is Amos Kornfeld, who will be teaching Spanish and running TSA’s After School Program. He comes to us with vast experience in education including being the principal at both Ottaquechee and Tunbridge Schools, serving as a special educator and tutor, and helping to run alternative educational programs. His passion for Spanish started at the University of Michigan and was rekindled when work opportunities led him to Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica.
Additionally, the Middle School is happy to welcome Mary Stoddard back this year. Mary is TSA’s Middle School Special Education Teacher who joined TSA in the middle of last year. Before TSA, Mary was a Middle School teacher at Brewster Central School District in Brewster, NY for 21 years. She has a Masters from Manhattanville College, and extensive training in Special Education, the Wilson Reading System, and the Wilson Dyslexia Therapy.
High School
At the high school, we are excited to welcome Hannah Levinger back! Hannah interned with TSA teaching MS Social Studies while she was completing her teaching certification at Upper Valley Educators Institute. She will now be TSA’s 9th and 10th grade Social Studies teacher, co-teaching the Humanities class with Spike Carter. Since interning with us, Hannah has been teaching at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, VT. She has a Masters from Brandeis University. Hannah says, “I feel that integrating multiple diverse perspectives is the best way in encourage student learning and critical thinking skills.” Hannah has also rowed competitively and has a background in theater arts.
We are also excited to welcome Stephanie Davis back to TSA after her maternity leave. After many years of co-teaching high school Humanities at TSA, Stephanie will be the Director of the Writing Center, helping students with all aspects of writing. Stephanie will be a resource for students for everything from completing assignments and improving time management skills to coaching students with their year-long Independent Research projects (called Exhibitions) and college essays.
Coach Zach Elmore is taking over the helm of the Varsity Boys this fall. Zach played four years of college soccer at Colby Sawyer and recently graduated with a sports management degree. He originally hails from the Montpelier area where he played club soccer for Capital and high school soccer at U32. Zach is passionate, well versed in the game and brings a tremendous amount of energy, enthusiasm and confidence to this position.
Coach Camilo Gaston-Greenberg will be coaching the Varsity girls this fall. He played both high school and college soccer and has spent the last several years coaching club soccer in the Oakland, CA area. Along with extensive knowledge of the game, Camilo is also a certified personal trainer, an avid martial artist and has a wealth of experience in the realm of outdoor education.
Here’s to another great year!