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Neil Aho – Science Teacher, K – 8
Neil Aho, our K-8 hands-on science teacher, has been at The Academy since he graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz (USCS) with a graduate degree in Education. His master's degree included an emphasis in hands-on science as well as math and literacy development. In 1999, as an undergraduate at UCSC, Neil went to Patagonia, Chile, to study endangered species under the ozone hole. His understanding of science has been deepened by his decade long practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Neil is also a LEGO enthusiast who enjoys building Rube Goldberg chain reaction machines.
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Pamela Alexander – Music Teacher, K-8
Pamela Alexander graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Lewis and Clark College. She received her Master of Arts degree in music from the New England Conservatory of Music. She won a scholarship and later studied in Salzburg and Brussels. She studied both Kodaly methods and conducting at Holy Names College.
For the past eight years, Pamela has taught music and music history for grades K-8 at The Academy as well as voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has conducted the choir at St. Joseph the Worker in Berkeley for 12 years.
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Kelly Cochran – Fifth Grade Teacher
Kelly Cochran has been part of The Academy faculty since 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a California Multiple Subject Credential from Sonoma State University.
He lives in Vacaville, California, with his wife and daughter. When he is not teaching or commuting to and from The Academy, Kelly can usually be found reading a book.
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Ember Diez – Kindergarten Teacher
Ember Diez was born in Michigan, but lived in various countries and several states. She considers Oregon her home because she lived there longer than anywhere else. She and her family lived on and farmed an apple and pear orchard in Hood River. Ember received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Oregon State University and her master's degree in Reading Education from Buffalo State College in New York.
This is her fifth year teaching kindergarten at The Academy and her 20th year in the field of education. Ember loves teaching and learning from children. She counts teaching kindergarten as her most demanding teaching job to date, but it is by far the most fun she has had in the classroom. Ember lives with her husband Doug and their dog and cat in Union City. They enjoy hiking in the hills, kayaking, taking road trips and reading.
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Sandy Drobny – Art Studio Teacher, K-5
For the past six years Sandy Drobny has enjoyed sharing her enthusiasm for art with The Academy's eager young students. She holds a degree in Environmental Design (emphasis in costume and clothing) from the University of California at Davis. Sandy's professional background is in one-of-a kind artwear and textile design. As an artist, she specializes in reusing discarded material in new ways. She has held artist in residence positions at San Francisco's city dump as well as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Sandy's work has been featured in gallery exhibits and in number of print publications, including San Francisco Magazine, Readymade, Handwoven, and "Ripley's Believe it or Not." She has been a handweaver for more than 20 years, and is active in her local weaver's guild. Sandy is often asked to work as a consultant to both museums and quilt collectors in need of her textile identification expertise.
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Burgi Labarca – First Grade Teacher
Burgi Labarca was born and raised on a small farm in Switzerland. She earned her elementary teaching credential in Switzerland and a Montessori primary credential in the United States. She has worked with a variety of grade levels in different schools throughout the country. After teaching kindergarten for six years in a private school in Southern California, she and her family moved to the Bay Area. This is her third year teaching first grade at The Academy. Burgi says she always wanted to be a teacher. She loves to teach because she loves to learn. Each new class brings her fresh challenges and joys. Every student, she says, teaches her new lessons.
Outside of school, Burgi enjoys reading, listening to music, doing yoga, and spending time with her family and friends.
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Kristen Manson – Physical Education Teacher, K-8
Kristen Manson grew up in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where she achieved All-State accolades in high school field hockey, basketball and softball. She received a field hockey scholarship to attend James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. During the four years Kim was a starter, her team was ranked nationally in the top ten. As a senior, Kristen was named most valuable player and Regional All-American. She also garnered All-Conference honors. Kristen graduated in 1999 with a Bachelors of Science degree in health science and a minor in psychology. In 2000, Kristen worked at Central Michigan University (CMU) as a Graduate Assistant (GA) Field Hockey Coach and a Physical Education GA. While sharing coaching duties and pursuing her master's degree in physical education, Kristen taught classes in running, tennis, bowling, racquet ball and fitness walking. In 2001, Kristen was promoted to Assistant Field Hockey coach at CMU. Before moving to the Bay Area, Kristen returned to JMU in the fall of 2004 to work as an assistant coach. This is her third year at The Academy.
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Kay Pekrul – Second Grade Teacher
Kay Pekrul has been teaching since 1965 in a variety of locations and schools. She taught her first class at The Academy in 1989 and taught first grade for some time before making the switch to second. She has welcomed opportunity to teach students at this level. When she's not in the classroom at The Academy, Kay enjoys walking the trails, reading and dabbling in watercolor.
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Nicole Rose – Mathematics Teacher, Grades 6-8
Born, raised and educated (Bachelor of Science degree with honors, chemistry and pharmacology) in Australia, Nicole Rose traveled, lived and worked in many countries before she settled in the Bay Area 25 years ago. She has raised two children, one now at Oberlin College and the other, a management consultant in New York City. Nicole loves the Bay Area and the activities it offers, particularly hiking, theater and music. Teaching middle school mathematics is a pleasure for Nicole who enjoys seeing the bright shine of algebra comprehension light up in students' eyes--the reason she teaches. Nicole taught at a private school in Contra Costa County before she joined The Academy faculty three years ago. She obtained her California Professional Clear teaching credential from St. Mary's College in Moraga.
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Daphne Ruff – Art Studio, Art History Teacher, Grades 6-8
Daphne Ruff was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art from the University of California at Davis and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at San Diego. Daphne has exhibited her work in one-woman shows throughout Northern and Southern California and in a number of local and national group exhibits. A recurrent theme in her work is fashion and its excesses. Daphne's work evolved from early explorations in found object mixed-media assemblage, stone and woodcarving, welding junkyard hardware, ceramics, plaster casting and carving. She has used found materials to build surreal wardrobes that reflect the personality of a real or imagined wearer. Daphne's wearable sculptures from recycled materials have been seen in installations, performances and videos. Her current obsession is making purses from recycled materials.
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Veronica Simms – Third Grade Teacher
After teaching fourth grade in the Washington D.C. area, Veronica Simms moved to San Francisco in 2004 and began teaching third grade at The Academy. It was a major move that brought her a very exiting and rewarding change. Prior to teaching, Veronica was a social worker in her hometown, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She earned a Master of Arts degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and obtained a teaching credential at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. When she is not teaching at The Academy, Veronica can be found running in Golden Gate Park, hiking in the Marin Headlands or rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Catherine Sampietro – Daycare Supervisor
Catherine Sampietro has been with The Academy for over twenty years, providing a safe and enriching environment for students with her varied after-school programs and themes. Ms. Sampietro is responsible for the wonderful holiday daycare camps offered at The Academy. Over the years she has watched many children grow and thrive, and she cherishes the ongoing relationships that have endured over time. Ms. Sampietro has held many positions over the years here at The Academy. She has been part of our office staff, P.E. Teacher, Substitute Teacher, and continues her daily role as our daycare "Mama".
Some of Ms. Sampietro's interests include rebuilding vintage bicycles, spinning and collecting tops and yoyos, playing tennis, cycling, and singing. Ms. Sampietro considers working here at The Academy her dream job because she is able to spend time with people she loves, and share her skills and interests with kids of all ages.
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Dana Weld – Fourth Grade Teacher, Dean of the Lower School
Dana Weld has taught fourth grade at The Academy for the past 18 years. She holds a California Multiple Subjects Credential, a Highly Qualified Compliance Certificate and a Montessori Primary Credential. She has taught preprimary school through eighth grade and in the Teacher Education Department at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont. Dana has developed curriculum for the School of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE) and has published CyberGuides, which integrate literature with Internet technology. She has also written social studies curriculum for Mosaica Education, a charter school corporation. She wrote the kindergarten-fifth grade curriculum used in the Lower School and supervises the K-5 teachers. When she is not in the classroom, Dana enjoys scrapbooking, working in the garden on the farm she shares with her husband, Ed (a.k.a. Homework Boy), and feeding the barn cats and raccoons that show up every evening.
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