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Eduardo Aleixandre teaches upper school Spanish and sponsors the
Spanish Honor Society. He came to Bosque in 1997 from St. Pius High
School where he taught Spanish. He previously taught at Sandia Prep, the
University of New Mexico, and in California, Michigan, and Spain. Eduardo
is a native of Spain, a graduate of Séminaire du Salève in France, and
has an M.A. in interdisciplinary studies (French and English Literatures)
from Andrews University, Michigan. He has also completed 51 doctoral
credits in Spanish medieval literature and historical linguistics at UNM.
The topic of his research is an edition of two fifteenth-century novels
by Spanish author Juan de Flores. Eduardo got his teaching credentials at
Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and he is starting his
twenty-sixth year of teaching.
Tom Allen, a native of Santa Fe, received a B.S. in environmental
engineering from New Mexico Tech. After working in the air quality
industry for several years, he returned to school to receive his master’s
in teaching from Seattle University. He taught in the Seattle Public
Schools and spent two years teaching middle school math and science at
Billings Middle School in Seattle. At Bosque, he teaches seventh grade
science and math. He currently serves as a supervisor on the board of the
Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District. He and his family and an
assortment of animals live in the North Valley. He is excited about his
eleventh year as a teacher, and his ninth year at Bosque.
Cathy Bailey teaches eighth grade science and coaches the upper
school girls’ cross country team. Prior to working at Bosque, she taught
at St. Clements Episcopal Day School in El Paso, Texas. There, she was
Outdoor Education Director and taught science, reading, and math, and
helped develop curriculum for those subjects. She is a graduate of the
University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her B.S. in political
science with a minor in biology. She completed her M.A. in European
history at the University of Texas at El Paso. An avid outdoors
enthusiast, Cathy enjoys backpacking, gardening, horseback riding,
swimming, and canoeing. Cathy's breadth of experience, genuine love of
teaching and learning, and high level of energy are definite assets for
the Bosque faculty and students.
David Bair teaches ninth grade Ancient World History and the
Student Government class. He has taught United States and World History
as well as Advanced Placement World History for the past 15 years. He has
also taught Fine and Advertising Arts as well as a Humanities block.
David is a National Board Certified teacher and holds a bachelor’s degree
in Secondary Social Studies and Fine Arts. In the past nine years he has
traveled with his students throughout Europe as a historical guide and
mentor. He helps facilitate the student leadership program for Operation
Smile, which is an international organization that benefits medical
treatment of children and adults with facial deformities. Recently, David
had an opportunity to travel with a Bosque student to Kolkotta, India, on
an Operation Smile Medical Mission. This fall, he will be working with
the international program in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He enjoys
playing guitar, hiking, backpacking, fly-fishing, and spending time with
his wife and two children.
Susan Bapty, a native Californian, teaches eighth grade social
studies. This will be her fifth year at Bosque after having taught fifth
grade through university-level students throughout the United States and
Japan. Susan received her B.A. in political science and international
relations from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.A.
in public policy administration from Mississippi State University. She
spent a year studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, and has
experience working on Capitol Hill on issues related to foreign affairs
and defense conversion. While living in Okinawa, Japan, Susan completed
the University of Maryland's secondary education certification program.
She continues to teach upper and lower division political science for the
University of Maryland University College. Susan lives in Albuquerque
with her husband, two children and a pup named Frisco. Family, traveling
and politics are her passions.
Chris Barr
teaches 10th
grade Medieval World History. He holds three degrees from Purdue
University, a B.S. in Management, a Master of Arts in English, and a PhD
in British Renaissance Literature with a focus on the history of Medieval
and Renaissance ideas. As an undergrad, Barr was an Academic All American
football player. He’s taught high school, most recently at Bernalillo
High School, and college. He won the Excellence in Teaching Award in the
Dept. of English at Purdue for four consecutive years. He’s the proud
parent of three grown children, two of them Bosque grads—Zach, Class of
2005, and Carolyn, Class of 2006. After a successful sojourn in the
business world, Chris sees his return to teaching and Bosque as a happy
homecoming. In his spare time, Barr enjoys family, good books, good talk,
and sports, especially his beloved Purdue Boilermakers and Bosque
Bobcats.
Melissa Behrens Blake is a well-known and highly respected local
learning specialist and has been licensed as an educational diagnostician
for the past twenty years. Her background is in the area of
speech/language pathology; however, she found that she was most
interested in the diagnostic evaluation process and pursued an additional
degree in educational testing. She was involved in establishing a
diagnostic unit for students seeking services at UNM and worked with
college students for ten years. Then, missing her work with younger
children, she moved into the UNM Psychology Clinic eight years ago. In
addition to being able to work with all ages again, she has worked with
doctoral students who are focusing their studies in the area of
neuropsychological testing. Melissa has contracted, on a part-time basis,
with Bosque School to help us interpret and implement recommendations
from cognitive evaluations. Melissa will also provide guidance to faculty
members as they try to open doors of opportunity for those youngsters
with documented learning differences.
Ross Bergman serves as the Middle School Athletic Director and
also teaches middle school physical education/health. Hailing from the
Chicago area, Ross has a B.S. in kinesiology from Indiana University.
Ross worked as a personal trainer as he completed an M.S. in exercise
physiology from Benedictine University. Later, he earned an M.A. in
physical education from Aurora University. An Illinois bench press record
holder, Ross likes to incorporate his love for fitness in everyday
lessons and feels that a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind,
making for a more productive citizen. Ross has coached middle school
volleyball, flag football, and several championship track and field
teams. He enjoys skiing, playing keyboard and guitar, reading political
commentary and religious history, and playing with his two sons.
Josh Breault teaches 12th Grade World History. He has a degree in
English with a minor in History from UNM. He also has a degree in
Education from UNM. Josh lives in Nob Hill with his wife Beth, and son
Griffin.
Leslie Bronson is one of the library assistants at Bosque School.
She has worked in libraries in elementary schools, middle schools, and in
the university setting. Leslie has also been a substitute teacher and has
coached volleyball for many years. She received her B.S. in Health and
Sociology from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Leslie has two
children, David, 17, and Kerri, 14.
Sheryl Chard became Bosque’s first Head of Middle School in 1998,
after moving from Washington, DC, to make her home in the southwest near
her family and the mountains she loves. In addition to her work as a
division leader, Sheryl has taught English, humanities, and women’s
studies, and has led students on many wilderness and international trips.
Sheryl’s most recent professional adventure was a year of study at
Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was a Klingenstein
Fellow. Sheryl earned her B.A. from Trinity University and her M.A. from
George Washington University. She is near completion of a M.Ed. from
Teachers College, Columbia University. When she is not on the Bosque
campus, Sheryl can often be found several miles down a remote trail,
reading a good novel, or writing for a small group of other
want-to-be-writers. As a recent summer activity, she co-hosted an all-day
music festival that included musicians from across the country, thereby
satisfying
her passion for soulful live music of all kinds.
Phyllis Church teaches middle school physical education and
health. She also coaches the sixth grade volleyball team this year.
Phyllis is a certified physical education, health and science teacher as
well as a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist. She is an
avid believer that the health and fitness of the entire person is
essential to everyone no matter their age or profession. She is
enthusiastic in teaching students to take responsibility for their own
health and wellness. She came to New Mexico from Alaska to enjoy our
fantastic sunshine. She has over twenty years of experience in teaching
and eighteen years of coaching experience. Phyllis earned her B.S. from
Alaska Methodist University and completed graduate work at Ohio State
University and University of Oregon. Her favorite pastimes are spending
time with her family and her Gordon Setter, Brie, martial arts, tennis,
swimming, reading, and weight lifting.
Dan Cummings teaches American Literature and ninth grade English.
He holds a B.A. in English from Colorado State University and an M.A. in
English Literature from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury
College. He has studied at St. Johns, Santa Fe and Exeter College,
Oxford, where he earned the distinction of being a Name Scholar and
President of his graduating class. Before moving to Albuquerque, Dan
taught in Denver and Central America. He spends his summers as a research
assistant in Chiapas, Mexico, where he also volunteers in a local
community. Dan is learning to play guitar and is an avid supporter of the
local music scene.
Kevin Cummins teaches ninth and eleventh grade English and
journalism. Born in Rockaway Beach, Queens, raised beside the Erie Canal
in western New York, and educated in Vermont, he earned an American
Studies B.A. at Middlebury College and an M.A. at Middlebury’s Bread Loaf
School of English. A writer, runner, bicyclist, husband, and father, he
has taught at independent schools in New York, Connecticut, the
Caribbean, and California. Kevin enjoys reading books with his daughter,
helping his son learn to talk, and cooking with his wife. He is grateful
to teach at Bosque School.
Ben Curry is joining Bosque School this year and will be teaching
physics in the upper school. A global wanderer for most of his life, Ben
found his call to teach while serving in the U.S. Navy aboard a submarine
as a nuclear engineer. After his service in the Persian Gulf, he pursued
his passion and graduated with a B.S. in Secondary Education from Ohio
University. From there, Ben went on to teach in California for several
years before moving abroad to teach physics in the International
Baccalaureate program in the Netherlands and Peru. While teaching in the
Netherlands, he earned his M.A. in Educational Technology from Michigan
State University during summers in Plymouth, England. After five years of
being overseas, he chose to return to the U.S. and make Albuquerque his
new home; he cites the abundance of outdoor activities and excellent
weather as a reason for choosing this location. Ben enjoys playing
hockey, riding motorcycles and bicycles, and geocaching when he is not
teaching.
Lori Czosnyka teaches Latin I, II, and III. She is a summa cum
laude graduate from the University of New Mexico, where she received
her B.A. degree in classical studies and M.A. with distinction in
comparative literature and cultural studies. Lori taught both Latin and
Greek at UNM and also worked as a graduate teaching assistant in both
Roman and Greek civilization courses while completing her Master’s
degree.
Jim Daly is in his seventh year at Bosque School. He is the
Assistant Head of Upper School for Students, upper school Winterim
representative, and teaches Advanced Biology. A native of New Mexico, he
spent thirteen years teaching in independent schools in California,
Georgia, and Colorado before returning to New Mexico. He earned a B.A. in
biology from Colorado College and received a Wal-Mart Foundation Teacher
of the Year award while teaching in Georgia. Jim has a general interest
in all things outdoors, and has been fortunate enough to pursuehis
specific interests in evolutionary biology, ecology, and the migration of
raptors at various research sites throughout North America. When not at
Bosque School, Jim helps his wife, Cynthia, and their two children tend
to the goats, chickens and alpacas on their small farm in the East
Mountain area.
Kari Daniels grew up in Albuquerque where she earned her
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from UNM. She taught
elementary and middle school science for twenty-eight years at APS. Kari
received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science as well as the
Crystal Apple Award for teacher of the year from the Albuquerque Chamber
of Commerce. She has done consulting work for Scholastic’s Super Science
magazine, as well as the Magic School Bus video series. Her hobbies
include gardening, camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing with her husband
and two college age children. Kari is anxious to begin another year at
Bosque and share her love of science with her students.
Mark Daniels joined his wife Kari last year at Bosque School. He
teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 in the upper school. Mark received his
B.A. from the University of New Mexico. He taught math and coached for
APS for twenty-nine years. His hobbies include hiking and camping with
his family.
Sarah DeRosear returns to Bosque School this year to teach sixth
grade life science. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Earlham College
and her M.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine. Sarah
worked as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management for 10
years in Lake Havasu City, Arizona and Medford, Oregon. After moving to
Albuquerque in 2001, she was a consulting wildlife biologist for BLM
projects in Arizona and Utah. Following her passion for education, Sarah
completed all necessary graduate coursework at the University of New
Mexico to earn her New Mexico teaching license in Secondary Education
(with Science Endorsement). Sarah enjoys reading, writing, and traveling,
especially with her two young, energetic children. She looks forward to
sharing her enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and life science with the
students at Bosque.
Ann Dunbar, who teaches seventh grade art, graduated with
distinction from the University of New Mexico, earning a B.A. in art. She
has taught abroad at the International Community School in Istanbul,
Turkey, and has run her own private art school in Albuquerque. Ann was
artist in residence for the Albuquerque Children's Museum, where she
created the Art Ark Project, a mobile art classroom for the larger
community. She was an artist in the Global Depot at the Museum of
International Folk Art in Santa Fe. She also developed an art program for
inmates at the Women’s Honor Unit of the State Penitentiary. Besides
teaching, Ann is a practicing artist who has exhibited her work in many
galleries throughout the states. She has received purchase awards from
several museums and her work is in many private collections. Ann has a
passion for travel and has lived in Iceland, Turkey, and Germany. She
collects folk art and loves meeting the people who make it. Her latest
travels include Mexico, Peru, and Morocco.
Jinni Durham teaches tenth grade English and film history. She
holds a B.A. in English/Philosophy from the University of New Mexico,
where she taught freshman composition as a teaching assistant. She is a
member of Phi Beta Kappa and received a Distinguished Students'
Scholarship. Jinni also received a fellowship to attend the 2000
Klingenstein Summer Institute at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.
Stuart Fessinger is the instructor for all middle and upper school
band classes. He is an Albuquerque native and who, after performing as a
freelance musician earned a BME in Music Education at the University of
New Mexico. He served for twenty-nine years as the band director at
Eldorado High School and Sandia High School. During his tenure with APS,
Mr. Fessinger received many awards including: the Crystal Apple Educator
Award, the National Band Association Excellence Award and the New Mexico
Music Educator Association Hall of Fame Award.
Juan Flores assumed the Assistant Head of School position in July
of 2008. He will have responsibilities for the daily operations of the
school. Most recently, he taught at the School of Education, University
of Portland in Oregon. Juan has been a science teacher and an
administrator in public and independent schools in Connecticut, Texas,
Washington, DC, Hawaii, and Guam. He served as the superintendent of the
Guam Public School System from 2003-2006. He has served in administrative
positions at Colgate University, Franklin and Marshall College, and the
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning in Honolulu, HI. Juan was
born and raised on Guam and graduated from Father Duenas Memorial School.
He earned his B.A. from Colgate University, his M.Ed. from the University
of Portland, and a Ph.D. in leadership studies from Gonzaga University.
Juan resides in Rio Rancho.
Amy Gerber will be teaching 7th grade art classes as well as
taking on the task of Assistant College Counselor for Bosque's Upper
School. A Seattle native, Amy has spent the past decade developing and
leading youth art programs in West Africa, Central America, and across
the United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from
Macalester College and a master’s in Art Education from The School of the
Art Institute of Chicago. Her first video documentary recently premiered
at the Red Rock Film Festival in Utah's Zion National Park. When Amy
isn't dreaming up ways to change the world through art and education, she
enjoys yoga, travel, and doing just about anything outside.
Denise Gleason teaches ninth and tenth graders Spanish I and II
and co-coordinates Bosque’s Mexican Exchange Program. She graduated from
the University of New Mexico, majoring in Teaching English as a Second
Language and Spanish. Later, she received her M.A. in Cross-Cultural
Curriculum Development and Instruction. For the past twenty-seven years,
she has taught young children, teens and adults in dual language
elementary schools in Albuquerque, at Valley High School, UNM, NMHU and
Washington State University. She enjoys spending time in Mexico, Spain,
Costa Rica and the middle Rio Grande Valley. It is here in the valley
where she has lived the majority of her life and where she and her
husband, Paul, share their home with a small farm of bilingual animals.
Quentin Guy grew up in Albuquerque and earned his B.A. in English
at the University of New Mexico. Except for a stint at the University of
Colorado in Boulder, where he earned his M.A. in education, he has never
wanted to live anywhere else. He is entering his fifth year at Bosque and
will be helping sixth graders adjust to middle school life, along with
overseeing the continued development of their English skills. He has done
similar work at Albuquerque Academy and Solomon Schechter Day School. A
bit of an English nerd, he unwittingly edits menus and billboards and
actually really does enjoy Shakespeare, Milton and the King James
Version, even though they’re all dead white guys. Quentin and his wife
Maria have two young children.
Christine Hannaford moved to Albuquerque from Neos Marmaras, a
small fishing village in Halkidiki, Greece, and is entering her seventh
year at Bosque School, where she teaches eighth grade English. Christine
holds a B.A. in English from Trinity College of Vermont, an M.Ed. from
St. Michael’s College, and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Goddard
College. She has taught for more than twenty-five years at the middle
school, high school, and college levels. She is also a writer who has
published a few short stories and has several novels, short stories and a
travel narrative looking for good homes. Her hobbies are too many to
list, but traveling is certainly high among them. This past summer, she
spent working on several short stories, “Collecting for the Junkman,”
“Killed in the Line of Duty,” and “The Edge of Darkness,” all set in her
native Vermont, as well as visiting family and friends east and west.
She lives in the North Valley with her husband and looks forward to the
upcoming year.
Joanna Hart is a graduate of the Master’s Program in Vocal
Performance at the University of New Mexico and received her bachelor’s
degree from Concordia College in Moorehead, Minnesota, where she studied
under the renowned conductor Rene Clausen. Ms. Hart has sung roles with
the Santa Fe Opera in their Showcase Productions, Opera Southwest, UNM
Opera Theatre, and the International Opera Academy in Rome, and as a
soloist with the Albuquerque Philharmonic, Concordia Choir, St. Joseph
Symphony, UNM Orchestra, and the Concordia College Orchestra. Ms. Hart
has performed various opera, oratorio, musical theatre and recital
repertoire. She is in her fourth year as director of choirs at Bosque
School and has found her true love in teaching. When not singing,
teaching, or jogging, Ms. Hart loves spending time with her family.
Sky Jenkins is a long-time resident of New Mexico. Sky is very
passionate about teaching and strives to create a classroom that is rich
with students’ voices and excitement about learning. Her background in
elementary education with a focus on social studies led to her earning a
master’s with distinction in Curriculum and Instruction from the
University of New Mexico. This is her tenth year teaching social studies
at Bosque. She is currently the team leader for the sixth grade. Sky is
the mother of two young children and enjoys the outdoors, photography and
spending time with her family.
Doug Key is the Head of the Upper School and also teaches one
section of 9th grade ancient history. Doug is beginning his eleventh year
at Bosque School. For the past seven years he has overseen the transition
of the upper school from about 100 students to the current enrollment of
292. In the past, he has taught seventh and eighth grade social studies,
eleventh grade U.S. History, twelfth grade Modern History, coached middle
school track and basketball, and founded the high school track program.
He has also served on an Independent Schools Association of the Southwest
accreditation team. Doug is a summa cum laude graduate from the
University of New Mexico where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in
history. For several years he has been working to complete his doctoral
dissertation, a study of New Mexico politics at the beginning of the
twentieth century. Prior to coming to Bosque School, for seven years, he
worked in the UNM history department as a graduate teaching assistant. In
addition to studying and teaching history, Doug ran track at UNM and
worked outside academia in marketing. Doug is married and has four
children (three girls and one boy): ten year-old August, eight year-old
Addison, and four year-old twins, Quincy and Chamberlain.
Ryan Knapp joins Bosque School this year to teach sixth grade
math. This will be his tenth year teaching math at this level; the past
nine years have been spent teaching in Redwood City, California. His
summers are spent teaching an intensive middle school math program at
Stanford University. Ryan was born and raised near Rochester, New York,
and he attended SUNY Potsdam. He majored in education and geology. During
that time he was able to spend a year in Hawaii studying geology at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa. When Ryan is not teaching, he enjoys
hiking, golfing, snowboarding and cooking. Ryan and his wife Angela are
very excited to begin their new lives in New Mexico and to be part of the
Bosque School community.
Jessie Larson teaches sixth grade Spanish, is the Spanish
Department coordinator, and leads the middle school Winterim program at
Bosque School. Jessie’s experience includes teaching fourth grade as a
Teach for America teacher, training new teachers for Teach for America in
Brooklyn and the Bronx, and earning an M.A. in curriculum and instruction
from ASU and an M.Ed. in Education Leadership from Teachers College in
NYC. Jessie earned
her B.A. in Hispanic Studies from Harvard College where she played
on the women’s soccer team. Jessie grew up in Albuquerque and is always
drawn back to the beautiful southwest where she loves to snowboard, cycle
and walk her dogs, Checha and Thumper.
Barbara Lazar will begin her second year at Bosque as our seventh
grade English teacher. With an undergraduate degree from Illinois State
University in middle level education and a master’s degree from the
University of New Mexico in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis
on middle level education, she has spent most of her adult life working
in middle schools teaching English, social studies, and science, as well
as working in the UNM teacher education program and as an instructional
coach. Her experience includes taking students on tours of Washington,
DC, New York City, and Boston, as well as travel in Central America (as a
training director for Amigos de la Americas), South America, and
Europe. As a member of the Teacher Advisory Board of the National Energy
Education Development (NEED) project, she is also active in working with
both students and adults in learning more about energy and energy
conservation. Barbara and her husband are the parents of three daughters,
two who are teachers, and one who is a high school student.
Leslie LaZar is returning to the Bosque faculty this year as a
seventh and eighth grade Spanish teacher. She has worked and lived both
in Latin America and New Mexico over the past fourteen years. Before
coming to Bosque School, Leslie taught for ten years in the dual language
program at Dolores Gonzales Elementary. She was active in the
development, implementation, and research of dual language immersion
programs in Albuquerque. Previously, she lived and worked for several
years in Honduras as a Peace Corps Volunteer where she worked as a
teacher trainer in rural schools. She also trained adult-literacy leaders
in these communities. Before this, Leslie taught English to Mexican
students at an American School in Veracruz, Mexico. She has traveled
extensively throughout Latin America. She holds a B.A. in Education from
the University of Arizona and M.A. from the University of New Mexico in
Education with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. Leslie lives with her
husband and two sons in Corrales.
Nina Leacock will be teaching eleventh and twelfth grade English
this year. She has taught English to high school, college, and graduate
students in Georgia and California. She was an undergraduate at the
University of Michigan and earned her Ph.D. at the University of
California, Irvine with a dissertation on character in novels by Jane
Austen and Goethe. Her essay on Goethe was published in the scholarly
journal Narrative. Nina loves walking in the mountains almost as
much as she loves reading novels. She lives with her husband and her dog
in Cedar Crest.
Kim Leifeste is the Director of Technology at Bosque School. Kim
has over twenty-five years of business, management, and technology
experience. Prior to joining Bosque School, she ran a management and
business consulting firm specializing in technology strategies,
implementations, and process improvements. Prior to her consulting
business, Kim worked in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Program
with the U.S. Department of Energy and for Westinghouse and Control Data
Corporation in technology implementations. Kim earned a B.A. degree in
finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from the
University of New Mexico. Kim enjoys hiking the beautiful mountains of
New Mexico. Kim and her husband Gordon have two children in
college.
Kim Lester teaches seventh grade math, eighth grade math, eighth
grade algebra and the advanced sixth and seventh grade math class. She is
a graduate of Cornell University, where she earned a B.S. in animal
science and a D.V.M. degree. After practicing veterinary medicine for
seven years, she switched to education, receiving a B.A. in elementary
education from The College of Santa Fe. Kim has taught first grade
through middle school in both public and private school settings in
Albuquerque for the past twelve years. In her free time, she can be
found reading a book, traveling, pulling weeds, or taking a walk.
Sheri
Mahoney teaches tenth grade biology and is currently in her eighth
year of teaching science at Bosque. In addition to teaching, Sheri is the
head coach for the upper school swimming and track and field teams. She
holds a B.S. degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from the
University of Tennessee. Sheri is currently attending UNM to complete a
master’s degree in community and school counseling. In her free time,
Sheri enjoys backpacking, reading, bicycling, swimming and playing with
her two dogs, Atticus and Radley.
Nicolle Maniaci is the String Ensemble Director for Bosque School.
She received her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of New Mexico
and later returned to pursue advanced training music pedagogy. Over the
past twenty-two years, Ms. Maniaci has been educating young string
players in both the public and private sectors. She has had the pleasure
of being a guest clinician for numerous schools throughout New Mexico and
enjoyed a long career as a coach for the Albuquerque Youth Symphony
program. Ms. Maniaci is a violinist in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra,
the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Duke, Chatter, Opera
Southwest, Taos Chamber Group, Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, and is a
founding member of both the Eleganza StringQuartet and Chamisa Chamber
Players. She also enjoys being the narrator of the New Mexico Symphony
Youth Concerts and personnel manager of the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.
Colleen McClure is in her tenth year of teaching drama at Bosque
School. She earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees, with honors, from
London University in both drama and music, and has over twenty-five years
of experience in professional theatre and theatre education. Colleen has
directed productions in England and the United States, performed
extensively in London’s West End, throughout the United Kingdom and on
stages across America. Her most recent film work is currently being
featured in national film festivals. She also sang, played keyboards and
wrote music for her English rock band. As a teacher, Colleen ran her own
educational children’s threatre company, Mosaic, for over ten years. She
has also taught numerous professional theatre workshops for adults.
Colleen believes that experiencing the theatrical process firsthand can
broaden studentsí educational horizons and social understanding; not just
for those students with a strong interest in the arts, but for any
participants. She is committed to offering classes that are interactive,
imaginative and fun!
Peter Meehan has served as Director of Advancement at Bosque since
2004. During this 15th Anniversary year at Bosque, he and the
development team are working to bring Phase III of the Capital Campaign
to a close and they continue to look at future needs outlined in the
school’s Five Year Strategic Plan. In addition, the team is working to
grow the Annual Fund support and communicate the continuing Bosque story.
Peter joined the Bosque community following an 11-year tenure as Director
of Development at Lawrence Woodmere Academy in Woodmere, Long Island, New
York. He has also directed development efforts at schools in Rhode
Island. Peter earned his undergraduate degree at the College of New
Rochelle; he received his master’s degree in Institutional Advancement
from Saint Mary’s University. He is an ardent Red Sox fan and a fan of
all Bosque sports. Peter feels privileged to be a member of the Bosque
School community.
TJ Middleton teaches Pre-Calculus, STAM (statistics & applied
math), Calculus, and Calculus 2. He graduated from Texas A&M University
in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics education, and
then taught college-prep math courses for 11 years at a public high
school in Austin. Throughout the school year and during the summers, his
experiences outside the classroom have included working at Lawrence
Berkeley Laboratory in California, leading teacher-training workshops
about alternative assessment projects and graphing calculator
instruction, attending a National Science Foundation seminar regarding
discrete math, and working as a consultant with the College Board’s
Advanced Placement program. In 2001, TJ’s interest in backpacking
inspired him to move to New Mexico, where he obtained a Master of Science
degree at UNM in pure mathematics and mathematics education. For the last
three summers, he has also worked at Manzano Mountain Retreat as a
ropes course facilitator (challenge courses on logs and wires to
develop teamwork and self-confidence). TJ enters his 20th year of
teaching in 2009-2010! In addition to his intense love for making math
fun, TJ enjoys hiking, backpacking, biking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and
snowboarding.
Steve Modzelewski is an upper school art teacher. Steve earned a
B.F.A. from Kansas City Art Institute and an M.A. and M.F.A. from the
University of New Mexico. Steve has exhibited his work for over 30 years
and has taught college students for over twenty years in St. Louis,
Chicago, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and most recently,
Italy. In conjunction with teaching, Steve has worked with community art
projects and group workshops, and residency and visiting arts programs to
bring a variety of interdisciplinary, educational art experiences to all
ages. He specializes in book arts, printmaking, drawing, and painting to
bring art-making to people who would not otherwise have these
opportunities. Steve is an outdoor painter who finds inspiration in his
surroundings. He has a home studio in Corrales, which he shares with his
wife of twenty-four years, Mary Anne, and with Hunny, his dog.
Ragan Montoya is one of the library assistants at Bosque
School. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Northern Arizona
University in Commercial Recreation and Business. She has eight years
experience working in libraries from elementary level to the university
level. Ragan has also coached volleyball for five years and worked for
the Title I Homeless Project for Albuquerque Public Schools. She is
married and has a twelve year old son named Kennedy.
Juaquin A. Moya is the Director of College Guidance. He is a
native of New Mexico and before joining the Bosque School community,
Juaquin worked in the admission offices of Wesleyan University,
Connecticut, and Occidental College, California. He is the Primary
Coordinator for the New Mexico College Fair, and a member of the National
Association of Independent Schools Call To Action board, Carolina
Counselor Advisory Team, and the National Association of College
Admission Counseling. Juaquin is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where
he obtained his B.A. in Political Science/Government with a focus on
International Studies, and he was a McNair Scholar and a Dana Grant
Recipient.
Alaura Nellos teaches 8th Grade Art and begins her fifth year as
an educator at Bosque School. She earned her Bachelor’s with an emphasis
in Art and Psychology and a Master’s degree in Art Education with a K-12
teacher’s license from The University of New Mexico. Her emphasis on
multi-cultural education began in graduate school while simultaneously
studying the pottery traditions of Mexico, southwestern Pueblos, and
Japan. In addition to being a sculptor, Alaura enjoys being with her
family while traveling, cooking, and feeding the birds and deer at their
cabin in northern New Mexico.
Heather O’Shea teaches tenth and twelfth grade English and serves
as the Assistant Head of the Upper School for Faculty. Heather received
her B.A. in English, economics, and theology from the University of Notre
Dame, and has completed an Executive M.B.A. and an M.A. in English at the
University of New Mexico, where she taught for two years in the freshman
English program. She received her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico
in December of 2002 by completing her dissertation, a study of American
Poet Laureates. Heather’s poems have appeared in the Notre Dame Review
and Blue Mesa Review. A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native, she has been in
Albuquerque since 1988. Heather joined the Bosque faculty in 2001.
Maria Clara Rekow is a native of Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia,
where she lived until age 26. She then came to the United States with her
husband. Maria Clara has been a Spanish and ESL teacher for over nineteen
years, and has worked extensively in curriculum and materials design.
Maria Clara obtained a B.A. in Philology and Foreign Languages with
concentration in Spanish and English at the Universidad Nacional de
Colombia. In 2000 she attended The School for International Training
(SIT) in Vermont where she got her M.A. in Teaching with a concentration
in Spanish. Maria Clara divides her time between teaching, flamenco
dance, singing, reading, and raising a lively pre-schooler. Before moving
to Albuquerque two years ago, Maria Clara lived in Washington state and
California. In the coming year, she looks forward to conveying her
enthusiasm for learning Spanish and exploring the Hispanic culture.
John Roth, a native New Yorker, has a B.A. in Greek from Dickinson
College, an M.A. in Greek and Latin from the University of Vermont, and a
Ph.D. in classics from New York University. He teaches Latin I-IV to
grades 9-12. A classics teacher for 30 years, he has taught at the
McCallie School, the Fay School, Saddle River Day School, Johns Hopkins
Center for Talented Youth, the University of Vermont, and NYU. He has
also worked as a freelance writer. Dr. Roth has lived and studied in
Italy and Greece. His interests include restoring antique jeeps.
Clara Roybal, a native New Mexican, grew up in the small town of
Las Vegas in northern New Mexico. She has lived in Albuquerque since
2001. She moved to Albuquerque after she completed her B.S. in
mathematics from New Mexico Highlands University where she earned the
Phillips Teaching Fellowship at Albuquerque Academy. In 2007, she
completed her master’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in
mathematics from the University of New Mexico. Clara has taught various
math courses which include 8th Grade Math, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra
2, and Pre-Calculus. Currently, she teaches Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus.
As she enters her eighth year as a math teacher at Bosque, she looks
forward to continuing to work with all of her students and is passionate
about contributing to the math program at Bosque School. Her hobbies
include spending time with her family, making jewelry, and enjoying the
beautiful outdoors and culture of New Mexico.
Marina Sage teaches middle school and upper school drama at
Bosque. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Linfield College in Oregon and
has spent the past 13 years teaching theatre. She has worked with the
world famous Missoula Children’s Theatre in Montana, as well as the
Albuquerque Academy summer session. She was the founder and president of
Bloomin’ Actors, Inc., a non-profit children’s theatre company in
Albuquerque. When
she’s not teaching, she can be found at home spending time with
her husband Patrick, and her three adorable sons, Sebastian, Noah, and
Findlay.
Lori Sanchez is in her second year as Director of Student
Development. Lori is a licensed professional counselor as well as a
licensed K-12 school counselor. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from
the College of Santa Fe and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of New
Mexico in Counseling and Family Studies. Lori’s special interests include
the study of father-child attachment, solution-focused counseling, and
grief/loss issues. Lori lives in Corrales with her husband Chris and
their daughter, Elijah. She enjoys running, reading, scrapbooking, and
going to the movies.
Kimi Scheerer is the education coordinator for the Bosque
Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP). Kimi has a B.S. in biology from Alma
College in Michigan and an M.S. in marine biology from James Cook
University in Queensland, Australia. She has been involved in
environmental education since 2001, working with a variety of education
programs in the U.S. and Caribbean. Her experience spans from nature
centers to aquariums, an ecological institute, and several residential
school programs. She works as the BEMP educational representative,
assists with Bosque School's wildlife biology and conservation class,
co-teaches UNM's Bosque Intern class, cultivates BEMP curriculum, and
supports Bosque School field research projects.
Dan Shaw’s field-based science research with Bosque students has
received local, state, and national recognition. As a founding teacher of
Bosque School he has held a variety of positions and assignments.
Presently, he teaches Wildlife Biology and Conservation and coaches
cross-country in the Upper School. He also serves as the director of the
Black Institute for Environmental Studies at Bosque School. In that
capacity, he is a coordinator of the regional Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring
Program (BEMP) and holds an appointment as adjunct faculty at the
University of New Mexico’s Biology Department. He has written or
co-authored over 50 articles and publications on wildlife, outdoor,
environmental, and other topics, including several environmental books
for teenagers. Dan has been an emergency medical technician and
firefighter for over twenty years, holds an A.A.S. in Fire Science, and
is a long-time member of the Placitas Volunteer Fire Brigade, where he
served for five years as Fire Chief. Dan received his B.A. in
Environmental Education from Prescott College and his M.A. in Science
Education from the University of New Mexico.
Craig Snow teaches middle school physical education and health, is
the associate director of athletics, and serves as the varsity boys’
basketball coach. In addition to coaching basketball at Bosque, Coach
Snow also coaches the 17U elite team with the Granger Hurricanes AAU
program. He received his B.S. from the University of Evansville. After
college, he played professional basketball in both Luxembourg and
Austria. Craig and his wife Jessica were recently blessed with their
first child, a daughter, Adelynn Harper.
Mary Stockavas is beginning her second year as Director of
Finance. Before joining Bosque School she spent nineteen years as the
chief financial officer of a large local business. Mary is a New Mexico
native and earned a Bachelor of Accountancy at New Mexico State
University before joining a large national accounting firm and working in
public accounting for ten years. She is a licensed Certified Public
Accountant. Mary and her husband have two sons in college, a cat and a
chocolate lab named Malcolm who loves to guard the Business Office at the
school.
Anthony Strippoli teaches chemistry and advanced chemistry in the
upper school. He holds B.S. degrees in both wildlife biology and
education from the University of Wyoming. He earned his M.Ed. in science
education from Utah State University. Anthony is a state-certified
educator who came to Bosque in 2003 with seventeenyears of science
teaching experience in both private and public schools in Utah, Virginia,
and Florida. Prior to his arrival at Bosque, he taught chemistry and
physical sciences, and coached the state-qualifying women's golf team at
Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida. Anthony enjoys
playing golf (and coaching the upper school boys’ golf team), dining out,
zymurgy (homebrewing), nature, playing guitar, and hiking in the great
outdoors.
Mary Tuttle, Librarian, has earned a B.S. in Business
Administration from the University of Phoenix, has completed the Library
Science program from New Mexico State University, and is currently
pursuing the MLIS degree with a Youth Librarianship specialization from
San Jose State University. She is a member of the American Library
Association and the New Mexico Library Association. Previously, she was
the assistant librarian here at Bosque School, and the library
coordinator at Immanuel Lutheran School, Albuquerque. Mary enjoys sharing
her love of books and libraries with others and is enthusiastic about the
growing book and online collections in the Gerald and Betty Ford
Library. She is a long time Albuquerque resident and enjoys spending
family time with her husband, Todd, and two sons, Kyle and Ryan.
Meg Underwood teaches U.S. history in the upper school and is
originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She earned her B.A. from Cornell
University in anthropology and archaeology. While at Cornell, she was a
member of the NCAA Division I women’s varsity crew team and Kappa Delta
sorority. Next, she received her M.A. in archaeology as well as a
teaching degree from the University of New Mexico. While at UNM she was a
member of the Maxwell Museum Board of Directors and a resident advisor in
the dorms. She has been involved in archaeological digs in Ohio, New
York, New Mexico, and Cortona, Italy. She has worked with the U.S. Forest
Service as an archaeologist in both the Lincoln and the Gila National
Forests and was also a social studies teacher in Moreno Valley,
California. She enjoys hiking, skiing, running, and reading a good book.
Michael VeSeart teaches drama tech and heads the Bosque Tech Club,
which lends production support to all Bosque School performances. Michael
hails from southern California and has lived in New Mexico for almost
thirty-five years. His talent for music and art naturally led him into
theatre, beginning as a set designer, property master and performer. He
has worked in nearly every aspect of the theatre arts and for many
different performing companies including dance, theatre and opera.
Michael comes to Bosque from the Albuquerque Biological Park. As a city
employee, he was technical manager for the Kimo Theatre for fourteen
years, and after transferring to
the BioPark in 1997, became a technical production specialist,
managing the stages at the Rio Grande Zoo and the Rio Grande Botanical
Garden. He was the principle designer for the “River of Lights” holiday
light show and coordinated the creative efforts for the haunted house as
part of “Zoo Boo,” the zoo’s annual Halloween festival. Outside of
teaching, Michael is an accomplished artist with numerous shows to this
credit. He plays many musical instruments and is an avid antique
motorcycle enthusiast.
Carter Walker teaches sixth grade art. He received his B.F.A from
the Rhode Island School of Design. Carter worked as an assistant to the
artist Craig McPherson, working on one of America's largest corporate art
commissions, funded by American Express. He has been artist-in-residence
at Château de La Napoule Art Foundation in France and at the
Vermont Studio Center. Carter taught art to grades 1-5 at the Trevor Day
School in New York City. Carter is a painter and photographer, showing
his work to anyone who wants to see it.
Klaus Weber teaches upper and middle school physical
education/health and serves as the Upper School Athletic Director. He
also coaches varsity boys’ soccer and varsity boys’ tennis. He spent 27
years at the University of New Mexico coaching and teaching. He received
his first degree from the Commerce College in Olten, Switzerland, his
B.S. in education from Keene State College, and his M.S. from the
University of New Mexico. His emphases in teaching are health and
physical education as well as foreign languages (German, French). He has
worked in management for the Marriott Corporation in New York City,
played professional and semi-professional soccer, and conducted outdoor
and wilderness programs at the University of New Mexico. His hobbies
include skiing, backpacking, long distance mountain running, team sports,
and fine literature. He loves to write and to generate new and exciting
programs. Klaus is presently in his eighth year at Bosque School.
Eric Whitbeck teaches seventh grade Social Studies, coaches boys’
lacrosse, and chairs the History department. He has been at Bosque since
2004 and joined the faculty after completing his MA in American History
at UNM. Eric also has a BS in Multicultural Education. He is an avid
reader, a recreational cyclist, and is mildly obsessed with rock
climbing. Eric also enjoys music, art, film, and walking around his
neighborhood in Nob Hill.
Chris Wilcox teaches Latin I, II, and IV in the upper school. He
hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught both middle and
upper school Latin for six years at Springside School and Chestnut Hill
Academy. He taught Latin there at all levels and ran the Advanced
Placement Latin program for three years. Chris completed his
undergraduate work at the University of Chicago and recently completed
his coursework for his master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia
University. In his spare time, he enjoys studying other languages,
traveling, and enjoying the day. Chris currently lives with his partner
across the bosque in the North Valley.
Molly Wooden is Associate Director of Admission. The daughter of an
independent school head in Richmond, Virginia, she has made a life long
career of service to young people. She graduated from St. Catherine’s
School in 1975 and earned a B.A. in History from Trinity College in
Hartford, Ct. in 1979. Prior to her move to New Mexico with her husband,
Andrew Wooden, in 1996, Molly’s career in education included positions at
The Hotchkiss School, Choate Rosemary Hall and Yale University. She has
served as an officer of admissions, advancement and college counseling as
well as teacher, advisor, and coach.
Andy Wright is the Assistant Head of the Middle School, and he
also teaches two classes of eighth grade algebra. After graduating with a
B.A. in geology from Earlham College, he earned a teaching credential in
secondary mathematics from Fresno State University. Since then he has
worked in both boarding and day schools as a teacher and administrator in
Utah, Pennsylvania, California and Kenya. He is in his eleventh year at
Bosque School and lives in the North Valley of Albuquerque along with his
wife and two teenage sons.
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