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Our Staff
Get to know our 2010-2011 staff by
checking
their biographies below.
Administrative & SupportMichele Roth - Bookkeeper/Technology & State Test/Federal Lunch Program Angela Banning - Special Services Coordinator Pat Griffin - Special Services and Student Teacher Linda Selby - Paraprofessional/Certified Teacher Shana Freedman - Kindergarten Aide/Special Services Student Teacher Michelle Rollins - Lunch Program Facilitator Gaylen Curry - Bus Driver/Recess Safety Monitor TeachersElizabeth Sackman - Kindergarten Teacher - Morning Gina Munkers - 1st & 2nd Multi-Age Group Teacher Marti Hinckley -1st & 2nd Multi-Age Group Teacher Wren Nicks - 3rd & 4th Multi-Age Group Teacher Ben Miller - 3rd & 4th Multi-Age Group Teacher Ryan Porter - 5th & 6th Multi-Age Group Teacher Brenda Miller - 7th & 8th Multi-Age Group Teacher Rebecca DeMeritt - Arts Project Consultant
Cindy Hoovel
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I
found that after three years as an administrator at
GCCS, I truly missed teaching, so my job description
now includes coordination of the community
professional artists who work with the students during
their Art Studio sessions – in addition to teaching
many of the sessions myself. When I can find
spare time, I love to paint, garden, travel, bicycle,
hike, read, and explore as many new places and
activities as possible. My favorite adventures to date
are parapenting off the Southern Alps in New Zealand
and zip lining at Tamarack! As the GCCS director, I am an active member of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce and the Idaho Charter School Network. I enjoy participating in every educational opportunity possible - especially if it will continuously help improve our school and get the word out about what a fantastic place we are creating for children!
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I
have been in education for more than twelve years. My
educational |
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I look forward to getting to know and care for the students at GCCS just as I have for the students that I have worked with for the last twenty-three years. |
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While in college, I spent my summers working as a commercial whitewater rafting guide and am continuing to do so here in Idaho. I am also a certified Emergency Medical Technician and worked for an ambulance service here in Boise. My wife and I were married this past September. We spend our summers rafting, camping, and hiking and in the winter we like to snowboard and snowshoe.
I look forward to another great year and continuing to be a positive influence in our students' lives. |
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In the 1980s, I taught elementary school students for five years and preschool children for two years. In the 1990s, I primarily parented my children and did community volunteering. For most of the current decade, I've taught preschool children, plus finished up my master's degree at BSU. Several years ago I started tutoring part-time at a local learning center and particularly enjoyed that part of helping kids learn, so am excited to join the staff at GCCS to assist in student learning. |
(return to top of page)
Finding
my time as a PSR therapist extremely gratifying and
heartwarming has prompted me to reconsider my career
direction, and after much thought I decided to transition
into the field of teaching. I began the process of
acquiring my teaching certification in Elementary Education
and Special Education this summer, and plan on completing
this process by next summer. I’m very excited to be
a teacher aide at the GCCS -- I cannot think of a better way
to spend my hours while working towards this certification!
From the moment I stepped through the doors of the Garden
City Community School, I became excited and inspired and
feel very lucky for this opportunity. Outside
of work, I can be found backpacking and camping in the
summers, and skiing and snowboarding in the winters.
As a transplant from the east coast about 3 years ago, I am
endlessly amazed at the beauty that Idaho has to offer and
seem to never get bored exploring the west.
Shana Freedman
Kindergarten Aide/Special Services Student Teacher
shana.freedman@gardencityschool.org
My
name is Shana Freedman. After graduating from Lehigh
University, located in Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Arts
in Psychology and a minor in Art History, I spent the next 8
years working in advertising and marketing in New York,
Boston, and then Boise. In addition to this
experience, I have worked as a Psycho-Social Rehabilitation
(PSR) therapist with children in the Treasure Valley over
the past 6 months.
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Growing up in Southern California instilled in me a great love of the ocean and the environment which was reinforced in high school and college through environmental science, marine biology and scuba diving courses. Visiting the ocean thrills me, and I return every chance I get!
As a landlocked teenager in Texas, I discovered my creative gifts in theatre and art. I had every intention of becoming a theatre teacher, and I hope I can put my training in acting, design and scenic painting to good use at Garden City Community School as a parent volunteer.
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**bio coming soon** |
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My
name is Gaylen Curry. I have enjoyed being the bus driver
for Garden City Community School for the past four years. I
have enjoyed getting to know the students, and I am looking
forward to adding Playground Safety Monitor to my list of
daily duties. I
was raised in the Weiser, Idaho area. After graduation I
moved to Ontario Oregon. Where I meet my first wife Jan and
raised my two children. My daughter, Evirr, is now 29
years old and is living in Guam with her husband, Kirk, who
is in the Navy. My first grandchild, Hayden, was born in
March of 2010. My son, Tyson, is living and working in
California. After suddenly losing my wife, Jan, of 29 years,
I met and married my current wife, Cathy. We are now
residing in Nampa, Idaho. |
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GCCS integrates the arts into the curriculum in a creative and effective way that promotes child learning. The Adlerian Philosophy works to challenge children to seek out new ways to learn, question the world around them and find ways to be a contributing member of not only their family, but also the school and community. This is why GCCS is so amazing in the style of teaching and ways of engaging kids to learn. Each day opens a new door of opportunity for children to embark on the educational journey called life.
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My past experience in the schools started as a PTO/Art Parent Coordinator in Meridian in 1998. When my family moved to Boise 10 years ago, I immediately was involved in implementing an Art Parent Program at Valley View Elementary. This led to serving as Vice President and President on the PTO. In 2003, I went to work part-time for Boise School District as a School Support Assistant where my duties included playground, lunchroom, and library work. Soon, I went full-time and worked in the preschools at Riverside and Garfield and in an extended resource room for two more years. When
I am not learning or teaching in school, I love to just be a
mom. Part of being a mom for me is cooking. I am writing my
own cookbook. I also love performing in musicals with my
children. We have done Boise Music Week performances. Every
Sunday, I am the chorister for the adult choir at my church.
Needless to say, I love teaching the academics with art
integration. This past summer I have added to my piano and
guitar skills to help me be more flexible in teaching music
skills to my students. We have a great year planned
with lots of Art Integration and Hands-on Learning Working
at GCCS everyday makes me feel as though I have won the
lottery in life. I love the charter, staff, board, parents, and
students. Through all my experience, the greatest reward has
always been to help children realize they can do more, never
to give up, and reach for the stars.
We can all reach for the stars if we have the desire - the first very important step to great success! I want all my students to look forward to every school day with the feeling “There’s No Place Like School.” |
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Over nine years experience in working with multi-age groupings, creating meaningful student portfolios, and integrating arts and sciences throughout learning have kept me marveled by all the students’ talents! I strive for a classroom that is happy, relevant and engaging for everyone. No two years have ever been the same, but they have all been amazing!
My childhood in Oregon was spent playing in mud puddles and sneaking cherry tomatoes from the garden. Despite loving the lush green forests and beautiful coastline, I took off for adventures around the U.S. as soon as I could. I have lived in many states from New Jersey all the way to Alaska. My B.A. in Child Psychology is from University of Oregon... Go Ducks! My graduate study and teacher certification were done at University of Alaska, Anchorage...Go Seawolves! However, living in Boise, I couldn’t help catching the Bronco Nation Fever... Go Broncos!
Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my terrific husband, Josh, and children, Mary, Caleb and Araleigh. Our family loves camping, hiking, swimming, board games and we even sneak in some video games. In my free time, I like reading, jewelry making, wildlife photography, paper crafting, and photo journalism. My latest exercise craze is Zumba, and I have a secret dream of publishing children’s literature someday.
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. ~Rachel Carson |
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Teaching at GCCS has been challenging and rewarding at the same time. My teaching experience consists of student teaching in second and fourth grade, subbing throughout the Boise School District, and teaching a 3-4 multi-age-group class here at GCCS. If you ever hear the Beatles rocking down the hallway, hear a class singing, or just plain old goofy you’ll know that Mr. B. and his students must be having a great time. |
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I graduated from Boise State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. After I taught 5th grade for two years in Caldwell, my wife Vivianne was awarded a fellowship to University at Buffalo, New York to pursue a Master’s Degree in Arts Management.
While living in Buffalo, I had the opportunity to teach pre-school, helping me to further understand the physical, cognitive and social development of children. In addition to working the pre-school setting, I also found time to help run an after-school literacy development program, participate in summer camps and cook in an Irish restaurant.
Vivianne and I returned to Boise recently and are looking forward to spending time with our families and friends. We have a chocolate lab named Brew who keeps us on our toes and gives plenty of love. I am excited to begin the year in such a unique school like the Garden City Community School. |
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Idaho
has been my home for 31 adventure filled years. My husband Mike and I have raised two talented
children here and explored every nook and cranny of its vast
landscape, But my best memories include the special
relationships I have built along the way. When I’m not
contributing to my community, or spending time with family,
I enjoy cooking, reading and many outdoor activities. Travel also plays an important role in my life and I
love to hear other people’s adventure stories.
Teaching 7th and 8th grade is like a dream come true for me. Teens have so much potential and creative energy it’s hard not to be inspired by them. Together with my students I will establish a strong culture of exploration and academic rigor that reaches beyond the classroom doors into the world around us.
I believe that GCCS is a gift to the community of Garden City and deserves to be nurtured just like the children that walk through its doors. I’m looking forward to sharing my passion for service, public education and the arts with each member of this valuable community. Please come by and share your stories with me. |
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NOTE:
Rebecca taught full-time at GCCS during our first
three years and -in between family plans - we hope to have
her join us much more often this year! Due to Rebecca’s
exciting new life and plans this upcoming year, she will be
assisting our arts program as an arts project consultant and
art studio substitute. I
grew up in Boise then went to school at University of
Oregon, graduating with a degree in English. Loving to
get my hands into everything, I studied many subjects,
mostly creative writing, visual arts, and performance arts.
I moved to Maine to start an organic farm with Belgian draft
horses. After living in Maine for nine years, I
returned to Boise. I worked for two years at my
daughters' school as Art Parent Coordinator and also started
the After School Circus Theater Workshop with one of the
teachers. I am a certified yoga instructor and have
taught Iyengar yoga at the YMCA. I have always been
interested in working within innovative educational
environments with children and was thrilled to be hired at
Garden City Community School. I
have two beautiful teenage daughters and a one year old boy
after remarrying. Life is full. I am never
bored. My philosophy is that when a child acts
bored, let them sit with it. Don't rescue them.
In no time, they'll rescue themselves. Their mind will
wander into the realm of creativity. All of us want to
express ourselves, our deepest desires, our grandest ideas.
I try to reach out to my students and offer them ways in
which they can find this authentic voice that is uniquely
theirs. As an Arts Integration Coordinator, I feel
that my job is to listen to the students and hear what they
are trying to express and to introduce them to tools,
materials, and people who might help them. I encourage
them to share their ideas and inspire each other, stepping
forward into the world with the confidence that they are an
integral part of their larger communities. |
© 2007 The Garden City Community School All Rights Reserved.