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The High School Faculty at Sparhawk
2009-2010
Individuals qualify to teach at Sparhawk if they are broadly literate, demonstrate a zeal for life and learning, know child and adolescent development, are expert in a particular area that complements the rest of the teaching team, and have a passion and talent for teaching.
The teachers presently employed at Sparhawk School are experienced educators and idealists united in the belief that Sparhawk's philosophy embodies their values. Teachers experience success and satisfaction working with small classes of motivated students and find the collegial atmosphere of our small school supportive.
Kaitlyn MacDonald, High School Director
Raised in Massachusetts and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, 
Kaitlyn is
happy to live near the water again, after many years inland, with her husband and Bernese Mountain Dog. Her graduate work is in Sustainable Education and Deep Ecology from Vermont College and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in
Literature and Creative Writing, with a minor in Theatre Arts from
Hartwick College. Upon finishing her undergraduate degree, she spent two
years traveling North America working on a farm, teaching and building
trails with Americorps NCCC, and providing disaster relief assistance
with the Red Cross. An avid traveller, she has led several regional and international trips in and out of the Sparhawk community.This is her third year as Sparhawk High School Director.
Arts Domain, Chair
Susan Adams, Director
of Music for grades preK-8, and Arts domain Chair, preK-12, has been an active
music educator and collaborating pianist since 1979. She holds a BA in
Music Education form Westfield State College and an MM in Piano
Collaborating/ Performance from Arizona State University. She is a
fully certified music educator and an active member of the Music
Educators National Conference, the American Orff Schulwerk Association,
and the Technology Insititute for Music Educators.
Her classroom experience includes K-6 positions in Nevada and Arizona, and at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine. She also enjoyed great success in bringing one of the first Kindermusik programs to the Seacoast area. While living in the Southwest, Susan traveled with Bonnie Jo Hunt, an accomplished opera singer, and a native Sioux, who brings art and music programs to reservations all over the United States.
As a collaborating pianist, harpsichordist, and organist, Susan has enjoyed employment at the College of Santa Fe, the University of New Mexico, and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Hampshire for ten years, working as coach/pianist for the UNH Opera Program and voice studios.
Susan loves tying together the two venues, as a teacher and a performer. Her experience is especially beneficial to the way music is approached at Sparhawk. Students interact with music as "real" musicians, presented with the same tasks faced by professional composers and performers. She has implemented numerous programs since coming to Sparhawk in 2002: the Private Lesson Program, Rock Ensembles (Upper School), and the Skylarks Chorus (Lower School).
In 2005-06 Susan began to implement the Arts-Propel approach, a
dynamic and effective way to approach music education and assessment.
Through a series of sequential "domain projects" students in grades 2-8
assume increasing responsibility for their learning, approaching music
in the manner of a professional musician, composer, or music critic. As
singers, instrumentalists, and composers they document the process by
way of a music portfolio, in which students keep revisions, performance
and rehearsal CDs, journal entries, and associated assessments. In this
way students can reflect upon their successes, communicate them to
family and community, and have a lasting document of their musical
achievements. Susan joyfully anticipates this year's adventures.
(Sparhawk, year 8)
Joe Chamberlain
is thrilled to return to the Sparhawk faculty this year. A graduate of St.
John's Prep and Tufts University, Joe has been teaching for over twenty
years, spending most of his career working with at-risk youth in the
Department of Youth Services. At Sparhawk, Joe teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 and Geometry
in the high school. He also uses his experience
working for a nationally-known test prep company to teach SAT classes
at Sparhawk.
He has many areas of interest and has taught classes on Rocketry, Astronomy, and Civil War History at Sparhawk and is looking forward to teaching Geography this spring. Joe spent much of his youth playing in rock bands and still enjoys
singing, song writing, and playing piano and guitar. (Sparhawk, year 4)
Vanessa Davis teaches music and literature. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Music Studies as well as her Bachelor of Music Studies degree from the University of New Hampshire. Vanessa was the principal clarinet in the University's Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. Currently she plays 3rd/Bass Clarinet with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra. She has also maintained an active clarinet studio in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire and is currently on the faculty of the Musical Arts Academy of Music and Dance in Exeter and Dover, New Hampshire.
In her free time she enjoys reading science fiction, performing in a woodwind quintet, cooking Thai food, attending musical performances, and playing with her cat, Vigo. (Sparhawk, year 1)
Daniela Currie-Gutierrez teaches Art at the high school. She also plays tag, soccer, and works in such varied media as paper and sidewalk chalk with the students in the after school program at the farm school.
Born in Mexico City and raised in Puerto Rico and New Hampshire, Daniela studied Art Education at the University of New Hampshire. Daniela was very involved in student life at UNH: as a Resident Assistant, working with the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity on her spring breaks.
Daniela has arrived at Sparhawk after a long journey. Most recently, she backpacked and volunteered her way across Latin America—from Chile to Nicaragua and ultimately Mexico, spending 18 months hopping on and off buses, boats, and the occasional horse. Before heading out on her journey, Daniela worked as an Americorps member at the New Outlook Teen Center in Exeter, New Hampshire. She is sad to hang up her hiking boots, but happy and excited for the opportunity to share her passion for art with the students at Sparhawk. She is also elated about teaching at the same school as her mother, Lilia Gutierrez, who is a Sparhawk Spanish teacher. (Sparhawk, year 3)
Christophe Goebel, a native of France, teaches
French in our High School. He holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in
Marketing from Winthrop University in South Carolina and a degree in
Marketing from the Memphis International Cotton School.
After earning his college degrees, Christophe returned to France to work in the textile industry there. He has traveled extensively in Europe and also in Africa, including the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, and Tunisia, giving him experiences of various wonderful cultures.
In September 2004 Christophe moved to the United States, and he
resides in Cambridge with his wife and daughter and new son. He is dedicated to
teaching his native language, and to transmitting his love and passion
for the French culture. He is happy to be working at Sparhawk School and
enjoys the many benefits of our supportive and creative environment. In
his leisure time, Christophe plays tennis; he enjoys nature, history and
travel.
Lilia
Gutierrez teaches Spanish in Sparhawk’s
High School. She was born in Mexico City and moved to New
Hampshire with her family in 1986. She has been teaching Spanish for
more than 18 years, spending one year at Sanborn High School in
Kingston, NH, two years at the University of New Hampshire in Durham,
NH, and seven years at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH . She has
also taught various Spanish courses throughout the years to different
groups of all ages and proficiency levels. She has taught private
classes, tutored individuals, given presentations about Mexico, and
taught Spanish courses for different companies. She studied at the
Universidad Femenina de Mexico, the Instituto Mexicano Norteamericano,
the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, and the University of New Hampshire.
She enjoys teaching, interacting with and learning from students of
all ages. She believes in sparking the interest of her students by
introducing them to Latin American cultures through music, dance, art,
games, and celebrations of various holidays. Finally, raising two
daughters of her own has given Lilia plenty of insight into the area of
cultivating motivation and discipline in her charges.
Luis Ernesto Moreno teaches Greek, Roman and Medieval literature; romance languages; comparative history; Medieval and Renaissance art history. Luis was born and raised in Venezuela and graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University in 2002. He is currently finishing his master's degree in Early Modern European Studies from New York University. For two years Luis taught Spanish to our Lower School students and to the middle schoolers at our Upper Campus. He is thrilled to return to the Sparhawk faculty, this year, as a high school history and humanities teacher. Luis has lectured on history at New York University, and has lectured and co-organized academic seminars in Spain and Italy. He is proficient in Italian, Spanish, and English. Known for his enthusiasm in the classroom, devotion to his students, and for his ability to inspire responsibility and accomplishment, Luis strongly believes in the transformative power of education. Being part of the Sparhawk Community is a tremendous joy for him. (Sparhawk, year 4)
Gregory Noyes, teaches woodworking to high school and middle school students. Greg has his Master's degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Keene State College in Keene, NH.
As a woodworking teacher his focus is on finding projects that demonstrate the properties of wood and wood movement that make construction so challenging and successes so gratifying. Many construction elements that give visual appeal, such as frame and panel construction and dovetail joints, have evolved as a way to keep wood movement from pulling joints apart, and by incorporating these features into projects, students get a more functional insight into the evolution of design.
We use power tools extensively, as well as some small machines. Students become adept at setting up routers, at edge jointing boards, and using the band saw. The work benches and saw horses we use are made on site by the students, as well as the scale model and timber frame addition at the farm campus.
Kathleen Petrowicz
teaches upper-level mathematics at Sparhawk High School. She
graduated from Salem State College with a Bachelor of Arts in
Mathematics. She also earned minors in Education, Chemistry, and Computer Science.
For 12 years she worked in a banking environment as a computer programmer /analyst. Kathleen spent the next few years tutoring Math, MCAS, and SAT Prep followed by a year as Mathematics teacher at Pentucket Regional High School.
Seven years ago, Kathleen came to Sparhawk, where teaching has been a growing experience. In addition to Calculus, she has broadened her teaching practice to include thematic and technology courses: History of Mathematics, Squaring the Circle - A Look at Geometry in Art and Architecture, Calendars, Clocks and Cultures of Early American People, and C++ Programming. She loves that Sparhawk encourages teachers to develop elective courses on topics of interest outside of their primary teaching domain. For her, this promotes a spontaneity that brings something new and unexpected to each school year.
Kathleen enjoys playing the piano and songwriting. She likes vegetable and herb gardening and filling her classroom with plants. She and her husband spend summers boating around Plum Island Sound and camping throughout the United States.
Bob Spillman, science teacher, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from a lifetime of scientific pursuits.
He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Indiana University and his doctoral degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois. Bob loved teaching during graduate school, and, after a distinguished career in corporate research and development, he wanted to bring his broad experience back to the classroom. Before Sparhawk, he taught science at Concord-Carlisle High School. Bob is a member of the National Science Teachers Association. He started his science career at Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati, OH, working in the International Division developing products tailored to the needs of other countries. After receiving an MBA in marketing, Bob moved to Columbia, MD to work on the business development of new technologies for WR Grace. Later, Bob became Vice President of Research and Development for Millipore’s Life Sciences Division, located in Danvers, MA. While there, he developed a program for local students to visit Millipore to “see how research leads to new products” and why science education is important.
Bob and his wife, Lana, love outdoor adventures and own a log cabin in northwest Montana where they regularly schedule backpacking, river rafting and hiking trips. His domestic hobbies include digital photography and video editing. (Sparhawk, year 2)
Honorah Tinti (Norah) teaches literature, Latin, dance, drama and volleyball. She is a faculty advisor for the drama club and produces the fall play. Norah also directs and choreographs the spring musical, which includes students from all three campuses. Last spring she directed "Sussical the Musical" for her fourth season with the Sparhawk Spotlights.
Norah attended Union College in Schenectady, NY where she majored in Classics and minored in Spanish. While pursuing her academics Norah also cultivated her passion for dance, voice and drama. She was a member of the Union College Choir and a soloist on their tours in england and Montreal, Canada. She was also a member and soloist for both the Madrigal Group and the Garnet Minstrelles, the all female a cappella group for Union College. She participated in main stage productions as well as with The Mountebacks, the oldest student-run theatre group in the country. She became vice-moderator of the group and produced, directed, and choreographed musicals such as "Putting it Together" and wrote original works with them. She also choreographed with Dan Keon at a neighboring high school. Norah danced in Disney World twice with the New England Broadway Ensemble and she has pursued tap, jazz, ballet, pointe and modern since she was 13-years old.
After college, Norah taught philosophy, mythology and ran the dance program at the Hyde School for two years. She then moved on to teach Spanish, assistant direct and choreograph and act as faculty advisor for the drama program at Bishop Fenwick High School in Peabody, MA and was the head coach for the volleyball team for eight years. She was a member of the Merrimack Valley Players for six years and directed and choreographed the winter musicals at the Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro, MA for three years. (Sparhawk year 5)
Emily White teaches Italian and literature classes. She also holds Bachelor's degrees in both International Relations and Spanish from Bucknell University and a Master's degree in Italian Studies, with a focus on Italian literature, from New York University.
Her classroom experiences include teaching Italian at Long Island University in Brooklyn, developing and teaching a Spanish curriculum for a small elementary and middle school in Massachusetts, assisting ELL students in a New York City public high school, and finally, instructing Italian university students and working adults in the English language in Torino, Italy. These diverse experiences, along with her love of travel, have not only shaped and solidified her teaching, they have also molded rich cultural understandings which she openly shares with her students.
Emily has traveled extensively, throughout the United Stated, Europe, and parts of Africa and Latin America. She spends her summers in Italy visiting family and friends. She enjoys reading, watching movies with her son, and learning American Sign Language. (Sparhawk, year 4)
School Counselor
Catherine
Mannheimer, LCSW, is a teacher, artist and psychotherapist. She
holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bradford College in Creative Arts and a Master
of Social Work from Simmons College
She has taught art therapy, a survey of visual, and performing arts at Bradford College, and creative process at Northern Essex Community College. She worked for a number of years as a clinical social worker at Lowell High School, and presently maintains a private practice. She enjoys looking for the creative and expressive aspects in everyone.
One of her favorite ways of doing this is through teaching . She has taught drum making, creativity,
relaxation techniques, Humor in the Work Place, and the Social and
Artistic Implications of the Renaissance, which she taught in Florence,
Italy.
Guidance and College Counselor
Barbara Coutinho is experienced in the field of guidance and counseling. As a member of Triton Regional School’s founding staff, Barbara began as a counselor and retired in 2005 as Guidance Director. She served two terms as president of the Northeast Counselor’s Association, and is now a life-long member of its executive board. In 2007 Barbara was elected president of the North Shore Guidance Director's Association.
At Sparhawk, Barbara teaches a course in College Readiness to second semester juniors and first semester seniors to explain the process of planning and preparing for applying to college and to personally assist them in this process. She has instituted a developmental model for guidance. Her monthly newsletters posted on Edline give valuable college planning information to parents and students. Using ACT and College Board, Sparhawk now administers Explore for freshman, PLAN for sophomores and PSAT/NMSQT for juniors.
The Massachusetts School Counselor’s Association selected her for the “Outstanding Leadership Award” in 1991 and in 2004. In 2003, her Public Relations Handbook for Counselors received national recognition. She earned a B.A. in English and a M.Ed in Counseling from Salem State College, and a C.A.G.S. in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family and spending summers at the Cape. (Sparhawk, year 4)
