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Randee Dermer
Math

Am I psyched to be working for such a forward-thinking school? Oh yes. I feel like I’ve won the lottery! Working for Northpoint is a culmination of everything that I have done in education. My goal is to facilitate an environment in which learning the intricacies and nuances of math are fun. Be prepared to be at the white board; math is a student-centered experience in which everyone is the learner, everyone is the teacher. If you do not walk away after nine months knowing and enjoying math more than your first day in class, then I have failed. That’s not going to happen. Cheers!

Andrew Smith
10th grade Math

Thomas (Tom) Pettit
11th Grade Science
My journey of learning and discovery has covered many terrains since leaving my rural family home in Northwest Illinois. I spent two years in the suburbs of Chicago, many years on my formal education in Southern Illinois and Austin, Texas, followed by a post doctoral appointment at SRI International in Silicon Valley, where I began research in environmental chemistry. I continued working in the environmental arena with Lockheed in Las Vegas in supporting the Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory in Las Vegas. The over heated growth in Las Vegas led me to escape to Prescott in 1996. I have taught chemistry, environmental science, math, physics, and science for the local Veterans Upward Bound program.

Charles Mentken
10th grade Social Studies

Hello! My name is Charles Mentken and I am a second year social studies teacher at Northpoint. I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to help create a learning community that understands that high academic achievement is created by supporting a student’s emotional and social well-being. I am inspired by my colleagues’ commitment, our parents’ support, and our community’s willingness to support our success. Moving to Prescott twelve years ago to pursue my college education, I would find my life’s calling. For me, being an educator holds great responsibility, recognizing my potential to effect the development of our children. Yet, with great responsibility comes great opportunity, and for me the opportunity to share my passion for life and learning is what makes teaching so meaningful to me. I look forward to our upcoming year and supporting your child’s intellectual, emotional and physical well-being.

Alison
Wiggers-Zych
10th grade Spanish Language

Saludos a todos! My fascination with the Spanish language and culture began when I was still a youth in Cincinnati, Ohio. While attending Ohio State University, I had the opportunity to travel and live in Mexico on two different occasions. While studying in Cemenahuac and La Universidad de las Americas, I became immersed in a beautiful culture, adventure and a deeper understanding of human relationships. I graduated from the Buckeye state in 2000 and have been living in Prescott ever since with my husband and herd of animals. I absolutely love my community and the bio-diversity of the southwest. I was teaching at a private boarding school for the past 6 years and receiving my teacher certification from Prescott College in addition to a Dance degree. Another one of my great passions is the art of movement. I am currently involved in creating Prescott’s first dance collective. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this learning community of teachers, students and parents. I am looking forward for this upcoming year. I am expecting that it will be an incredible experience.

Anna Tredeau
Fine Arts and Adventure Coordinator

I am excited to introduce myself as the new Fine Art and Adventure Coordinator for Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy. I am originally from Prescott and have recently moved back after almost ten years of learning, teaching, growing and exploring!

In 2002, I received a Bachelor of Science in Art Education and a Minor in Visual Arts
from Northern Arizona University. Since then, I have taught art at Mount Elden Middle School in Flagstaff and at Aztec Elementary School in Scottsdale for the last four years.

I have also been the Art Director at Camp Vega in Fayette, Maine, for the past three consecutive summers. All of these experiences have led me back to my hometown with the intention of inspiring and imparting my love of the arts to students of all ages.

Mrs. Liddle
Counselor

Geneva
Saint-Amour
Director

As an Arizona native, I consider myself a desert lizard. I enjoy the heat and the sand.

I love to travel to Mexico and enjoy beaches, hiking, diving and eating delicious food.

I have also been to most of Europe, Costa Rica, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and much of the USA. Travel opens the world up into a larger, more amazing place. I hope that our students will partake of every travel opportunity they have presented to them. My other interests include geocaching, walking with my dogs and relaxing with my terrific husband. My degrees are in Education, Counseling and Administration, but my real qualifications come from a full life of teaching students in all grades from 6 to 12 and college as well as leading the direction of four different schools. Northpoint is another exciting challenge in the journey of life and I look forward to sharing it with new staff, students and families every year.

Shannon Porto
Secretary

Mr. Biruetta
Custodian

Sidney Shepherd
9th grade Science

I am so happy to say that this is my 3rd year at Northpoint! This year I will be teaching 10th grade Biology.  Over the last 8+ years, I have taught biology, integrated sciences, environmental studies, physics, and anatomy and physiology; however, my primary focus is in biological sciences.

I received my B.S. in Zoology from The Ohio State University and 2 years later received my M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from OSU. I comment often that Northpoint is the hardest, most challenging job I have ever encountered,  and yet, it is the most exciting and rewarding as well.  That is what I love most about us, teachers and students alike.  If you really put your effort into being here, it will be the hardest and best thing you have ever done.  If you want to know more about me, you’ll just have to come to class (parents are welcome); see you there!

Alex Edelmann
9th grade Social Studies

A native of the New England, I received my B.A. in History and hold a dual minor in Education and Literature from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. A recent transplant to the southwest desert, I have recently completed my Masters in Education at Northern Arizona University. Before finishing my undergraduate degree, I worked as an outdoor guide in the Boundary Waters, MN; Northern California; & New Hampshire.

Cassie Habeck
9th grade Language Arts

Hello Northpoint. I am happy to be the 9th grade English teacher. I believe the best education is through traveling and learning through hands on experiences. True to my word, I have been living and teaching in Europe for the last two years. I have also taught in Ecuador and Egypt. In addition, I have taught in the Prescott area for seven years. I love teaching English because it combines all the areas that I am passionate about: reading, writing, acting, and speaking. My undergraduate degrees are in Political Science, journalism, and English Education. My Masters degree is in Library Science. I have taught English grades 6-12, social studies, journalism, library, and drama to high school and middle school students. Education and school is our family focus. My husband teaches computers at Mile High Middle School. My son goes to Prescott High School and my daughter is a 6th grader at Granite Mountain. We have just moved back to Prescott, and we're happy to be here. I look forward to working at Northpoint, and creating lessons to stimulate and motivate our students.

Elynn Colaianni
9th grade Fine Arts

Raised in the Phoenix area, I recently relocated to Prescott with my husband Alexander and our two children, Vincent and Isabella. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art education and sculptural metalsmithing from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts degree from California State University at Long Beach. Formerly, I held the position of Assistant Curator for Education at the Phoenix Art Museum and was a Collections Management Associate with the Heard Museum. I am an Arizona certified art educator in Secondary Education and held the position of art teacher at Madison Park School, a K-8 school with the Madison School Designer District in Phoenix. Most recently, I taught Painting and Drawing at Bradshaw Mountain High School East in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Accepted into the Northern Arizona University Distance Learning program, I will begin doctoral work through Yavapai College Fall 2007. I feel honored to be part of the Northpoint family and look forward to a successful and productive year.

Brendan Haggerty
10th Grade Science

Born and raised in a rural area of Eastern Connecticut, I moved to Prescott to attend Prescott College in 2001. The diversity and beauty of the Southwest’s ecosystems and landscapes inspired me to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies and Education. My passion for learning about the Earth’s history and its biological diversity has inspired me to do two things. First, it has led me to travel extensively to places such as Ireland, France, New Zealand, Fiji, Thailand and Myanmar. In addition, it has motivated me to become a teacher so that I may share my passion and inspire others. I hold a deep belief that critical thought is the most indispensable quality of a self-governing society, and therefore public education must be recognized as the heart of a functioning democracy. I am truly honored by the opportunity to serve the students of this community along with the entire Northpoint staff.

Melissa Wagoner
10th grade Language Arts

Growing up on an environmental education project in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas inspired my attitude towards life long learning.

I finished my BA in English at Northern Arizona University in 1995, and took some time off from formal education to travel.
Quickly out of money for world traveling, I went back to NAU to complete my secondary certification requirements in 1997. I taught at Prescott High School for five years, starting the planning for Northpoint in year five. Steady at the helm in my third year at Northpoint, I am very excited about continuing to bring an experiential approach to education to the community of Prescott.

In the spring of 2008, I completed my MA in Education and Writing at Prescott College.

Some of my favorite hobbies are reading, writing (who would’ve guessed that these would be an English teacher’s hobbies), and camping with my fabulous husband and two awesome dogs.