Our Faculty

Michelle Garcia - Kindergarten Teacher
Jeanette Inness - Kindergarten Teacher
Suzanne Mitchell - 1st Grade Teacher
Robyn Dorch - 1st Grade Assistant Teacher  
Tina Chase - 2nd Grade Teacher
Sigal Cohen - 3rd Grade Teacher 
Cristin Talley - 4th Grade Teacher
Amy Caldwell - Humanities Teacher
Charlotte Perrine - Math, Science, Economics Teacher 
Corey Paulson - Humanities Teacher
Leigh Schmitt - Math, Science, Economics Teacher
Deborah Fisch - Spanish Teacher
Shirley Li - Mandarin Teacher
Dan Harting - P.E. Teacher
Karen Klimack - Art Teacher
Connie Schlotthauer

Kindergarten Teacher MICHELLE GARCIA holds a BS in Early Childhood Education (ECE) from Angwin College and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from Dominican University.  She has had several years of elementary education teaching experience, including kindergarten.  Michelle started working with children in 1994.  She worked as an assistant at Santa Rosa Junior College Children's Center for two years, Swain Center, Healdsburg Junior High, Geyserville Kindergarten and she also taught at Healdsburg Elementary School and Windsor Christian for three years.  

Michelle is skilled at identifying and addressing the needs of different children with varying backgrounds.  She has been successful at problem solving and integrating curriculum.  Michelle is an insightful teacher with a nurturing personality which will make her a natural in her role as THS's kindergarten teacher. 

 In her spare time, Michelle likes to scrapbook, watch a good movie, hike, swim, zumba dance and watch her three children play soccer.  Michelle lives in Windsor with her husband and children. Return to top

 THS's new kindergarten teacher  JEANETTE INNESS holds a BA in Liberal Arts with an Emphasis in Education from Sonoma State University along with a multiple teaching credential.  Ms. Inness maintained an orderly, positive learning environment during her years as a substitute teacher for grades K-12.  Jeanette also had the meaningful experience of teaching math, language arts, and social studies to multi-cultural students in primary and middle school grades.  She helped identify, select and modify instructional resources to meet the needs of students with varying backgrounds, learning styles and special needs.  Jeanette has had wonderful opportunities teaching diverse groups of students diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder and Autism.  Jeanette likes to use technology, art, theater and physical education in the classroom.

Jeanette knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher and feels she was born to teach. While other girls in her kindergarten class wanted to be ballerinas, Jeanette longed to make bulletin boards and correct papers with red pens.  Her goal is to change the world, one student at a time. As a part of the THS team Jeanette will play an important role in giving our students a wonderful, diverse educational experience that will expand beyond the classroom. 

In her free time Jeanette likes being adventurous in the kitchen and cooks for friends and family, she enjoys traveling with her husband, and seeing musicals in San Francisco.  She also loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking and camping. Return to top  

 

First Grade Teacher SUZANNE MITCHELL is dedicated and passionate about meeting every child's needs, not only academically, but both socially and emotionally as well.  Ms. Mitchell encourages an engaging educational atmosphere wherein all children have a chance to be successful.  Ms. Mitchell herself is a life-long learner and creates an environment that fosters the childrens' passion for being life-long learners too.

Ms. Mitchell grew up in Los Angeles and moved to San Francisco to attend San Francisco State University in 1995.  From there, she continued her love of learning by taking American Sign Language and Latin at Santa Rosa Junior College.  Ms. Mitchell graduated from Hutchins Program at Sonoma State University with a B.A. in Liberal Studies.  She is currently in the Multiple Subject Credential Program at SSU.

Ms Mitchell has been working with children for over 15 years.  She started as a babysitter, then camp counselor, then a live-in nanny.  She was an Associate Teacher at Sonoma Country Day School for three years in grades K-3.  She was also the Spanish Teacher for First and Second Grade at SCDS.  Ms. Mitchell has been trained in the Lindamood-Bell phoneme sequencing program (LiPs) to help her create a successful reading program. 

Ms. Mitchell is a huge advocate of learning by experiencing.  She is passionate about traveling and being exposed to different cultures, languages, food and environments.  She has been fortunate to have traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Costa Rica.  She hopes to continue to enrich her life through more traveling.     Return to top

First Grade associate teacher ROBYN DORCH has her BA in Film and Media Studies with a minor in Education from the University of California, Irvine and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University, Monterey Bay.  A native of Sonoma County, Robyn is very excited to join The Healdsburg School community. 

Robyn is a firm believer in problem solving based education.  Her favorite part of teaching is helping students wrestle with problems and achieve subsequent "a-ha" moments.  She is enthusiastic about providing the best education for her students.

Robyn's passions include travel and experiencing different cultures.  In 2005 she participated in a cultural-lingual exchange program teaching English to university students in Turkey.  She has also traveled to England, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands.

Robyn has helped the children in her community since she was in high school, working with agencies serving homeless and at-risk youth.  For two summers she was a camp counselor supervising campers in developing skills in team building, communication, and physical fitness.  During her college years she continued to tutor youth and worked at UCI's Early Childhood Education Center. 

In her spare time Robyn enjoys reading, running and watching movies.  Return to top 

Second grade teacher TINA CHASE is an award winning, high energy educator whose classroom bursts with creativity.  In 2007 Tina was selected as a Teacher of the Year at Merryhill Elementary School in Santa Rosa, a Nobel Learning Communities school.  She also won Nobel's Teacher of the Year honors for the Northern California District and the West Coast Region, finishing among the top three nationally.   

Tina holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Illinois State University and has continued her professional development through course work at Western Oregon State University and Sonoma State University.  Tina has more than two decades of teaching elementary students in Illinois, Oregon and California.  Her special love is second grade, where she creates a classroom environment so energizing that children cannot wait to get to school each morning.  Tina loves to integrate poetry, song and drama into her lessons culminating in performances for parents, family members and friends of the students. 

Tina's hobbies include photography, scrap booking, travel, and movies with her husband.  She has three grown children, all of whom recently finished their college educations and still live in Santa Rosa.  Return to top

Third grade teacher SIGAL COHEN has always known she wanted to work with children and families, so when she graduated from San Diego State University with a BS in Psychology, she moved back to the the Bay Area.  Sigal truly fell in-love with teaching after a two year internship at the Town School, a private school for boys in San Francisco. 

Following her internship, Sigal enrolled in the credential program at Dominican University.  After completing the credential program, Sigal returned to the Town School were she has been ever since.  Sigal finds herself very lucky to have taught at Town School.  She learned a lot about herself as a teacher and an active community member.  Sigal continues to grow and learn as a teacher.  She is always looking for different ways to teach to ensure that all of her students shine in their own special way.  We are all different types of learners and Sigal incorporates that in her lessons and introduces new ways of thinking to her students.  Return to top      

New to The Healdsburg School, CRISTIN TALLEY is excited to be returning to both fourth grade and California.  Ms. Talley was born in Long Beach and lived in Ventura during her childhood years.  While her life’s path has taken her from Salt Lake City, Boston, and Baltimore to Israel, Haiti, and Costa Rica, she says there is something about moving to California that feels like coming home.

Ms. Talley received her formal education training at Tufts University in Boston and upon graduating entered the United States Peace Corps, serving in Haiti and Costa Rica.  Following completion of her service, Ms. Talley taught third grade at The European School in San Pablo, Costa Rica.  Like THS, this was a school in its early years, driven by the vision of its founder/director.  Over the years, Ms. Talley maintained ties with The European School, and she returned there in 2006 to be the first principal for grades 3-6.  

From 1996 to 2006, Ms. Talley taught fourth grade at The Bryn Mawr School, a K-12 independent girls’ school in Baltimore, Maryland.  Drawing upon her Peace Corps experience and resources, Ms. Talley transformed the fourth grade curriculum into a year-long investigation of culture and countries.  She received national recognition in 2001, winning a Global Educator Award.  Ms. Talley is excited to return to the classroom setting and to infuse her students’ experiences with global mindedness.

Ms. Talley brings a broad perspective to education having been a teacher, administrator, and parent.  She knows that a child’s school experience has the potential to greatly mold the person they become, beyond academics.  She feels that as educators, it is paramount that we help form well-balanced, independent, and resilient students.  She strives for a positive educational setting where students can ask:  Who am I? What do I enjoy? What frustrates me? How do I share my voice?  Beyond the classroom, Cristin enjoys baking, traveling, the ocean, yoga, and spending time with her son, Jesse. Return to top

Upper school humanities teacher AMY CALDWELL is an incredible educator with an abundance of energy and dedication.  Amy has received numerous awards of recognition as an outstanding educator.  She was honored as Scottsdale Teacher of the Year and nominated for Arizona Teacher of the Year by two different school districts.  Amy brings many talents and years of experience to THS. 

Amy has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Florida Southern College, and an M.A. from Northern Arizona University.  She has pursued her professional development throughout the years receiving additional special training in Differentiated Instruction, Curriculum Mapping, Technology, Multi-Age Classrooms, Multiple Intelligences, Learning Differences, Accelerated Reader, Special Education Inclusion, Hands-On Science, and Drama/Acting. 

In addition to her long-term teaching experiences in Arizona, Amy taught for two years as a 4th grade teacher with the Leipzig International School, Leipzig, Germany. 

Living in Germany allowed Amy to combine her passions and interests, namely teaching and world travel.  She enjoys European history, exploring old cathedrals and castles, hiking and biking.  Her stay abroad also gave her the opportunity to support her belief in "green-living."  Amy sold her car when she moved to Germany and travels everywhere by foot, bike, or public transportation.

Amy hopes to become involved with community theater in Healdsburg.  She loves directing children and acting in plays herself. Return to top

CHARLOTTE PERRINE is THS' new sixth grade homeroom teacher and upper school Math, Science, and Economics teacher.  A native of New Haven Connecticut, Charlotte comes from a long line of educators, and has spent the past 21 years teaching math and science from grades 5-7 in the Potomac School, Mc Lean, VA., St. Stephens and St. Agnes School, Alexandria, VA, and the past 8 years at Beaver Country Day School in Boston.

Charlotte is a graduate of Westover School in Middlebury, CT,  Smith College in Northampton, MA, where she received her BA,  and Harvard University, where she received her MEd.  She is a huge Red Sox fan, an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and running, a lover of Broadway musicals, and is passionate about children and teaching. Charlotte is a believer  in bringing the real world into the learning experience.  Walking the talk, she has helped create a whale curriculum for Montgomery County Schools, studied humpback whales with the Pacific Whale Foundation in Australia, received a summer grant to research and observe orcas with Earthwatch in San Juan Islands, traveled in New Zealand, Europe, Alaska, the U.S. and sailed for a month in Tahiti.  She is very interested in helping to create outdoor experiential learning connected to Math and Science at THS. Return to top

Humanities teacher COREY PAULSON was born in the Pacific Northwest and is excited to have returned to the Pacific Coast to teach at The Healdsburg School.  After attending independent schools for most of her life, Corey received her bachelor degree in History at the University of Washington.  A Dean's List scholar, Corey focused her studies on American history and the relationships between history and the literature of the period.  

After graduation, Corey realized that she wanted to use her education to foster the love of learning in others.  She began teaching middle and upper school history at an independent school, The Overlake School, in Redmond Washington.  She left the school to obtain her master's degree in Religious Studies at the University of Colorado.  When she is not working, Corey enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing with her daughter.  Return to top
 
LEIGH SCHMITT is delighted to be joining The Healdsburg School as the new upper school mathematics, science and economics teacher.  Leigh has been teaching for eleven years, and is in his fifth year of teaching math and science to students in grades 7-12 at The Academy at Charlemont in Charlemont, MA.  In addition to teaching, Leigh has extensive experience coaching sports, serving as a student advisor, and "greening" institutions through his tireless passion for the environment.  At his current school, Leigh helped to implement an extensive gardening and composting program, served as a faculty representative for a student-generated Sustainability Council, enlisted the institution in a nationwide energy conservation competition (The Green Cup Challenge), and co-created an interdisciplinary seventh grade course entitled "Climate Connections".  

Despite his love of travel, Leigh has been a life-long resident of New England, so resettling his family in California will be a true adventure.  His two children are true outdoor kids with boundless energy.  Leigh is a graduate of Deerfield Academy, Union College, and the University of Massachusetts.  For the past three summers, Leigh has been the recipient of three distinct, unique grant research opportunities.  In 2007, Leigh snorkeled, restored coral reefs, and learned the values of experiential and place-based education at The Island School in Cape Eluthera, Bahamas.  The following year, he collaborated with a colleague to create an environmentally-themed, interdisciplinary seventh grade curriculum.  Most recently, he researched agricultural education and farm-to-school programs at high schools and colleges in the Northeast.  In his free time, Leigh is a professional runner and serves as an athletic ambassador for the North Face and CLIF Bar Corporations.  Leigh is currently ranked seventh in the nation in the sport of ultrarunning.  Leigh cannot wait to hit the ground running in the Golden State with his wife and two children.  Return to top          

Spanish teacher DEBORAH FISCH (Doña Deborah) has been teaching Spanish to children in grades Pre-K through eighth, as well as adults, through her own business, "Mobile Maestra" for the past decade. She employs the Total Physical Response (TPR), as well as the Language Experience Approach (LEA) which results in a lively, engaging classroom atmosphere full of music, movement and games. Doña Deborah draws from an eclectic background of theater, children's educational television performance (Mrs. Twizzleton's Magic Garden), creator/performer of Sonoma Song Service - Singing Telegram Delivery, and Dixieland jazz band singer.

Ms. Fisch worked as the Director of Graduate Events for Summit Inc. - an experiential motivational, self-development organization. She earned a BA in Spanish Literature and Culture, studied at a Translator's University in Spain, and has attended sessions at The Monterey Institute of International Studies. She has been happily married for 20 years to Ed, President of Fisch Bros. Drilling in Sebastopol. Return to top

 SHIRLEY LI was born and raised in the Shandong Province of Mainland China.  She received a B.A. in English from Yantai University and is completing her teaching certificate in Chinese Mandarin from California State University.  She is a journalist and a freelance writer, and she continues to work as a columnist with the “Chinese World Journal", an international publication.

Shirley immigrated to the United States 20 years ago and is the mother of two daughters, Rena and Taylor.

Ms. Li has taught extensively in grades K-8 and employs engaging and interactive teaching methods, using the Total Physical Response (TPR) method. 

The TPR method of teaching language fosters an active, vibrant and positive classroom atmosphere that encourages consistent learning and inquiry, and it believes that each student makes a unique contribution, benefitting the group as a whole.  Ms. Li’s methods include the interaction of students, using Mandarin in a relevant way.  In addition to speaking and writing, students will be led to making connections to the history and culture of China, giving deeper understanding and appreciation of both the language and people. Return to top


Physical Education teacher DAN HARTING was raised in rural Mendocino County.  Growing up, he spent most of his time running and exploring in the woods, playing in local streams and rivers.  Since his youth, Mr. Harting has had an inherent passion for athletics, playing every sport possible.  In 1984, he moved to Santa Rosa, where he attended Montgomery High School and became interested in alternative sports such as surfing, skateboarding, and mountain biking.  Mr. Harting’s passion for athletics and the outdoors led him to a program in Exercise Physiology at Sonoma State University. 

Mr. Harting has been a teacher at Riebli Elementary in Santa Rosa and most recently, at Sonoma Academy.  While teaching at Sonoma Academy, Mr. Harting pursued a graduate degree in Sports Psychology.  He is responsible for the creation and management of Sonoma Academy’s cross country team, which he has coached for the past three years.  Mr. Harting also started and coaches the track and field team at Sonoma Academy. 

His philosophy is simple:  Mr. Harting feels that children and adults need to be exposed to many different types of athletic activities.  Eventually, a passion will be developed for one of those activities, and when there is passion, there is drive.  One does not need to be contrived about exercise.  Mr. Harting believes that exercise should come naturally, and as such, a life long commitment to physical fitness and outdoor activity will develop.

In his spare time, Mr. Harting is on his bike or at the coast surfing the crispy cold waves of Sonoma County.  He has also developed a huge passion for food and cooking, and he constantly finds himself following the scent of food wafting from the many great restaurants of Healdsburg. Return to top

Art teacher KAREN KLIMAK graduated from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio in 1970 with a B.A. in Art Education and has been teaching for over 30 years.  Her experience includes teaching art classes at schools throughout San Francisco and the North Bay.  In addition, Ms. Klimak owned and directed a summer camp in Mendocino. She also created and developed the art program at The San Francisco School where she taught for 23 years.  Her own work has been exhibited in venues throughout the Bay Area, and she received an award in conjunction with the Oakland Museum Show "Hello Again."  When she's not teaching, Ms. Klimak creates window displays for several storefronts in Healdsburg, works in her barn on her own junk metal sculpture, and takes art classes to enrich her teaching. Return to top 

                                      Music Teacher CONNIE SCHLOTTHAUER holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Northern Colorado, a second endorsement in Elementary Education, and K-12 teacher's certificate for the states of Colorado and California.  She has over 25 years of professional musical experience as a music educator, performer, and teaching in her private flute studio.  Her passion for music not only includes performance, but more importantly for teaching children and encouraging them to reach their highest potential. 

Mrs. Schlotthauer has been a music teacher at Beebe Christian School in Fort Collins, Colorado, HMS Richards Adventist School, in Loveland, Colorado, and Rio Lindo Adventist Academy in Healdsburg.  Her experience includes classroom music, band, choir, bell choir, musical productions, private brass and woodwind lessons, drama and multi-grade elementary classroom teaching.  She has had experience teaching in Colorado Charter schools, and in particular with the Core Knowledge curriculum.  She enjoys being actively involved in the community and has been the music director for many holiday productions.  

Mrs. Schlotthauer enjoys combining her love of music and creatively teaching children by incorporating music appreciation, theory and history through the Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly methods.  She is a member of The American Orff-Schulwerk Association, The National Association for Music Education, and the National Flute Association.  She also holds a degree in Office Administration from Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. 

Mrs. Schlotthauer enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters.  Her interests include hiking, finding new music, new recipes, and shopping with her girls.  She was born in South Dakota, and is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.  She has lived in California for over 23 years. Return to top