News > Academics > Faculty > New Faculty Faces 2007 - 2008
Please welcome our new crop of talented and enthusiastic teachers!
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They are (from left): Arnold (Arnie) Serotsky, biology; Damon Banks, co-teacher of middle and upper school music; Rebecca Coupe Franks, co-teacher middle and upper school music; Kerry Wholey, middle school history; Maria ("Pistu") Downey, lower school Spanish; Perla Revella, middle and upper school Spanish; Laura DeHay, lower school literacy specialist; Laura Hicks, upper school drama; Rhonni Hallman, lower school music; Maria Jimena Concha, middle and upper school Spanish; Karim Llaja, middle school math; Kevin Lang, upper school English; and Jan Campbell, 3-4. |
Please join us welcoming new PDS faculty:
Damon Banks, co-teacher of middle and upper school music: Damon is a performing artist, arranger and composer who also teaches instrumental music at St. Ann's School in Brooklyn. A frequent substitute bass teacher at PDS, he has a B.A. in music from Fisk University.
Jan Campbell, lower school 3-4 teacher: Jan is returning to PDS, having worked in the "After" Program and- taught grades 1-2 in the '90s. Now she will be joined at PDS by her children, Rachel (grade 9) and Tallia (grade 6). Jan taught previously as Manhattan Country School and the Ethical Culture School. She has a B.A. from Tufts University and an M.A. from Teachers College of Columbia University. She will co-teach a 3-4 class with Gretchen Lytle.
Jimena Concha, middle and upper school Spanish: Jimena's previous experience has been at the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School in Connecticut, where she taught for the past six years, and at the Hawthorne Valley School. She is also fluent in French and is an experienced Latin dance instructor. A native of Colombia, Maria earned her B.A. at the Universidad del Valle in Cali.
Laura DeHay, lower school literacy: Laura has been teaching in the Hudson Valley since 1982, most recently in the Arlington School District. She has a B.S. from SUNY/Cortland and an M.Ed. from the University of Buffalo and is currently enrolled in a masters program in special education at Grand Canyon University. She will be working with Ruthie Shaw.
Maria ("Pistu") Downey, lower school Spanish: A new resident of the Hudson Valley, Maria has been teaching Spanish for 10 years at the Bank Street School for Children. She taught previously at the Chicago International School and at Santiago College in her native Chile. Maria earned her B.A. at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
Rebecca Coupe Franks, co-teacher of middle and upper school music- Rebecca, whose B.A. in jazz performance is from the New School for Social Research, has been teaching instrumental music classes at Ulster Community College and High Meadow School since moving East two years ago.
Rhonni Hallman, lower school music: Rhonni joins us from Pasadena, California, where she has taught music at the Sequoyah and Waverly Schools. An accomplished musician, she has taught violin, piano, recorder and guitar. In 2006 she won the Curriculum Competition for Teachers sponsored by the Los Angeles Opera Education Department. Rhonni is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester.
Laura Hicks, upper school drama: A professional actress, Laura was classically trained at the Juilliard School, and has performed in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions as well as in regional and international festivals. Most recently, she has been teaching as a guest artist with Epic Theater Company, focusing on the development of new plays in workshop productions with high school students in the New York City public system.
Kevin Lang, upper school English: Before becoming a teacher, Kevin spent ten years in publishing as a consultant, literary agent and director of foreign and motion picture rights. His recent teaching assignments include Arlington High School, The Culinary Institute of America and Dutchess Community College, as well as the George W. Hewlett High School, where he was director of the writing center. He has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. from NYU.
Karim Llaja, middle school mathematics: Karim comes to us with double honors degrees from Manhattanville College, where she earned her B.A. in mathematics and computer science and her M.A. in education. She will be teaching math in the middle school.
Perla Revella, middle and upper school Spanish: A native of Mexico, Perla is a graduate of the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara and holds an M.A. in Spanish from the University of Mississippi. In Guadalajara she worked as the university's summer camp and theater area coordinator. She has taught Spanish at the University of Mississippi and in an intensive Spanish summer program at the Croft Institute for International Studies.
Arnold Serotsky, biology: Although his most recent teaching was at Arlington High School (honors biology) and Dutchess Community College, Arnie's previous experience includes more than twenty years in the Greece Central School District of Rochester, NY, where in addition to teaching science he served as K-12 program coordinator and regional director of the New York State High School Science Olympiad. He holds a B.A. from Hunter College of CUNY, an M.A. from SUNY Albany and a C.A.S. in educational administration from SUNY Brockport.
Kerry Wholey, middle school history: Kerry joins PDS after seven years at Rockland Country Day School, where he taught middle and upper school history, coached the soccer and golf teams and gave guitar lessons. He previously taught 5th grade for two years at St. Brigit Elementary School (Boston). He has a B.A from Manhattan College and an M.S. in secondary social studies education from NYU.
We also welcome back Peter
Vinogradov, languages department chair and technology assistant,
who returns from his yearlong sabbatical, although his many appearances throughout
the year made him a fairly steady presence, and Ken McGloin, who will continue
as coordinator of the adjunct music program.
View the PDS employee directory for 2007-2008 (PDF).