Two Rivers Staff

	June Gilch Director.
	Beth Vossen is the energetic voice for Two Rivers Community School (TRCS). Although she is new at being an administrative assistant, she has run a successful business these last eight years with her husband, Glenn Randle, as self-employed glass artists in the community. Beth has come full circle having graduated in 1987 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Child Family Development. She and Glenn have lived out in the Bethel community for nine years where they built their own house and studio and started a family. She is the proud mother of Savanna Vossen Randle a fifth grader at TRCS.
	Vicki Meléndez Krueger (Founding Teacher) (pronounced Creeger) . Vicki teaches Kindergarten and provides early morning care. She acquired her B.A. in Elementary Education from Columbia College in South Carolina and hopes to pursue a Masters at Appalachian State University in Educational Technology. She has co-taught 1st and 2nd grade in a multi-age 1st - 5th grade classroom, in the 2 years through kindergarten multi-age classroom at Harmony School in Columbia, South Carolina and at Pierce Terrace School at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. She taught Spanish to all students ages two through fifth grade. She also served as a dedicated aide to special needs students in kindergarten through fourth grade. She and her husband Steve reside in West Jefferson with their dogs Wolfgang, Sam and Oliver. They have four grown daughters. Contact Vicki at: vicki@tworiverscommunityschool.net.
	Halle Pilkington team teaches the multiage first and second grade class. She is a graduate of Appalachian State University. She has degrees in Hospitality Management and Middle School Education- math and social studies. She obtained her master's degree in elementary education with a focus on reading and writing in 2006. Halle has resided in Boone and Blowing Rock since 1991. She spent 10 years managing a tourism based horse stables in Blowing Rock before returning to school for education. She has worked in Watauga county teaching in middle school and AIG for 3-5th grades. She enjoys spending her free time being a wife and Mom to four beautiful children, a dog, two cats, and a hamster!!
	Leni Smith is new to the Boone area but not new to teaching. She has over 30 years of experience teaching in grades K, 1, and 2. Before moving to our area, Leni taught in a multi-age classroom in Broward County, Florida. She has written curriculum for primary students in math, reading, and writing. Leni has presented at State and National Conferences and has facilitated professional development for primary teachers. In 2000, Leni earned National Board Certification in the area of Early Childhood Education. She teaches second grade and is very excited about having the opportunity to continue her teaching career at Two Rivers Community School.
	April Eve Hill (Founding Teacher) teaches 3rd grade at Two Rivers . She has a Teacher's Certification in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University (ASU) with Summa Cum Laude status in Dec. 2004. She student taught 1st/2nd grade at Banner Elk Elementary and 3rd grade in Guadalajara, Mexico at a bilingual American School. April has a M.F.A. from Syracuse University and taught art to children for three years. She also directed five university illustration schools in Hawaii. While there, she completed her TESOL certification and taught college ESL classes. April and her husband moved to NC where she taught K-3rd grade for 2 1/2 years at a private school. While at ASU, she worked as the Arts and Technology Coordinator with the Fifth Dimension, an after school program, at area public schools using an Apple laptop, digital camera and camcorder. She has published her illustrations in a book about clogging called "Step In Time".
	Natalie Oransky is the 4th Grade Teacher. She comes to TRCS from Appalachian State University where she taught adjunct in the Psychology Department for the past thirteen years. After many hours volunteering in classrooms and leading science programs for children, Natalie decided to transition from teaching college students to working with children. Natalie’s interests in applying psychological theories to education led her to earn a doctorate in Cognitive Psychology with a minor in Developmental Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She has also taught a range of classes in psychology that are related to education.
	Matt Hendley is our energetic new fifth grade teacher. Matt moved to the high country in 1993 to attend ASU and has been unwilling leave since his graduation with a BA in english and a philosopy minor. Matt comes to Two Rivers with a background in experiential education having worked as an outdoor recreation guide in the area for several years. He is a licensed massage therapist and most recently worked as a residential builder, fostering practical experiences from which to draw on in the classroom. In his spare time Matt loves to kayak, snowboard and spend time with his wife and dog. Contact Matt at: matt@tworiverscommunityschool.net
	Rachel Pickering Wood (Founding Teacher) teaches seventh and eighth grade language arts and social studies. Originally she is from outside of Washington D.C., but she grew up mostly in Charlotte. She graduated from Appalachian State in 2004 with a degree in Middle Grades Education. Currently she is working on a Master's degree in Professional School Counseling. She loves being outside, writing for fun, reading biographies, and playing with her 3 dogs. Her goals in life are to see a whale, have a goat farm, to some day travel to each of the seven continents (South America first and Antarctica last!).
	Leeann Cronk (Founding Teacher) teaches 7th and 8th grade math and science at Two Rivers. She graduated from ASU in 1987 with a degree in High School Science Education. Within a year she had added Middle School Math and Middle School Science to her certification. Leeann has taught in several public schools, a private school, and in the adult education programs offered at a community college and a prison. She also worked for three years at Duke University in the undergraduate chemistry labs. Leeann is married to Scott who is a real estate agent with Premiere Properties GMAC Real Estate. They live in West Jefferson with their two children.
	Mimi Archer provides support to Mrs. Vicki and the kindergarten class. She studied Elementary Education while attending North Adams State College in Massachusetts. Last year, she was a substitute in the K-3 classrooms, as well as volunteering in the Math U See and Sonday system programs. She is looking forward to focusing her energy on implementing the programs of Expeditionary Learning, and helping TRCS continue it’s growth in the community. Mimi and her husband Pete moved to the High Country from Massachusetts in 1997. Their two children Zachary and Zoa attend TRCS.
	Kelly Sheets is Two Rivers' Art Teacher. She graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in fine art. She specialized in painting, but learned much about drawing, printmaking, ceramics, fibers, sculpture, and art history. She was born and raised in the Bethel community in Western Watauga County. Kelly celebrates her Southern Appalachian heritage and enjoys playing old time music (fiddle and banjo), flat-footing and square dancing. In fact, she’s crazy about all kinds of music and dance. She grew up in a creative, musical, story-telling family and credits much of her love of learning to the nurturing of that environment. She likes to get her hands dirty making, building, and growing things. Traditional crafts, such as basketry, quilting, and weaving are something that she is passionate about doing and teaching.
	After earning his B.A. in Anthropology with a minor in Theatre from Appalachian State University, Austin Pack (Founding Teacher), "followed his dreams". His cross-country sojourn led him to Los Angeles, California where he failed to be inspired by life as a film actor. Upon his return to the real world, Mr. Pack found solace working with youth at SUWS of the Carolinas (a wilderness therapy program), CNC/ACCESS (as a one-on-one worker), Camp Broadstone, and most recently at Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center. Austin now enjoys celebrity status as a fitness coach for TRCS and assistant teacher. (It is rumored, however, that Mr. Pack's brilliant three-second portrayal of a stagehand in the critically lauded film, "Rock Star", left Hollywood yearning for Austin's return to the silver screen.
	Cyndi Rapenske (Founding Teacher) Cyndi teaches Brain Gym to our students at all age levels. Brain Gym is a system including physical movements which reduce stress and activates the various brain hemispheres for improved focus, organization, and communication. She teaches the students how to use Brain Gym in order to more easily actualize their goals to do their best. She is licensed by the Educational Kinesiology Foundation to teach Brain Gym and brings many years experience as an instructor in the field of experiential education. Cyndi 's personal interests include building, gardening, beading, primitive skills and quiet time outdoors.
	Joy Schlagal is a Reading Specialist with a M.Ed. (Summa Cum Laude) and a B.A. (Anthropology) from the University of Virginia. She is certified K-12. In addition, she is a SEMAA instructor, a nation wide NASA program that encourages underserved children to pursue careers in the sciences. She is also certified to teach Permaculture Design. Joy was adjunct faculty at ASU for six years and taught for four years in a residential treatment center. For three years before joining the staff at TRCS she was a Title I teacher. Joy is a co-author of Houghton Mifflin’s "English" and has sold two children’s stories. In addition to providing diagnosis and remediation in reading, Joy is the testing coordinator for End of Grade tests and serves as mentor for new teachers. She lives on Sweetwater Farm, an organic farm and landscape business.
	Sophie Minis is thrilled to be a part of the Two Rivers community as the after school program director. Growing up in both Raleigh and Chapel Hill, she is excited to be back in her home state after recently graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. During her college years Sophie balanced her energy between working hard on degrees in Psychology and Art and activities including hosting her own radio show over the WMUH-Allentown airwaves! During her senior year at Muhlenberg, she completed an honors thesis on indirect aggression and narcissism among young women and displayed her metalwork in the Martin art gallery's senior show. Over the past two summers she has worked at Camp Broadstone, her childhood camp, both as a senior cabin counselor and as the art instructor. During her free time Sophie loves to play outside, swim, weld, listen to music, travel, and laugh.
Additional Support Staff and Contractors: Jim Prather: Psychologist Pam Loven: Occupational Therapist Katheryn Clontz: Speech and launguage Joanna Betts: Exceptional Children Teacher Amanda Hensley: Exceptional Children Teaching Assistant VACANT: 1st and 2nd grade Teacher Assistant Barbara Benson: ELS School Designer