Matthew Burke-Newsum: This is Matt's ninth year teaching our 5-6th grade class. Matt has a BS in Environmental Biology and Resource Management from UC Davis and his teaching certification in all subjects from San Francisco State University with endorsements in Math and Science. Prior to teaching in Santa Fe, Matt student taught for two years in Mountain View, CA, coached middle school basketball and helped run the Farm and Wilderness camp programs at Hidden Villa.  Matt also assists in our after school basketball program and study hall.

Jessica Cute: Jessica joins us this year as an Office Assistant and Teacher. Prior to moving to Santa Fe Jessica taught middle school English, as well as Academic Writing & Research, Introduction to Literature, Reading and Study Skills, and Literacy at the college level. She was also a Professional Writing Tutor and helped to oversee a Writing and Research Center. Jessica earned her Master of Science in Teaching in Early Childhood Education, and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, at the State University of New York College at Cortland.

Brian Dineen: Brian Dineen is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of SFSAS. Brian has Masters Degrees in Education and Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from St. John's College, Santa Fe, NM. He also currently serves as Strategic Planner for United Way of Santa Fe County.

Rayna Dineen: Rayna Dineen is the Principal and co-founder of SFSAS. She has been teaching for 32 years and has Masters Degrees in Education and Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University and a BA from the University of Massachusetts. She has taught in schools in Santa Fe, Massachusetts, New York City, India and Colorado. In addition to her administrative duties, Rayna teaches Humanities and Drama and oversees our mentorship programs.

Gary Fulreader: This is Gary’s fourth year as our Middle School math teacher and he is also continuing his work as the school business manager. Gary received his BA in Business Administration from Principia College and did his post graduate studies in Environmental Education from Antioch University. Gary has taught and tutored math for many years in Santa Fe and also has many years of experience working with children and adults with special needs.  During the after-school program, Gary offers math tutoring, and manages our school rock band and coffeehouse events.

Megan Goldberg: Megan returns to teach American Sign Language, Fine Art and Digital Arts. Megan ran our after-school program in 2002 and 2003 before returning to school in Albuquerque for three years. In 2007, Megan finished her BA degree in Linguistics with a concentration in American Sign Language studies and has been teaching here ever since. Megan has also directed many camps in our summer program over the past 8 years.

Jim Goulden: Our new drumming and percussion teacher, began playing drums at age six. An active performer, composer and teacher, Jim has worked as a percussionist, guitarist, voice-over actor, singer, producer and composer. Jim holds certificates in percussion and composition from The Dick Grove School of Contemporary Music and Humboldt State University School of Music. Jim has taught at the Wildmaker Art & Music School, Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, the Los Angeles Academy of Fine Arts, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Education Division and 6th Street Studios, in addition to touring with the Gluey Brothers! He also studied in West Africa and has performed with members of The National Ballet Du' Senegal.

Thom Harding: Thom returns to the Centaur class this year as a classroom aide and afterschool art and creative writing teacher. Thom received his Bachelors degree in Art History and Painting from Scuola Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy and also studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Thom received his TEFL certification and has taught art to children living in Mexico. Thom has also taught in Pune, India where he worked at a slum education outreach centre. Thom also has experience teaching in an elementary school in Massachusetts.

Kim Henning: Kim returns this year as a substitute teacher. Kim has years of experience teaching in the early elementary grades and in the outdoors, as well. Kim was director of The Santa Fe Tree House Camp for 8 years, an environmentally based summer camp, and an environmental educator at The Randall Davey Audubon Center. Kim holds an MA in elementary education from the Lesley College/ Shady Hill School apprenticeship graduate school program in Cambridge Mass.

Elli Herrera: Elli returns this year in the office as our Executive Administrative Assistant. She has a B.B.A. in Management from New Mexico Highlands University and eight years of administrative and financial experience, most recently with First National Bank of Santa Fe. She has six years of experience teaching and performing swing dance in Santa Fe with groups including High Altitude Swing, Pomegranate Studios and Moving People Dance.  Some families may remember Elli’s parents, Willy & Phil, who helped start SFSAS and taught at the school and her sister Lucia, who was in our first graduating class.  

Geetha Holdsworth: Geetha returns for her fourth year at SFSAS, and is continuing her roles as the Assistant Principal & Language Arts teacher in our middle school. Geetha also helps teach Middle School French and Latin. Geetha brings 21 years of teaching experience and has taught Pre-K through twelfth grade, as both an art specialist and a classroom teacher. Administrative experience has included chairing a K-12 History department and developing and coordinating a Middle School History/English program in New York. Geetha earned her M.A. in Eastern Classics from St. John's College and her B.S. in Art Education from New York University and has also completed graduate work in education at the College of Santa Fe. Geetha also oversees our community service program and tutors afterschool. She also teaches our afterschool recycled fashion class and our Latin Club.

Noriko Kawasaki Martinez: This is her 9th year teaching Japanese at SFSAS. After studying at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan, she started her Japanese/English tutoring and translating business in 1980. She has also taught Japanese at the Academy for Technology and the Classics and SFCC.

Chintan Kess: This is Chintan's 11th year at our school. She is the first and second grade lead teacher in the Stargazer Room. She began her teaching career as a preschool teacher and is committed to bringing early childhood best practice to her primary students, offering them a curriculum rich in inquiry, play and the arts. She holds an A.A. in Early Childhood Multicultural Education from Santa Fe Community College, a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from New Mexico Highlands University and a M.Ed. in Integrated Teaching through the Arts from Lesley University. She is licensed to teach in New Mexico with a Level Two Professional License. 

Nathan Moore: This is Nate’s fourth year at SFSAS. Nate teaches Science in the middle school, assists with middle school Math, teaches Spanish in grades 1-8 and offers robotics and trumpet classes after school.  Nate received a BA from Oberlin College in Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies. He is working toward his Masters degree in science teaching at New Mexico Tech.

Amy Oler: Amy is returning this year as Chintan's Assistant in the Stargazer classroom. She is also the Director of the Afterschool Program.  Amy was born and raised in Santa Fe and graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.  Amy is delighted to continue to be a part of the SFSAS and looks forward to another amazing year!

Winston Riley: Winston officially joins our staff this year after a semester of volunteering as a photography mentor for two of our 8th grade students. He will be working with Luke in our moving images program and substitute teaching as well. His passion for photography and filmmaking started at the age 12, and he has not put down a camera since. He has worked as a freelance documentary film editor in New York, and as an educational instructor, teaching film and media arts to high school students. He graduated with honors from Eugene Lang College the New School for Liberal Arts in New York with a BA in Philosophy. In Santa Fe, Winston has been doing freelance photography and graphic design work.

Reuben Rim joins SFSAS this year as our afterschool Video Game Design teacher. After years of enjoying success as a Toy Designer and Teacher in Texas, native-New Yorker, Reuben, recently created his own company, 'A.I.: After-school Intelligence Technology Arts,' to bring his own special brand of innovative "edu-tainment" to students. Reuben has over 12 years experience working with children and teens. His educational background includes: graduating from Stuyvesant HS (nationally ranked Math & Science public HS), a BA in Economics/Statistics (Rutgers University), an AA in Advertising Design and a BFA in Toy Design (SUNY-F.I.T.). Reuben will be starting off with Video Game Design in October 2011 and hopes to bring an array of fun activities throughout the upcoming months to the students at SFSAS. For more info, check out his website: www.aitecharts.com

Sitara Schauer: Sitara heads up our violin and fiddle program. She has been studying Western classical violin and fiddle since the age of 7, but 15 years ago she became enthralled with Arabic and Gypsy violin music and currently performs with several local ensembles and musicians. In addition to her own private lessons, Sitara also leads the violin program at Acequia Madre Elementary School.

Eddy Segura: This is Eddy's sixth year teaching at SFSAS as our Physical Education teacher and track and soccer coach. Eddy received his BA in Physical Education at the Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica. He has 13 years of experience teaching P.E. and coaching soccer in schools in Costa Rica. Eddy has also taught at The Academy for the Technology and the Classics in Santa Fe and at CS 37.

Suzanne Maheshi Shakespeare: This is Suzanne's 10th year at SFSAS and she is the lead teacher for the Preschool/Kindergarten class. Suzanne is a licensed early childhood teacher in the state of New Mexico and has been teaching in Santa Fe for eleven years. Suzanne has worked as an art teacher at the Art and Clay Studio, Children's Adventure Company, and Desert Montessori; and as the art teacher/after school coordinator at Monte Vista Montessori in Santa Fe. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the Pasadena Art Center College of Design. Suzanne is a recipient of a Fund for Teacher’s grant and attended the International Encounters with the Culture of the Atelier/The Hundred Languages in Dialogue with the Natural Environment 2011 summer study group in Reggio Emilia and Ligonchio, Italy.

Morgan Shepard: Morgan joins us this year as our middle school French teacher. Megan received her bachelors degree at Portland State University in French. She also studied abroad for two years in Nice and Lyon, France. In 2011, Morgan completed her Masters in Français Langue Étrangère Seconde (Teaching French as a foreign and second language) in Lyon, France at l'Université Lumière Lyon II. She has taught English as a second language in Oregon and France. She has also traveled to Africa where she taught French to children in Moshi, Tanzania.

Todd Stiewing: This is Todd's seventh year teaching at SFSAS as the 3rd-4th grade teacher. Todd received a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Masters in Education from the University of Connecticut. He has taught 4th grade and elementary science in Maryland, in addition to leading wilderness and experiential education courses at the Santa Fe Mountain Center and the Deer Lake Wilderness School.

Lisa Marie Stuart: Lisa will be teaching Cello and Guitar again this year, focusing on classical, folk, rock, and improvisation. Lisa has been playing and performing music since the age of 8. Throughout the years she has studied and performed classical violin, guitar and her primary focus, the cello. The spirit and magic of the cello comes alive in her very capable hands. In addition to being classically trained, she is also a talented improvisationalist. Lisa is also fluent in folk, classical, and rock guitar and spent many years performing as a lead guitarist. She has spent most of her musical career performing cello, violin, and guitar with a variety of folk, rock, trance, and world music groups in California, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Liang-Yeh Tania Tai- Liang-yeh returns to teach voice and piano this year. Liang-Yeh received graduate degrees in classical piano from the Manhattan School of Music and the Hartt School of Music. She enjoyed playing in concert halls in the United States and Europe. To experience a different side of music, she has also improvised, composed and sung in cafes and street corners. The creative muse has led her to many collaborations with visual artists, dancers and actors. Her love of working with children has led her to offer individualized music lessons as well as leading workshops through the Santa Fe Opera.

Aurora Wingard: Aurora will be returning to the Unicorn classroom this year as the assistant teacher. She is also Aftercamp director for our summer camp program. She is a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz with a BA in Modern Literature and Feminist studies, and is currently enrolled in Early Childhood Development classes at SFCC. She has been connected to the school for many years and looks forward to another fun and rewarding year.