Thomas joins the upper school English department after spending six years at Rodeph Sholom School as an English teacher, advisor, grade-level coordinator and, for the past two years, chair of the humanities department.
Melissa Edwards brings a background in professional dance and dance instruction to the role of upper school dance teacher, having taught at secondary schools and colleges including Smith College, Poly Prep and McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas.
Doreen Erickson, an upper school math teacher, comes to Masters from School of the Holy Child, having taught math at EF Academy, King School, Rye Country Day School, ACS Cobham International School (UK) and The American School of The Hague (The Netherlands).
Upper School Innovation, Engineering and Computer Science
Jonah Hardy joins us as associate director, innovation, engineering and computer science, a role in which he will bring a wealth of experience and passion for technology and robotics.
You can go home again. Andrew Lopez, who taught in the History and Religion Department at Masters for a decade before moving to Virginia to teach fifth and sixth grade history at Congressional School, returns to Masters in the role of learning enhancement and development (LEAD) specialist.
Bringing vast experience in performing arts education, Beth Manspeizer comes to Masters as an upper school theater teacher. Most recently, Beth was program director and founder of the Responsive Education Theater Company and theater professor at Sacred Heart University.
Marce Márquez has been a squash coach and fifth and sixth grade physical education teacher at Masters, and now adds upper school Spanish teacher to her responsibilities at the School.
A leave replacement for Pilar Méndez-Cruz ’12, Jamshid Minwalla will teach English in the upper school. Most recently, Jamshid was head of upper school, director of academics and dean of faculty at The Learning Tree in Karachi, Pakistan.
Joining us as a middle school health and wellness teacher, Lauren Napper brings experience as an English teacher, advisor and athletic coach at The Field School in Washington, D.C., as well as a yoga instructor.
John Price, an upper school counselor, joins us as a school social worker from Eastern Suffolk BOCES at Sequoya High School in Holtsville, New York. Previously, John was director of counseling at Cushing Academy.
Bringing decades of experience to the role of upper school science teacher is Rob Ross. Rob spent more than 25 years as a physics teacher at Eastchester High School, 16 of those as chair of the science department.
Adrian Sas joined us in January as an upper school media arts teacher. In addition to her work creating digital content for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Adrian is a multimedia artist whose work has been exhibited in public settings and museums and galleries.