(Pictured: Ishii, Yankura, Fritz, Hallett, Bellaimey, Margitza, Bowman, Morgan, Pattinelli, Lee)
For Prep’s new faculty, collaboration comes naturally. Music teacher Ross Margitza is a jazz musician who believes in the power of the ensemble. “Collaboration is magic,” he says. “Creating with a group makes everyone better.” Margitza comes to Prep from UT Austin, where he is earning a doctorate in jazz piano performance; he has toured with big band orchestras and composed string quartets. “Everyone at Prep really enjoys being a part of the community. Like a great ensemble, we are all here to do a great job, to relate to one another, listen to one another, support one another.”
Math teacher Beth Pattinelli is a long-time member of the Prep community (parent of Elise ’11, Eamon ’12 and Evan ’18 and two-year assistant coach of girls cross country) and has been teaching for 26 years. She loves teaching the problem-based curriculum in Algebra II, devised by Jill Henry and a cast of volunteer students in the summer of ’14. “I’ve taught in a few different schools and have never seen such a collaborative faculty,” says Pattinelli, whose students worked with art teacher Melissa Manfull to create mathematically balanced mobiles. “It happens here almost every day.”
Case in point: Pattinelli’s math department colleague, Eric Hallett, says he is teaching because “it’s a chance to do everything I care about—math, music and sports—and call it my job.” Hallett, who teaches AP Calculus AB and geometry and is the assistant boys water polo coach, has a BS in mechanical engineering from Stanford. His goal was to learn a broadly applicable problem-solving process, and his first job was as an investment manager. At Prep, he says, “I hope to contribute my understanding of the design process, my love of music and water polo and a vibe that blends enthusiasm and patience.”
English teacher Dr. Genevieve Morgan wanted to work at Prep because the students who presented at the Archer School “Lit And…” conference impressed her with their “curiosity and moxie. Students and teachers at Prep have a wonderful sense of humor, are eager to collaborate and are willing to try new things.” Celebrating her 22 years of teaching English, Dr. Morgan has been awarded two NEH Fellowships, to study Dante in Italy and drama in France. She calls her job the “best ever: talking to smart, curious kids all day about stories.”
Math teacher Joel Ishii earned his BA in mathematics from UC Berkeley and previously taught in Boston. He believes that learning to use the technical machinery of math is as important as working with those tools in creative ways. He likes that Prep students are “open communicators. In the classroom, even when they aren’t fully confident in their solutions, they’ll take risks and share their thoughts with others.” He feels that teaching math is “about teaching resilience. When you encounter obstacles, you need to know how to deal with failure, how to maneuver into a more favorable position and how to move forward.”
History teacher Dr. Megan Bowman first taught at the college level but realized “it’s the high school history teachers who play formative roles in encouraging students’ long-term engagement with history. She studied international affairs at CU Boulder and earned her PhD at UC Santa Barbara, combining her love of biography and the reform movements of the mid- 19th century. She encourages student contribution and participation in each of the world history and US History classes she teaches, and says, “my larger goal is to inspire students to draw on the past in order to help make things better today.”
Physics teacher Reid Fritz has a BA in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton, where he also earned a certificate in teacher preparation. He has taught in western China, England and Virginia. He also worked for the Committee on Foreign Affairs for the US House of Representatives. He runs a hands-on, student-centered, inquiry-driven classroom where students work together. “My classes are less about getting the right answer and more about showing thinking and understanding. Students surprise themselves almost daily. Physics is a beautiful way to introduce the foundational principles that underlie the modern world.”
Science teacher Michelle Lee, who teaches 9th and 10th grade biology, became a teacher because she liked biology tutoring more than working in an ER. Lee taught for four years at Horace Mann School and earned an MA in secondary science education from Teachers College Columbia University. She aims to impart her own passion for the beauty and linkages of science to her Prep students. Lee participated in a research study of forest owls in Arizona this summer. “I chose Prep because I loved the sense of community and warmth, the focus on educating the whole student and emphasizing balance. I see that everywhere on campus, in student events and conversations with colleagues.”
History teacher Will Bellaimey jumped at the chance to teach 7th grade history and AP government. He has taught for seven years, including at the Riverdale School in the Bronx, NY, and at a Yale international summer program at the UN. He is a cross country coach for middle school and helped lead the 7th grade trip. Bellaimey believes in teaching experientially. AP Government students will continue the tradition of the Mock Trial, while his 7th grade class is now called “The LA Museum of Geography.” His students are the staff, creating exhibits by researching, writing, editing, annotating and collaborating. There is a board of directors (including Headmaster Peter Bachmann) who vet the concepts. The museum’s December opening explored the theme of water use in Los Angeles.
Dr. Kristen Yankura teaches 8th grade science and 9th grade biology. As a doctoral and post-doctoral researcher at Carnegie-Mellon and UCLA, she hosted high school students in her lab and brought experiments into the community. Prep’s commitment to community service and creating well-rounded students resonated with her. In the classroom, Dr. Yankura draws on her background in developmental biology and neurobiology, as well as a deep knowledge of the scientific method, asking her students, “How do you know that?” and “How is this like what scientists do?” She says teaching is like “sharing science. I’ve had excellent teachers and mentors, and I’d like to give back in the same way.”
