parker profiles

Crafting a page-turner: Parker alumnus pens inaugural novel

By Matthew Piechalak Author Scott Hylbert ’87 believes there is a golden rule that applies to all...

Jason Leonard Middle and Upper School Mandarin Teacher

Jason Leonard, Middle and Upper School Mandarin Teacher, knows first-hand that learning a new language not only helps you make meaningful connections within the global community it can also spark your curiosity to explore new places around the world.

Chelsey Watkins Lower School Grade 4 Teacher

parker profiles

Chelsey Watkins, Lower School Grade 4 teacher, is inspired each year watching her students complete the Grade 4 Business Sale project, knowing some of those same students might carry that entrepreneurial spirit into their adult lives.

Fiana Kumm Middle and Upper School Social Studies Teacher

parker profiles

Fiana Kumm, Middle and Upper School Social Studies teacher, dedicates her life to helping her students see the beauty of history. By examining history through the lens of a different perspective, students begin to piece together the whole picture of our past.

Dr. Sarah Gongaware Middle and Upper School Music Teacher

parker profiles

Parker’s arts faculty are not only experts at their craft, they are also active professionals who enjoy sharing their love of the arts with the local community. Dr. Sarah Gongaware, Middle and Upper School music teacher, is no exception, as she performs regularly with the La Jolla Symphony and is a featured cellist around San Diego. At Parker, Sarah enjoys passing on her passion for music to her students and perfecting their musical skills.

Kelly Eveland Lower School Design Lab Teacher

parker profiles

As a child, Kelly Eveland was always fascinated by how things work. Taking apart everyday items to see the inner workings of a blender or a telephone sparked his curiosity. As the new Lower School Design Lab teacher, Kelly enjoys sharing that curiosity for learning with his students.

Monic Sandels Middle/Upper School Spanish Teacher and World Language Department Co-Chair

parker profiles

Monic Sandels, Middle and Upper School Spanish teacher and World Language Department co-chair, believes the Parker community is a special place. Not only does it provide an environment for students to explore and grow as learners, but it also helps its faculty and staff to grow too.

Betsy Lillie Upper School Math Teacher

parker profiles

Betsy Lillie, Upper School math teacher, knows her students don’t like making mistakes. However, what her students don’t realize is that miscalculations lead to discoveries. For example, Post-it notes, chocolate chip cookies, and inkjet printers were the results of mistakes. The best thing Betsy’s students can do is welcome the blunders that come with learning.

Otis Caldwell Lower School Grade 4 Teacher

parker profiles

Otis Caldwell, Lower School Grade 4 teacher, believes the key to developing confident learners is to teach students to embrace the phrase “I don’t know.” To Otis and his students, this phrase simply means “let’s find out.”

Maggie Blyth Middle School Social Studies Teacher

parker profiles

The classrooms at the Middle School look a little comfy. Enter Maggie Blyth’s Middle School social studies class and you are greeted with a number of different seating options including standing desks, balance balls, and bean bag chairs. Maggie and other adopters of a flexible seating classroom are doing more than just providing a different chair to sit in, they are encouraging collaboration and focused student engagement.