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Special
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 Wanda
Drazan -
Physical
Education
Wanda has a
M.A. and
B.S. in
Physical
Education.
Her past
experience
includes:
Athletic
Trainer at
Emma
Willard,
Instructor
at Columbia
Greene and
Athletic
Trainer at
the College
of St. Rose.
She is a
certified
Red Cross
trainer in
RTE and CPR
and has
experience
coaching
Track and
Field,
Softball,
and
Volleyball.
Wanda has
done many
interesting
and creative
PE projects
with the
children,
including,
Project
Adventure
team
building
activities,
juggling,
Presidential
Fitness,
folk and
modern
dancing, as
well as
traditional
physical
education
activities.
No one is
picked last
for teams in
this
program!
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 Nieves
Gonzalez-Montejano -
Spanish
Nieves
Gonzalez is
our artistic
and creative
Spanish
teacher. Nieves has
been
teaching
Spanish, her
native
tongue, at
WHMS since
2000.
Combining a
variety of
projects
with Spanish
instruction
has been a
hallmark of
Nieves'
teaching
style.
Cooking has
played a
prominent
role, as
Nieves and
her husband
Dennis were owners of
Shades of
Green, a
vegetarian
restaurant
in Albany.
Nieves holds
the
equivalent
of a
Master's
Degree in
Geography
and History
with a minor
in
Anthropology
from
University
of Madrid.
She also
holds a
Master's
Degree in
Montessori
Education. Prior to
teaching at
WHMS, Nieves
had worked
developing
recipes in
her
restaurant
and was the
curator and
founder of Grupo Arte,
and a
group of
Spanish Art
exhibits for
the Empire
State Plaza.
Nieves'
Spanish
teaching
experience
includes
teaching
Spanish to SUNY
professionals.
Her field
work
in
Anthropology
was in the
highlands of
Chiapas in
Mexico.
Nieves' two
children,
Lucas and
Isabella,
are students
at WHMS.
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 Christina
Pickreign-
Music
Christina
Pickreign
holds her
Master's
Degree in
Music
Education
from
Westminster
Choir
College. She
has been
teaching
locally for
the past
eight years
and has a
private
voice studio
and musical
theater for
children
program at
Schenectady
County
Community
College.
Mrs.
Pickreign
has been
seen as a
soloist for
several
local church
choirs and
concert
choirs. She
is the proud
recipient of
the Joel
Dolven Vocal
Award for
Advanced
Female. “I’m
thrilled to
be joining
the Woodland
Hill
Montessori
family.
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 Keith
Pray -
Band Teacher
Saxophonist
and composer
Keith Pray
is a native
of Upstate
NY. Keith
began his
study of the
saxophone in
1988 at age
15, and had
his first
professional
performance
one year
later.
Since then,
Keith has
traveled
from the
West Coast
to Europe
playing with
hundreds of
gifted
musicians,
including
some of the
giants of
the
business:
Paul Anka,
Benny Golson,
The
Temptations,
Ray Vega,
Mark Vinci,
Ralph Lalama,
Jerry Weldon
to name a
few. For
the last 7
years, he
has resided
and performed
in New York
City and
played with
artists from
multiple
disciplines
including
R&B, Jazz,
Latin and
Big Band.
His unique
style and
talent has
allowed him
to perform
and record
across the
spectrum of
today's
music.
Having
worked on
dozens of
recordings
he was
honored to
be a
featured
soloist on
the Grammy
Nominated,
Entres
Amigos by
Alex Torres
and the
Latin Kings.
Keith's
style can be
attributed
to the
influences
from the
greats deep
in the Jazz
tradition,
including
Cannonball Adderly,
Lockjaw
Davis, Maceo
Parker, Earl
Bostic,
Johnny
Hodges,
Willis
Jackson and
Jackie
Mclean.
Keith was
also seen on
ABC's Good
Morning
America and
The View and
Food
Network's
Food
Nation.
Other
performances
of note
include The
Newport Jazz
Festival ,
103.1 Smooth
Jazz
Festival,
Albany's
Tulip
Festival, Larkfest,
Fleet Blues
Fest as well
as a
featured
artist at A
Place for
Jazz and the
worldwide
Musicians
for Peace
concert
series.
In 2001,
Keith
released his
first
recording,
Rhythm of
the Blues.
Fans and
appreciative
listeners
have said:
"Keith has
the soul and
energy of a
young
Cannonball Adderly," and
"Keith
always makes
us feel good
when we hear
him," and
"Keith is
the only
saxophonist
I have heard
that smiles
through his
music."
His second
recording,
C.D.'s
Delight was
recorded
during his
performance
at A Place
for Jazz.
Present that night a
listener
said: "You
can feel the
energy of his
live
performance
come through
the notes
and seep
into your
soul."
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 Janis
Rink - Art
Janis Rink
has been an
art educator
for many
years. She
was educated
at The
College of
Saint Rose
in Albany,
New York.
Her
experiences
in art
education
have been
varied. In
addition to
teaching art
in the
elementary
school
setting
Janis was,
for many
years, the
art director
for the town
of Clifton
Park’s
summer
recreation
program.
Additionally
she spends
several
weekends a
month
teaching art
to the
children at
Wildwood
Programs in
Rotterdam.
Wildwood is
a program
for children
with special
needs the
experience
has given
her the
opportunity
to enrich
the lives of
these very
special
young
people.
Janis is
also the
part time
art teacher
at St.
Helen’s
school in
Niskayuna.
During the
past year
she worked
as an
adjunct
instructor
for the
College of
Saint Rose
supervising
and
mentoring
student
teachers.
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 Dan
"The Music
Man" Sedia
As you have
no doubt
heard, Dan
the Music
Man is an
important
part of our
WHMS
faculty.
Well-loved
by teachers
and
students,
the sound of
Dan's guitar
and melodic
voice can be
heard each
Tuesday.
Here is a
note from
Dan:
"Hello,
everyone! My
name is Dan
Sedia. I am
a music
therapist
working with
a variety of
age groups.
I have been
working with
young
children -
normally
developing
and special
needs - for
the past 15
years. The
basic goal
for the
music
program is
that it can
be
educational
and fun.
Because so
many
children
enjoy music,
it inspires
participation.
Singing,
chanting,
moving, and
playing
instruments
are
foundational
activities
used to
enhance the
children's
educational
program as
well as a
means of
creative
self-expression.
If you have
any
questions or
comments
regarding
the music
program
please
contact me
though the
office. "
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 Maggie
Schmonsky -
Reading
Maggie
Schmonsky is
Woodland
Hill
Montessori
Schools
Reading
Teacher. She
earned her
Bachelor of
Science in
Elementary
Education at
Western
Michigan
University
in
Kalamazoo,
Michigan. At
Sage
Graduate
School in
Troy, New
York, Maggie
earned a
Master of
Science in
Literacy
Education.
In 2004, she
became a
member of
the
International
Reading
Association.
As a New
York State
Certified
Elementary
School
Teacher with
a New York
State
Professional
Certificate
in Literacy
Education,
Maggie has
tutored
students who
are
struggling
with reading
and writing
in various
capacities.
In addition,
she worked
as a
Technology
Teacher at
Saint Thomas
School in
Delmar, NY
with
students in
grades K-8.
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 Marla
Bracco -
Violin
Marla Bracco
is our
violin
teacher. An
Albany
native,
Marla has
been playing
the violin
since the
age of six
when she was
introduced
to the
Suzuki
method and
its
philosophies.
Marla
attended the
Peabody
Conservatory
of Music of
the Johns
Hopkins
University
and enrolled
in the
five-year
BM/MM
program in
violin
performance.
Marla
studied
under the
renowned
violinists
and
pedagogue,
Shirley
Givens.
Previously,
Marla taught
at Waldorf
School in
Saratoga.
Marla will
be working
with WHMS
students
throughout
the week,
both in
teaching
violin to
individuals
and as part
of the WHMS
Orchestra.
"I am
honored to
be a part of
WHMS and
excited to
help these
young
violinists
blossom into
fine
musicians."
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Mary
Beth
Earley -
School
Librarian
Mary Beth Earley has
joined WHMS as our
School Librarian. She
brings us a wealth of
knowledge in children’s
and young adult
literature, and also has
experience in collection
development,
storytelling, and
children’s programming.
Mary Beth earned her
Masters in Library
Science in 2004 from the
University at Albany,
and has served as a
Children’s Librarian in
public libraries since
1995. Prior to that,
she had a 10-year career
in advertising,
marketing and corporate
communications. Her two
children, Christopher
and Samantha, completed
the WHMS Primary
program, and are now
enrolled in the Lower
and Upper Elementary
programs.
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 Karen
Green - Consultant
Teacher
Karen
earned her
Bachelor's
Degree from SUNY
Oneonta/SUNY
Albany in
1986 and
received her
Master's in
Special
Education
from SUNY
Albany in
1995.
She has been
teaching for
the past
twelve years
including
preschool
special
education,
self-contained
special
education
and
currently as
a consultant
special
education
teacher.
Karen has presented
workshops on
classroom
management
as well as
implementing
the IEP in
the
classroom.
She is the
proud mother
of five
children
ranging in
age from 8 -
23.
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WHMS
Faculty &
Staff
