Meet the Faculty
Although Paul was trained as a geologist, earning his MS from the UW in 1981, his real career was founded on his enjoyment of being a teaching assistant as a grad student and of teaching geology at the community college level. From the day he was first hired by The Bush School in Seattle in 1983, he has taught only middle school. For 10 years at Bush he taught science and learned about middle schoolers, and continued that as he became the founding head of Hyla Middle School in 1993. He has always enjoyed middle schoolers’ enthusiasm in general and, in particular, their potential to get excited about their discoveries about the ever-expanding world around them, whether those discoveries are intellectual, social, political, or personal. At Hyla, he has found that their ability to establish rewarding relationships with each other and with their teachers is a special delight. He started teaching 8th grade algebra at Hyla in 2003, and although he stepped down from his role as head of school in 2007, teaching math and doing the class schedule for Hyla keep him amused, charmed, busy, and intellectually engaged.
Melissa Dempsey (Humanities)—Growing up in a family of educators, Melissa thought it was the last profession she would choose. But after teaching theatre to a group of inner city students, she was hooked. She already had a BA in Theatre Arts from Lake Erie College in Ohio, so went on to get a degree in secondary education from the University of Denver and has been teaching ever since. Most recently she’s been studying the art of teaching writing at Columbia University, New York. She taught for a few years at a middle school in Colorado but has spent most of her life living and teaching middle school in Niantic, Connecticut—a small town on Long Island Sound. Because she loves people, places, mysterious adventures and all things pertaining to the ocean, in 2008 she and her husband, Rich, made the move from east to west. They drove across the country stopping to see all they could while their black lab, Anna, slept in the back seat. For much of her life she’s been traveling in and out of the U.S. Some of her most memorable times are studying abroad in Florence, Italy, training public school teachers in Moscow, Russia, repairing an orphanage in Juarez, Mexico and sharing a deserted beach with two sea turtles on the North Shore of Oahu. She and her husband have two children, Jessica who lives in Hawaii, and Richard who is working on his MA in Seattle. She has two granddaughters, Ava and Violet. Melissa loves to write, read, swim, kayak, snorkel and hike, but most of all she loves talking to friends over a cup of coffee.
As an avid reader who loves children and literature, it seems only natural that Jill would work as a middle school librarian. Born in Davenport, Iowa to a close knit family of farmers, Jill was raised knowing the value of hard work and perseverance. After many years working within the public school districts in North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island, Jill was invited to create and design the library space at Hyla. Jill works hard to find just the right resources to support students and teachers and to enhance the curriculum. Her love of young adult fiction continues to spark enthusiasm in the middle school students that attend Hyla. Although promoting reading is important to Jill, she finds that teaching students about Iowa agriculture is just as rewarding, and she takes Hyla students to her family’s farm to explore Iowa on trips every other year. If you were to look for Jill outside of school, you may find her browsing local bookstores, reading on her sunny back deck, kayaking Liberty Bay, or hanging out in the mountain lodges while her two sons snowboard in the winter. Jill and her sons reside in Poulsbo.
Mike is a newcomer to Bainbridge Island and currently resides in Poulsbo. He came to Hyla in 2009 after teaching Spanish at Okanogan High School for four years. There he also coached the middle school wrestling team. Previously he instructed Math and Science at Maple Valley Alternative High School. He graduated in 1997 from Washington State University with a BA in Spanish Language and Literature and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree from the University of Salamanca in Spain. Mike first studied Spanish in junior high but fell in love with the language during a five month stay in Veracruz, Mexico as an exchange student. Mike later traveled to Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela during college which further enriched his Spanish language skills and his appreciation for the multitude of cultures in our world. Traveling, meeting new people, continually learning, and sharing what he knows are a few of the things Mike loves to do.
An ideal day for Cami would be spent outdoors all day experiencing our environment. Having grown up in Nebraska, Cami loves extreme weather including summer thunder storms after hot humid days or winter bone-chilling winds. As an undergraduate a the University of Nebraska, she spent several summers outside studying biology at a field station, as well as researching cricket genetics in a laboratory and population biology on a prairie reserve in Minnesota. Cami continued her education at Cornell University where she completed a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. After graduate school, she was a biology instructor for four years in Chicago at DePaul University. Since moving to Bainbridge in 2007, Cami learned to appreciate Pacific Northwest for its trees, ocean, the temperate marine climate, and topography–none of which come naturally for a Nebraskan. Before coming to Hyla in 2009, Cami volunteered her time teaching science to kindergartners at St. Cecilia’s Catholic School and marine science to preschoolers at the Poulsbo Marine Science Center. In her free time, Cami enjoys biking, hiking, swimming, camping, playing on the beach, gardening and observing the fascinating behaviors of her chickens with her family.
Teri is a native of Puerto Rico. She completed her bachelor degree in Hispanic Studies and her master in Public Administration at the University of Puerto Rico. She worked for two years at the Puerto Rico Department of Commerce and was responsible for writing budget proposals. She moved to Dallas in 1981 to experience “a life away from home”, spend time with her cousins, and learn English. For the following nine years, she worked in Texas as a geological technician and translator of geological and drilling documents. In 1987, she met the man who would later become her husband at a Greek festival in downtown Dallas. He had moved to Texas from Lebanon ten years before to get an education and start a new life away from a devastating civil war. Together they have two children who are now attending Bainbridge High School. Teri has volunteered extensively at her children’s schools, and held a library assistant position at both Plano Elementary and Plano Senior High in Texas. During her tenure there, Teri was recognized by the Plano School District for her commitment to promoting acceptance and understanding among groups of diverse backgrounds. In 2002, she received the Martin Luther King award in recognition for her dedication to cultural diversity. On Bainbridge Island, she has been a co-chair for ParentNet and has taught Spanish with Foreign Language for Youth. Currently, in addition to teaching Spanish at Hyla Middle School, Teri sponsors a Spanish reading group at the Bainbridge Library.
Vicki Jenkins – Assistant Head of School
Vicki grew up on Bainbridge Island and went on to study comparative religion and psychology at Lewis and Clark College. After graduation, she moved to Cambridge for graduate work at Harvard University, earning a Master’s of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School and a teaching certificate through the Program in Religion and Secondary Education, a joint program with the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She then enjoyed three adventure-filled years at the Pusan University of Foreign Studies in Pusan, South Korea, teaching English and studying Korean. After a brief stint teaching on an island in Maine, Vicki moved to the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, MA, where she spent eleven years teaching math, serving as a dormitory housemaster and, for the last three years, as the school’s Director of Studies. She is very excited to be back home on the island, introducing her daughter, Emma, to the Pacific Northwest. Outside of school, Vicki enjoys kayaking, gardening, and playing obscure board games.
Chris has taught middle and high school mathematics for over 35 years, including several years at the UW when she worked with the MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Program and co-authored a series of middle school modules that integrate mathematics, science, and careers. She has also conducted professional development workshops throughout the state for middle school teachers, presented sessions at regional and national conferences, and developed an on-line course for teachers who are using the MESA modules. In addition, she has taught secondary methods courses to prospective teachers for WWU, and served as a consultant for middle schools throughout the state as they revitalized their mathematics programs. She was a member of the founding committee for Hyla Middle School and began teaching here in 1998 when she and her husband moved to Bainbridge. In her spare time, she is an avid quilter.
Laura began college at Northwestern University in the Theater Department, concentrating on costume design. After studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, California College of Arts and Crafts, and the Fashion Institute in Los Angeles she had a brief career in fashion design. She completed her bachelor degree in Art at Cal State Northridge, followed by a Masters of Fine Arts at UCLA. She established herself as a fiber artist, exhibiting primarily in Los Angeles, Chicago, and later Seattle and Bainbridge Island. In 1987 Laura developed an art program for the Fairfield School in Los Angeles. In 1991, she began teaching art for the Bainbridge Island Parks Department, developing a preschool art course while running the youth and teen Art Workshops. These experiences led her to open her own art school in the fall of 1993, teaching after- school and Saturday classes. Laura joined the Hyla faculty during its first year. She lives on the island with her husband, Robert, and daughter, Caitlin, who is a Hyla alum. Whenever possible, Laura and her family pack their bags and journey to foreign lands.
Joyce has been involved in the world of theatre for 30 years. She studied at Carnegie-Mellon University and conservatories on the East Coast. Joyce’s professional career included residencies in theatre companies in Pennsylvania and Illinois followed by a connection with DePaul University’s Goodman School of Drama as administrator and teacher. Her move to the West Coast in 1980 expanded both performance and teaching opportunities. Joyce developed the Shakespeare in the Schools program through the Seattle Arts Commission, taught at Seattle Children’s Theatre and private schools, and traveled in the corporate world teaching vocal technique and management skills, as well as continuing a successful acting career. She loves sharing the performing arts with students at Hyla.
Elana grew up in Providence, Rhode Island. She earned her B.A. at Oberlin College in Religion and Geology and received her M.Ed from Lesley University. She previously worked as the Middle School Math and Science teacher at a Jewish Day School in Rhode Island. Science, wilderness, and education have been major themes in Elana’s life. Elana lived in India from 2004-2005, completing ethnographic field research about the intersections and tensions of science and faith in a postcolonial sphere. Elana’s love of nature led her to positions as a wilderness skills instructor in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Vermont and as a naturalist at an environmental ecology center in Rhode Island. She has also spoken at two National Science Teacher’s Conferences about how to make middle school science fun and affordable while accessing critical thinking skills. Elana’s dynamic teaching style involves the synthesis of thoughtful design through hands-on experimentation, storytelling, analogy, and laughter. When not in the classroom, Elana enjoys rock climbing, playing Ultimate, cooking, writing letters, working at a Seattle food bank, and playing the banjo with her band, To the Canyon. She is known for handing out birthday potatoes and her killer whale impressions.
Kris joined Hyla in the fall of 2004 as counselor for students, parents, teachers and administrators. Kris comes to Hyla with a strong background in youth counseling and program administration at numerous local schools and organizations. Kris is counselor at The Island School where she formed the counseling program in 2000. She is also a consultant for independent schools in Seattle. Kris serves on the steering committee for The Holt Webster Fund, which serves “at risk” youth on Bainbridge Island. Kris worked as a counselor for Bainbridge Youth Services where she also founded and facilitated the BYS Youth Board, a peer education program where high school students worked with middle school students to promote drug/alcohol education and prevention. At Seattle Country Day School, Kris formed the counseling program, served as interim dean of students, worked in admissions, served as counseling consultant, and served on the board of trustees. During the early part of her career, Kris worked in the King County juvenile court system, at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a runaway shelter, a Seattle youth service bureau, and a community mental health center. She also had a private practice on Bainbridge Island for over 10 years. Kris has a BA in Social Work, and an MA in Psychology. Kris lives on Bainbridge Island with her husband Brad and daughter Maxsena (current Hyla student). Her daughter Bridget (Hyla alum) is currently attending Linfield College studying education.
If Kimberley sits still long enough, she may try to convince you that house elves live in your cupboards (they love marshmallows). She may invite you to snow dance (the Canadian way). Perhaps she’ll suggest a football game in the teeming rain. Born and raised in Eastern Canada, Kimberley appreciates the magic in her life – her daughters, Alexa and Easson, and her husband, Mead. Her appreciation for life extends to a love of learning. After graduating with a degree in English Literature, studying theatre and playwriting in London, England, Kimberley received her Masters in Social Work and her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University. She recognizes the value of understanding people and has spent more than 25 years working with diverse populations in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitals, juvenile prisons, rehabilitation centers and homeless shelters. Kimberley is a member of the New York and Washington State Bars; she practices Domestic Law with an emphasis in Child Advocacy. Kimberley’s passion for teaching (particularly middle school education) is grounded in experiential learning. After teaching Humanities, Art History, and Creative Writing in the Washington D.C. area, she moved to Bainbridge Island. She has taught at the Northwest School in Seattle, WA and found her home at Hyla. She teaches English to 7th and 8th graders. Kimberley is a member of the Bainbridge Island Rowing Club. She enjoys photography, traveling, and sports. In her spare time, she can be found sculling in Eagle Harbor.
Kris Van Gieson – Human Relations
Kris Van Gieson has a longstanding interest in counseling and teaching. After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 1982, Kris received his counseling degree from Antioch Seattle in 1987 and obtained a teaching degree from City University in 1995. Kris has worked as a counselor and teacher in schools, churches, the juvenile justice system, outdoor programs, and community mental health centers, and was in private counseling practice for 11 years. He has taught at Hyla since 1995. Kris has a habit of creating learning adventures for himself and shares them with young people when he can. Past adventures include a cross-country bike trip, dog-sledding in Hudson Bay, competing in triathlons, and starting a multicultural youth adventure program. Currently, Kris is passionate about surfing. He is fascinated by the potential of digital recording and has helped students record original music and create digital videos. He is also intrigued with the possibility of converting a car to run on electricity. Kris’ most important learning adventure is creating a family with his wife Kathie McCarthy and two children Kira and Izak.
Skyler leaves very little time between adventures. When he is not at Hyla, you’ll have to search for him among the Washington and Oregon surf spots, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the ultimate frisbee fields of Seattle or any rock, tree or wall worth climbing. Skyler is the first Hyla alumnus to come back and be on the teaching staff. He has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology of Education from Western Washington University where he played on a national level ultimate frisbee team. He is interested in the coalescence of psychology and physical activity in the well being of individuals. Whether coaching on the Frisbee field, belaying on the climbing wall or teaching people how to surf, Skyler seeks to utilize the physical realm to foster internal health.
Thomas Weber found his calling when 70 children of Southeast Asian refugees showed up one evening for open gym near Mount Baker Park in Seattle. Thomas grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated with a B.A. in History from Reed College in Portland. After a stint as the school receptionist for the Northwest School in Seattle, Thomas lived in New Mexico for fifteen years, earning degrees in Education and Business Administration at the University of New Mexico, teaching history, geography, and civics to grades 6-12, and coaching basketball and Model United Nations. He was a middle school director for a school in Houston for six years. As Head of Hyla Middle School since 2007, he is happily returned to the Northwest and has rediscovered the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle to school.
Jennifer is a happy person. She is forever viewing the world as sunny and mild of temperature. Her passions include American history and the outdoors. In her college years she dove into the study of the Civil War and the far west at Gettysburg College where, in 1993, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. While working at the “Civil War Institute,” Jennifer was inspired by the honesty and hope that middle schoolers had and realized that she wanted to teach. She went on to graduate school at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania to get her teaching certification. In 1998, after teaching in Pennsylvania for three and a half years, she moved west to follow another passion—mountains. Outside of school, Jennifer’s hobbies include backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, ice climbing and rock climbing, but most of all she enjoys spending time with her husband and introducing the wonders of life to her four and a half year old daughter, Nevi and two year old son, Swift.
