Anna Andresian
Degrees: B.A. Classics, Brown University M.St. Classics,
University of Oxford
Teaches: MS/US Latin
Appointed: 2006
Phone: 775.852.6222 x524
Email: aandresian@sageridge.org
Profile: Ms. Anna Andresian teaches middle and
upper school Latin and serves as the advisor to the Junior Classical
League. Her career as an educator began at the Rocky Hill School in
East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where she spent four years teaching
Latin and coaching rock climbing. In the course of her time at Rocky
Hill, Ms. Andresian developed a textbook (Looking at Latin: A
Grammar for Pre-College) which was published in 2006. Her interests
include rock climbing, movies, music, and traveling (Armenia,
Ireland, and Italy are some recent favorites, and Greece and
Argentina are next on the agenda).
Blair Bailey
Degrees: B.A. Literature and American History, University of
Rochester
Teaches: 5th Grade
Appointed: 2006
Phone: 775.852.6222 x516
Email: bbailey@sageridge.org
Profile: Ms. Blair Bailey came to Sage Ridge
School from Rochester, New York where, after graduating from the
University of Rochester, she was employed by the Iglesia Educational Services to teach math classes at an
urban public middle/high school. During college, Blair spent seven
months studying Australian aboriginal history in Adelaide, South
Australia.
Ms. Bailey has eclectic interests including equestrian eventing, a
healthy addiction to Barnes and Noble, ultimate Frisbee, exploring
the Desolation Wilderness, detective films, classic rock, and
lounging with her cat, Boo.
Laurie
Bissonette
Degrees:
B.S. Microbiology, Chemistry minor. Three years full-time in a
Microbiology Ph.D. program, Oregon State University
Teaches: Science
Appointed: 2006
Phone: 775.852.6222 x535
Email: lbissonette@sageridge.org
Profile: Ms. Laurie Bissonette is originally from Oregon, but most recently from Shenyang, China where she
was the Academic Dean and teacher at a private English learning
center. Prior to that, she taught English in Thailand for two years
as a Peace Corps volunteer. As a graduate teaching assistant she
instructed students in laboratory technique while working as a
research assistant characterizing two proteins involved in the
genetic engineering of plants. In her spare time
she enjoys bird watching, traveling, watching movies, and reading.
Gary Brown
Degrees: B.S. Art Education, Northern Arizona University, M.A. Art Education, Northern Arizona University, M.F.A..
Ceramics/Fine Arts, Ohio State University
Teaches: Visual Arts
Appointed: 2004
Phone: 775.852.6222 x528
Email:
gbrown@sageridge.org
Profile:
Prior to teaching at
Sage Ridge School, Mr. Gary Brown
taught in Arizona at various locations including Northern Arizona University, the Navajo
/ Hopi reservation, and The Orme School. He has taught art at all
grade levels for the past 19 years. Gary
is an accomplished visual artist and musician, and along with his
wife, Jill - also an accomplished artist - have made connections in
the arts community in Reno. Gary’s passions
include all art, jazz, hiking, biking, tennis, baseball, fly
fishing, kids, travel and walking the dog.
Patrick Casey
Degrees:
B.A. History,
University of Nevada,
Reno,
M.A. Teaching, Sierra Nevada College
Teaches: Middle School History
Appointed: 2002
Phone: 775.852.6222 x515
Email:
pcasey@sageridge.org
Profile: Mr. Patrick Casey joined the faculty of Sage
Ridge School in 2002, where he continues to teach Middle School U.S.
History and World History. He is also the 7th/8th grade Division
Coordinator. Patrick is the founder and coach of the Sage Ridge
Cycling Team and the Sage Ridge Middle School and High School
Wrestling Teams. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno
and holds a bachelor’s degree in History. He also holds a Masters of
Arts in Teaching from Sierra Nevada College. Patrick is a life-long
Nevadan and resides in the Truckee Meadows with his wife Kathy. Mr.
Casey’s interests include cycling, guitars, and the television show
Rescue Me.
Jonathan Cook
Degrees: B.S. Education, Secondary Mathematics, North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, M.S. Information Systems,
Naval Post-Graduate School, Monterey, CA
Teaches: US Mathematics
Appointed: 2007
Phone: 775.852.6222 x517
Email: jcook@sageridge.org
Profile:
Mr. Jonathan Cook joined the faculty of Sage Ridge School
in 2007 and teaches Upper School Algebra II, Precalculus and AP
Calculus. His other responsibilities include membership on the
Faculty Advisory Committee and Parent Advisory Committee. Mr.
Cook is also a coach for the Sage Ridge cross country team and
the Sage Ridge track team as well as the sponsor of the school’s
aerospace club. A graduate of NC State University and the Naval
Postgraduate School, Mr. Cook served twenty years on active duty
in the US Marine Corps as a communications officer prior to
joining Sage Ridge. Mr. Cook resides in Reno with his wife and
three children and enjoys, running, camping, cycling, flying and
solving differential equations.
Cameron Crain
Degrees: B.A. English, Washington State University
Teaches: Drama
Appointed: 2006
Phone: 775.852.6222 x525
Email: ccrain@sageridge.org
Profile: Mr.
Cameron Crain returns for his third year teaching and directing
Theatre and Public Speaking at Sage Ridge School (SRS). In the past
two years he has directed eight plays for the SRS theatre program
including a double cast of Guys and Dolls. A northwest native
and graduate of Washington State University, Mr. Crain came to
Nevada in 1995 and became Managing Artistic Director of Nevada
Shakespeare Company (NSC) in 1998. Since then he has produced,
directed and performed scores of productions from Lake Tahoe to Las
Vegas. In 2001, he co-created NSC’s Shakespeare In School
program, which has served over 120,000 Nevada students in
every county of the Silver State. This summer he produced an
educational adaptation of Midsummer Night’s Dream in
conjunction with Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. As a director for
NSC, he has staged Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Julius Caesar and
Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest,
as well as Amigas, by Emma Sepulveda and Marjorie Agosiin
and A Single Woman, by Jeanmarie Simpson. During the 2004
Election, inspired by Jeannette Rankin (first woman elected to the
United States Congress and subject of A Single Woman),
Mr. Crain ran for Nevada State Senate and received over 13,000 votes
in losing effort. He is also Executive Producer of A Single
Woman: the film (asinglewomanmovie.com), directed by
Kamala Lopez of Heroica Films. The film is scheduled for release in
2008 and features the talents of Simpson, Judd Nelson, Peter Coyote,
Patricia Artquette and is narrated by Martin Sheen. As an actor, Mr.
Crain has played a variety of roles from Hamlet to Scrooge, as well
as a Chautauqua performance of John Wilkes Booth with Nevada
Humanities at Bartley Ranch Amphitheater; however, playing the part
of Harold Hill from Meredith Willson’s The Music Man remains
his favorite. Mr. Crain is a member of Actor’s Equity Association (AEA)
and Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG), and he is the recipient of two
Nevada Arts Council Fellowships and two Sierra Arts Foundation
Fellowships. He dedicates this school year to his beautiful wife
Michele and their twin daughters Ava and Lily.
Michael Erikson
Degrees: B.S. Physics/Minor Mathematics, University of Maryland,
M.S. Applied Physics, University of Maryland , M.A. Theoretical Physics, University of California, Berkeley
Teaches:
Upper School
Physics and Mathematics
Appointed: 2005
Phone: 775.852.6222 x523
Email:
merikson@sageridge.org
Profile: Mr. Michael Erikson has finished his third year at
Sage Ridge where he has taught a number of of math and physics
classes and acted as yearbook advisor. During his first semester at
Cal, Michael received the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor award.
After graduate school, Michael
stayed in the Bay Area to teach classes at a junior college in
Oakland as well as MCAT and SAT II preparatory classes for the Princeton
Review. In his spare time
Michael enjoys basketball, tennis, skiing, reading, movies, cover
bands, visiting breweries and traveling.
Eric Gault
Degrees: B.A. Music, Oberlin College, M.M.,Choral
Conducting, University of Oregon
Teaches: Music
Appointed: 2004
Phone: 775.852.6222 x529
Email:
egault@sageridge.org
Profile:
Mr. Eric Gault is in his
fifth year
at Sage Ridge School. An accomplished vocalist, Mr. Gault has many performances in small and large choral
settings to his credit. These include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
production of Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte" at the Ravinia Festival, as a
tenor soloist and section singer at the National Cathedral in
Washington, DC. and as a chorister with the Eugene Symphony Chorus.
With experience singing under some of the country's foremost conductors
as well as training in conducting workshops at the Oregon Bach
Festival, Eric is able to share his experiences as both a chorister
and conductor with his students. When not teaching he can be found fishing, playing ice
hockey or enjoying a good meal with friends.
Shannon Hastings
Degrees:
B.A. Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke
College
Teaches: Fifth Grade
Appointed: 2005
Phone: 775.852.6222 x531
Email:
shastings@sageridge.org
Profile:
After three
successful years as a fifth grade teacher at a suburban Northern
Virginia school, Ms. Shannon Hastings
is excited to start her fourth year teaching 5th grade at Sage Ridge
School. Originally from Paso Robles, CA she was raised on a cattle
ranch, where horseback riding and exploring the outdoors were daily
occurrences. Shannon spent
much of her youth traveling around the world, including to countries
such as Nepal, Tibet, Thailand, Kenya, Spain, and France. Shannon is
an avid downhill skier and has taught skiing for many years. As a
varsity lacrosse player at Mount Holyoke, Shannon runs
the lacrosse club at Sage Ridge. Among her list of
accomplishments, Shannon has reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa
and been to the base camp of Everest.
Brad Knopp
Degrees: B.A. History, University of Notre Dame, M.A.
English, The University
of Texas at Austin
Teaches: Upper School English
Appointed: 2005
Phone: 775.852.6222 x518
Email:
bknopp@sageridge.org
Profile: This is
Mr. Knopp's fourth year here at SRS. Apart from his teaching duties, he also serves as a Master’s Thesis
Evaluator for the Teacher Education Program at Sierra Nevada
College. Brad came to Sage Ridge from Colorado, where from
2001-2005 he served as English Dept. Chair, occasional history
teacher, and dorm parent at the Crested Butte Academy. Although
language and literature remain his principal passions, Brad has
ventured outside of academia a number of times over the past sixteen
years, holding such diverse positions as technical writer/editor,
self-defense teacher, wilderness instructor, and log-home
handcrafter. Lifelong learning, community service, and what he terms
“the quest for balance” account for much of Brad’s other pursuits,
past and present: he holds two martial-arts black belts, served as a
Rescue/Recover Diver and Mountain Rescue Team member in Montana, and
is currently both an Emergency Medical Technician and a student
practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy ®. In his spare time Brad loves to be in the great outdoors,
hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, or just wandering with his
dog, Falko.
Christine Kratzer
Degrees:
B.S. Physical Education, University of Nevada, Reno
Teaches:
Middle School Physical Education
Appointed: 1998
Phone: 775.852.6222 x509
Email:
ckratzer@sageridge.org
Profile: Ms. Christine Kratzer is the Subject Area
Coordinator for physical education at Sage Ridge School and is the
Chair of the Faculty Advisory Council. She has been at Sage Ridge
since its opening in 1998. In addition to her teaching
responsibilities, Christine coaches middle school cross country,
volleyball and track and field. Christine is an ACE
certified personal trainer and a certified Wilderness First Aid
Responder. Ms. Kratzer has taught physical education at the American
Community School of Athens, Athens, Greece, and locally at Carson
Valley Middle School, Gardnerville, NV. She was also the Physical
Education and Recreation Coordinator at the Adolescent Care and
Treatment Center in Reno, NV for two years. She enjoys a myriad of
athletic pursuits including skiing, hiking, bicycling, as well as
international travel.
AJ Long
Degrees:
B.S.,Human Development & Family Studies, Colorado State
University
Teaches:
6th grade Math/Science
Appointed: 2001
Phone: 775.852.6222 x520
Email:
ajlong@sageridge.org
Profile:
Ms. AJ Long has
been teaching at Sage Ridge since 2001. She teaches middle school
math. AJ holds a
Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from Sierra Nevada College where she
also earned a teaching credential. Her passion for teaching began in
the Rockies and Sierras working with kids in the wilderness.
Personally, AJ and her husband, Tony, are the proud parents of two
beautiful children; Leo who just turned one in August, and Ava who
will be three in March. Prior to parenthood, AJ and Tony spent their
free time backpacking and rock climbing in the Sierra, road and
mountain biking in Tahoe, white water rafting in Colorado, telemark
skiing in the backcountry, participating in triathlons, and various
other outdoor adventures. Life continues to be an adventure with the
addition of kids.
Andrew Donald Clarence Mills
Degrees: B.A.
Classics Minor in Latin, University of Waterloo, Diploma in
Teaching, University of Auckland New Zealand
Teaches:
US Latin, US History
Appointed: 2007
Phone: 775.852.6222 x541
Email:
amills@sageridge.org
Profile:
Mr. Andrew Mills teaches Upper School Latin, and Ancient and
Medieval History at Sage Ridge. He grew up in Ontario Canada
where he attended University of Waterloo and where he
passionately studied Classical Studies and Latin. During this
time Mr. Mills traveled to Warwickshire England where he
participated in archaeological digs at a Roman Fort. Mr. Mills
received a Dip. in Teaching from the University of Auckland and
worked with some of the most prestigious high schools the
Southern Hemisphere has to offer. Mr. Mills’ career as an
teacher began at Branksome Hall, a prestigious all girls school
in Toronto Ontario, where he taught Latin and Ancient
History. Over the last 10 years Mr. Mills has built three
different forms of ancient armor which he loves to share with
his students. In addition, Mr. Mills also collects ancient
artifacts and coins as a hobby which he will bring into class
occasionally to illustrate a historical point.
Jennifer
Ruth
Degrees:
B.A. English, M.Ed.,
Portland State University
Teaches: Middle School English
Appointed: 2006
Phone: 775.852.6222 x521
Email: jruth@sageridge.org
Profile: Although originally from San Jose,
California, Ms. Jennifer Ruth arrived in Reno from Portland, Oregon.
This is her third year teaching 6th grade English and history here
at Sage Ridge. During her graduate studies, Ms. Ruth taught
7th grade language arts at Mt. Tabor Middle School and 9th grade
English and Honors English at David Douglas High School, the largest
high school in the state of Oregon. She holds an Oregon teaching
credential and belongs to Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor
society in the field of education. In a “former life,” Ms. Ruth
worked for The Home Depot as a manager and corporate instructor. In
her free time, Jennifer enjoys reading, card and board games,
crochet, home improvement projects, and spending time with her
boyfriend and 3-year-old Siberian husky, hiking, snowshoeing, or
finding a new off-leash dog park.
Jessica Marie Tanner
Degrees:
B.A. English, Kenyon College, M.A. English Literature, Mills College
Teaches: US
English
Appointed: 2007
Phone: 775.852.6222 ext. 544
Email:
jtanner@sageridge.org
Profile:
Ms. Jessica Tanner grew up in Marin County,
California where she attended The Branson School. She attended
college in Ohio and was thrilled to be surrounded by fellow students
who shared her passion for reading and writing about literature. In
addition to fostering her love of academic writing, Kenyon also
helped Ms. Tanner continue to find her creative voice at the Kenyon
Review Writers Workshop. She wrote her Master’s thesis on James
Joyce’s Ulysses. She hopes to continue this research on Joyce
in the future, possibly in a doctoral program. Jessica loves to
read, dance, watch movies, and play with her beloved dog Lizzy
Bennet.
Nicole Taucare
Degrees:
B.A.Spanish,
Dickinson College
Teaches: Upper/Middle School Spanish
Appointed: 2004
Phone: 775.852.6222 x513
Email:
ntaucare@sageridge.org
Profile:
Born and raised in Concord, MA, Ms. Nicole Taucare
moved to Reno four years ago to join the Sage Ridge faculty where
she is currently serving as the language subject area chair. As a
student, Nicole spent her junior year
in college studying Spanish Literature and culture in Quito, Ecuador
and in Santiago, Chile, where she met her husband Mauricio. After
finishing her undergraduate studies, she moved to the northern part
of Chile and lived in the Atacama Desert for three years where she
taught ESL at a private language academy. Upon returning to the
United States, she taught in a middle school bi-lingual program in
Milford, MA and then at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts.
Rob van Cleve
Degrees:
B.S.
Communications, Florida State
University,
M.S.
Social Studies Education,
Florida State
University
Teaches: Upper School History
Appointed: 2001
Phone: 775.852.6222 x530
Email: rvancleve@sageridge.org
Profile:
Mr. Rob van Cleve came to Sage Ridge School in 2002
with experience as an independent school educator at Christ School
in Arden, North Carolina and The Bolles School in Jacksonville,
Florida. Rob has taught a range of history classes, including
courses in world history, economics, AP U.S. history, American
government, and Modern European history. Additionally, Rob served as
an on-site coordinator for the Duke University Talent Identification
Program (TIP) for four summers where he directed a 30 person
instructional staff working with 130 gifted students. Rob has
coached cross-country and track for thirteen years. At Sage Ridge, his
boys and girls cross-country teams placed 1st and 2nd respectively
in 2004 and 2006. Last year, the boys cross-country team won their
third State Championship and the girls won their first. In 2006, he was also named NIAA IA "Coach of the
Year." He spends his summers in Brevard, NC training for the Masters
National Track Championship, contra dancing, listening to mountain
music, and most recently, learning to play the banjo. He is a five
time National Masters Track champion in races from 1500 meters to
the 5k.
Katie Welsh
Degrees:
B.A. Spanish and
Journalism,
University of Oregon,
M.A. Teaching Spanish and ESL,
The School
for International
Training in Brattleboro, VT
Teaches:
Upper/Middle School Spanish
Appointed: 2002
Phone: 775.852.6222 x513
Email: kwelsh@sageridge.org
Profile:
Katie Welsh enters her sixth year at Sage Ridge School teaching Upper and
Middle School Spanish. Born and raised in Hawaii, Katie landed her
first teaching job at Maui Community College where she taught
Spanish for one year. Katie decided to move back to Oregon to be
with her husband who is from Santiago, Chile. During her
graduate program, Katie taught fellow graduate students Spanish at
the School for International Training, in addition to teaching ESL
to international and immigrant students at the International
Language Institute in Northampton, MA. Katie also has three years of
work experience in medical and employment interpreting for
non-English Spanish-speakers. Katie’s interests include reading,
writing, traveling and most recently, spending time at Lake Tahoe on
the weekends.
