We are pleased to announce that the positions of IB Coordinator and Professional Development Director have been filled internally, and next year we will have an Assistant Principal in the Early Years School.
Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, Kurt Supplee will become IB Coordinator. We greatly appreciate the work of Todd Cota has done as IB Coordinator who has advanced our program over the last 2 years and we wish him well as he leaves for a sabbatical next year.
At Nido since 2010, Kurt has 14 years of experience teaching IB Science and Math courses, and 6 years of experience as an IB Examiner. He has been a Department Head at 3 different schools, including Nido, and was a Grade 12 Advisor at Nido for 6 years. Kurt is also involved in professional development and leadership at Nido, having completed the High Tech High Educational LeadershipAcademy and as a facilitator for NLT (Nido Learns Together) groups. Throughout his international teaching career, he has always enjoyed looking at the big picture and finding solutions to foster deeper learning for his students. He is excited to be able to collaborate with teachers, counselors, and administrators to further instill the IB Learner Profile amongst our students and to develop them into critically open-minded global citizens.
Kristen MacConnell will take over as Professional Development Director in the 2018-2019 school year, with Jason Scoles deciding to return to the classroom after his important contributions to the PD program at Nido in the past year. Kristen returned to Nido this year as the Interim Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning in the Early Years School, after previously having been at Nido as an ES school counselor from 2010-2011 and an ES Literacy Specialist from 2011- 2014.
Kristen holds a Ph.D. in Special Education, an M.Ed in School Leadership, and a M.S. in School Psychology. She is passionate about supporting teachers and students to build a strong sense of belonging in the classroom and in school. Before coming back to Nido, Kristen worked as a leadership resident within the High Tech High organization where she was immersed in a culture project-based learning, and supported teachers to engage in their own inquiry to improve teacher practice. She has worked as a Director of Professional Development for a research institute and as a Professor in a teacher training program. Kristen has presented at international conferences in Latin America, Europe and Asia. She has published several blog posts for Ed Weekly as well as two book chapters. She is currently co-editing a book with High Tech High colleagues on School Leadership.
Nido has decided to consolidate the Assistant Director positions in the Early Years School into one Assistant Principal Position. We are very pleased to announce that Jessica Overton, the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Assessment, will assume this position in July.
Jessica is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood and holds a M.Ed. in Special Education, and a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She began her career in education as a teacher of the deaf (2003-2005) before arriving at Nido in 2005 as a Learning Disabilities Specialist in the ES (2005-2012). Jessica then served as a Literacy Specialist in the EYS (2012-2015) and, most recently, as the Assistant Director, focusing on assessment, learning standards, and curriculum. Jessica is excited to continue to work with the Early Years faculty, parents, and students to ensure that our program continues to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment for our youngest students to learn through wonder, play, and exploration.
We are looking forward to what these talented individuals will bring to Nido as they assume these new positions.
