Eric Bard grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He attended the New Community Jewish High School. Eric has experience with performances in talent shows, Jazz ensembles, bands, the musical “Mame”, and has worked with state-of-the-art recording software. Eric has been playing guitar for 7 years, teaching private lessons to students and working at Sierra Canyon Day Camp for the past 2 years. Eric is currently attending the University of California, Santa Cruz where he is studying music theory and history.
Melissa Brown Bidermann has been a working artist and teacher for over twenty years. Her work has been published in countless basketry and gourd books. Her current primary areas of interest are photography, organic gardening, and gourdwork.
Ella Brauer is currently attending Pierce College with plans to transfer in 2009 to California State University, Northridge in pursuit of a bachelor's degree and a teacher's credential in Liberal Studies. She is currently working as a paraprofessional for grades two through five at Valley Alternative School. Prior to that, Ella worked at Gault Elementary School assisting in the second grade classroom. She teaches reading, writing and mathematics. Ella's hobbies are reading, scrapbooking, cooking and anything to do with mathematics.
Caitlin Chapman attends Granada Hills Charter High School where she is on the girls’ volleyball team. She has a real love for arts and crafts of all kinds. Caitlin enjoys drawing and knitting classes in her spare time. She plans on becoming a teacher and volunteers often in various elementary schools.
Haruhiko Cho is currently employed at Pacoima Middle School as a 6th grade Math/Science core teacher. Born and raised in Japan, where Sudoku was invented (as you might know), Haruhiko has lived in the United States for 20 years. He has a great appreciation for math and art and believes there is a strong connection between those two subjects. As a teacher, Haruhiko constantly investigates a new way or a different approach to teach math.
Jackie Chapman is a student at California State University, Northridge studying to be an elementary teacher. She will graduate with a degree in Liberal Studies concentrating in Literacy and Linguistics. Jackie also works for LAUSD as a teacher’s aide and has experience working in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms. This is Jackie's second year working in a summer program like ECGC where she enjoys being able to inspire others to express their creativity!
Hannele Comacho [bio here]
Kati Davis has been teaching Kindergarten at Hesby Oaks Span School in Encino for the past three years. She has worked with children ages 3-13 through various programs such as Gifted Children’s Association, YMCA, Aloha Beach Camp, and after school enrichment classes provided at Hesby. Kati attended Valley Alternative Magnet School and Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies and the Gifted Children’s Association as a child. Kati obtained her teaching credential and Bachelors of Arts at Loyola Marymount University. During her time at Loyola Marymount she had an opportunity to travel the world and study many diverse cultures. Katie is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Language and Literacy at California State University, Northridge. She has a love of travel, children, and life-long learning.
Vicki Duplessis was born and raised in L.A. She has five children and three grandchildren. Vicki has been working at Valley Alternative Magnet for ten years. During her time at VAS she has taught P.E., Art, Too Good for Drugs, Character Building, and Health. Before working in LAUSD schools, Vicki was a stay-at-home mom for 21 years. She is currently attending Mission College at night majoring in Child Development. Vicki will receive an Associate of Art degree in June.
Tanni Flemings-Pride recieved her bachelor of Sciences degree in chemisty from the University of Hawaii, Manoa Valley. She has worked with special-needs children for 15 years. Tanni prides herself in being a mother first but always treats her students as if they were her own. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and knitting.
Paulino Fontes is a twice published novelist and a fifteen year LAUSD high school English teacher at Elizabeth Learning Center. He teaches Advanced Placement courses in English and Literature, Creative Writing, Modern Literature, CPR, and has coached cross country and martial arts. He is well versed in Mexican history. Both of his grandparents fought in the Mexican Revolution, signed the Mexican Constitution, and one ran for President of Mexico in 1927.
Aron Geldberg has been playing and teaching drums for six years. He has been a part of gifted summer programs since he was a small child. Aron works at two recording studios where he writes and records music for television. He is currently a student at California State University, Northridge studying film.
Noah Geldberg is a student at the University of Southern California. He works as an actor and has appeared in a number of national television commercials. Noah has several years of experience participating in different aspects of summer programs for gifted children. His hobbies include comic book collecting, and aviation.
Talia Geldberg graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she received her degree in Communications. Besides her interest in communication studies, she has been passionate about art her entire life. She was an art docent for LAUSD where she taught art to elementary school students. She also studied decorative arts abroad at the Sotheby’s Institute in London. In addition, Talia recently attended the New York Film Academy where she earned a certificate in filmmaking. Talia is an experienced camp counselor and has worked at various camps throughout the San Fernando Valley.
Francine Matthews attended public schools, played starting setter for her high school volleyball team, and also played for Club Volleyball. After graduating, she was the junior varsity coach for Valley A&M's girl's volleyball, taking the team to the playoffs! She is currently attending CSUN working on her teacher's credential, which she expects to receive in 2010. She has also been working for the last five and a half years as a special education paraprofessional. For as long as she can remember, teaching has been her passion and her dream.
Michael Miller has always had a passion for science. He grew up in the valley and attended Granada Hills Charter High School. Michael is currently obtaining his teaching credential in physics and a Master of Arts in education. In addition to leading discussion groups for introductory physics, he has observed and taught at local middle and high schools. Michael's passion for education was solidified during his time as an undergraduate at UCLA where he balanced his educational pursuits by playing clarinet in the Bruin Marching Band and was a brother of the band service fraternity.
David Moen has been teaching children since 1971 for private schools, summer programs, the LAUSD, and his own private art lesson program. He is experienced in working with gifted, normal ability, and learning disability students. David believes in teaching students from their own current ability levels, and nurturing their understanding, techniques, and expressive experiences hand-in-hand. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in art. David exhibits his own work locally, nationally, and in Japan and Korea. His paintings are richly colored organic abstractions inspired by nature and the human figure.
Gretchen Potts-Jones moved to Los Angeles from Oklahoma in 1995 to pursue a degree in art. She received her Master of Arts degree in 2000 from California State University, Northridge and her Master of Fine Arts degree at California State University, Fullerton in 2006 in sculpture with an emphasis in ceramics and art history. Gretchen has taught art and art history at CSUF and Long Beach City College since 2005. She has also taught art to children since 2000 for various programs throughout Southern California such as Gifted Children's Association and Grand Central Art Center. Gretchen continues to create her own art work in her studio in Toluca Lake while working on her favorite project; her 2 year old son, Brandon.
Melanie Watnick has been teaching for over 9 years with students of various ages and capabilities, including gifted children for the Gifted Children's Association and at other local private schools and non-public schools. She received her Bachelor of Arts from UC Santa Barbara and Master of Fine Arts from UC San Diego. Melanie is currently a faculty member at both UC Irvine and UC San Diego where she teaches costume design for theater and dance. Melanie has also designed costumes for various theater and dance companies throughout the United States including: The Julliard School, Seattle Rep, Kansas City Ballet and Great Lakes Theater Company. Melanie recently had great success teaching theater to students with autism in West Los Angeles. Melanie believes strongly in keeping the arts in education.
Alia Weiner has been assisting her mother (Aviva Weiner) since age 16, as well as teaching gifted classes for 6 summers through GCA. She has a BA in Business from Pepperdine University and has been a craft artist all her life. She continues to seek mastery in the craft arts including macramé (friendship bracelets), loom beading, gourd stitch and knotting. She studies literary and mathematical arts, writes songs and poetry, plays guitar and piano and is an origami master. Alia continues to be inspired by her mother's vision for shared community growth through art.
Aviva Weiner has a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and a Master of Arts in Art with distinction from California State Univerity, Northridge. She also has California permits 4A and 4B (Instruction and Supervision) and CBEST Certification. Aviva has been teaching since 1969 and teaching highly gifted children since 1983. After receiving her BA, Aviva worked as Director/Head Teacher at UCLA University Parents Nursery School and later as a teacher at Westwood Presbyterian Church Preschool. She has taught for the United States Army Special Services Program (1 year), CSUN (6 years), Barnsdall Art Center (3 years), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (12 years), Gifted Children's Association of San Fernando Valley (25 years), and the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (20 years). Aviva has experience teaching to every age and every developmental level, and is a firm believer in respectful, challenging, open-ended curricula. Her current art work is paper based sculpture and artists' books.
