FOUR RIVERS CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL
The School Portfolio is a collection of artifacts, evidence, and explainations of student learning at Four Rivers. The 3 catagories below reflect the key domains of learning outcomes.
CURRENT and SEMESTER 2 OPENINGS in Grades 9 & 10. Contact Leslie Taylor for details and deadlines: ltaylor@FourRiversCharter.org
From a Parent:
"We love the individual attention, the sense of community and the general respect for knowledge and challenge in our daughter's education."
Kate Conant, Academic Support Director
kconant@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., English and Community Service, Univ. of Massachusetts; M. Ed. In Special Education, Univ. of Massachusetts. Mrs. Conant's experience includes fourteen years special learning needs experience at Great Falls Middle School in the Gill-Montague District and five years at the Guilford, VT. Central Middle School. She is certified in Special Needs and joined Four Rivers in 2006.
William Fogel, School Psychologist and Counselor (Part Time)
wfogel@fourriverscharter.org
Ph.D., Child Clinical Psychology, St. John’s University; B.A., Psychology and Education, Hampshire College. Certified as a school psychologist. Dr. Fogel has worked in clinical and school settings for 10 years and most recently served as school psychologist in the Greenfield Public Schools. He joined Four Rivers in 2005.
Peter Garbus, Principal and Head of School
pgarbus@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in History/Writing/Education, Brown University ; M.Ed. in Teaching, Harvard University . Mr. Garbus has been the founder and director of the North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg , a grade 7 – 12 school somewhat larger than Four Rivers. He is certified as a principal in Massachusetts . He previously taught for many years at the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens , MA and was part of the inaugural faculty of an innovative public high school in Arizona . He joined Four Rivers in 2007
Matthew Leaf, Dean of Students
mleaf@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Anthropology with a minor in Religion, Kenyon College. Mr. Leaf has 8 years of middle school classroom experience, and is also trained to teach Nature Studies and Outdoor Education. He joined Four Rivers in 2003.
Daniel Lederer, Director of Technology
dlederer@fourriverscharter.org
Mr. Lederer attended New Hampshire Vocational Technical College, Berklee College of Music in Boston, and City College of San Francisco and has had web design and systems administration positions in private industry. He has had technology and teaching roles at area schools, including 10 years at Hilltown Cooperative Charter School in Haydenville. He joined Four Rivers in 2005.
Jamie Moody, School Nurse
jmoody@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Health Sciences, Hampshire College and B.S.N. Nursing, University of Southern Maine. Ms. Moody worked in a variety of health care settings, including 2 years at Amherst Middle School, Tapestry Health, Cooley-Dickinson Hospital, and Baystate Medical Center. She joined Four Rivers in 2020.
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Alison Rheingold, Instructional Guide
arheingold@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Experiential and Environmental Education, Hampshire College; M.Ed. in Special Education, Lesley College, and PhD. in Education, University of New Hampshire. Alison worked for the last three years as an Instructional Coach across the two high schools in Holyoke, MA and the prior four years at the Christa McAuliffe Charter School, first as an Instructional Coach and then Director of Professional Learning. With deep background in EL and initial training in experiential education with Project Adventure, Alison joined our team in 2020.
Andy Stenson, College and Guidance Counselor
astenson@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Leeds University ; Post Graduate Certificate in Education, Bristol Polytechnic , England ; M.A., Education, Smith College . Mr. Stenson has extensive teaching experience in technology and special education, and he has also worked as an Outward Bound instructor. He joined Four Rivers in 2004..
Leslie Taylor, Registrar
ltaylor@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. American Studies and English, Colby College. Ms. Taylor has worked for many years in non-profit and educational settings in Franklin County, including high school and college admissions, as Executive Assistant at a regional history museum, and as leader an area performing arts center. She joined Four Rivers in 2003.
Carolyn Wood, School Secretary
cwood@fourriverscharter.org
B.A, English, Boston College; Carolyn has many years experience in office management and advertising research and teaching at Full Circle School in Bernardston. She joined Four Rivers in 2004 and subsequently developed the SPED Secretary role. She assumed the role of School Secretary in 2009.
Amy Wales, Director of Finance and Operations
awales@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Environmental Studies, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; MBA, UMass Amherst. Amy spent 11 years working as an auditor and the past 2 years as Finance Director for United ARC. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the Town of Charlemont. Amy joined Four Rivers in 2016.
Shanti Archer, 7th and 8th Grade Teacher Assistant
sarcher@fourriverscharter.org
B.S. in Botany and M.S. in Microbiology, University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Ms. Archer was a lab researcher in marine science in the West Indies, and at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. She later taught high school Biology and Environmental Science in schools in Brookline, Chelsea and Foxborough, MA. She joined Four Rivers in 2019.
Elizabeth Beardslee, Spanish and 9th grade Science.
ebeardslee@fourriverscharter.org
BA, Biology, Brown University ; MA, Spanish Literature, Middlebury College . Ms. Beardslee established an interdisciplinary ESL curriculum at the Monteverde Friends School , a middle/high school in Costa Rica and has taught Spanish and led school innovation at The Field School in Washington , DC . She returns to her science roots, teaching the Environmental Science class. She joined Four Rivers in 2009.
Kyle Bissell, Part time Athletic Director
kbissell@fourriverscharter.org
B.S., Leisure Resource Facilities Management, Green Mountain College and M.Ed., Educational Design, Lesley University. Mr. Bissell founded and coached at the Sattva Center for Archery Training for nine years, extending that coaching to Team USA Archery. Before Sattva, he was a PE teacher at the Common School, an instructor in Adventure Education, and a Ski Instructor. He joined Four Rivers in 2020.
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Mike Bukowick, Title 1 Teacher
mbukowick@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Sociology, University of Virginia; M.L.A., UMass-Amherst; M.Ed., UMass-Amherst. Mr. Bukowick has taught History and English at the High School and Middle School levels in Springfield, Northampton and here at Four Rivers, and previously taught Math and Science at the equivalent of High School level using New Zealand National Curriculum, as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Solomon Islands. He has lived, worked and travelled in a wide variety of places and occupations, and now does some illustration on the side.
Deborah Chamberlain, 11th and 12th Grade Assistant Teacher
dchamberlain@fourriverscharter.org
B.S. in Education and Biology from North Adams State College (now MCLA). Ms. Chamberlain lives in Wendell and has been teaching Wellness at the Francis Parker Charter Essential School in Devens for the past 16 years. Deborah worked for 3 years prior to that at NYC Outward Bound and 8 years at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound in Florida. She joined Four Rivers in 2013.
Lee Collins-Lambert, Div 1 Assistant Teacher and 7th grade Advisor
lcollins@fourriverscharter.org
AA, Marketing with liberal arts, history, and religious studies. Mr. Collins worked this past year as a paraprofessional in Gill-Montague, with multiple years prior to that as a baseball and basketball coach. Mr. Collins has various retail and restaurant experience. He joined Four Rivers in 2020.
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Nikki Crosby, Div 2 English
ncrosby@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in English, UMass and M.Ed., UMass. Ms. Crosby has been working the last 6 years as an English Teacher at the SABIS International Charter School in Springfield, with 2 prior years also in Springfield schools and a number of years as a tutor at GCC. Ms. Crosby grew up in Franklin County. She joined Four Rivers in 2020.
Anneke Dunnington, 7th Grade English/Social Studies
adunnington@fourriverscharter.org
BA in Fine Arts, Alfred University; M.A.T., Marlboro College. Ms. Dunnington taught humanities and history at the Kindle Farm School, student taught at the Brattleboro middle and high schools, and taught 7th grade social studies for 1 year at Mohawk Regional. She also has deep interests in farming and various arts. She joined Four Rivers in 2017.
Bob Etzweiler, Nature
retzweiler@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Psychology from Penn State University. Mr. Etzweiler has over 15 years experience teaching nature through summer programs and other wilderness programs near his home in Putney, VT and in Pennsylvania where he is from. He joined Four Rivers in 2011.
Jessica Farwell, 8th grade Math
jfarwell@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., Psychology, Bard College. M.Ed., Science Teacher Education, UMass-Amherst with licensure in General Science and Middle School Mathematics. MA Institute for New Teachers, Boston. Ms. Farwell has taught math and science to middle school students for over 15 years in various schools, including Newton Public Schools, PVPA, and Hilltown Charter. She also taught for 2 years in our own Div 2 at Four Rivers. Jess joined Four Rivers in 2005 and again in 2015.
Julia Fay, Div 2 Math
jfay@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Computer Science, Grinnell College. MA licensed for math, grades 5-12. Ms. Fay had started a Peace Corps tour in Mozambique when programs were cancelled, sending all volunteers home. She taught multiple math classes in West Springfield and in Iowa before joining Four Rivers in 2020.
Carly Hall, DIv 2 Social Studies
chall@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Classics, UMass and M.Ed., UMass. Ms. Hall student taught 7th grade at Amherst Middle School. She graduated from the Academy at Charlemont, having battled Four Rivers in soccer back in the day. She's an otter now; she joined Four Rivers in 2020.
Anna Heidenreich, 9th and 10th Grade Learning Specialist
aheidereich@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. English, Smith College; M.Ed. English, Smith College, with licensure in Special Education and English. Ms. H taught Special Education at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School for five years. Prior to that, Ms. H taught Writing and provided specialized reading instruction to special needs students at Eagle Mountain School and at the Collaborative for Educational Services. Additionally, Ms. H taught Ecology as an outdoor education instructor on the coast of Maine and worked for an Americorps literacy project in Portland, OR. She joined Four Rivers in 2020.
Zach Jakub, Music
zjakub@fourriverscharter.org
B.M. Music Education, Keene State College, Keene, NH. Zack spent 13 years teaching music at Northwood School in Lake Placid, NY before moving back to this area where he grew up. He is also the Lead Raft Guide, Snowboard Director and Terrain Park Manager at Berkshire East.
Zack joined Four Rivers in 2016.
Sara Katz, 11th and 12th grade Math
skatz@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., Math and Psychology, Smith College; M.A., Adolescent Math Education, Brooklyn College. Ms. Katz taught math at a small project-based school in NYC, the Essex Street Academy for 8 years and for 3 years prior to that at a vocational school in New York. She joined Four Rivers in 2018.
Amanda Locke, 7th Grade Science and Math
alocke@fourriverscharter.org
Ms. Locke comes to Four Rivers with a B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies from Hamilton College and a M.S. Environmental Education with Middle School General Science Certification from Antioch New England Graduate School. Perhaps her best training for teaching middle school is her experience as an Outdoor Educator, Life Skills teacher and Wilderness Trip leader with teens prior to joining Four Rivers as a founding faculty member in 2003. Nominated by her colleagues, she was honored to be a 2018 finalist for the KLINGENSTEIN TEACHER AWARD .
Felix Lufkin, Nature Asistant
flufkin@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., plant medicine at Hampshire College. Mr. Lufkin works with K-12 and college students at a number of programs in the Valley teaching nature awareness and homestead skills. He joined Four Rivers in 2008, working with the nature program and helping to nurture the Blatchford Garden.
Sara Lyons, Art
slyons@fourriverscharter.org
B.F.A. in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an M.A.T. in Visual Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. Ms. Lyons has taught art to students in high school in Michigan and Maryland. She also has experience teaching photography at Greenfield Community College's Community Education department. She joined Four Rivers in 2012.
Jackie Macneish, 8th Grade English and Social Studies
jmacneish@fourriverscharter.org
Jackie MacNeish, 8th Grade English and Social Studies B.A. in English Literature from Grinnell College and a Masters of Arts in Environmental Leadership and Experiential Education from Naropa University. Ms. MacNeish taught English and other subjects at the Academy at Swift River for 3 years and she taught multiple subjects for 2 years at the Antrim Girls Shelter School in New Hampshire. She's worked in outdoor and adventure programs and has worked and traveled in many parts of the world. She joined Four Rivers in 2013
Andy Patari, 11th and 12th Grade Science
apatari@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Pittsburg; M.S. in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England. Mr. Patari comes to Four Rivers after teaching experiences at the Compass School in Vermont and two years with the Peace Corps in Guatemala. Mr. Patari is fluent in Spanish and rock climbs, among other interests. He joined Four Rivers in 2012.
Leah Plath, 11th and 12th Grade English
lplath@fourriverscharter.org
M.A in English Literature, Southern New Hampshire University, B.A. English Literature, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before Four Rivers, Ms. Plath taught at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, MA. She has directed the annual Four Rivers drama productions since 2009, including Hello Dolly, Grease, and Godspell. She is also a multi-published author. Ms. Plath joined Four Rivers in 2007.
Dovrah Plotkin, Division 1 Wellness Teacher,
dplotkin@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. from Umass Amherst's University Without Walls program, concentration in education, minor in psychology. Dov has a lot of experience in Special Education and has since moved into working in Wellness and Sport. She coached ultimate at Four Rivers for many years and is also an experienced drummer. As a Four Rivers alumna, she is well versed in the ins and outs of Expeditionary Learning. She joined Four Rivers in 2017.
Rebecca Rice, Spanish
rrice@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Spanish Language and Literature/Education, Guilford College. Ms. Rice is a graduate of the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, MA and after leading inter-cultural educational programs in Central and South America, she completed the Parker School’s teacher certification program and taught Spanish there for two years. She joined Four Rivers in 2011.
Elizabeth Rodriguez Salas, 7th and 9th grade Spanish
ers@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., Spanish, UMass Amherst. Having grown up in Chile, Ms. Salas taught four years at the Academy of Charlemont and several years before that at Mohawk. She joined Four Rivers in 2018.
Jessica Roll, 11th and 12th Grade Learning Specialist
jroll@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Spanish , Bates College ; M. Ed in Spanish and ESL , Boston College ; M.Ed. in Special Education, UMass Boston. Ms. Roll taught special education at the Mystic Valley Charter School in Malden, has taught at Boston International High School and at Brookline High School and also has taught for two years at the Shackleton Expeditionary High School in Ashby , MA . Ms. Roll worked as an assistant farm manager and led at-risk youth repairing trails in the mountains of Oregon . She joined Four Rivers in 2010.
Amelia Sawyer, Div 2 Assistant Teacher
asawyer@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. History, Simmons College and M.Ed. Middle School Social Studies, Smith College. Ms. Sawyer has been working most recently at The Old Manse, birthplace of Transcendentalism. Prior to that, she was a teacher and tutor in various non-traditional school settings, including a homeschooling support organization and North Star in Hadley and LightHouse in Holyoke. She joined Four Rivers in 2020.
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Laura Stamas 10th Grade Science
lstamas@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Biology, Bard College; M.S. Environmental Studies and Teaching High School Biology, Antioch University New England. Before arriving at Four Rivers Ms. Stamas taught science and math to students with special needs at Eagle Mountain School in Greenfield, MA. Her professional development work with Expeditionary Learning and the Next Generation Science Exemplar System has helped her continue to craft engaging curriculum that incorporates real investigations and critical thinking into the science classroom. She joined Four Rivers in 2005.
Niki Walk, 9th and 10th Assistant Teacher, 9th Grade Advisor
nwalk@fourriverscharter.org
A.A. in Liberal Arts, Greenfield Community College; B.A. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Ms. Walk is a graduate of Four Rivers and was a member of the founding 7th grade here in 2003. She returned to serve for several years as an Ultimate Frisbee coach, and worked at Sheffield School as an after school teacher. She joined the teaching staff at Four Rivers in 2019.
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Alex Wilson, 11th and 12th Grade Social Studies
awilson@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., Political Science, Bates College; M.A. in Teaching, Lewis and Clark College. Mr. Wilson has experience at the elementary, middle and high school level and has taught in Marin County California, Portland Oregon and in West Hartford Connecticut. Prior to that he worked on political campaigns in Boston and in the Bay Area. Mr. Wilson played professional basketball in Denmark and has coached at nearly every level. He currently leads the Varsity Otters Hoops Team. He joined Four Rivers in 2011.
Perri Wexler, 7th and 8th grade Learning Specialist
pwexler@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. and MEd. in Special Education, University of Florida. Ms. Wexler has worked for the past 16 years as an English teacher and Education Coordinator at the Seaport Academy in Charlestown, MA. She has additional years of experience as a Learning Specialist and writing teacher. She joined Four Rivers in 2016.
