|
FACULTY &
STAFF AT NEW ENTERPRISE ACADEMY
 New
Enterprise Academy offers highly motivated faculty and staff who possess a
strong commitment to nurturing the achievement of all students in a private,
college preparatory setting.
Our instructors, selected for their
experience, dedication and commitment to the NEA philosophy offer solid
academic credentials, creative teaching strategies and excellent interpersonal
and communication skills necessary to teach NEA's student-centered,
academically challenging curriculum in a differentiated learning environment.
Meet the Faculty
Administrator
Email Lanette Nowak
Lanette grew up in Decatur Il. and graduated from Maroa- Forsyth
High School. She attended Olivet Nazarene University and earned her Bachelor of
Science Degrees in Psychology and Social Justice from ONU in 1989. She worked
in the field of social work for about 11 years as Resident Director for group
home facilities and Director of Vocational Services for adults and youth with
developmental disabilities in Illinois and Oklahoma. She has also been a
contracted consultant and service coordinator for the State of Illinois for
individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities. She has many
years experience in the field of education. She was an assistant teacher for
several years with the At-Risk Pre-K program in Belleville, IL. and then for a
school in O’Fallon as a kindergarten aide. She student taught in Early
Childhood and Elementary classrooms in St. Clair County. Upon meeting
requirements for an Illinois teaching certificate in 2004, she became lead
teacher for the At-Risk Pre-K programs with O’Fallon Dist. 90. In December
2007, she graduated from SIUE with a Masters Degree in Elementary Education.
She taught the Explorer level students at New Enterprise Academy during the
2007-08 school year. She and her husband John, who is a firefighter and EMT,
reside in Trenton with their son Blaise who is 6 and attends NEA, and Lanette’s
son Cody who is a Freshman at Kaskaskia College. Lanette’s oldest son, Kyle,
resides in O’Fallon and is a Senior at SIUE. She enjoys moon and star gazing,
listening to music, photography, crafting with vintage jewelry, collecting
Santas and vacationing to the gulf coast of Alabama.
Discoverers
Email Karen Hale
Karen came to New Enterprise Academy
in August 2009 with many years teaching experience in the public and private
sector. She received her certification and Montessori degree in 2004. She is
currently continuing her education with a concentration in Early Childhood
Education. She worked as a lead teacher for 5 years in a Montessori classroom
and is devoted to having each child under her care become successful. She is
excited about working with the Early Childhood program at NEA and integrating
creative and exciting activities into the daily curriculum. She believes that
education is a lifelong process. Karen also has worked as lead PSR teacher for
St. Pancratius church in Fayetteville, Illinois since 2001. Karen moved to the
area from South Carolina in 1995. She and her husband Jay live in a small town
in the country where they enjoy being outside and working in their home. Karen
has one daughter, Sabrina, who lives in Belleville, Illinois. Jay has a son who
lives in Venedy, Illinois and two sons that live in Ohio. They share their time
with Sabrina and devote quite a bit of time to their grandchildren, helping
them grow into positive contributors in their community.
Adventurers
Email Marla Hartsell
Marla graduated Magna Cum Laude from
McKendree College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and
a minor in Psychology. She holds a Type 3 Illinois State Certificate. She has
twelve years experience working with children from birth to sixth grade in
various settings such as Junior Achievement, teacher assistant positions and
student teaching. Marla is entering her fourth year at New Enterprise Academy.
She is excited to instruct the Adventurers classroom this school year. As a
facilitator in the classroom, she poses open-ended questions, suggests
alternatives, encourages autonomy, promotes higher order thinking, engages in
active dialogue, and provides positive learning experiences. She actively
engages the children in the learning process to develop problem-solvers,
effective communicators, and responsible citizens. Marla resides in Dupo,
Illinois. She has a 7 year old son, Gage. She spends her spare time enjoying
scrapbooking, photography, hiking, camping, live music, Cardinal games, and
being active in her church.
Navigators
Email Jennifer Kozan
Jennifer graduated Cum Laude from
SIUE with a Bachelor of Science Degree in both Psychology and Elementary
Education, with a minor in English. She holds a teaching certificate in both
Illinois and Missouri, qualifying her to teach children from infancy to grade
nine. She has consistently worked with children in various capacities for over
15 years. This will be her second year with NEA. She taught the Discoverer
level last year and will instruct the Navigators during the 2009-2010 school
year. Jennifer sees herself as a facilitator in the classroom, promoting
critical thinking and higher order thinking skills. She has a strong conviction
to educate the whole child; helping each child grow cognitively, socially,
emotionally, and physically to become life-long learners and contributing
members of society. She believes every child can learn and is dedicated to
identifying and nurturing each child’s natural pathways to learning, resulting
in instruction that is differentiated to meet individual needs. Jennifer
resides with her husband, Michael, in Nashville. They recently started a
family, welcoming their first child, Iris, in May of 2009. In her spare time,
Jennifer enjoys hiking, camping, painting, and collecting children’s
literature.
Explorers
Email Fiona Abbott
Fiona is originally from Windsor,
England, and has lived in numerous European countries. She has resided in
Mascoutah for the past 14 years. She has a Business Degree from Thames Valley
University in England and graduated summa cum laude from McKendree University
with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education with endorsements in
Language Arts and Social Studies. In her senior year, Fiona was awarded
“Outstanding Teacher Candidate of the Year” and was an active member of the
Educational Honor Society Kappa Delta Pi. Last year, Fiona had the pleasure of
teaching the Investigator class, and she now eagerly looks forward to teaching
the Explorer class. She strongly believes in creative student-centered learning
environments that challenge children to reach their full potential. In order to
reach a higher level of critical thinking, Fiona encourages her students to be
risk-takers and problem solvers by engaging them in active dialogue and
creative projects. She follows the school’s philosophy of developing citizens
of good character and life-long learners. In her spare time, Fiona restoring
her 80 year old house to its original beauty and pottering around in her flower
gardens. Between her teenage son Johnathan’s hectic schedules she enjoys
reading and also volunteers for the “Reach for Recovery” program.
Spanish
Email Mercedes Mark
Senora Mark is originally from
Madrid, Spain. She attended college at San Pablo CEU and Universidad
Complutense de Madrid (UNED). Her experience in teaching is extensive and
diverse. She has taught K-12th in private schools in Washington State and
9th-12th grades in Colorado public schools. She has also taught in an
experimental program for home-schooling with a multi-age/multi-level classroom.
After relocating to O'Fallon in 2003, she has served as an interpreter and
translator for the Early Head Start program in Breese and an interpreter in
multiple surrounding counties. For the last 22 years, Mercedes has traveled and
lived in several European countries and many states in the United States, which
has given her a true taste and understanding of the meaning "citizen of the
world." She lives with her husband, Jim, and two children, Lesley and Nicholas.
Mercedes enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and volunteering with
Scouts and other organizations.
Tae Kwon Do - Song's Martial Arts
Email Physical Education
Employment
Opportunities
Applicants interested in joining NEA
should submit a cover letter, transcripts, resume', and two letters of
recommendation to New Enterprise Academy, PO Box 1323, O'Fallon, IL 62269. or
email submission to employment@NewEnterpriseAcademy.org
|
