The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
IDS hires 9 new faculty and staff
MIDDLEFIELD — The Independent Day School has hired nine new faculty and staff members for the 2021-22 academic year.
“I was very encouraged by the number of excellent candidates who applied for our openings,” Head of School Marijke Kehrhahn said in a prepared statement. “I am truly excited about the knowledge, skills, experiences, and passion that each of these new members of the IDS community brings to our school.”
Jannel Heisholt (middle school social studies, cross-country coach) was born in Jamaica and grew up in Connecticut. Heisholt received her bachelor’s degree from UConn and master’s degree in education from Lyndon State College, now Northern Vermont University. This will be her second year teaching middle school social studies.
Allison Klobukowski (fifth grade) has most recently taught as a reading interventionist for Middletown Public Schools and taught grades fourth and fifth at St. Rita’s School in Hamden for nine years, where she also served as the Math Club coach, Invention Convention coordinator, and yearbook adviser. She earned her bachelor of arts in history and political science from UConn and is enrolled in Wesleyan University’s master of arts in liberal studies program.
Ashley Lane (physical education, middle school athletics) is a native of New Fairfield, and multisport athlete in basketball and golf. She is also skilled in ice hockey, softball, soccer and lacrosse. Lane has most recently coached girls’ basketball at The Stony Brook School and coached 2- to 10-year-olds at Soccer Shots on Long Island. She earned her bachelor of arts in sports studies and her master of arts in physical education from Manhattanville College.
(educational
technology coordinator, IDS class of 2005) completed a bachelor of arts in liberal studies at SCSU with a concentration in business administration and Spanish, and will soon complete his master of arts in teaching/special education at the University of St. Joseph.
Hannah Maynard (lower/ middle school chorus) recently graduated with a bachelor of arts in music and bachelor of science in music education from UConn, where she sang with the chamber singers and concert choir, performed in opera productions, and directed the a capella group, Notes Over Storrs.
Melissa Michaud-Maltese (learning center coordinator) is a U.S. Navy veteran, owner of Worthy Changes, and a certified special education teacher. She recently completed her transition coordinator certification at CCSU, and also holds a master’s degree in special education.
David Sizemore (assistant head of school) has many years of experience in education administration and a love of teaching history, the news release said. He most recently served as the principal of St. Joseph School in North Grosvenordale, and, prior to that, an academic dean for 11 years at
Xavier High School in Middletown, and three years as director of admissions and director of student activities at Carmel Catholic High School in Illinois. He has taught middle school and high school social studies for Old Saybrook Public Schools, Groton Public Schools, and at Xavier.
Nicole Whitman (middle school math) earned a bachelor of arts in English from Skidmore College and went on to graduate from SCSU with a master of science degree and also from Fordham University with a master of arts in teaching. She has taught middle school math at independent schools in the greater New York City area, including Sacred Heart in Greenwich and St. Luke’s School and Rodeph Sholom School in Manhattan.
Stephanie Wratten (middle school STEM) is teaching grade six science, grade eight algebra, and grade six digital arts and science. Wratten has most recently worked as the student programs educator for the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History following a 16-year career teaching middle school math and science at the Winsor School in Boston and the Meadowbrook School in Weston, Massachusetts.