Middle School Faculty
Next Generation School provides a collegial, collaborative environment for our faculty. Our administration and faculty work toward the same goal: to create a learning environment that nurtures, inspires and challenges our students to develop their abilities to their full potential.
All Next Generation School faculty members exceed the minimum requirements for teaching in the public school systems. Prospective faculty members undergo a rigorous interview process.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Ms. Barb Thoma and Mrs. Phyllis Gingold
Ms. Barb Thoma teaches our MS-A (sixth grade) students; Mrs. Phyllis Gingold teaches our MS-B and MS-C (seventh and eighth grade) students. Their curriculum presents students with many opportunities to apply the skills they are learning. In addition to frequent writing assignments, students participate in literature groups and individual book conferences.
Ms. Barb Thoma is our Middle School Coordinator. She brings a wealth of expertise to her teaching and to her administrative work at NGS. Ms. Thoma has developed a rigorous curriculum that continuously evolves based on the needs and interests of students.
Ms. Thoma has over thirty-four years of teaching experience in the areas of English, middle school Reading and Ancient History. She earned her M.A. in Education from Kansas State University and has her B.A. in Italian and French from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ms. Thoma taught at Urbana Middle School for fifteen years. She served as the Language Arts Coordinator for thirteen years and as co-chair of the Building Leadership Team for five years. For ten years, she assisted the district with teacher training through “Project CRISS,” a nationally-recognized program that teaches strategies to maximize student learning. Ms. Thoma also co-chaired the committee that wrote and edited the district Language Arts curriculum for students in grades five through eight. In her spare time, Ms. Thoma enjoys reading and gardening—all the plants in the Middle School wing are thriving under her care.
For Mrs. Phyllis Gingold, the highlight of an already fulfilling career was receiving her National Board Certification in 2001. (The second highlight was when her daughter, Tamra Gingold, received her certification, making them the only mother-daughter duo in the country.) Applying for certification requires much time and effort. For Mrs. Gingold, the entire process was rewarding because it afforded her an opportunity for serious reflection on her craft and profession. Her students are also beneficiaries; she is a dedicated teacher who designs lessons that enrich her students’ academic and personal development.
Mrs. Gingold received her M.S. and B.S. degrees in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. She also earned an M. S. degree in Health Care Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL. Prior to NGS, Mrs. Gingold taught English at Urbana High School for seventeen years, and was also involved in writing and revising their English curriculum. She was a founding faculty member at Urbana Middle School, where she taught English for six years. In addition to departmental responsibilities and serving on many committees, Mrs. Gingold has been a mentor to the many student teachers who have observed her teaching and learned their craft in her classroom. She has also been active in community outreach. She spent many years working at the Urbana High School Student Senate Thanksgiving dinner, and was selected by the Urbana school district to represent the high school as a participant in the National Council for Community Justice workshops. Having raised her four children, Mrs. Gingold is now enjoying being a grandmother of six.
FRENCH: Mme. Claudine Freard-Rose
Mme. Claudine Freard-Rose has been our French teacher since NGS was founded. She has designed her curriculum so that students become proficient in reading, writing, listening and speaking in French. For Mme. Freard-Rose, having her students develop cultural awareness is an important component of language learning. Her students are given frequent opportunities to research and explore aspects of French culture and history, in addition to learning about film, art and food.
Mme. Freard-Rose is a native of France and has taught in French schools, in addition to teaching in several different schools in the U.S. She received her bachelor and master degrees in Arts et Lettres (Languages and Literature) from the University of Nancy II. Prior to joining the NGS faculty, she taught French at Campus Middle School for Girls for nine years. She also taught Level I and Level IV French at University High School in Urbana. Mme. Freard-Rose has also worked as a translator and tutor. She is an accomplished chef and has taught cooking classes for both adults and children.
HISTORY: Mr. Adam Schmitt
Mr. Adam Schmitt gives his students the opportunity to learn about the events and people that shaped our world into what it is today, while helping students develop their critical thinking and decision-making skills.
Mr. Schmitt received his B.A. in History and Secondary Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to teaching at NGS, Mr. Schmitt taught sixth-grade Ancient World History and seventh-grade U. S. History for five years at Urbana Middle School. He served as the Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator for two years and also participated in several district-wide curriculum committees. Mr. Schmitt sponsored the Builders Club, a service organization affiliated with the Kiwanis, and worked with middle school students participating in the state-wide annual Young Author’s writing contest. Mr. Schmitt is also involved in theatre; he has taught an after-school improvisational comedy class and co-directed student musical productions.
MATHEMATICS: Mrs. Jennifer Knapp and Mrs. Linda Vandre
Mrs. Jennifer Knapp teaches Foundation Math 1 and 2 for our Primary F and sixth grade students; she also teaches Pre-Algebra. Mrs. Linda Vandre teaches Accelerated Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 and Geometry. They have developed a constructivist curriculum that focuses on problem-solving strategies, empowering students to think logically and to strengthen their communication and organization skills and attention to detail. They also incorporate a variety of teaching methods, such as cooperative learning tasks and hands-on learning, to ensure their students gain a thorough understanding of concepts and their applications.
Mrs. Knapp received her M. Ed. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her B.S. in Education, with endorsements in middle school Mathematics and Science, from Eastern Illinois University. Prior to NGS, Mrs. Knapp taught sixth-grade Mathematics at Urbana Middle School for seven years. In addition to her teaching, she worked with her colleagues as a Team Facilitator and served on the textbook adoption, math curriculum and district math committees. Mrs. Knapp especially enjoyed grant project work that provided support for incorporating technology into the math and science curricula. She also helped to develop a Summer Achievement Academy, with a curriculum designed to encourage student achievement by making math relevant to their interests and experiences. In 2006, Mrs. Knapp traveled to Australia as a Delegation Leader for People-to-People Student Ambassadors. She joined other teachers, and 42 fifth- and sixth-grade students, for two weeks of travel and cultural exchange.
Mrs. Linda Vandre received her M.S. in Education from Northern Illinois University and her B.S. in Education from Illinois State University. Mrs. Vandre has taught Mathematics to middle and high school students for over thirty years.
Prior to teaching at Next Generation School, Mrs. Vandre was a faculty member at Urbana High School, where she taught a wide range of Mathematics courses, including Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, College Algebra and Calculus. She also oversaw the Algebra I course evaluation committee and was involved in developing the Algebra I curriculum. While teaching at Urbana High School, Mrs. Vandre was a class sponsor for eight years, working with students from their freshman through senior year, and volunteered in an after-school tutoring program. She also taught for several years at Urbana Middle School.
When she has time away from the classroom, Mrs. Vandre enjoys gardening, reading, sewing and knitting. She also has a Boston Terrier, Barney, who is (emphatically) not named after the purple dinosaur.
SCIENCE: Mr. Joe Muskin
Mr. Joe Muskin is our Science Director and one of the founding faculty members of NGS. His approach to teaching science directly engages students in critical thinking and problem solving. Students do science and learn to think like scientists—they design experiments, organize their data and interpret the results.
Mr. Muskin has an extensive background in teaching, research, curriculum development and instructional design. He holds a B.S. in Biology, with a double major in Psychology, from the University of Nebraska. Mr. Muskin earned his M.S. in Computer Science at the University of Nebraska as well. He has presented his work at numerous state and national science teacher conferences and written articles for education publications, all based on the innovative labs he designs for his students. Mr. Muskin is also the Education Coordinator for the Nano-CEMMS project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Mr. Muskin facilitates the First Lego League teams at NGS. The First Lego League is a science and technology program designed for students ages nine through fourteen and uses theme-based challenges to engage students in research, problem solving and engineering. The program emphasizes learning, community involvement and friendly sportsmanship.
SPANISH: Ms. Francesca Antonaci
Ms. Francesca Antonaci strives to make her students more culturally aware by sharing her own experiences. She incorporates cultural activities into her class and provides students with an opportunity to participate in a pen pal program that allows for an intellectual and cultural exchange between NGS students and high school students in Baños, Ecuador. Ms. Antonaci focuses on the skills that students will need to become more fluent in both conversation and writing, and puts a special emphasis on grammar as the backbone of the language.
Ms. Antonaci’s educational background is in both languages and science. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian, and has taken language courses at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a M.S. in Biochemistry. Ms. Antonaci also studied at the Academia Latinoamericana in Quito, Ecuador. She also teaches Chemistry and Forensic Science at Parkland College in Champaign, where she also taught Spanish classes.
Ms. Antonaci founded the non-profit organization Aid for Ecuador, now Alas Blancas Ecuador, in 2004. The organization’s mission is to help the impoverished of Ecuador by providing volunteers and donations to hospitals, clinics and schools.
Middle School Specialty Faculty
Mrs. Ella Brown Dunn collaborates with the faculty to integrate the Fine Arts and core curriculum. Mrs. Dunn helps students to understand art as a dialogue between artist and viewer. Her students learn that just like "real" artists, the work they create is an interpretive response to what they observe; their artwork is a unique expression of their feelings and perspective.
Prior to teaching at NGS, Mrs. Dunn was an Artist-in-Residence at several elementary and high schools in Champaign. She earned her B.F.A., with a concentration in ceramics and sculpture, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also has an Associate of Fine Arts degree from Parkland College in Champaign. Mrs. Dunn is an accomplished studio artist whose work has been shown in galleries throughout Illinois; many of her pieces are in private collections. She is also active in the local arts community, and was affiliated with Boneyard Pottery in Champaign as both an artist and an artist liaison.
LATIN: MR. Doug Elrick
Mr. Doug Elrick is our Latin Coordinator. Mr. Elrick teaches our Primary D, E and F students, challenging them with Latin and word study. He also leads the extra-curricular Math Club. Mr. Elrick is a National Board Certified teacher, with over forty years' experience in elementary public school teaching. Most recently, he taught for eighteen years in a fifth-grade gifted and talented classroom at Dr. Howard Elementary School in Champaign. Mr. Elrick earned his M.A. in Teaching from Oakland University, just outside of Detroit, MI. He completed his graduate work while he was a teaching intern in the National Teacher Corps, one of the "Great Society" projects of the Johnson Era. Mr. Elrick has also completed additional graduate work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds his B.S. in Agronomy from UIUC.
PERFORMING ARTS:Ms. Leila Ramagopal, Mr. Chad Dunn and Ms. Roselle Bhosale
Ms. Leila Ramagopal is a NGS founding faculty member and has established our music curriculum. She is passionate about the role the performing arts serve in the nurturing, mental and physical development, and empowerment of all children. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, a M.S. degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and certification in the Suzuki method of music instruction from the American Suzuki Institute in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She also received an Associate of Arts degree in Theatre from Parkland College in Champaign and has trained extensively in the Irish Dance traditions of Mullane and Trinity Academies.
Her belief that a real and thorough education in the arts taps into every part of a child’s being to bring about critical thinking, the confidence to create and express, knowledge of self-worth, and discoveries of his or her humanity, is a guiding principle in her collaborative work.
Mr. Chad Dunn is a multi-percussionist, educator and instrument maker. He received his certificate of training at Oficina de Investigacao Musical in Salvador, Bahia Brazil. Mr. Dunn enjoys sharing his musical interests and expertise with students, educators and other performing artists. He regularly leads lectures and workshops on Brazilian percussion for public and private schools and was named an Illinois Arts Council Tour artist in 2001.
Mr. Dunn's commitment to environmental activism led him to form Recycled Rhythms, a Brazilian-influenced musical group that promotes resource conservation, educates about Brazilian instruments and music making, and empowers children and adults to pursue their artistic dreams. Recycled Rhythms provides ongoing community outreach opportunities for students at Next Generation School.
Ms. Roselle Bhosale earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Western Illinois University. She was awarded an assistantship to enter the master’s program in Music Composition, which she also completed at Western Illinois. She returned to her native Malaysia after graduation to begin a career in commercial music. Ms. Bhosale was the pianist for the National Choir of Malaysia and wrote music for Malaysia’s National Junior Chorus.
When Ms. Bhosale returned to the US, she first took a position at the Yale University School of Music in New Haven, Connecticut, and then worked as Assistant Director of Scholarships and Student Employment at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She also taught music and the Suzuki piano method at Merryhill Elementary School.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Mrs. Becky Kammin, Ms. Rebecca Green and Mr. Luke Bronowski
Mrs. Becky Kammin is our Physical Education Director and Athletic Director. As a founding member of the NGS faculty, Mrs. Kammin has created and developed a comprehensive, innovative program that emphasizes life-long health and fitness.
Mrs. Kammin holds a B. S. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was a James Scholar and published an article in the Illinois Journal of Physical Education. †In addition to her certification to teach K – 12 Physical Education, Mrs. Kammin also has certification to teach Mathematics, general and Social Sciences at the middle school level. †She also coaches NGS track and field. †She has earned her second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and also enjoys golfing, gardening and playing piano.
Ms. Rebecca Green completed her M.S. in Kinesiology Pedagogy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her graduate work focused on gender issues and the social-emotional development of students in K - 8 Physical Education programs.
She received her B.A. in English from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia and her certification for teaching Physical Education and coaching from Eastern Illinois University. Ms. Green teaches our Primary School students and assists with their intramural sports program. She also coaches the girls' basketball team.
Mr. Luke Bronowski has been a member of the NGS faculty since our school was founded. Mr. Bronowski works closely with Mrs. Kammin and Ms. Green, and coaches the Middle School boys' basketball team, as well as intramural basketball and soccer.
Prior to that, he taught in the All-Star classrooms in our Early Education program. Many of our students have had Mr. Bronowski as one of their teachers since they were preschool-age. He has also served as the coordinator for our after-school programs. Mr. Bronowski studied Graphic Design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His dedication to NGS brings us together as a community; he is our official photographer, capturing student and family events, athletic matches and performing arts events. He also produces the NGS student yearbook.
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