WAIMEA — Parker School staff welcomed 320 students in kindergarten through grade 12 on the school’s first day of their 42nd academic year last Monday.
Ten new faculty and staff members were hired at the school in a variety of positions.
Patrick Caenepeel is the new Middle School math and science teacher. He spent more than 10 years working with students in grades K-8 in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Kelley Heuston joins Parker School after teaching for 30 years at Waterford School in Sandy, Utah.
As the school’s new Upper School math teacher, Gina Prowell brings more than 25 years of education experience at Raytown High School and Raymore-Peculiar High School in Missouri and Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu. Originally from Oahu and a graduate of Punahou School, Prowell is excited to be back in her home state.
Audrey Smith is the new Middle and Upper School English teacher. She last taught at Georgetown University and in the Washington DC public school system.
Mary Fran Donnelly is a new part-time Middle School English teacher and service learning coordinator. She grew up on Oahu and moved to Hawaii Island in 2017. Donnelly has taught ESL and creative writing and served as a tutor and substitute teacher for private schools in Waimea.
Yngrid Gonzalez Feeney is a new part-time Upper School Spanish teacher and worked for Parker School previously. She has taught students in K-12 in public and private schools on Hawaii Island. She is a native Spanish speaker originally from Manhattan and moved to the Big Island in 2006.
Catherine Harford is a new long-term Upper School math substitute teacher. She has more than 13 years of education experience teaching at universities and private schools in addition to nine years in the field of scientific research.
Brian Koranda joined Parker School this summer. He has been building websites since the 1990s for a variety of companies like Sony Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate Films, Rockwell Automation and Carleton College. He is also currently the school’s 2018-19 PTSO president.
Aubrey Kommer and Cheynielle Pacheco round out the new hires as PAU assistants.