Meet the GCS StaPrincipal
John Gagnon Gagnon grew up in South Burlington, Vermont. He taught the middle school in Wilmington, VT. He has taught many different varieties of people before he came to Guilford in 1995. He has taught adults, college, CCD classes and was also a teacher at Landmark College. When John first came here, he was the social studies and became the principal in 2002. He has a wife, Sarah and 7th grade son Jack. He loves spending time with his family and riding his horse.
Administrative Assistant
Joann Tyler joined the staff as administrative assistant in 1985 prior to which she was a substitute teacher for the district. She received her associate degree at State University at Farmingdale NY for technical secretary of advertising.
She was born in a small town on Long Island called Oyster Bay, the “home of Teddy Roosevelt.” She moved to Guilford in 1977 with her husband Pete, and children, Kathy, Peter, and Clinton. She loves working with children, parents, staff, and community members. Her multi-tasked job is never boring and can be somewhat challenging at times.
Counselor:
Jason Touchette
I was born outside of Chicago and lived in the upper peninsula of Michigan before I moved to Vermont in December of 1997. I have lived in Southern Vermont ever since with my Amy. We have a 17-month-old daughter named Logan. I have worked with kids for the past 11 years either in a school environment or in the outdoors, taking them rock climbing, camping, hiking and just spending time in the woods. In my and family time I enjoy the outdoors through camping, hiking, rock climbing, cycling and wandering.
Nurse:
Janet Michaud Mrs. Michaud joined the Guilford Central School staff in 2000 as a full time registered school nurse. Prior to school nursing, she was a part time substitute teacher for five years at Guilford School. She enjoys traveling, especially to Maine beaches and to Florida. She lives in Guilford with her husband Ron and her cat Booty. She has two children, Christine, who recently married and is a registered nurse, and Jennifer, a 2006 graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a business degree who is working in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Head Custodian
Troy Revis joined the staff here at Guilford Central School in October 2003; he was previously employed at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on the maintance staff. Prior to that he was employed at Cersosimo Lumber co. as a Boiler operator and Fork lift driver. He left the United States navy as a boiler technician in 1195 to raise a family with his wife Alice, who grew up in Guilford; together they have a son Daniel in 6th grade here at Guilford Central School. Troy joined the Vermont Army National Guard in February 1996. After an 18 month employment to Iraq, with the 131st engineers of Vermont Army National Guard, he recently retired from the military after 22 years. He is an avid NASCAR fan (go Dale Jr!), and he loves to ride his motorcycle, letting the wind blow in his face. He likes to hunt and fish with his son Daniel. But most of all Troy is happiest just hanging out with his family and friends.
Abbey Food Group Service
Rhea Rhodes has two children, girls. I have a 9 1/2 year old Shh- Tzu named Molly. I was born in Brattleboro, went to grade school at Green Sreet School in Brattleboro and graduated from B.U.H.S. I love cooking, reading, doing crossword puzzles, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends. Everyone at Guilford School is very nice, especially the students from whom I get many hugs. Thank you for welcoming me to your school.
Arts and Music
Music Teacher/Chorus Director:
Colleen Hartman Mrs. Hartman teaches General Music to students in grades K-8. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Keene State College and her Master of Music degree from the University of Connecticut. In 1999, Mrs. Hartman was awarded the Connecticut River Valley Music District Outstanding Music District for three years and has been active in adjudicating students for the festivals sponsored by this group. She lives in West Chesterfield with her husband Jason, and her two children, Audra and Connor. In her spare time she enjoys singing, camping, hiking, badminton and technology.
Band:
Mary Harvey-Bandish I am very happy to be in my third year teaching instrumental music in Guilford. I love teaching students about music and energizing groups to have fun making music together, I have been enjoying the career I chose since I graduated from The Crane School Of Music in 1983. Outside of school I enjoy playing my Clarinet, being a mom, and skiing and sailing with my son.
Art:
Ms. Dancing is the art teacher at Guilford school. She holds art classes every week with all the students, Kindergarten through 8th grade. Ms Dancing especially enjoys working collaboratively on creative projects.
Physical Education:
Evvie Jakub teaches Physical Education to students in grades K-8. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Springfield College and has done graduate work at Fresno Pacific University, University of Massachusetts and Norwich University. Mrs. J has been teaching at Guilford Central School for fourteen years. She enjoys planning special events for Guilford students like Field Day, Volleyball, Badminton and Bowling Tournaments as well as coaching the Fitness Team and bringing students to the Kurn Hattin Cross Country Meets.
Media Specialist/Librarian:
Susan Hessey has been connecting kids with books, ideas and stories in Vermont schools for over twenty years. She joined the faculty at Guilford School in 1994. she has served on district and state committees on information literacy and was a member of the Red Clover Award committee - Vermont’s children’s choice picture book aware – for ten years. In the summer, Susan teaches at Antioch University New England and is a member of the faculty of the Vermont Community Works Institute on Service Learning. In her spare time, Susan enjoys reading, writing, paper sculpting, bookbinding, making music and sailing. She lives in Putney with her partner, Jim; they have two grown children named Cooper and Meghan.
Athletic Director: Tony Guarano
K-5
Kindergarten
Karen Duggan has been working at Guilford Central School since 1984. She currently teaches kindergarten, though she has taught 1st grade and second grade here as well. She lives in Brattleboro with her husband and son. She enjoys teaching and working in Guilford.
First Grade: Margaret Dale Barrand
Second Grade
Sue Bos I have been teaching at GCS for about fifteen years and I have three children and one granddaughter who are very brilliant. I have also taught every grade here. Last year I graduated from middle school to first grade again. Love teaching first grade but miss the middle school a lot. I like to garden, take walks in great trails all around here and spend time with the family.
Second Grade
Emma Hallowell Im very excited to join the staff at GCF this year. I grew up in Concord,NH, and went to college in Maine. I lived in Maine for a long time befor moving to Brattleboro to attend Antioch University New England for graduate school. I focused on environmental studies and education. I love spending time outside hiking, skiing, and i love farming and gardening. I hope to use the garden a lot in my teaching in GCS.
Third Grade
Ms. Lapan I graduated from the University of Denver and have been teaching at Guilford Central School since 1987. I especially enjoy teaching about schools in Guilford, and “Totally Television” involves my class in a video production of the brick schoolhouse. Traveling, reading, and cycling are also some of my interests
Fourth Grade:
Ms. Tyler
Fith Grade
David Maslauskas David Maslauskas of Greenfield, Massachusetts has been a teacher for thirty-three years. Four of those years he taught in New Hampshire. He first started at Guilford Central School in the fall of 1981 and has been here for twenty-nine years. His mom was a teacher, and when he watched and listened to her teach and saw all the exciting activities she was doing with her class, it inspired him to be a teacher. David is currently teaching 5th grade, but he has also taught 6th grade, and 5th through 8th math.
Middle School
Math:
Kevin Royce
I was born in Richmond, Virginia and lived in that area until I was five years old. My elementary school years were spent in Winchester, New Hampshire. When I was thirteen, I moved to Virginia Beach and went to high school at Green Run High. A few years after I graduated, I moved back to this area to be closer to family. My children and I have spent many years living in Brattleboro before moving to Swanzey, New Hampshire, where I live now. I graduated Keene State College in 2003 and have worked at various schools in the area before finding this position at Guilford School.
Language Arts:
Stuart Strothman began teaching in Guilford Middle School in April of 2004, and joined the staff full time the following September. Prior to teaching in Guilford, he was an assistant professor of English at Landmark College for seven years, and edited a series of texts on teaching students with learning difficulty. He is the president of the Putney Historical Society, and the squire of the Putney Morris Men, a dance team. He lives in Putney with his partner Julie, and three children, Jacob, Louisa, and Susanna.
Science:
Rachel Davis I’m really excited to be teaching science at Guilford! This school has a positive and enthusiastic community: the teachers and students provide a supportive and challenging learning environment. I live in Brattleboro with my husband, Matt, and our two sons, Elliot and Quinn. We enjoy hiking, biking, and adventuring around New England. Before I became a teacher, I worked in laboratory sciences – until I decided that lab equipment isn’t nearly as fun and exciting as middle schoolers.
Social Studies:
Jen Kramer
Mrs. Kramer is currently the Middle School Social Studies teacher, exploring the history of the world, our country and Guilford with her students. Before that, she taught 6th grade at Guilford Central School for 6 years and worked in a 5/6 classroom at Oak Grove Elementary School. Mrs. Kramer grew up in Florida, but has spent most of her adult life in Vermont, attending Middlebury College and then living in Brattleboro for 23 years. She has four sons and enjoys hiking, biking and spending time with her family.
Para-educators
Nancy Detra
I live on the Green River, in Guilford with my husband and two children, two dogs, a cat, and a guinea pig. Before working at Guilford School, I managed the Brattleboro Area Farmer’s Market, wrote for the Brattleboro Reformer, and created and sold greeting cards and calendars.
Eighth grade:
Barbara Freeman Born in New York, Mrs. Freeman grew up in Connecticut. She moved to Halifax with her husband and infant son in 1961 after graduating from the University of Connecticut. She first got involved in education when Halifax needed a third person to teach. Later, she co-founded Hilltop Montessori School in 1972. Over the years she managed a number of businesses before coming to Guilford in 1993.
K-3:
Sandy Cutting
Sandra Cortes My name is Sandra Cortes. I have worked with children of all ages preschool through sixth grade. When im not working in school I like to garden, cook and learn about the past. In fact my family and I timber framed our own house right here in Guilford.
Special Education
Crista Yagjian I am very excited to be the new special education teacher at GCS! I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. I attended a performing arts high school, majoring in both music and theatre. My interest in theatre continued and I went on to receive a B.F.A. in theatre from SUNY Purchase. After managing both restaurants and music spaces in New York for several years, I decided to become a teacher. I received my M.Ed. as a Reading Specialist from Plymouth State College. Seven years ago, I moved with my husband to beautiful Guilford, Vermont. While teaching in Wilmington, VT, I decided to attain my special education licensure. I have been working as a special educator for the past 7 years. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, hiking, gardening, and just spending time with my husband, Eric, and son, Nate.
Michele Nelson:
Speech and language pathologist:
Heidi
Thacker Mrs. Thacker was born in Portland, Maine. She went to elementary school In procter, Vermont. Prior to working here, she was the Speech Pathologist at Wells Junior High School in Wells, Maine. She also attended the University of Maine at Orono and Ohio University. Mrs. Thacker has two children and lives in Mass. She enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, and photography. She spends her summer in Round Pond, Maine enjoying the salt water air.
Special Education Para Educator:
George Williams
Born in Brookllyn, NY in 1948, one of my fondest childhood memories is watching Jackie Robinson play for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Now I live in Brattleboro with my wife and daughter. In addition to hiking, swimming, and skiing, my favorite family activity is motorcycle touring around the back roads of New England.
Support staff:
Mrs. Ireton moved to Vermont in 2000 from Massachusetts after 27years of teaching elementary school. Since then she has taught fourth grade and sixth grade at Guilford School, followed by three years as an academic support teacher. She admires the work Mrs. Nero did in this role and is grateful to her for guidance in the transition from classroom teaching. Being a Vermonter is a source of pride and the landscape here reminds her of potographs taken where her grandmother grew up in Ireland. She can’t imagine life without music and art. Pastimes include: reading (of course), writing (especially poetry), photography, quilting, and most recently knitting (thanks to the 4th grade knitting club).
Stacey Frazer
