Grade 2/3 Teacher, Sarah Cooper has joined our faculty - Welcome Sarah!

Art Teacher, Laura Adams has joined our faculty - Welcome Laura!

Grade 3/4 Teacher, Sunna deForest has joined our faculty - Welcome Sunna!

Sarah Cooper:

Having just recently relocated with her husband from California, Teacher Sarah brings to Friends School nine years of teaching experience from two independent elementary schools, The Prairie School, Racine, Wisconsin and St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, California. Teacher Sarah will join us as a 2/3 teacher.  Sarah has taught second grade for the past eight years and her areas of expertise include designing and implementing thematic units, creating school museums, and organizing and facilitating grade level and school wide community service projects.  One of Sarah's many teaching strengths is in the orchestration of differentiated classroom instruction providing for flexible groupings to accommodate for learning needs.  Additionally, Sarah is the co-founder of St. Matthew's Student Environmental Organization and has written and directed elementary school musical productions.  Sarah holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.  Please join us in welcoming Teacher Sarah!

Laura Adams:

Having an extensive art background and bringing with her methods of infusing fine art and art history into the Friends School art curriculum, Teacher Laura Adams will join us as the k-8 art teacher.  Teacher Laura is currently the art teacher at Centre Learning Community Charter School and also a paraprofessional at Park Forest Elementary School.  Laura has worked in the Bellefonte Area Elementary Schools, the Cooperative Playschool, and Penns Valley Junior/Senior High School.  Laura holds a B.S. in Art Education from PSU and is eager to share her fine art, designer, and graphic art background, non-violent physical intervention training and creativity with Friends School.  Welcome Teacher Laura!

Sunna deForest:

Relocating from Alaska and  having an extensive background in teaching, conflict resolution, yoga, and Quakerism, Teacher Sunna deForest will join us as a lead teacher in grade 3/4.  Teacher Sunna comes to us from Fairbanks, Alaska, where she taught at Chinook Montessori Charter School, Elicarvicuar School, Pine Creek Elementary School, and the Alaska Boreal Forest Council.  Sunna’s areas of expertise include service learning, environmental education, adventure learning, behavior intervention, and integrated curriculum development.  Additionally, Sunna minored in Russian and Russian literature and is proficient in French, Peace Games, and computer applications.  Sunna and her husband Russell are attenders of State College Friends Meeting.  Welcome Teacher Sunna!