The core of a strong school is its teachers and Community Independent School has an incredible group of teachers working on behalf of our students and families.
Maia Derewicz has been providing both music and Spanish instruction with an integrated music/language approach to students at CIS since 2002. Maia received her BA from UNC-Asheville in Sociology, specializing in Latin American studies. She taught for a year in Ecuador. She has also worked with immigrant children and families from Mexico in a number of capacities, including a project with young elementary children from Mexico using the arts as a second language. Her loves include art, music, composing music for children and adults as well as storytelling and the out-of-doors. She often performs her music locally at numerous venues. In addition to her Spanish training, Maia has been very involved in music education training through the American Orff-Schulwerk Association pursuing coursework both in NC and in Massachusetts. Maia forms deep connections with youngsters of all ages and her lessons are uniquely suited to the age level, needs and interests of each gathering.
maia@communityindependentschool.org
Currently Vacant
Holly Hardin
hollyh@communityindependentschool.org
Tori Ralston returns to CIS for her sixth year as the Arts Resource teacher in the elementary program. Her role includes consultation and support to classroom teachers in integrated use of the arts as well as direct teaching time in the classroom. Tori holds a Master's of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota. In addition to her time at CIS, she is active with her own installation art and with puppet making and performance with the local company, Paper Hand Puppet Intervention. Tori is deeply involved with CIS youngsters and teachers and builds strong, sustaining and supportive relationships. Her easy-going and accessible manner combined with her enthusiasm for children and their ideas creates an environment where youngsters feel safe taking creative risks. Tori brings the arts to life in ways that touch all aspects of the curriculum and that invite children to explore, extend and express their learning in meaningful projects and activities.
tori@communityindependentschool.org
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Sheldon Clark, Head of School, Sheldon has a broad range of experience in private school settings, both as a teacher and as an administrator. He taught 4th-6th grade for fifteen years, and he has been involved in school administration both as a Board member at several different schools and by serving as Assistant Head of School in a toddler through elementary grades private school. Sheldon has a BA in elementary education. He is a certified Montessori teacher, and he was a founding faculty member of Follow the Child Montessori School in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sheldon counts his ten year old son among his best friends, and puts Samwise Gamgee at the top of his short list of heroes.
sheldon@communityindependentschool.org
Dwight "Ike" Murray, Administrative Coordinator
dwight@communityindependentschool.org
Business Development and Marketing Manager
Currently Vacant
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Lauren Munach, Chair
Beth Spinarski, Treasurer
Deborah Day, Secretary, has two children: Claire, age 12 and Elijah, age 7. Claire started at CIS in kindergarten and just graduated last June. She will attend 5th grade at Woods Charter School this year. Eli officially enrolled in CIS last year in the PreK/K program, although he has been hanging around the playground since he was an infant. He will move up to the Sundrops gathering this year. Deborah's family has had an incredibly positive experience at CIS over the past 5 years. The teachers, staff, and other parents welcomed her and her husband as part of a nurturing community and encouraged their children's creativity and love of learning. In the past she has volunteered at CIS by serving on the Outreach Committee, driving for field trips, taking care of the barn animals, editing the CIS Newsletter The Buzz, and serving on the Education Director Search Committee. She works at the Chatham County Partnership for Children as the Safe Start Project Director, running a project designed to reduce the negative impact of domestic violence on young children. Personally, she likes to spend time reading, hiking, cooking, knitting, and quilting. She says she is honored to serve on the CIS Board because it allows her an opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to her family.
Karen Macklin, Ex-officio Chair, was asked to consider being on the Board because her daughter was in the pre-school here for two great years and because she's an attorney. She is thrilled to be on the board. She believes CIS provided a wonderful environment for her child's early education and growth. She especially appreciates its emphasis on communication skills, its small class size, and its encouragement of children being outdoors.
Karen and her husband Michael have lived in Chapel Hill since 1981. Their 10-year-old daughter is now in her last year at Scroggs Elementary School. As an attorney, she is a board-certified specialist in bankruptcy law. She has also formed corporations and partnerships throughout the Triangle and has advised business owners and Boards of Directors. She sits on an independent investigational review Board reviewing drug studies with an emphasis on the protection of human subjects. Additionally, she works with people around end-of-life issues.
Charlie Butchart, An educator at CIS for 8 years, Charlie completed two years at Michigan State in Environmental Science. He also completed coursework for his North Carolina Early Childhood Credential during his first year at CIS. Charlie brings to his work as a Board Member at CIS a special warmth and commitment to children and their families.
Charlie believes strongly in the importance of the board, staff and community working as a united group in order to make Community Independent School the best school it can be. Through hard work and open, direct communication he hopes to help guide CIS toward a successful future.
Gigi Dillon is the mother of Meredith Avison (a Forget-Me-Not) and they have been members of the CIS community for two years, living off of Andrew's Store Road. Gigi and Meredith moved to the area from Berlin, where they were a part of a cooperative Montessori Kindergarten. Gigi is currently a graduate student at Duke in art history where she is teaching courses in Modern and Postmodern architecture this year. She did an undergraduate degree in History and Philosophy in Montréal, and studied at the Institute for Social Ecology in Plainfield, Vermont. As a Board member, Gigi is committed to the child-centered, project-oriented curriculum in place at CIS, and will work to support the vibrant culture of learning and exploration that makes this school such an wonderful place!
Amy Rabb is excited to be a part of the CIS family. The philosophy of the school and the atmosphere she walks into each time she visits are wonderful. As an Early Childhood teacher she would have enjoyed teaching here. She has been in the field over 30 years and currently is Executive Director of Child Care Networks, Inc., a local nonprofit agency working to improve the quality of childcare in Chatham County and helping parents pay for care. She has served on a number of boards and advisory committees, including the Chatham and Orange County Partnerships for Children, Chrysalis Foundation for Mental Health, and the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network (as President). She grew up in Chapel Hill when it was still a small college town. Her dad was the Baseball Coach at UNC for 30 years. She is single and has a wonderful extended family and many fabulous friends. She treasures the years she lived in the North Carolina Mountains and listens to live Old Time music every chance she gets. Her degree is in Art Education and she plans to start producing some artwork as she moves toward retirement.
Karl Owen
Holly Coldiron
Sheldon Clark, Head of School, Ex-officio member
