MEDIA RELEASE

Parker School announces the following new employees as of Aug. 1:

FACULTY

Angela-Dee Alforque

Dr. Angela-Dee Alforque, Parker’s new drama and dance teacher recently moved with her family to Waimea from Sacramento, Calif.

She completed her bachelor’s degree in drama/social science and her master’s in multi-cultural American history & performance at Sacramento State University, and earned her doctorate in educational leadership at Saint Mary’s College of California.

Before joining Parker School, Alforque trained and worked as a singer, actor, dancer, choreographer, director and playwright and served as a theatre arts professor at Sacramento City College, the Associate Director of Sinag-tala Filipino Theater & Performing Arts Association, and as a member of Ebo Okokan Afro-Cuban Drum & Dance Ensemble.

Amanda Dewey

Amanda Dewey was born in Michigan, raised in Colorado, and came to the Big Island in 2000 to study marine science at UH Hilo.

Before becoming chairwoman of the math department at Parker School, she served as a curriculum researcher and analyst for the University of Hawaii Manoa for five years.

Previously, she taught math and biology, and was a testing coordinator and project advisor at a public school in Kona.

Dewey holds her bachelor’s degree in marine science, a teaching certificate in physical science, and her master’s in educational leadership of the Asia/Pacific region.

Josh Shepherd will be teaching lower school music as well as seventh and eighth grade history.

Josh Shepherd

He graduated summa cum laude with his bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Chaminade University, and also holds post-graduate certification in special education.

He comes to Parker School after teaching preschool at Kamehameha Schools in Waimea for five years, and previously working as site manager at Paauilo Elementary and as a program coordinator with the YMCA.

He is trained in the Conscious Discipline character education program, and was a co-presenter at the 2008 Hawaii Island Early Childhood Education Conference.

Baruch “Buff” Winderbaum will be teaching middle school history and English. He holds his bachelor’s degree from Antioch University and a master’s in education from Wilkes University.

Baruch ‘Buff’ Winderbaum

He taught English and history in the Monroe School District in Washington state for several years before moving to Hawaii to join the faculty at Parker School.

STAFF

Renee Brighter joins the PAU (Parker After-school University, the school’s after-care program) team after working with nine children in a private home school.

Prior to that she was an educational assistant at Waimea Elementary School, where she was responsible for directing the upper elementary computer lab, taught the Math Navigator program to 4th graders, and was the Parent Community Network Coordinator Assistant.

She has six children, two of whom are Parker students.

Eric Dela Rosa, born and raised in Honokaa, received his associate’s degree in information technology from Hawaii Community College and trained in information security systems through the University of Phoenix.

Before becoming the technology director at Parker School, he held IT positions at various organizations on the Big Island, including Hawaii Community College, Canada France Hawaii Telescope, W.M. Keck Observatory, and Cellana, where he was network administrator and later, IT manager.

Dela Rosa received honors and academic achievement awards at HCC, and a Best Presentation and Project Award at the 2007 SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) conference for his computer science work at CFHT.

Jennifer Richardson will be the new Advancement Associate in Parker’s Advancement Office. Originally from Colorado, she moved to the Big Island in 2004.

She holds a degree in real estate and construction management from the University of Denver, and has had a long career in that field.

She is a licensed broker in Hawaii and Colorado and has been named a top sales person and a multi-million dollar producer and has assisted in the development of a nationally franchised buyer’s assistance program.

She and her husband have two children, one of whom is a Parker School student.

— Find out more:
www.parkerschool.net