Flavia Araripe arrives to the English faculty at the Middle School from the Chapel School in São Paolo, Brazil, where she headed the English department and taught English and Spanish to middle and high school students. Prior to that, she served as a sixth-grade bilingual teacher at Ontarioville Elementary School in Elgin, Ill. She brings a broad teaching background that includes directing student plays, teaching Portuguese and sponsoring creative writing clubs. Before embarking on a career in teaching, Ms. Araripe was a language instructor at the Berlitz Language Center in Rio de Janeiro. She earned a BA in Brazilian and English Literature and Translation at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and an MA in Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

 

Juan P. (“J.P.”) Arrastia joins the English department at the Middle School and will contribute to RE’s drama program after juggling a number of important roles at St. Brendan High School for a decade. Mr. Arrastia not only taught all levels of English from the sixth-grade level to English IV, but he also introduced the AP Capstone Program, chaired the school’s arts department and directed the Visual & Performing Arts Academy. In that role, he directed dozens of student theatrical productions and taught drama and acting. Mr. Arrastia, who is eager to contribute at Ransom Everglades in the classroom and in the theater, also served as St. Brendan’s director of publications and communications. Prior to his tenure at St. Brendan, he was the Dean of Students at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School. He began his career as an English teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish School. Mr. Arrastia hails from Miami, and holds a BA in English and MEd in Educational Leadership.

Roger Caron joins the college counseling office in the new position of Coordinator of Student Athlete College Recruitment. He is also teaching World Civilizations as a member of the History and Social Sciences Department at the Upper School, and joining the athletics coaching staff. A Harvard graduate and former offensive lineman for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, Caron coached the Pomona-Pitzer football team for more than two decades, earning Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2016. Before his run at Pomona, he served as an assistant coach at Williams College, helping the team to a 45-9-2 record in seven years, including a 23-game win streak (1988-1991). Mr. Caron co-founded and co-directed the Pomona College Wellness Program, and gained independent school experience during a leave of absence from Pomona during which he taught history and coached at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. Mr. Caron earned his AB in European History at Harvard, and MEd from North Adams State College. He was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2002, and continues to hold the rank of Professor of Physical Education Emeritus at Pomona.

Lindsay Danielson has assumed the Dean of Students position and joins the English faculty at the Upper School. She arrives to RE from Country Day School near Tampa, where she served as Middle School English Coordinator/Instructor for five years while also performing a variety of administrative duties. Prior to that, Ms. Danielson was a Pediatric Education Coordinator at the University of Virginia and program director at Level the Field, Inc., in New York City, where she developed and implemented the inner-city mentorship program. Ms. Danielson earned her BA at Columbia University and MA in secondary English education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Ms. Danielson was a three-sport athlete (swimming, soccer, and track and field) in high school. Recruited to Columbia as a track athlete, she also became a standout soccer goalie during her undergraduate career and served as an assistant coach on the Columbia University women's soccer team while pursuing her MA. During the summers, Ms. Danielson coaches at a variety of soccer ID camps throughout the United States. 

 

Susana B. Diaz arrives to RE as the Middle School counselor after eight years as guidance counselor at St. Agnes Academy in Key Biscayne and six years in private practice as a marriage and family therapist. While at St. Agnes Academy, Ms. Diaz counseled students in pre-K through eighth grades, conducted workshops on mental-health topics and coordinated and administered a sexual-abuse prevention program. She won Teacher of the Year honors at St. Agnes in 2004, her last of nine years as a second- and third-grade teacher. Fluent in Spanish and English, Ms. Diaz previously served as a therapist for vocational rehabilitation clients through What’s On Your Mind, a psychology, learning and brain development center in Miami. She also has been a member of the Archdiocese of Miami Counselors Crisis Team. She received her BA in elementary education and master’s in guidance counseling from St. Thomas University. She also received a post-master certificate in marriage and family therapy.

Kelly L. Jackson brings research and teaching experience in the field of marine geology to the Middle School Science Department; she also will contribute her nautical gifts to the sailing program at RE. Dr. Jackson recently earned her PhD at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Marine Geology and Geophysics; her research documented geologic evidence of ancient sea-level fluctuations in the Bahamas. At UM, Dr. Jackson taught marine geology and oceanography, supervised under­graduate research at the Center for Carbonate Research, and won several prizes for graduate student research and publication. She arrived at the UM Frost School of Music on a scholarship to study violin; she earned undergraduate degrees in music and marine science and geology. Her master’s research on Indian Ocean paleotsunamis earned her the school-wide Dean’s Prize for Outstanding Master’s Thesis and she also earned the Frank J. Millero Prize for Best Student Publication. From 2008-2010, she served as president of UM’s Alpha Epsilon Lambda Graduate Honor Society chapter and she co-chaired the Society for Sedimentary Geology’s Carbonate Research Group from 2012-15. In 2007, she was named the Marine Geology and Geophysics Outstanding Student of the Year. Dr. Jackson is an avid scuba diver who has earned her PADI Divemaster certification. She also enjoys boating.

Doreen Johnson joins the Middle School History and Social Sciences Department from Durham Academy in Durham, N.C., where she has taught middle school history and led the department in curriculum development and implementation. Ms. Johnson previously taught history and English at the Lindop School in Broadview, Ill.; Evanston Township High in Evanston, Ill.; The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Mo.; and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. She served on the Board of Examiners for the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and presented at the 2014 North Carolina Association of Independent Schools Conference on “Developing the Middle School Scholar.” In 2006, she was a Fred Hampton Image Award honoree for demonstrating generosity and leadership in a community of learners. While at Lindop, she served as head cheerleader coach for 10 years. She earned her BA from DePaul University, where she was a scholar-athlete in track and field and cheerleading, and earned her MEd from Harvard University. Ms. Johnson will help coach track and field at RE.

Meghan Kramer arrives as Middle School Library Assistant from Cleveland State University, where she graduated in December 2016 with a BA in communications and minor in English. She is currently enrolled in the Kent State University Online Program, working toward a master’s degree in Library and Information Science. She previously served as an administrative assistant at the Incentis Group, LLC., in Mentor, Ohio, conducting research for data, location analysis and tax programs and opportunities for clients. This past summer, she worked as a senior counselor at summer day camp at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio, and in 2015, she assisted with environment conservation as part of International Student Volunteers in New Zealand.

Desiree Masucci, an accomplished dancer and actress with expertise in costume design, joins the Middle School faculty to teach dance and drama, and will lend her skills to productions on both campuses. A Miami native who attended Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School STAR Magnet Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, Miss Masucci graduated with a BA in theatre (with a minor in dance) from Rollins College, where she was a recipient of the Priscilla Parker Theatre Scholarship for Excellence in Design. She went on to the California Institute of the Arts, where she earned her MFA in theatre with an emphasis in costume design. Her design work has been showcased throughout the nation, including in the film “Holy Land,” produced by James Franco’s Rabbit Bandini Productions. Miss Masucci has taught dance for Miami Theatre Center’s Summer Intensive Youth Program and The Gordon School of Beth David Congregation, acting as choreographer for several spring musicals. Miss Masucci also has been an adjudicator for the District 13 Thespians/Individual Events competition for the last three years

Timothy S. McAllister arrives to RE as the Director of the Crew Program, bringing more than 20 years of experience from a rowing career that spans the competitive gamut from rower to coxswain to coach. He has coached at every level but found his niche in scholastic rowing, where he has contributed to several nationally competitive programs. Coach McAllister previously served as head coach at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, Cambridge School, Greenhill School, and most recently, The Hockaday School. During his tenure at Hockaday, he helped revitalize and transform the school’s program into one of the top girls’ programs in the country. His rowers garnered multiple state championships in key events; gold medals at the Stotesbury Cup; a silver in their first trip to the Scholastic Rowing Association of America championships; and two top-10 finishes at the USRowing Youth Nationals. He earned his BA in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania and JD from the University of Denver. He graduated from Phillips Academy Andover. He competed at Andover as both a coxswain and rower and all four years at Penn as a varsity coxswain.

Jonathan Scholl arrives to the Upper School History and Social Sciences Department from the University of Florida, where he had been an adjunct lecturer in the University Writing Program and post-doctoral teaching associate after earning his PhD in history with an emphasis in colonial Latin America in 2015. Dr. Scholl also served as an adjunct lecturer in Santa Fe College’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and was a volunteer instructor and coordinator at the Latina Women’s League of Gainesville, where he taught Citizenship Preparation and Conversational English for Speakers of Other Languages. He received his MA in history from the University of Florida and BA from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., where he was a Richard A. Burke Scholar and spent two semesters abroad (Madrid, Spain, and Santiago, Chile). In 2016, he received the Richard J. Milbauer Dissertation Research Award for best dissertation defended in the history department.

Samantha Shapiro assumes responsibility for directing RE’s major productions, supervising and coaching the Upper School’s thespians, and teaching acting classes on the Upper School campus. Miss Shapiro arrives from the highly regarded Miami Children’s Theater, where she managed all aspects of production – from casting to choreography to directing to stage management – for 17 mainstage performances, including Sister Act, The Producers and Ragtime. Miss Shapiro also brings a rich background as an acting teacher and dance and voice instructor. At MCT, she instructed children, teens and adults in acting technique, improvisation, stage presence, voice, dance, diction and audition preparation. She previously served as a theater director and acting teacher at Broadway Musical Theatre on Key Biscayne. She was also a casting production assistant for Steven Spielberg’s entertainment company, Amblin Entertainment, coordinating a nationwide open casting call for an upcoming feature film. A Miami native, Miss Shapiro honed her skills at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, even training there for a time under Gina Montet, now RE’s Middle School Performing Arts Teacher. After graduating from Florida State University, Miss Shapiro lived and worked in New York City.