Meridian Academy was started by a group of over 40 Boston parents and educators. Many of the founding participants were teachers or parents at the Neighborhood School, an independent elementary school in Jamaica Plain that shares and has inspired many of the goals and approaches of Meridian.
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Joshua Abrams, Head of School, Mathematics and Science
B.S. in Biology, Yale University M.A. in Mathematics Education, Columbia University. Josh has been a teacher, curriculum developer, and teacher leader for over twenty years. He has taught mathematics and science research in a variety of schools including positions as Master Teacher of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science, a state-wide, public, magnet school and Mathematics Department Head at The Rivers School, a suburban, independent, day school. Josh has also worked with students on extra-curricular activities including Model United Nations, Amnesty International, Math club, and gender issues. In 1998, he was a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics from President Clinton.
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Lenny Brown, Physical Education
B.A. in Black Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston.
Lenny has been working with youth in educational settings for the past decade. He is committed to physical activity and has a varied background of activities that he enjoys: lacrosse, boxing, basketball, martial arts, long distance running, hiking and mountaineering, bike riding, swimming, snow skiing and snow boarding, rollerblading and gardening. He has lived in Boston his entire life and values its unlimited opportunities including the Charles River and Minuteman biking trails, hiking in the Blue Hills, and nature walks at the Audubon, Emerald Necklace, or Franklin Park. He shares his lifetime of love for, and learning from, the outdoors, sports, and experiential education with his students. When not teaching, Lenny cares for his two young, very active boys.
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Vickie Curtis, Humanities
B.A. Psychology, minor in Art, Phi Beta Kappa, Connecticut College Vickie comes to Meridian from fellow Coalition of Essential School member Francis Parker Charter School where she taught humanities to ninth and tenth graders. Vickie has also directed student theater productions and led a group of high school students on a summer adventure and photography exploration in Ireland. While studying criminal justice in Washington, D.C., Vickie was impressed by the power of learning that reaches beyond the walls of the classroom and enjoys taking advantage of Meridian's flexibility to bring the opportunities of Greater Boston to her students. |
Elizabeth Grant, Humanities
B.A. English and Secondary Education, Simmons College M.A. English Education, Simmons College Elizabeth (Betsy) Grant has been teaching high school English and history for nine years. In each position she has held, she has developed curriculum that seeks to integrate the often-fragmented academic experience of adolescents. For the last four years, she has taught creative writing, American literature, American history, and expository writing as well as provided college counseling and supervised myriad activities at Montclair College Prep in Los Angeles California. Her passions lie in creative writing and Thoreauvian studies and in American handcrafts such as knitting and sewing. Betsy believes that education needs to be experiential and skill-based rather than content driven. She encourages students to take ownership of their learning experiences and to push their comfortable limits to grow as individuals.
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Elizabeth "Johnny" Johnson, Drama |
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Sara McDonald, Spanish B.A. Modern Languages, Spanish, Framingham State College. Sara has been teaching students in a variety of educational settings for six years. She began her teaching career with Global Child, bringing Spanish to school systems as an enrichment program. Prior to joining Meridian Academy, Sara taught Spanish to elementary and middle school students at Friends Academy in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. While at Friends, she also enjoyed coaching the Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team as well as working as a facilitator on the school's ropes course. Her passions lie in making lively cultural connections through thoughtful curriculum design. |
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Jai Underhill, Art
Jai has integrated her work as an artist and teacher for more than twenty five years. After studying jewelry and metalsmithing at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Jai opened the Newbury Street gallery Harvey & Company in 1986. Starting in 1995, she focused on commissioned works and teaching. Jai has taught adults and teens silversmithing at the Eliot School of Fine Arts in JP and at Derby Academy in Hingham and has been the art teacher at the Neighborhood School since 1998. Jai is also a dancer. She has taught metalsmithing and tap dance at Meridian.
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Ralph Peteranderl, Mathematics, Science, and Technology Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, University of California Berkeley |
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Maya Vinokour, Mathematics, Science, and Technology |
Brendon Wood, Music
B.A. in Music Composition/ Minor in French, University of Massachusetts/Boston.
Brendon is the founder and co-leader of the Devil Music Ensemble (LLC), a nationally recognized touring and performing ensemble. Devil Music Ensemble is known both nationally and internationally for work in contemporary silent film accompaniment and film scoring. Brendon composes and produces musical works for silent and contemporary film, orchestra, and mixed ensembles. Brendon has taught music to individual students for many years. Brendon leads Meridian's multi-genre band. |
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Board of Trustees
Joshua Abrams, President
In addition to his experience listed above, Josh has held leadership positions helping schools during their initial accreditation and reaccreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), has assisted with college guidance, and has had responsibility for budgets and personnel decisions. Josh founded Meridian because he wanted to provide an option for secondary students that valued their ideas, understood their need to be useful members of their communities, and welcomed them as junior researchers within and between the disciplines.
Max Bauer, CPA, Treasurer
B.S. in Accounting and Finance, Boston College.
Max began his career in public accounting over eight years ago. He currently works for Newton-based CPA firm Abrams Little-Gill Loberfeld PC. His clients include a broad array of enterprises, including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, biotechnology, and non-profit organizations. Max is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
John Connolly
A.B., Harvard University. J.D., Boston College Law School.
John is a former teacher at the Boston Renaissance Charter School and Nativity Mission School. John is now a partner of Schofield Campbell & Connolly in Boston practicing corporate law. John has advised many non-profits and schools on legal issues, and he has worked with Meridian Academy since its inception. John is a lifelong resident of Boston and he also serves on the Board of Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD).
Kathleen Ennis
B.A. in History, Brandeis University; M.A. in English, Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College.
Kathy has been an educator for 30 years including four years at Needham High School and six years as Head of Humanities at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science. Kathy is Executive Director of Primary Source, an organization dedicated to helping teachers develop and incorporate curricula that include traditionally underrepresented peoples, inspire an openness to new information and ideas, and lead students to pursue cultural and historical accuracy based on primary sources of information. Kathy believes strongly that interdisciplinary work leads to a deeper understanding of the world.
Tricia Morrow
B.A., Knox College.
Tricia Morrow has enjoyed her role as a Teacher/Director at Neighborhood School in Jamaica Plain since she co-founded the purposefully small, independent elementary school in 1986. Her trek from Illinois to Boston in 1982 was stimulated by a strong sense of calling to live and work with children in an urban, multicultural environment. With teaching certification in elementary and special education, followed by graduate coursework in educational management and parenting studies, and then parenting three children, Tricia is committed to the rich, personalized learning and family connections that small schools cultivate.
Advisory Board
Stephen Abrams
Thomas Cohen
Nicholas Deldon
Arlene Mack McLaren
Publications Design
Myra Grand, DB•design, Brookline, MA.
Architectural Consultant
Studio G Architects, Jamaica Plain, MA.
Pro Bono Supporters Meridian has been the beneficiary of outstanding and generous service from a number of companies who are supporting this project. Our special thanks go to:
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