Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy welcomes fifteen new distinguished faculty and staff members this academic year. The school continues to offer excellent educational and enrichment opportunities for its students in grades pre-K through twelve, and the addition of the new faculty and staff is a part of this initiative.

This year, Cynthia A. Rogers fills the vital role of Curriculum Coordinator for Mount de Chantal. Most recently she worked for the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama on independent projects for the NASA education department. Her projects included identifying and creating a database of National Science, Mathematics, and Technology education standards for Earth-To-Orbit modules and NASA explores and identifying NASA curriculum for NASA Explorer schools. Ms. Rogers began as an education specialist and produced education materials for grades 9-12 before being promoted to Team Leader and managing a team of seven full-time staff members and one student intern. Prior to her work with NASA, Cynthia was the Educational Program Manager for the School of Medicine at the University of Southern California where she also earned her Masters in Science Education. Her impressive resume also includes no less than eleven years as a science teacher.

Dr. Lin Zhang Whipkey joins Mount de Chantal’s esteemed faculty and will teach Chinese, Geometry and Algebra I. Whipkey is armed with an M.D., M.B.A and M.Ed., and her resume consists of years spent as a practicing physician, research associate and assistant professor. She was most recently a teacher in the Malipo County school system in China before her relocation to the Wheeling area with her husband who grew up here.

Also in the language department, the Mount welcomes new French teacher, Najia Kemmou. Since 1987 Kemmou has been an earth and life sciences high school teacher for the Morocco Ministry of National Education in Casablanca, Morocco. Fluent in both French and Arabic, Kemmou earned the equivalent of a Masters Degree in Education from Ecole Normale Superieure in Morocco where she majored in Biology and Geology.

Joining Mount de Chantal’s Secondary science department is Dr. Robert Ball of St. Clairsville, OH. Dr. Ball earned his B.S. in Biology from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA and his D.D.S. from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. After training dental hygienists and dental assistants in the army for twenty years, Dr. Ball earned teaching certifications in Biology and General Science from West Liberty State College. Last year he taught science and health to the fifth through eighth grades and math to the sixth through eighth grades at St. Mary’s Central School in St. Clairsville. Dr. Ball has also served as a substitute teacher for St. John’s High School and Bellaire Middle and High Schools.

Tonette Alward will teach secondary religion and social studies and elementary computer classes. Ms. Alward earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from West Liberty State College and has ten years of teaching experience in religion, English, reading and social studies. She has also worked as a Behavior Management Specialist for Northwood Health Systems in Wheeling. In addition, she served as principal at St. John School in Wellsburg, WV for nine years.

In the school’s math department, Mary Ann Galbreath will teach Pre Algebra and Algebra I. Ms. Galbreath has twenty-five years of teaching experience with much of it in mathematics under her belt as well as a Masters of Science degree in Education from Franciscan University.

Vicki Lynn Jackson was most recently the QMRP II Manager at Northwood Health Systems where she worked to assess and develop training and behavior management plans for individuals with disabilities. Prior to that, her resume includes positions as a teacher’s aide for Jefferson Elementary School in Shadyside, OH, an accounting specialist with Progressive Companies in Mayfield Heights, OH, a teacher at the Apple Creek Development Center in Apple Creek, OH, a substitute teacher in Euclid Public Schools in Euclid, OH, and time spent tutoring college students in chemistry and math. Ms. Jackson earned her B.S. in Education from Ashland University and will teach math and science to both first and second grades.

Owners of Yoga Etc., Judith Moolten and husband Brian Orzolek will teach beginning and intermediate yoga classes at the Mount. Mrs. Moolten is a licensed clinical social worker with a Masters degree in social work from Boston University. With over twenty- five years of experience as a social worker/counselor, she created the concept of yogatherapy which is a group or individually based therapeutic program, designed with the individual in mind, their specific cognitive needs, social, emotional and physical ones. In addition to her new role at Mount de Chantal, Judith is also currently a psychotherapist and yogatherapy resource development consultant.

Natalie N. Frey is a 2006 West Liberty State College Graduate and will act as Montessori Assistant and Permanent Elementary Substitute. Awarded Magna Cum Laude honors, Ms. Frey was a student teacher for both Wellsburg Primary and Wellsburg Middle Schools.

Kim Kafana joins the Mount’s new Toddler Montessori Program. Ms. Kafana has held both paid and volunteer positions working with children for the past eighteen years. Since high school when she was a student teacher for Mary Ellen Miller’s School of Dance, Kim has been spending her free time working with children. She spent three years with Donna Nelson and the St. Clairsville Tumblers where she taught dance, baton, tumbling and Funtastics and Fitness Classes for preschool aged children. Not only has she volunteered thousands of hours with Oglebay Institute’s School of Dance and other outreach programs in the past five years, but she has also worked as a substitute physical education instructor at Madison School.

Paula Magruder and I.J. Kalcum also join the Montessori department as assistants. In addition, this year The Mount will offer a sign language class taught by Denise McBride who also teaches at West Virginia Northern Community College. West Virginia University graduate Diane Coleman will take over the elementary religion class.