Debbie Gathmann
I am the director of Kingfisher and I've been with the school since its very inception. I always knew that I wanted and needed to work at a small community-based school and Kingfisher is the embodiment of that desire. I am very enthusiastic about our new site and our current school year. We are networking with a few other small schools and child-oriented organizations in the area and naturally, plan to walk to the library a couple times a week!
We have received full accreditation with quality from the Georgia Accrediting Commission and we are very proud of that. We are also codifying the board of directors and reviewing our legal paperwork and insurance paperwork in preparation for writing some larger grants to support our art, music, and science programs. Kingfisher is a wonderful and challenging environment and we intend to keep it that way. I live in Clarkston (about 7 minutes away) and I have two adult children living and working in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. I serve on several county and city committees and task forces, I spearheaded the annual Clarkston Bike Rodeo event, I am a member of Sierra Club, Atlanta Science Tavern, Atlanta Birdwatchers Group, and am on The DeKalb County Juvenile Court's Citizens Review Panel. I have a garden plot to maintain and I have a new aquarium, two Cocker Spaniels, one crazy cat. I'm interested in all kinds of things, but recently have become extremely interested in urban planning and how it creates a certain quality of life for the citizens of an area. I also love crafting (art with a practical purpose) and it's hard to resist stenciling all over the school. I recently finished a quilt made of small circles that turned into a fringe that goes all around my house--my neighbors are worried that I'm going to start a "yard art collection" next. I'm also a bird watcher and have worked off and on with Fernbank and Audubon over the years.
Kate Lepedus
Kate comes to us from Hungary. She attended Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She came to Atlanta to work with the Carter Center and eventually found her way to Kingfisher. She's been with the school for 5 years and is the lead kindergarten teacher. Kate's gift to the school is her overwhelming enthusiasm for making regular days "special" and we often celebrate different days that the rest of the city (Dr. Suess's birthday, Bread Pudding Day, etc.). Kate lives over near Emory and she loves exploring the city--even though she doesn't drive, ask her about any place on any bus line and she can tell you about it. She's also visited almost every state in the U.S.
Beth Brieske
Beth has worked in small private schools much of her professional life, including the Cottage School in Roswell and the Orion School in Midtown. She is teaching math and social studies right now and will move into other areas as the year progresses. She lives close by in Smoke Rise and has two sons and two cats. One of the gifts she brings to us is the ability to organize all of our many, many science and art supplies into a more cohesive set up and we are discovering that this ordering of supplies has made us all more creative and inspired.
Jonah McDonald
Jonah is Kingfisher's Outdoor Education instructor. He is the owner/director of Surefoot Adventures, an outdoor adventuring company that takes families, church groups, scout troops, and school groups on camping and hiking outings. Jonah was also the "chicken guy" at Kingfisher for the past two years and helped us maintain a small flock of laying hens. Jonah is married and lives in Kirkwood.
|
|
