Girls Preparatory School is welcoming new faculty along with its 600 girls returning for the new school year.
“Over the summer, we worked to find qualified, dedicated women and men to fill positions here at GPS,” says Autumn Graves, head of school. “Our new employees are eager to encourage our girls to ask questions and challenge assumptions as they learn to think critically.”
Joining the GPS senior administration team are Lynne Macziewski, head of middle school, and Jay Watts, athletic director.
Macziewski obtained a degree in biology and secondary education plus a master’s in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Thomas. She also holds a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Minnesota.
As a part of her master’s program, Macziewski focused on women in leadership and the early factors that support or inhibit their success, an area of interest she says drew her to GPS.
Watts will oversee the school’s sports programs and serve as the varsity basketball coach. He previously served as the assistant athletic director at Westminster School (the largest high school athletic department in Georgia) in Atlanta for 17 years.
Watts is a graduate of McCallie and the College of William & Mary. He received a master’s in sports administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Brandon Noel, Ph.D., will teach biology at GPS and help coach middle school softball. He has a degree in marine biology from the University of West Florida, a graduate degree in biology from Georgia Southern University and a doctorate in environmental science from Arkansas State University. He most recently taught at Bethune-Cookman University.
History teacher Steve Harrison, Ph.D., is a graduate of East Carolina University and earned his master’s degree from North Carolina State University and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.
Harrison taught at several universities – including the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Vanderbilt, Wenzhou-Kean University in China and Lingnan University in Hong Kong – before joining GPS. He also worked for the U.S. Foreign Service in London, England, and Guangzhou, China.
Lisa Wilkes will teach math in the upper and middle schools. She earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a master of education in secondary mathematics with licensure from UTC.
Wilkes worked as a math teacher with Hamilton County Schools at Brainerd High School and Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences. She also taught at UTC in STEM education.
John Holleman, a playwright and director, will be the theater arts teacher and director at GPS. He holds a degree in theater from UTK and a master’s in elementary education from Vanderbilt.
Originally from Memphis, Katie Outlaw has been a school psychologist for the past 12 years with Hamilton County Schools and will be a learning specialist at GPS. She has a degree in psychology, an education specialist degree from the UTC and has extensive experience working with children who have learning difficulties.
Outlaw also was a track and cross-country coach at Normal Park Museum Magnet. She will coach middle school track and cross country.
Coach David Hall will serve as the Bruisers’ interim varsity rowing coach. He has a degree in exercise science from UTC and has been a part of the rowing community in Chattanooga most of his life.
Sam DeFriese and David Barrueta join Bruiser Athletics as assistant soccer coaches. Jenny Bullard will serve as the head bowling coach. Candi McGowan will be the assistant bowling coach.
Marcy Wilson joins GPS as the coordinator of the Cadek Conservatory of Music. She has a degree from Stetson University and a master’s from University of North Texas in violin performance. Wilson also holds a master’s in music education from the University of Alabama.
Wilson has lived in Chattanooga for eight years, teaching music and freelancing as a violinist for several orchestras –including the Greenville, Tuscaloosa and Chattanooga symphonies.
Source: Girls Preparatory School