FRCPS: Faculty and Staff

From a Parent:

"We love the individual attention, the sense of community and the general respect for knowledge and challenge in our daughter's education."

Peter Johnson, Athletic Director
athletics@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. History, Grove City College, PA. Peter Johnson joined Four Rivers as an Ultimate coach in 2018 after many years of experience with the sport and with working as a teacher. In 2021 he accepted the position of Athletic Director and currently works at Four Rivers in a variety of roles, athletic directing, coaching, and subbing.

Matthew Leaf, Dean of Students
mleaf@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Anthropology with a minor in Religion, Kenyon College, currently studying Restorative Practices at the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Mr. Leaf joined Four Rivers as a founding faculty member in 2003, and he taught 7th grade Humanities for 5 years before becoming the Dean of Students.

Daniel Lederer, Director of Technology
dlederer@fourriverscharter.org
Mr. Lederer attended New Hampshire Vocational Technical College, Berklee College of Music in Boston, and City College of San Francisco and has had web design and systems administration positions in private industry. He has had technology and teaching roles at area schools, including 10 years at Hilltown Cooperative Charter School in Haydenville. He joined Four Rivers in 2005.

Jenni Manfredi, she/her, Principal/Head of School
jmanfredi@fourriverscharter.org
Jenni attended Springfield Technical Community College for two years. At UMass Dartmouth she studied marine biology earning a B.S. in Biology while participating in work study in a biology lab and volunteering for MassPIRG and the Biology Association. At Springfield College, Jenni served two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer in the Springfield Public Schools and earned her M. Ed. in Psychology and Urban Secondary Education. For 18 years, she served in the Springfield Public Schools as a teacher, advisor, STEM academy resource teacher, counselor, and administrator. The three years prior to joining Four Rivers in 2022, she served in the Northampton Public Schools as an administrator.

Alison Rheingold, Director of Teaching and Learning
arheingold@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Experiential and Environmental Education, Hampshire College; M.Ed. in Special Education, Lesley College, and PhD. in Education, University of New Hampshire. Alison worked for the last three years as an Instructional Coach across the two high schools in Holyoke, MA and the prior four years at the Christa McAuliffe Charter School, first as an Instructional Coach and then Director of Professional Learning. With deep background in EL and initial training in experiential education with Project Adventure, Alison joined our team in 2020.

Andy Stenson, College and Guidance Counselor
astenson@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Leeds University ; Post Graduate Certificate in Education, Bristol Polytechnic , England ; M.A., Education, Smith College . Mr. Stenson has extensive teaching experience in technology and special education, and he has also worked as an Outward Bound instructor. He joined Four Rivers in 2004..

Carolyn Wood, School Secretary
cwood@fourriverscharter.org
B.A, English, Boston College; Carolyn has many years experience in office management and advertising research and teaching at Full Circle School in Bernardston. She joined Four Rivers in 2004 and subsequently developed the SPED Secretary role. She assumed the role of School Secretary in 2009.

Amy Wales, Director of Finance and Operations
awales@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. Environmental Studies, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; MBA, UMass Amherst. In addition to many years working as a bookkeeper, Amy spent 11 years working as a CPA/auditor and 2 years as a FInance Director at a local nonprofit. She also serves on the Finance Committee for the Town of Charlemont. Amy joined Four Rivers in 2016.

Elizabeth Beardslee, Spanish and 9th grade Science.
ebeardslee@fourriverscharter.org
BA, Biology, Brown University ; MA, Spanish Literature, Middlebury College . Ms. Beardslee established an interdisciplinary ESL curriculum at the Monteverde Friends School , a middle/high school in Costa Rica and has taught Spanish and led school innovation at The Field School in Washington , DC . She returns to her science roots, teaching the Environmental Science class. She joined Four Rivers in 2009.

Mike Bukowick, DIV 3 History
mbukowick@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Sociology, University of Virginia; M.L.A., UMass-Amherst; M.Ed., UMass-Amherst. Mr. Bukowick has taught History and English at the High School and Middle School levels in Springfield, Northampton and here at Four Rivers, and previously taught Math and Science at the equivalent of High School level using New Zealand National Curriculum, as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Solomon Islands. He has lived, worked and travelled in a wide variety of places and occupations, and now does some illustration on the side.

Deborah Chamberlain, 11th and 12th Grade Assistant Teacher
dchamberlain@fourriverscharter.org
B.S. in Education and Biology from North Adams State College (now MCLA). Ms. Chamberlain lives in Wendell and has been teaching Wellness at the Francis Parker Charter Essential School in Devens for the past 16 years. Deborah worked for 3 years prior to that at NYC Outward Bound and 8 years at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound in Florida. She joined Four Rivers in 2013.

Nikki Crosby, Div 2 English
ncrosby@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in English, UMass and M.Ed., UMass. Ms. Crosby has been working the last 6 years as an English Teacher at the SABIS International Charter School in Springfield, with 2 prior years also in Springfield schools and a number of years as a tutor at GCC. Ms. Crosby grew up in Franklin County. She joined Four Rivers in 2020.

Bob Etzweiler, Nature
retzweiler@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Psychology from Penn State University. Mr. Etzweiler has over 15 years experience teaching nature through summer programs and other wilderness programs near his home in Putney, VT and in Pennsylvania where he is from. He joined Four Rivers in 2011.

Julia Fay, Div 3 Math
jfay@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Computer Science, Grinnell College. MA licensed for math, grades 5-12. Ms. Fay had started a Peace Corps tour in Mozambique when programs were cancelled, sending all volunteers home. She taught multiple math classes in West Springfield and in Iowa before joining Four Rivers in 2020.

Anna Heidenreich, 9th and 10th Grade Learning Specialist
aheidereich@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. English, Smith College; M.Ed. English, Smith College, with licensure in Special Education and English. Ms. H taught Special Education at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School for five years. Prior to that, Ms. H taught Writing and provided specialized reading instruction to special needs students at Eagle Mountain School and at the Collaborative for Educational Services. Additionally, Ms. H taught Ecology as an outdoor education instructor on the coast of Maine and worked for an Americorps literacy project in Portland, OR. She joined Four Rivers in 2020.

Zach Jakub, Music
zjakub@fourriverscharter.org
B.M. Music Education, Keene State College, Keene, NH. Zack spent 13 years teaching music at Northwood School in Lake Placid, NY before moving back to this area where he grew up. He is also the Lead Raft Guide, Snowboard Director and Terrain Park Manager at Berkshire East.
Zack joined Four Rivers in 2016.

Amanda Locke, 7th Grade Science and Math
alocke@fourriverscharter.org
Ms. Locke comes to Four Rivers with a B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies from Hamilton College and a M.S. Environmental Education with Middle School General Science Certification from Antioch New England Graduate School. Perhaps her best training for teaching middle school is her experience as an Outdoor Educator, Life Skills teacher and Wilderness Trip leader with teens prior to joining Four Rivers as a founding faculty member in 2003. Nominated by her colleagues, she was honored to be a 2018 finalist for the KLINGENSTEIN TEACHER AWARD .

Felix Lufkin, Nature
flufkin@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., botany and ecology, Hampshire College. Mr. Lufkin works with K-12 and adults at numerous schools and programs in the region, teaching nature literacy and organizing sustainable food-access initiatives. He joined Four Rivers in 2008, co-teaching Nature Tribs and club, with a focus on the campus permaculture gardens.

Maki Matsui, Assistant Teacher
mmatsui@fourriverscharter.org
BA in English, Williams College; MM in Vocal Performance, UMass, Amherst. Prior to joining the Four Rivers team in spring 2022 as a one-on-one TA, Maki spent five years teaching music in public schools. She is also a singer, writer, and an avid doodler.

Joanna Morse, 9th and 10th Grade History
jmorse@fourriverscharter.org
BA, American Studies, Wesleyan University; MA, History, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Ms. Morse began her career in adventure education, working at Project Adventure and Farm and Wilderness. She trained teachers in a Burmese refugee camp in Thailand, and taught ESL to adults in El Salvador. Ms. Morse taught high school history for 12 years in the valley, at Amherst Regional High School, The Springfield Renaissance School, and serving as history department chair at South Hadley High School. After teaching middle school Humanities for 6 years at the Hilltown Charter School, she joined Four Rivers in 2021.

Leah Plath, 11th and 12th Grade English
lplath@fourriverscharter.org
M.A in English Literature, Southern New Hampshire University, B.A. English Literature, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before Four Rivers, Ms. Plath taught at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, MA. She has directed the annual Four Rivers drama productions since 2009, including Hello Dolly, Grease, and Godspell. She is also a multi-published author. Ms. Plath joined Four Rivers in 2007.

Bruce Ridge, Math Interventionist
bridge@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. English, Boston University; M.E.T. Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education. Mr. Ridge taught ESL for two years in South Korea before working as a high school English teacher in Boston from 2014-2020. During the height of the pandemic, he stayed home to raise his new daughter before moving to the Pioneer Valley and joining Four Rivers in 2022.

Elizabeth Rodriguez Salas, 7th and 9th grade Spanish
ers@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., Spanish, UMass Amherst. Having grown up in Chile, Ms. Salas taught four years at the Academy of Charlemont and several years before that at Mohawk. She joined Four Rivers in 2018.

Peter Scherer, Assistant Teacher, 7th grade Advisor
pscherer@fourriverscharter.org
B.A. in Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College. Peter has worn many hats over the years: leading youth trail crews, coordinating waste reduction programs for rural municipalities, farming, working with a youth focused environmental non-profit as a Peace Corps volunteer, as a solar hot water installer and technician in Western MA and even as an "actor-educator" in classrooms for a theatre company in the Midwest. Peter enjoys outdoor activities, has traveled to more than twenty countries, is an INFP and is suspicious of groups. He joined Four Rivers in 2022.

Niki Walk, 9th and 10th Assistant Teacher, 9th Grade Advisor
nwalk@fourriverscharter.org
A.A. in Liberal Arts, Greenfield Community College; B.A. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Ms. Walk is a graduate of Four Rivers and was a member of the founding 7th grade here in 2003. She returned to serve for several years as an Ultimate Frisbee coach, and worked at Sheffield School as an after school teacher. She joined the teaching staff at Four Rivers in 2019.

Alex Wilson, 11th and 12th Grade Social Studies
awilson@fourriverscharter.org
B.A., Political Science, Bates College; M.A. in Teaching, Lewis and Clark College. Mr. Wilson has experience at the elementary, middle and high school level and has taught in Marin County California, Portland Oregon and in West Hartford Connecticut. Prior to that he worked on political campaigns in Boston and in the Bay Area. Mr. Wilson played professional basketball in Denmark and has coached at nearly every level. He currently leads the Varsity Otters Hoops Team. He joined Four Rivers in 2011.