About our School
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Teaching and Learning
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Faculty & Staff

	Joanna Hastings (Head of School) Joanna Hastings is the Head of School at Summers-Knoll. She was born in Kampala, Uganda, and grew up in England. Her father was the principal of a trail-blazing high school, and Joanna was raised amongst continual discussion of educational theories and practices. She studied at the University of York, where she gained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and received her Post-Graduate Certificate of Education from the University of Manchester. She has lived in France, Germany, and Sweden as well as England, and moved to the United States in 1992. Joanna has taught students of all ages in all kinds of diverse schools. She is also an ardent theatre person, and has worked professionally as an actor, director, and playwright.
	Susan Carpenter (Homeroom Teacher) Susan Carpenter received her teacher degree from Central Michigan University in 1982, and has since earned an early childhood specialist certificate from Eastern Michigan University. Prior to Summers-Knoll, she worked as a head preschool teacher at well-respected child care center, and was also an associate director and master teacher. Susan has taught at Summers-Knoll since 2002, kindergarten through 3rd grade. When not at school, Susan enjoys baking pies, knitting and discovering great restaurants. She also loves listening to the great local music Ann Arbor has to offer. Susan lives with her husband, Doug, and her 15 year old son, Ray, who is a happy graduate of Summers-Knoll. At home, she usually has a cat in her lap, with two more winding around her feet.
	Elaine Neelands (Homeroom Teacher) Elaine Neelands has been teaching for more than 20 years, and she has worked at Summers-Knoll since the fall of 2003. Her undergraduate years were spent at Kalamazoo College and the University of Michigan, from which she obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Latin American Studies. After graduating from the U of M, she took a job working at the University of Michigan’s Children’s Center and this was the catalyst that launched her into teaching. While working at the preschool, she went back to school and received an Elementary Teaching Certificate and Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Eastern Michigan University. Elaine believes young children’s great capacity for learning should be fostered with age-appropriate, hands-on activities and experiences. When they are given a nurturing environment that takes into consideration their physical, emotional, and social needs, as well as their academic needs, they will maintain their love of learning and school. One reason Elaine enjoys working at Summers-Knoll because she has a great deal of freedom in creating a curriculum that matches the needs and interests of her students each year and on any particular day.
	Will Purves (Homeroom Teacher) Will started teaching in the 1980's and has worked in schools in New Hampshire, Colorado, and Michigan (teaching students in grades K through 12). Along the way he has also run his own educational game company, worked on a PhD, taught teaching methods and poetry as an adjunct professor at the UM, was head of an Independent school, supervised student teachers, started a tutoring and writing services business, and got married. He lives in Ann Arbor with his family, two fine dogs and a cat.
	Jan Biliti (Music) Jan Biliti received a B.A. degree in English and music from Western Michigan University. During the last three years she has continued music study in Western music literature, music theory and violin at Madonna University. While teaching K-4 music in Dexter Community Schools during the last 21 years, she has completed certification in Orff Schulwerk Music Pedagogy, certification in Delcroze movement education studies, and completion of Level 1- World Music Drumming She has served many positions on the Detroit Orff Schulwerk Association Board, including President. Jan has participated in Orff and Kodaly Music Education workshops yearly since 1990, along with attending four national conferences. She enjoys teaching folk dances to young students and their parents, and has included both her students and families in folk dance nights.Jan is a former member of the University Musical Society's Choral Union, where she experienced singing with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. She currently sings and plays a djembe drum for a contemporary ensemble at St. Patrick Church in Brighton and plays handbells in the handbell choir.
	Julie Cohen (Art) Julie is a practicing artist as well as a teacher. She has previously taught art at Emerson School and at the Ann Arbor Art Center. Julie holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Art History from the University of Michigan. She has been an active member of the board of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, since 1995, where her passion has focused on running the Artist Demonstration program and helping to coordinate hands-on art experiences for the audience at the fair’s Art Zone tent. Julie is also involved with The Growing Tree, a program for families with chemical dependency issues, run through Catherine McCauley Outpatient Services, and an adapted version of this program presented in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. When not teaching, Julie creates tile and ceramic art, and enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband.
	Shan Cook (P.E. Teacher, and Camp/Aftercare Director) Shan attended Eastern Michigan University for Education and Early Childhood Development. She spent six years working with special needs children (primarily autism spectrum) through the Dexter and Saline school districts, before joining the Summers-Knoll team. She worked with the SK summer program for four years before becoming Camp and Aftercare Director. Shan has coached Youth (2nd-8th grade), Middle School and High School team sports, including softball, volleyball and basketball, for over a decade. She became the SK P.E. teacher in 2007, and loves to find new, creative ways to engage all the children in enjoying health, physical fitness, and cooperation and team-building skills.
	Imogen Giles (French and Latin) Imogen Giles teaches Latin and French to all the students at Summers-Knoll. She was born and educated in England and has both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the University of London. She has over twenty years of teaching experience and enjoys sharing her passion for her subjects with her students and with her colleagues. She also loves playing the violin, sketching and painting, ballet, swimming and, above all, spending the summer vacation in France with her family at their home in rural Normandy.
	Kim Guziel (Business Manager) Kim is the Business Manager. She comes to us with 15 years experience in the Banking Industry both retail and wholesale. During the last seven years of her career, Kim supervised the Funding Department, created the Monetary Collections Department and then moved on to being a Business Analyst for Interfirst. She holds a degree in Occupational Studies from Washtenaw Community College and has earned several banking-specific certificates. Along with her extensive skills in business she is also a certified massage therapist. Kim loves to add to her toolbox and is now adding grant writing to her skill set. She enjoys a vast variety of hobbies, which have taken a back seat (except for guitar) to her three-year-old son who keeps her on her toes.

Summers-Knoll School
2015 Manchester Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 971-7991 Fax: (734) 971-9663

e-mail: info@summers-knoll.org