Teachers
Assistant Director: A Charleston native, Franci Ollard graduated from Cornell University in 1998 with a BS in Human Development and Family Studies. She moved to Knoxville, TN to attend graduate school at the University of Tennessee in Child Development. Two years later she began law school, and graduated with a JD from the University of South Carolina in 2004. She joined The Cooper School Community in 2008. Franci has taught grades 1-5 at The Cooper School, and spent two years as the Director of Admissions for K/1. Franci became the Assistant Director in May, 2011. She can be contacted at franciollard@thecooperschool.org.
Grade K/1: Anne Wil Wingfield is so excited to be the K/1 lead teacher. She comes to us from The Catherine Cook School in Chicago, Illinois. Originally a native of Virginia, Anne Wil received a B.A. in Anthropology from The University of the South in Sewanee, TN and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Piedmont College in Athens, GA. As a teacher, she shares her life long passion for literature with her students. Anne Wil can be contacted at annewilwingfield@thecooperschool.org.
Donna joins The Cooper School as the K/1 Assistant. Donna moved back Charleston with her husband and third grade son after many years in California. Donna has taught Kindergarten for six years, and loves sharing her love of reading with young children. Donna can be contacted at donnamurphy@thecooperschool.org.
Grade 2: Subhadra Mitchell is returning for her third year of teaching at The Cooper School. This year, she is the lead teacher in the Grade 2 class. Subhadra is a graduate of the University of Florida, with a BS in Special Education and her Masters in Early Childhood Education. She looks forward to new adventures with Jack-a-roo, the class lizard, and in the Japanese Garden. Subhadra can be contacted at subhadramitchell@thecooperschool.org
Grade 3: Katie is thrilled to have joined the third grade at The Cooper School. Originally from North Carolina, Katie graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Early Childhood Education. During her time at C of C she completed an internship at ECDC. She began her teaching career at Sanders Clyde Elementary in a third grade classroom. She then taught kindergarten in Hollywood, SC. Katie thinks we have just as much, if not more, to learn from kids as they have to learn from us. Katie can be contacted at katiegabbert@thecooperschool.org
Grade 4: Julie is originally from Buffalo, NY, and recently moved to Charleston from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Julie graduated from the University of North Carolina, and received her Masters in Education from Walden University. As a teacher, Julie is always looking to hone her craft through professional development opportunities. She will be the lead fourth grade teacher. Julie can be contacted at juliekramer@thecooperschool.org
Grade 5: Amanda Hetue is a South Carolina native. She graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. This will be her second year working and learning at The Cooper School. Amanda is excited to be the lead teacher in fifth grade this year. She looks forward to everyday discoveries in the classroom, and to accompanying The Cooper School Choir on her flute! Amanda can be contacted at amandahetue@thecooperschool.org
Specialists:
Hazel Ketchum is The Cooper School’s Music Director. She is the co-owner of Hungry Monk Music, and holds degrees in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Southern California. Hazel has taught music in SC public and private schools, at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and has been Artist-in-Residence at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Center in Ohio, among many other teaching posts. Hazel is a certified Music For Young Children teacher. Hazel is an active performer as a soloist and with her group The Hungry Monks.
Hao Zheng, Cooper School’s Mandarin teacher,was born in the City of Yichang which is located in the center of China. She went to Guilin Medical University in 2005 with a major of nursing. In the last year of nursing school, she obtained an amazing opportunity to have a clinical observation at Medical University of South Carolina. After that, she went back to China to receive her bachelor degree of medicine. During her first stay in the United States, she got married to Changcheng who is a Ph.D. student in the Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering program. After her graduation, she came back to US with her husband. Hao has been learning English and American culture and really enjoying life in Charleston.
Sophie Strickland was born and raised in France, where she received a BA in English studies in Lyon. She immigrated to the United States as an Au Pair in 1991. After living in New York for 13 years, she moved to Charleston with her family and began teaching French to young children at the Big Blue School and at Belle Hall Elementary School in Mount Pleasant. She believes that learning a second language increases creativity and cognitive development.
She lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband Brad, and their 2 children Juliette (who is very excited to join the Cooper school in Grade 2!) and Theo, who is 2.
Jane Shellhas is The Cooper School’s Spanish teacher. She was born in Mexico, and taught elementary school English, Spanish and grammar in Monterrey for several years before moving to Charleston. She holds a BS in Linguistics from Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon.
Tom Noren, Cooper School’s Music Instructor, was born in Rio de Janeiro where he began his guitar studies at age 12. He moved to Boston in 1988 and attended the New England Conservatory of Music, earning a Masters degree in classical guitar performance in 1994. Tom studied with David Leisner while he was at NEC. Since graduating he has performed and recorded extensively with the New World Guitar Trio and with HourGlass. His recordings can be bought at cdbaby.com.
Tom has taught at the Longy School of Music, Tufts University and at Gordon College. In addition to teaching Spanish, Tom is currently the director of the Childbloom Guitar Program and he also performs in a variety of venues and settings.
SEHA (School of Empty Hand Art) was founded by David Pettus, Sensei, who has been studying & teaching Karate since the early 70’s. The school has a strong foundation in traditional Japanese Kempo Karate. Anne Pettus has been training and teaching with Sensei since the early 80’s. She has a background in education and together they have developed a curriculum that is age and rank appropriate for their students.The youth programs have an emphasis on pre skills training and basic fundamentals. In addition to balance, strength, and coordination, students are expected to be focused, attentive and follow directions. In our program there is also the component of character development – students are expected to demonstrate respect, courtesy and appropriate behavior in different situations.
Tina Hirsig, Cooper School’s Visual Arts teacher, grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. After graduating from Illinois State University she moved to Boston, Massachusetts were she attended the art studio program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. This experience solidified her commitment to the arts and arts education. Working as an art teacher the next seven years for Kindergarten through Eighth grade she gained the knowledge and experience in art education, arts advocacy, as well as maintaining a studio practice. In 2003 Tina moved to Charleston, South Carolina and has since completed her Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College. She is currently teaching visual arts, maintaining a studio practice at the Old Navy Yard in North Charleston (10 Storehouse Row), exhibiting her artwork regionally and nationally, and parenting two young sons with her husband.
