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September 12, 2012
Radnor Township School District welcomed 20 new staff members with a range of professional knowledge and experience for the 2012-13 school year. Read a little about them below and get to know some of the new faces of the RTSD team.
Radnor High School
 Brian Dietzler brings his experience with the Upper Darby Summer Stage program to RTSD and looks forward to watching the theatrical presence at Radnor High School grow. Dietzler was a choral, theater, and music technology teacher at Sun Valley High School for six years, where he revitalized those programs. He also directed the school's fall play and spring musicals. He will be working in the Gifted and Theater Departments."I believe in respecting and teaching each child above all else, and then I focus on teaching subject," Dietzler said. "My enthusiasm in watching young people succeed both on and off the stage is what drives me." |
 Erica DiRico grew up in Wayne and graduated from Conestoga High School. She attended Penn State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Math Education and a minor in Spanish. She completed her student teaching at Tyrone Area Middle School and West Mifflin Area High School, teaching a varied group of 8th-, 9th-, and 11th- graders. During the 2012-13 school year, DiRico will be teaching Advanced Geometry and Advanced Algebra II."I am very excited to be teaching at Radnor and look forward to a great year," DiRico said. |
 Christine Hofmann studied at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Sociology. She obtained a master's degree in Social Work and a Home and School Visitor Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania. Upon completion of her master's, she spent 4 years providing clinical social work services to children and adolescents in a mental health treatment program. She previously served as a Long Term Substitute Social Worker for RTSD during the 2008-09 school year. She then spent 3 years as a district-wide social worker at William Penn School District."I look forward to working with the students, families, administration, and community of RTSD to support students in reaching their fullest potential," Hofmann said. |
 Drew Krupp joins Radnor after spending a year in the Central Bucks School District, where he taught students in several different computer programming classes, as well as a variety of business courses. Krupp rejoins the Radnor community, as he holds an bachelor's degree in Economics from Eastern University. He obtained his teaching credentials from Gwynedd Mercy College and will be serving in the Tech Ed Department."I'm extremely excited to be coming back to serve at Radnor High School and in the Radnor community," Krupp said. "Becoming part of a school with such a tradition of excellence and investing in students' lives is such a privilege." |
 Karissa Lookingbill is originally from York, Pennsylvania. She graduated from West Chester University with honors and a dual degree in Special Education and Early Childhood Development. She is currently working on her masters degree in Language and Literacy Development at Millersville University in Lancaster County. Lookingball previously taught learning support for two years and emotional support for one year at the high school level. She will be working as a learning support teacher. "I am excited to participate in the collaborative process with my colleagues to benefit our students in order to help them achieve their current and future pursuits," Lookingbill said. |
 Thomas Rogers graduated from the University of Scranton in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and mathematics. He spent the first nine years of his career at Methacton High School, during which time he earned his master's degree in Educational Leadership from Villanova University. Rogers is also an adjunct professor at Chestnut Hill College in the mathematics department. He will be teaching Calculus, Honors Geometry, and Advanced Algebra III & Trigonometry. |
 Meridyth Tyson is joining the Mathematics Department. For the past five years, she has served as a Mathematics Teacher and Assistant Registrar at Nazareth Academy High School in Philadelphia. At Nazareth, she also moderated the Math Honor Society, helping the students to run a peer-to-peer math tutoring program. She has earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Arts in Education (both from La Salle University). |
| Christine Walsberg holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and German Studies from the University of Pittsburgh as well as a master's degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She spent her junior year abroad in Vienna, Austria, where she was an intern for Austria's second largest bank. She is certified in German, ESL, and middle school English. Prior to teaching German in the Downingtown and Interboro School Districts, Walsberg worked as a flight attendant and flight attendant supervisor for USAirways for 12 years. She will be teaching German III. |
 Michelle Wetzel is joining the district from Haverford Township School District where she served as a teacher and library media specialist. She has formerly taught in both Seattle, WA and Baltimore, MD and is thrilled to be the RHS librarian. She holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Loyola University in Maryland, a master's degree in Reading from Gwynedd-Mercy College, and a master's degree in School Library and Information Technologies from Mansfield University.“I am looking forward to meeting the Radnor students and helping to prepare them with the necessary technology and 21st century information skills for success in school and their future careers,” said Wetzel. |
 Diane Crotty received a bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's College in New York in the areas of Elementary Education, Special Education, and Mathematics. She received her master's degree from Stony Brook University in Mathematics. Last year, she taught at Wissahickon High School as a math and special education teacher. During the 2010-11 school year, she worked as a long-term substitute at Radnor Middle School as the sixth grade learning support teacher. Prior to those experiences she taught 5th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade at a school district in New York. She will be returning to Radnor Middle School as an eighth grade learning support teacher in the Special Education Department. |
 Craig Leister comes to RTSD from Central Bucks to join the Technology Education department. He has taught a wide range of courses from architectural design, materials processing, engineering and TV/Video production. Leister is originally from Central Pennsylvania and a graduate of Millersville University. He is currently in the process of completing his Master of Education from California University of Pennsylvania. |
 Carolyn Popovic is Radnor Middle School's new French teacher. She earned her bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in International Studies and German, then completed her master's in Secondary Education through Grand Canyon University in Arizona. While in high school, she spent a year abroad in Switzerland and began learning French. She then moved to California and pursued her dream of becoming a professional cyclist. In 2009, Popovic returned to Pennsylvania and has been working in foreign language departments at Ridley High School, Upper Darby High School and Springfield Middle School. |
 Eric Ruffenach returns to RTSD as a Health and Physical Education teacher. He graduated from West Chester University in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education and started his teaching career at Upper Darby High School. From 2008-10, he worked as a paraprofessional at RHS. In 2010, he accepted a full-time Health and PE position at Upper Darby High School. Due to budgetary issues, his position was cut after the 2010-11 school year. "I am very fortunate to be back here teaching," Ruffenach said. "I look forward to working the staff and students and can honestly say I will wake up every morning with a smile on my face knowing that I am a part of such a prestigious district." |
Wayne Elementary School
 Lindsay Kane has spent four years working in education serving two years as a 6th-grade teacher and two years as a fourth grade teacher. She received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Loyola College in Maryland and joins WES as a fourth grade teacher."I look forward to working collaboratively with students, parents and colleagues to challenge students, help them grow, and provide them with the best education possible," Kane said. |
 Maria Kranzley joins the district from Green Tree School, an approved private school in the Germantown area of Philadelphia, where she was a special education teacher. In this role, she provided individualized language arts instruction to middle school and high school students with emotional and behavioral needs, as well as students on the autism spectrum. She attended Saint Joseph’s University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies, earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education, a master’s degree in Reading, and a Reading Specialist certification. She will provide Title 1 Math Support and implement the Read 180 program.“I’m excited and honored to be an addition to such a wonderful community and I look forward to contributing to the continued success of Radnor Township School District,” Kranzley said. |
 Megan Peterkin joins the RTSD family from Upper Darby School District. She is a 2008 graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in Multicultural Settings. She is currently a student at Saint Joseph's University pursuing a master's degree in Educational Leadership with a Principal and Supervisor certification. Upon graduating from Penn State, Peterkin served the students in Upper Darby School District at Highland Park Elementary School. She is teaching third grade."I am excited about the journey I'm embarking on here," Peterkin said. "I look forward to learning first hand what the Radnor tradition of excellence entails and continue to instill a love of learning in my students lives." |
 Rachel (Yarmel) Reynolds is a 2001 RHS alumna. She attended Penn State University where she studied Elementary Education and later completed her master's degree at Cabrini College. Since graduating, she has taught 5th-grade for six years."I am excited to start working with gifted learners at Wayne Elementary School and to be a part of this wonderful community again!" Reynolds said. |
 Elizabeth Whelan is coming to Radnor from the Philadelphia School District, where she worked as a certified school nurse for nearly five years. She was responsible for a diverse population of children in a large elementary and high school. She has a master's degree in public health nursing from LaSalle University. She worked as a child care health consultant and did her graduate work for the southeast regional keys. She also organized and implemented an obesity prevention program in a large urban early childcare facility which was presented at the American Public Health Association's annual conference in Washington, D.C. last fall.“I look forward to meeting and working with the team at Wayne Elementary to provide a safe and healthy environment for the students,” Whelan said. |
 Ceire Evans is from Upper Darby School District where she spent 10 years working as a social worker on the middle school and elementary school level. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from York College of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Social Work from Widener University. She is a part of the Student Assistance Program and many other child wellness programs and is excited to support the students, parents, staff and administration at RTSD. |
 Karen Daugherty is RTSD's new supervisor of data and achievement and a former principal at Rose Tree Elementary School. She is a 2011 winner of the Terrel H. Bell Award, given by the U.S. Department of Education for Outstanding Educational Leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing pathology from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree in special education from McDaniel College, and a superintendent’s Letter of Eligibilityfrom St. Joseph’s University. “I am honored to be a member of such an exceptional educational community," Daugherty said. "I look forward to contributing to the educational program for all RTSD students." |
 While not technically "new" to RTSD, Dr. Maureen A. McQuiggan was appointed to the new position of Curriculum Supervisor in the area of Literacy over the summer. She has served at RTSD during the last eight years as the RHS Literacy Coach, RHS Assistant Principal and most recently as the district literacy coordinator. She holds a bachelor's of science in Education from Temple University, a master's degree in Reading and Childhood Studies from West Chester University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Immaculata University. She is Pennsylvania certified as an early childhood teacher, special education teacher, reading specialist, special education supervisor, principal and assistant superintendent. |
