Humanities

This is my seventh year teaching Physical Education and Health at Renaissance. I graduated from Springfield College with a degree in Movement Science and Health and recently graduated from Westfield State University with my Master's in Education.

I grew up in upstate New York and love being outdoors and physically active. I love participating in all sports, especially softball, field hockey, ping pong, racquetball, basketball and tennis. I’m super-competitive and love when students challenge me to a ping pong game....try if you dare!

I have a baby daughter, and three fur babies (2 cats and a dog) and my husband also works in the Springfield Public School system. We are avid NY Yankee fans and also love to travel!

Hi, I am Camille San Gabriel, I use They/Them pronouns, and I am the Middle School Art teacher here at Renaissance! I am from Lynn, Massachusetts where I got to grow up wandering the beach and the woods with my friends. Lynn taught me to not just accept, but embrace, people of all different backgrounds as I grew up with peers from many different places.

I received my undergraduate degree from Bridgewater State University where I majored in Studio arts and Secondary Education in 2021. I came to the Springfield Renaissance School because I really believe in the values we instill in our students, particularly working together as a school community and collaborating with the town community as a whole.

In my time away from teaching I practice my own art; I specialize in drawing and painting but love to dabble in sculpture and printmaking as well. Besides art I love to watch TV (good or bad,) and spend time with my family, friends, and my pets!

– Updated 10/16/22

This is my 9th year teaching at Renaissance and my 15th year teaching Drama in Springfield. I began my career at Forest Park Middle School, spent a year at Rebecca Johnson Elementary and ended up winning the lottery by getting hired to teach at Ren. I earned a BA in Theater from the College of Wooster in Ohio. In my spare time, (Ha! I’m a mom, we don’t have spare time!) I am playing taxi to my own children, talking someone’s ear off, performing a one woman Broadway show in my car, watching a series on Netflix, reading mysteries or crying over videos that come up on the internet. I’m also a foodie so if you offer me food, I will usually not turn you down. For my other job, my husband and I are raising two lovely (most of the time!) daughters—Lily, 11 and Emily, 7. At home, we like to laugh together, play outside, play Just Dance, and go to the beach during the summer.

I grew up outside of Washington, D.C., with two younger brothers and two stepsisters (unlike the two stepsisters of Cinderella, they are very nice!) I graduated from Cornell University, obtained a Master’s Degree at Georgetown University, then a Medical Degree at New York Medical College. My interesting life experiences so far include having won a trip to Tokyo from a local radio station at age 16 (and meeting Ben E King while there!), having worked for four years (paying back medical school loans) in Alaska - where I had to walk by a humongous moose once to get to my car, teaching medical students, performing surgery, and being a mom. And now, teaching at The Springfield Renaissance School.

Music, sketching, cake decorating, swimming and (currently) learning a new language are some of my favorite things.

I love the EL model and feel very lucky to join Renaissance this year. My first teaching job was in 1986, on TI 99/4a computers that read data from audio casettes. Over the last 35 years, I've taught English and Computer Science, been a Tech Administrator and an Instructional Designer, and ran a Web Development company with ex-students. I love learning, teaching, and making stuff. I also love playing Jazz, hiking with my Malamute, and talking philosophy.

Computers and the Internet are very powerful -- for good, and for ill. I want all students to learn not to get sucked into addictions and dependencies, and I want them to learn to tell truth from lies, who to trust and who to run away from at top speed. For those who love making things like I do, I want them to code their way into great careers that pay well and offer freedom and respect. EPortfolio: http://myinstructionaldesigns.com.

I was born and raised in Norton, MA. I received my B.S. degree in Movement of Sports Studies and M.Ed. degree in Health Promotion and Wellness from Springfield College. I have been teaching in the Springfield Public Schools System for 19 years and teaching at Renaissance for 12 years. I am the Wellness Dept. Chair, HS humanities Team Leader, and the HS Physical Education teacher. This year I have a 10th grade CREW!

I strongly believe the words of John F. Kennedy that...“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, but it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” I am very passionate and dedicated to helping students find a balance between a healthy diet and regular exercise.

My path to teaching at Renaissance has been somewhat winding, but my aspirations to fulfill this role began many years ago, in high school, where I instinctively took on the role of assisting and encouraging my peers and helping my art teacher to keep things in order. I was raised in the Boston area where, after high school, I earned an AA from Middlesex Community College, a BA from UMass-Boston, and later, an M.Ed. in Teaching Visual Arts from Lesley University. While in school, I worked in retail bookstores, in higher education, and with an awesome social enterprise that was run by system-involved youth. After grad school, I was drawn to the somewhat surprisingly artsy city of Pittsburgh, PA. During my time there I worked as an educator with an amazing organization called Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse. I am very interested in the incorporation of sustainability within the arts. I like to find ways to encourage people to conserve materials and to think outside the box regarding choices we make around consumption. I’ve witnessed the transformative power of art many times over with all kinds of people, and I’m over the moon for the chance to work with the students at Renaissance! My partner and I live in Holyoke and have been enjoying our explorations of the Pioneer Valley area via art, nature, and local farm stands. When I’m not teaching and wandering about, I’m probably making art, learning about art, or sewing.

“You are the past present and future” -Jenny Holzer

Hi! I consider myself very fortunate to be a high school Drama teacher. It's hard for me to believe that I am entering my 16th year of teaching in Springfield! Over the years, I have directed and supported students in a wide range of performances including musical theatre, Shakespeare, and original student work. I think every student benefits from taking Drama courses and I am so pleased that Renaissance provides that experience. Not only is it important for every student to find their own voice, it is also important to develop the discipline to listen to others. When I’m not at school, I like being active, working out at the gym, riding my bike, and enjoying my friends and family. I'm originally from Bridgewater, MA did my undergrad work at UMass-Amherst and received an M.Ed from Elms College.

​I now live in Enfield, CT with my husband Kevin, our daughter Chloe, and my adorable Cockapoo Lucky.

Salvete, omnes! I am Magister Holland, Latin teacher at Renaisaance.

I was born in California in 1972, traveled the world (even spitting off the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa as a child) with my family (my parents, two sisters, and two brothers) before settling in Connecticut at age 15. I graduated from Old Saybrook High School in 1990 and, after taking some time off to work as a church missionary in Australia, went back to school and received my BA from Albertus Magnus College, where I double-majored in Latin and Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics), in 1996. I received my MAT in Latin and Classical Humanities from UMass-Amherst in 1998. After teaching in upstate New York for almost a decade, I joined the Renaissance faculty in 2007. In addition to teaching Latin, I have coached the Renaissance swim team for more than 10 years, and cross country for 5.

I have 5 wonderful children, two of whom graduated from Renaissance in 2013 and 2015, and three of whom still attend high school in Springfield. In my spare time I enjoy running, cooking (and eating!), playing ukulele and guitar, sailing, kayaking, camping, reading, binge-watching shows on HBO and Netflix, and more.