Our community
Faculty
The NOVA faculty is comprised of a diverse group of educators bound together by a shared vision. Each staff member, regardless of area of expertise, is committed to working for the special needs of gifted youth by creating stimulating learning opportunities. Each teacher has a strong professional background in his or her assigned subject area. Although we teach skills and concepts usually addressed later in high school, each teacher knows that bright middle schoolers need a different, more active, more engaging approach to everything they do. We also know our students need respect, support, and personal guidance from adults who know and understand them. NOVA teachers are committed to fulfilling these needs.
David Campbell
Advanced Science and Computers
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm!” by R.W. Emerson.
David completed his undergraduate work at the University of Idaho. He taught Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Ichthyology lab for 3 years at the University of Idaho. David is Washington State-certified to teach General Science, Biology, and Earth Science for grades 4-12 and has been teaching General Biology, Honors Biology, Zoology, Human Anatomy and A.P. Biology at Shelton High School for 7 years.
Outside of teaching, David enjoys photography. He is also an aquarium hobbyist and runs sled dogs when he’s not too busy.
David wants his students to remember him most by his modeling of being a life-long learner, his passion for teaching science, and his genuine care for student success.
Mr. Campbell's Science Class Website
(Ask instructor or your student for login info.)
Eric Fleming
Fine Art, Advisory, Exploratory, and 8th Grade Seminar
efleming@novaschool.org
Eric Fleming is a National Board Certified art teacher who began teaching in 1994. He holds a Washington State teaching certification for K-8 with a K-12 art endorsement. Eric serves on the board for the Olympia All Ages Project and has twice won commissions to create artwork for the City of Olympia. He spent six summers leading student and adult tours of Europe and has traveled extensively. Eric has been teaching at NOVA School since September, 2000. He teaches Art, Advisory, Exploratory, and is an 8th Grade Project coordinator.
When not teaching or making art, Eric can usually be found at the
beach surfing on his longboard.
Kiirsten Flynn
Environmental Science, Computers, Reading, and 6th Grade Study Skills
“Sharing my joy and knowledge with others is a wonderful experience especially when I work on trying to alter lessons such that most everyone has the chance to understand the material.”
Kiirsten brings 13 years of outdoor environmental education experience to NOVA School. Kiirstin’s love for the marine environment began as a small child which led her to study marine science in college and to large sailing vessels offering educational programs for people of all ages. Kiirsten obtained her U.S. Coast Guard Captains license and then captained a schooner in New York City, operating the vessel and overseeing the education programs. In 2000 Kiirsten became the Program Director and Relief Captain for H20 University, a boat-based environmental education program. Kiirsten holds a Master’s in Science Teaching and Master’s of Environmental Management from Portland State University.
Kiirsten joined NOVA in 2008. She is also a research biologist with a local marine mammal research group and a co-instructor for a graduate Marine Mammal Biology class at Evergreen. Kiirsten is a Cross County coach at NOVA.
Kiirsten wants students to walk away with the knowledge that, “we live on and with an incredible world and that there is always wonder where one goes, whether walking down a hallway or down a trail.” She wants students to understand that each day is a new opportunity to live fully, engage, explore and be filled with hope.
“My favorite moments with a student happens when they make a mistake and I see them smile, take it in, and then learn from it.”
Julie Funchion
Strings, Life Skills
“There is no top. There are always
further heights to reach.” -- Jascha Heifetz
This is one of Julie’s favorite quotes because, “it comes from the best violinist the world has known. If he can say that, then surely this is true for all of us, not only when it comes to music, but life in general. If we are willing to do the work, there is always more to learn and achieve.”
After earning a BA in Music, under the instruction of Dr Alberto Jaffe, Julie immediately began her teaching career at a private school, where she taught beginning orchestras and private string lessons to students in 4th-12th grade. Since moving back to Olympia in 2003, she continues to teach privately, as well as conducts the Strings Philharmonic group of the Capital Area Youth Symphony Association. Julie began teaching strings at NOVA in 2007.
Julie is an active performer, playing first violin in the Olympia Symphony Orchestra, and as a member of a couple of string quartets. She attends weekly rehearsals and performs regularly, which keep her musical skills sharp. She looks forward to sharing experiences and ideas learned in these rehearsals and programs with her orchestra students.
Julie’s goal is for her strings students to be humble enough to realize
that there is always room for improvement in one's playing, and to be confident
enough to accept the challenge.
Jason Gacek
Librarian
Language Arts, World Geography, 6th Grade
Study Skills, Reading, and Advisory
jgacek@novaschool.org
“All of my favorite quotes are attributed to the philosopher Satchel Paige. I like this one in particular: “You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for all of them.”
In Language Arts, Jason focuses on fantasy, science fiction, and mystery, and is constantly incorporating new things into the curriculum. He loves teaching because he is stretched to be as creative as possible. His reward is seeing students being challenged, being creative, tackling new ideas, and learning about the world.
Jason is the acquisitions coordinator for the NOVA School library. His “classes” on Risk and Poker for Winterim are well attended. Jason also plans & coordinates the 6th-7th grade Spring Trip.
Jason’s global perspective on teaching "is one in which I realize that I play a role in the intricate web that is the world. As a teacher it is my job to prepare students for this world. Learning about the world as an interconnected whole is what World Geography is all about. "We cover the basics... but we also cover the nuances which make corners of the world unique and the challenges which currently face so much of the world." Jason emphasizes writing skills, critical thinking skills, critical reading skills, and communication skills, believing that middle school is the perfect time to begin to acquire this perspective and the skills an interconnected world necessitates.
Jason’s collects baseball cards and books, and enjoys movies. His favorite film is still Rushmore. His favorite television show is The Office. He follows politics and current events and he enjoys going to yard sales on Saturday mornings. "I also like games of all kinds and hope that one day I will come out of nowhere to sit at the final table at the World Series of Poker and have Norman Chad make a snarky comment about me on the ESPN2 coverage.”
Jason began teaching at NOVA in 2001.
Tracey D. Hooker
Band
studiohookmeup@hotmail.com
Tracey is a graduate of Regents College (SUNY). A 22-year veteran of the United States Navy Music Program, Tracey has traveled extensively thoughout the United States and Europe as a featured trumpet soloist. Mr. Hooker is well-versed in all styles of music and has conducted numerous trumpet clinics throughout the world, ranging from elementary to college level.
Tracey is currently performing as lead trumpet with the Olympia Jazz Senators, soloist for the Rich Wetzel Groovin’ Higher Jazz Orchestra, Peaceable Lane, a 1970’s horn band and his own quartet, Tracey D. Hooker & Hook Me Up. Additionally, he performs as sideman with many local groups as well as more notable groups such as The O’Jays, Frankie Valli, Solomon Burke, Tony Rivera, Bobby Shew, Mic Gilette, Stan Mark, San Diego Symphony and the Florida Symphony. He is continually booked throughout the region.
Additionally, Mr. Hooker serves as an adjudicator for the Washington Music Educators Association.
Despite Tracey’s busy schedule, he makes time to teach privately from his home studio. Tracey joined NOVA in 2007.
Janet Hubbard
Advanced Language Arts, 6th Grade Study Skills
jhubbard@novaschool.org
Janet has been teaching at NOVA since 2004.
Before joining NOVA, Janet taught in a variety of situations including Spanish at a Montessori preschool, afterschool programs in Washington D.C. and environmental education and E.S.L. in Texas. She also facilitated cultural immersion, adventure and community service programs in Athabaskan villages in Alaska. In 2003, she received a Masters in Teaching for Social Justice from The Evergreen State College. Much of her training has come from this broad range of teaching experiences. Janet is motivated by making strong connections between the classroom and the outside world, emphasizing critical thinking skills and personal reflection in all settings.
Janet organizes the Camp Colman community-building trip in the fall.
Janet’s strong background in service in this country and abroad help define how she relates to the world, believing that we all have something to contribute and that contributing is a necessary part of who we are as members of society.
Janet incorporates multi-cultural awareness into the curriculum, often based on her own experiences. For example, when students study the concept of home, they consider it through the varied lenses of their own perspectives, those of Aborigines in Australia and African-Americans during the Reconstruction. Janet loves to travel and to experience other cultures with an open mind. She strives to help students develop a sense of who they are in relation to others.
Outside of NOVA, Janet enjoys growing food with her family and hearing her two daughters talk about canning and saving “for the winter” as they gather food from their garden.
Bobby Kenis
Algebra, Pre-Algebra, Geometry, and 7th Grade Community Service
bkenis@novaschool.org
Bobby’s favorite quotation, “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set it free,” by Michaelangelo, is a beautifully poetic line in the artistic sense, yet it is a great metaphor for the individualized education that children deserve.
Bobby holds a B.A. in economics from UCLA (and would be very impressed if you know the Eight Clap.) Go Bruins! He is credentialed in Washington to teach all secondary mathematics. Bobby taught in Southern California before moving north to join NOVA in 2005.
Bobby is an assistant cross country and basketball coach, and is the MathCounts coach. He also a primary coordinator of the 8th grade spring trip and teaches various European cooking classes during Winterim.
Bobby’s hobbies include traveling, photography, cooking, reading classic fiction and economics/sociology non-fiction, and watching baseball and most college/prep sports. He also has a large collection of original newspapers from significant historical events. He wishes time machines were real so he could experience many of these events in person.
What Bobby values most about NOVA School is, “the opportunity to connect with kids in ways other than the standard teacher/student relationship. He loves to connect with them through coaching sports, creating a fantasy baseball league, biking on the spring trips and having genuine conversation that is hard to find in a larger school without such a sense of community.”
Linda Manning
Transition Math, Pre-Algebra, Physical Education, and 6th Grade Advisory
lmanning@novaschool.org
“The seat of knowledge is in the head, of wisdom, in the heart”-- William Hazlitt
Linda has a B.S. in Education from the University of Oregon She has taught 5th grade in a public school in Idaho, and has coached many recreational sports teams. She is currently a basketball and soccer coach at NOVA. Linda is an 8th grade project sponsor, World of Work Coordinator and she is respected for the complicated task of student class scheduling.
Linda has taught at NOVA since 2000.
What Linda values the most about teaching at NOVA School is: “Every day I learn something new and I love that everyone has something they can teach me. I had many inspiring teachers that gave me an appreciation for having a positive learning environment. I try to keep that same ‘you can do it’ attitude whether it is school, on a team, or at home. While I realize that not everything is going to be fun, the learning experience and the personal growth are what I get to carry with me wherever I go. I hope to give that same insight to my students and help them to see how many places in their lives they can turn their knowledge into wisdom. I value the NOVA School environment for the close relationships it enables me to have with so many students, colleagues and parents.”
Linda lives in Olympia with her husband Carl, 4 children, 3 cats, 2 dogs, and a guinea pig in their 1930’s farmhouse that they are slowly renovating (inside and out) to fit their family. Athletics, reading, yard work, and video games fill the the rest of her time.
Robert Owens
U.S. History, Pacific NW History, and Drama
rowens@novaschool.org
“All is connected – and individually we need to take responsibility for our ripples,” is the global perspective that Mr. Owens brings into the classroom.
Robert has more than 20 years as a middle school teacher in Humanities, and has also coached soccer and wrestling. He has been teaching at NOVA since 2003. He is also a black belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor.
In addition to classroom teaching, Robert is the NOVA School librarian, he teaches “Primitive Weaponry” during Winterim, produces the All-School Play, and co-coordinates the 8th grade trip and Camp Arnold ropes course. Robert is an 8th Grade Project Advisor.
Mr. Owens’ favorite quotation is, “You can’t stop the ocean, but you can learn how to surf. Life seems to be fated – instead of fighting it, learn how to flow with it.”
Mr. Owens wants his students to know, “There are no problems, only solutions – you will face many challenges in life and you have the capacity to solve them.”
Anne Weldon
Spanish
aweldon@novaschool.org
“Maestra” earned her B.A. in English & French from Santa Clara University and her teaching degree from U.C. Berkeley. Anne has been teaching at NOVA since 2000.
Anne lived two years in Ecuador and taught English at the University of Loja. She taught 6th grade at an alternative middle school for gifted children in Pleasant Hill, CA. She then taught 4 years of high school Spanish and English at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor, WA.
In addition to teaching at NOVA, Anne teaches piano to beginning students.
Anne values working with teachers who love their jobs and with students who love learning.
Her unusual talent is punning (the art of punning)--she is a “punster.”
Anne’s travels include Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Europe, providing good conversation about cultural differences, similarities & poverty. She enjoys sharing her travels & living experiences with her students.
Steven Welliever
Interim Director
swelliever@novaschool.org
“By reading good books you keep the company of the authors of the books … when otherwise you could not meet them in the social contact of life.” -- Marcus Garvey
Steven began working at NOVA School in 1999. He has taught several science, math, and technology courses over the years. Steven attended Eastern Washington University and is certified to teach chemistry and biology in Washington. Steven feels that most of his growth and knowledge as a teacher has come from day-to-day experiences.
The most important message Steven would like to pass on to his students is to be resilient. He would like them to be able deal confidently with life’s changes and challenges.
Steven values NOVA School's size and its ability to be responsive.