Meet the Team
Jane Boarman, CITL Director
Jane Boarman is the Director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St Petersburg, FL. She brings nineteen years of classroom teaching experience and a passion for professional development to her work. She is committed to providing relevant learning experiences to teachers while respecting their knowledge and experience. All learning experiences will be delivered using best practice methods. Before Shorecrest, she taught at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, DE and The Park School in Baltimore, MD. Jane received her Masters in Teaching from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. She is also an Apple Distinguished Teacher.
Jane is an avid reader and eater. She enjoys all of the cultural and culinary opportunities so abundant in St Petersburg, as well as the flat terrain which makes it easy for her to get around on her bike.
Contact Jane at jboarman@shorecrest.org.
Jane is an avid reader and eater. She enjoys all of the cultural and culinary opportunities so abundant in St Petersburg, as well as the flat terrain which makes it easy for her to get around on her bike.
Contact Jane at jboarman@shorecrest.org.
Pedro Alonso
Dr. Anna Baralt
Anna is the mother of two, and she and her husband enjoy watching their kids play baseball and soccer. She loves Rays baseball and spends time reading and taking pictures in her free time.
Nancye Blair Black
Amy Brill
Mij Byram
"It all started on THE SECOND LANDING.
To the immediate right of our front door were three quick steps up to the first landing. A right turn took you up the next eight steps and delivered you to my stage, THE SECOND LANDING. A curtained window to the left, looking on to the neighbor's roof was my backdrop. Another right turn and you had your choice of the five tiered theater seating. It was room enough for five siblings, Mom and Dad, popcorn and programs for those that got there early. The landing was not much more than 3'X3' but it was big enough for my performances of poems, monologues and stories.
Now my stories number in the hundreds and my audiences have grown to include many wonderful families. The stage may be a classroom, a camp site or community center, hospital or church, home or a theater. Stories fit anywhere, on any landing you happen to be on now."
Mij earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Children's Creative Play from Dominican College in Racine, WI. She believes in play. Play is free. Play is creative. Play is complete unto itself. Play is the question and the answer. There is no right or wrong way to play. Through play we learn our place in the world. So it is with storytelling. Free, creative, the question and the answer, just tell, just listen.
Elaine Chu
Elaine Chu has fifteen years' experience teaching in independent and public elementary schools in New York City. A Co-Founder of the Institute for Imaginative Inquiry, Elaine offers professional development to teachers and works with schools to develop inquiry-based social studies curricula. She has worked in the field of education throughout her professional career, designing curricula and professional development programs for schools and museums, and has worked internationally to help create educational infrastructure in developing countries. She is an alumna of Tufts University and Bank Street College.
Dominique Craft
Dominique Craft, a native New Yorker, is the Assistant Head of the Lower School at Shorecrest. She has more than 10 years of experience in both the high school and elementary school contexts as a classroom teacher and administrator. Dominique received her B.A. in History and French Literature from the University of Richmond, and her Masters in Education Leadership from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.
The common thread through Dominique's wide range of interests is the science of inquiry, brain-based learning, and the kinds of questions that lead us to deeper understandings. Her passion is fostering children's curiosity and graduating students who are capable, inquisitive lifelong learners. In her various roles at Shorecrest, she pursues these interests in the elementary and secondary classrooms and with adult learners.
A happy St. Petersburg transplant, Dominique enjoys kayaking the beautiful intercoastal waterways, exploring the ever-evolving restaurant scene, practicing yoga, and biking to the Saturday Morning Market with her family.
Katy Deegan
Lower School Educational Technologist Katy Deegan is a part of the Shorecrest technology team who works closely with educators to incorporate technology into their curriculum. Katy graduated from Eckerd College with a B.A. in International Relations & Global Affairs and French. She earned two graduate degrees from the University of South Florida; M.A.T. Elementary Education and M.Ed. Educational Leadership. Katy has a background teaching in gifted education and has taught in both public and private schools. She presented on the topic of Design Thinking in the Classroom at the FCIS 21st Century Learning Academy.
Katy enjoys walking the beach and traveling. She is a foodie and loves cooking shows and new culinary experiences.
Katy enjoys walking the beach and traveling. She is a foodie and loves cooking shows and new culinary experiences.
Diego Duran-Medina
Diego earned a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University, a Master of Arts from New York University, and a Master of Education from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College-Columbia University. He has presented at multiple NAIS conferences, and recently published a piece on civic education and developing students and scholars in "Independent School magazine." He co-founded the Center for Service Learning Leadership with Jonathan Davis, Middle School Principal at Dwight-Englewood School, in 2016, dedicated to promoting best practices in service learning for independent schools.
Diego's hobbies include photography, exploring street art through travel, and finding Venezuelan food wherever it is made.
Kate Fierce
Kate Fierce is a specialist and consultant in social and emotional learning (SEL). She provides training and coaching in improving student social and emotional wellness to independent schools and teachers. She has been a school counselor for 14 years in independent and public schools, in both suburban and urban settings. From the beginning of her career, she has shared her passion for helping children develop into capable, resilient, empathetic and independent learners and individuals with students, faculty, and families.
Kate presented a workshop to assist teachers in building the development of social and emotional skills into their everyday teaching and learning at the 2019 FCIS Annual Conference in Orlando. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University and an M.S.Ed. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kate presented a workshop to assist teachers in building the development of social and emotional skills into their everyday teaching and learning at the 2019 FCIS Annual Conference in Orlando. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University and an M.S.Ed. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kate is a displaced (and often disappointed) Philadelphia sports fan when at home in sunny St. Petersburg, FL. A lifelong lover of the beach, you can often find her cooking and reading with her pets.
Roderick Avery Fludd
Roderick Avery Fludd, a Columbia, South Carolina native, came to Shorecrest to be the school’s first Director of Diversity and Inclusion. He has more than 20 years of experience in education, and 15 years in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. Roderick received his B.S. in Mathematics from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC, and his Masters in Education from Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY.
For 10 years, Roderick held multiple positions at The Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich, CT, including Mathematics Department Chair and Director of Diversity Programs and Community Life. Prior to GCDS, Roderick taught middle school math at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, CA. Additionally, he has coached JV/Varsity softball since he began teaching.
An avid collector of bow ties, cufflinks and watches, Roderick is a lifelong Dodgers fan and a follower of the Utah Jazz. He lives with his wife Sara in St. Petersburg, FL.
Charla Y. Gaglio
Al Irwin
Al Irwin is a 2003 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he studied and worked under the direction of Dr. Eileen W. Glisan, earning a Bachelor's degree in K-12 Spanish Education. The research and findings within second language acquisition theory, proficiency-based language-teaching pedagogy, and neuroscience are of personal interest to Irwin and play a major role in guiding his pedagogical practices. Mr. Irwin has 17 years of experience teaching Spanish and French to students in grades 6-12 in both public and independent schools. He has served as department chair, presented nationally on a variety of teaching-related topics, and has extensively traveled the world, leading over a dozen international travel experiences and homestay programs for language students. Irwin is a member of ACTFL, NECTFL, and WACC. Irwin also holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Queen's University in Charlotte, NC.
An avid world traveler, Mr. Irwin has studied and lived in south-central Mexico and traveled extensively throughout central and southeast Asia, Argentina, the Caribbean, the UK, and numerous other parts of western Europe. He enjoys meeting new people, going out for any kind of ethnic food with friends, and lives in Palmetto with his two cats, Brady and Myers.
Michele Johnson
Believing that students should be taught how to think and not what to think, Michele’s classroom is one where students can ask questions, pursue their interests, and extend their awareness of truth. When a colleague recommended the book "Make Just One Change," she was drawn to the Right Question Institute’s Question Formulation Technique (QFT) and the power it gave students to formulate their own questions - without ever feeling like their questions weren’t good enough. After successful implementation of the QFT during a 2019 investigation of “Children Around the World,” she was eager to learn more, and completed The Right Question Institute’s professional development offering of Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions through Harvard University. She is currently facilitating the QFT as her 2nd graders investigate a new focus: “Kids are Different.”
Born and raised in Vermont, Michele is passionate about the environment and sustainability, and enjoys helping her students learn and grow through inquiry-based projects. She now resides in St. Petersburg with her husband and their two young daughters.
Caitlin McLemore
Caitlin McLemore is currently the Middle & Upper School Librarian - Technology Specialist at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, FL. Previously, she worked as the Academic Technology Specialist at Harpeth Hall and Technology Integration Specialist at Currey Ingram Academy. Caitlin has an Ed.D. from Johns Hopkins University with a specialization in Technology Integration in K-16 Education. She also has a B.A. and M.Ed. from the University of Florida.
Caitlin is a Google Certified Innovator, Apple Teacher, and Common Sense Educator. Caitlin was named an ISTE Emerging Leader in 2017 and the ISTE Outstanding Young Educator in 2018. She is also the co-author of the book "Stretch Yourself: A Personalized Journey to Deepen Your Teaching Practice".
Caitlin is a Google Certified Innovator, Apple Teacher, and Common Sense Educator. Caitlin was named an ISTE Emerging Leader in 2017 and the ISTE Outstanding Young Educator in 2018. She is also the co-author of the book "Stretch Yourself: A Personalized Journey to Deepen Your Teaching Practice".
Caitlin is a double Gator. She lives in South Tampa with her husband and son.
Sarah Palazzolo
Besides being an avid reader and writer, she enjoys discovering new cultural opportunities - especially food - around St Petersburg and Clearwater, FL, where she lives with her husband and daughters.
Christopher Powers
Mr. Powers began his Shorecrest teaching career in 2007 as the Assistant Director of College Counseling and member of the English department. In 2013, Mr. Powers transitioned from College Counseling to become the Director of Online Learning.
Khana Rebman
Khana's hobbies include all things musical, traveling on and off the beaten path, creating memories and learning through experiences.
Christine Scoby
Christine Scoby holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Technology and has taught many years in the Lower and Middle Schools at Shorecrest Preparatory School. Christine is an Apple Teacher and has presented at AMLE 2012, FCIS 2013, ISTE 2014, FCIS 2018, and FCIS Winter Symposium on technology integration, and presented training at other schools. She is also a 2016 recipient of the Steelcase Active Learning Grant. This past year, she was selected to participate in the Transatlantic Outreach Program where she participated in a STEM study tour that traveled throughout Germany. She integrates core academic curriculum within her technology course in all middle school grades to enhance, connect, reinforce and expand concepts taught in the classroom.
An avid coupon clipper who is always on the lookout for a good deal, Christine is a lifelong Buckeye fan and follower of the Detroit Red Wings. She lives in Seminole, FL, with her husband, daughter, and two weenie dogs.
Ethan Updike
Ethan Updike is the Band Director at Shorecrest Preparatory School where he teaches grades 4-12 concert band, Upper and Middle School rock band, AP and honors music theory, recording arts, and independent study courses. Ethan is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and received his Bachelor of Music in trumpet performance and Master of Music Teaching degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he received K-12 Music Certification.
A lover of travel and the outdoors, he can frequently be found doing yard work or planning his next adventure. He was a guest artist in sixth grade for Celebrate the Arts. He led a virtual lesson focused on rhythm in music with students drumming on pots and pans.
School Information
5101 First Street Northeast
St Petersburg, FL 33703
Phone: (727) 522-2111 | Fax: (727) 527-4191
[Map]
Privacy Policy | Faculty | Facilities Rental
St Petersburg, FL 33703
Phone: (727) 522-2111 | Fax: (727) 527-4191
[Map]
Privacy Policy | Faculty | Facilities Rental
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Shorecrest Preparatory School is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students preschool through high school, located in St. Petersburg, Florida.