Amanda Reeves

Lower School Academic Dean [email protected]

Amanda Reeves has a BA in Greek and Latin from Stanford University, where she received recognition in her department for both her enthusiasm for the classical world as well as her excellence in scholarship. In her 10+ years as an educator, she has fiercely held to the belief that every student can fall in love with Latin and has celebrated each of the many times it has happened in her classroom. As Dean of the Lower School at Scholé, she supports teachers as they develop classrooms and curricula to help Scholé’s youngest students cultivate a love of learning in their pursuit of restful classical education. Having learned Latin online as a homeschooled student, Amanda is passionate about distance learning and enjoys integrating traditional grammar and translation methods with spoken Latin to produce the best educational experience for her students. When she is not traveling the world, she can be found in New Haven, Connecticut, waxing poetic about the Parthenon Marbles and Stanford football, always with a strong cup of coffee in hand.

Amy Morgan

Chair of the Writing Department [email protected]

Amy Morgan is Scholé Academy’s Writing & Rhetoric and Well-Ordered Language Department chair. She earned her BA in liberal arts at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and continued her education with an MA in TESOL/applied linguistics at Indiana University in Bloomington. For over 20 years, Amy has taught English to speakers of other languages in university, community, and private contexts. Additionally, Amy educated her own children at home in grades PreK–8. When Amy’s not teaching, you might find her serving families and children in vulnerable circumstances, hosting international guests, or taking a walk at a nearby state park.

Ash White

Lead Teacher for the Logic and Rhetoric Department [email protected]

Ash White holds a BA in English and Theatre from Mary Baldwin University, and has taught literature, writing, and logic at the middle and secondary levels for twenty years. Ms. White is passionate about classical education and homeschooling. She and her husband Jon live in the Shenandoah Valley and are voracious lovers of books and music. If you visit their home, you'll find it difficult to determine which collection is largest: books or vinyl records!

Danielle Bartko

[email protected]

Danielle Bartko is an experienced Math and Science teacher, and Orthodox Church Cantor and Choir Director. She taught in public schools and a Montessori based Orthodox private school. She has served the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese as a Cantor and Choir Director, and the Orthodox Church in America as a Choir Director. She spent countless summers at Camp Nazareth, first as a camper, and later as a counselor and chant teacher.

She holds degrees in Biology and Music from Lafayette College, and Secondary Teacher Certification from DeSales University. She has taught grades 5-12, and currently homeschools her children. She has experience in a variety of teaching methods, and has taught students with diverse academic needs. She is a lifelong learner, and has enjoyed growing and changing as an educator over the years. Her goal is to inspire her students to become lifelong learners as well.

Her Liturgical music education comes from a variety of coursework in Orthodox Music and Choral Directing. She has taken classes through Christ the Saviour Seminary and the OCA Liturgical Music Department, and independent study with Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Rosco and Professors Paul Hilko, George Hanas, Andrew Talarovich, and Jerry Jumba. Whenever she travels and visits a church, she will sneak into the choir loft, wait for an invitation to sing with the choir, and then ask for copies of good music to keep as a souvenir.

She grew up in New Jersey, but now lives in Pittsburgh PA with her husband and two young daughters. When she is not homeschooling her children or teaching classes, she enjoys gardening, jigsaw puzzles, SRS Iconography classes, visiting with friends and family, and going to the beach.

Eddie Kotynski

Chair of the Latin Department [email protected]

Edward Kotynski, Chair of Latin Department, grew up as a missionary kid in Indonesia, where his parents were Bible translators. He attributes his love of languages partly to his parents’ work and his childhood experience. He received his BA in ancient languages from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2004, and his MA in classical languages from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in 2007. Mr. Kotynski has been teaching Latin and Greek for the last fifteen years, mostly at classical Christian schools. He loves sharing his passion for the ancient languages with his students, weaving in historical context and modern connections. He has edited two volumes of Latin Alive! for Classical Academic Press and has also been working on their Greek for Children series with Erin Valdez. He is very excited to be continuing with Scholé Academy this year. Besides Latin and Greek, Mr. Kotynski drinks coffee, loves reading, helps homeschool his kids, and plays board games. He lives with his wife, six children, and two cats, enjoying the craziness of life together.

Fransell Riley

Chair of the Math Department [email protected]

Dr. Fransell Riley, Chair of Math Department spent most of her career working as a quantitative analyst. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington with every intention of remaining in corporate America. Though she enjoyed her work, she ultimately responded to an internal call to pursue a passion for educating students, including her own children. Fransell has taught math and science to students of all ages from elementary school to college. While teaching, she noticed that her natural teaching style aligned almost perfectly with the concepts of classical education. She takes a holistic approach to teaching and involves her students in discussions aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the concept being taught with the desire that student learning extend beyond memorizing algorithms. Fransell has a passion for mathematics and seeks to share that passion with the next generation. Beyond math, Fransell enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons. They are all athletes and nature lovers; they enjoy participating in sports, hiking, exploring nature, and traveling. When they aren’t enjoying God’s creation, you can find them indoors reading or watching reruns from the Star Trek series.

Monika Minehart

Chair of the Aquinas House of Studies [email protected]

Monika Minehart, Chair of Aquinas House of Studies, a military spouse and mother of five, has been working in Catholic religious education for over 15 years. She has instructed children and adults as a Director of Religious Education, Youth Minister, and Faith Formation Facilitator. She earned her B.A. in English and Early Christian Studies from The University of Michigan and her M.A. in Divinity from The University of Chicago with a focus in Biblical Studies and Koine Greek. In addition to being a homemaker and homeschooling mother, Monika enjoys reading, weightlifting, and listening to a variety of uplifting music especially Danielle Rose, The Vigil Project, and the Hillbilly Thomists.

Nathan Dickinson

Chair of the Canterbury House of Studies [email protected]

Nathan Dickinson, incoming Chair of the Canterbury House of Studies, holds a M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently serves as the planting priest of Church of the Good Shepherd in Summersville, West Virginia. He is a West Virginia native who has had approximately a decade of teaching experiences in local churches and missionary settings. He has taught the Bible in Kenya, Zambia, Myanmar, and Jamaica, and has taught English (among other things) to students in the Christian school setting. He loves helping students see the beauty of God in Holy Scripture and helping students learn to engage in meaningful dialogue.

His two boys (Barnabas and Martin) keep his home life interesting and full of adventure! When he is not adventuring with his wife and boys, he is looking for a good cup of coffee, a good book, and a good conversation.

Phaedra Shaltanis

Chair of the History and Literature Department [email protected]

Phaedra Shaltanis, Chair of the Humanities Department, has taught in private and classical schools for over 25 years and has educated her four children in the classical tradition, which has been the monumental joy of her life. After college graduation, she began teaching high school Writing, Literature, Spanish, and Art in classical schools. Her involvement with Scholé Academy includes teaching American Literature, British Literature, Western History, Rhetoric I, Formal Logic and Well-Ordered Language Levels 1 and 2. She is enthused to serve as the Humanities department chair and appreciates guiding parents and teachers toward restful education. In her Dallas community, she currently directs a high school university-model program, trains and mentors teachers, conducts seminars on classical education, builds curriculum, supports parents, and provides fine art instruction at a classical high school. She and her husband hope to support classical education as avenues present themselves.