ART INTEGRATOR
Marilyn Katz, B.S. M.A.
As a National Board Certified Teacher, I am certified in Early Childhood and Elementary Art Education, my experience includes twelve years of teaching in the high school and twenty-five in elementary and middle school.  I received my bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.  I attained my Master’s degree in Art Education with a concentration in photography and drawing from North Georgia State College and University.  My Educational Leadership Degree was completed in 2008 and I am certified in Georgia. Over the years of my career, I have enjoyed working in public and private schools in Ohio, Florida and Georgia.  I had the incredible experience of teaching in Tehran, Iran at the American High School where I worked primarily with military dependents.  It was truly rewarding to work as a Disney Consultant and establish the Art Department at Celebration School in Florida where I facilitated art K-12 and led workshops nationally. There, partnerships with Apple, Stetson, Harvard Project Zero and the Getty Center for the Arts prepared me with knowledge and experience with best practices in teaching. I have had two adjunct professorships, one with Stetson and previous to that with Barry University in Miami. I am a master calligrapher who has appeared on a nationally syndicated PBS television series and I have created products sold world-wide. I am truly honored to be a part of the Riverview community and look forward to supporting our students and staff. 

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CREATIVE ARTS
Lisa Clancy, M.Ed., B.S.
I am delighted to return as Riverview's Creative Arts teacher where I can combine my love for the arts with my classroom teaching experience. Prior to my service here at RCS, I served as Mossy Oaks Elementary School's Creative Arts teacher for two years where I integrated the arts into many aspects of my students' school day. I directed numerous plays and musicals, taught basic public speaking and dramatic skills, involved my students in visual arts projects, readers theatre and poetry experiences. In addition, I hosted guest artists, co-led an after school Creativity Club and Service Club and looked for any opportunity to make the school a more vibrant and creative place to learn. I earned a B.S. degree in Family Sciences from BYU (Provo, UT), a M.Ed. from Cambridge College (Boston, MA) and I have a varied personal background in theater, music and the arts. Along with my teaching experiences at Mossy Oaks, I taught third grade at Laurel Bay Schools, preschool at Sea Island Presbyterian Day School and worked with the Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department. I recognize the significant role that parents and educators play in nurturing creativity in young people and look forward to continuing that tradition. My husband, Matt, and I relocated from NY to the beautiful LowCountry over twenty years ago. We stay busy raising our two teenage sons. I am grateful to work with such amazing professionals here at Riverview and I hope to spark creativity, ethusiasm, and confidence in all my students.

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MUSIC
Roderick Williams, M.Ed.

I am excited to be the new music and band instructor at Riverview Charter School. I began playing an instrument in the 4th grade and continued throughout my school years and was able to secure a 4 year music scholarship to South Carolina State University.   I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance at South Carolina State University and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education at Wheelock College. I have been teaching music for 18 years and have taught at all levels of schools (Elementary, Middle, and High School).  With my passion for music, I want to instill the joy of music in the minds of young students that they can use to enhance their education. Music can be integrated into all academic areas and I hope to be able to incorporate music into the various subjects here at Riverview.  I am excited to work with all of the students at Riverview Charter School and I look forward to our musical year together!

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ATHLETIC DIRECTOR /PE
Lisa VanHorn, B.S.
I have twenty years of teaching experience. My first two years I taught special education in Fauquier County, Virginia. Then, I taught Physical Education and Health in Princeton, New Jersey.  The following seven years I taught Physical Education at Beaufort Academy grades pre-K-9. While at Beaufort Academy I established and coached Beaufort Academy Soccer and Sports Camps and beaufort Tennis and Swim Camps. I have coached: track, cross-country, cheerleading, gymnastics, field hockey and tennis at the middle and high school levels. In addition to being a Pennsylvania state champion gymnast, I also rowed crew for the West Virginia University Crew Team. While teaching physical education I received the New Jersey Governor's Award for Outstanding Teaching. My child, Austin VanHorn is looking forward to starting his third year and playing sports for on Riverview. I am eager to challenge your child to learn new skills, to set personal goals, and to be passionate about life-long fitness and wellness.

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SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Patience Gordon B.A. Ed.S.
After running a kayak tour business for 6 years on my native Edisto Island, I received my BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Environmental Studies from the University of South Carolina in 2003 with the intention of one day working for DNR in community education programs.  While taking a chance elective in communication skills through the Counselor Education department for my undergraduate degree, I discovered that I absolutely loved the field of counseling!  I received my Educational Specialist (Ed.S) degree in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina in 2006.   Since then, I have worked in Beaufort County as a school counselor.  I believe that being able to handle emotional challenges in positive ways is one of the most difficult things that we as humans learn in life.  I am thrilled to be coming to a school that places such high value on the emotional, as well as the academic, well-being of its students.  My husband, Scott, and I have two children.  We have been the local Ambassador Family for the March of Dimes and enjoy going to the beach, surfing, fishing, kayaking, and sailing together. “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” Victor Hugo

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SPANISH
Fari Lopez, B.A.
¡Hola a todos! I am originally from Colombia, South America, and I have been living in the United States for ten years. I am very happy to live here in Beaufort. I love this town so much! I attended Universidad del Atlantico in Barranquilla, Colombia, and earned a bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages, English and Spanish, in 1994. Last year I completed a master's degree in Education Media Design and Technology at Full Sail University in Florida. It was a wonderful experience since I learned how to incorporate 21st century skills, especially technology into my foreign language curriculum. 

I have always enjoyed teaching and learning languages. In fact, I was eleven years old when I started to learn English, and a year later I attended a school where I learned seven languages besides Spanish: English, French, Italian, German, Russian, Greek and Latin. That's how my love for learning about other cultures started. I enjoy teaching my students about my culture and motivating them to learn to speak other languages. This year I am glad to announce that the 8th graders in the middle school will be taking  Spanish 1 as a high school class. This is "fantástico"!  I am very happy to be a part of the RCS family, and I am looking forward to meeting all the wonderful children and families in our new school year! "¡Hasta pronto!"

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LEARNING SPECIALIST
Andrea Dixon, M.Ed., B.S.
I earned my degree in Special Education from Ole Miss in 1992 and completed my MEd in Special Ed with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities from Clemson University in 1993. Upon completing my education I moved to Beaufort and began my teaching career at Beaufort Academy as a Learning Specialist. After 5 years of teaching I began a new career as a Stay At Home Mom. During that time, I was able to ease back into the world of teaching by serving as a young twoʼs teacher at Sea Island Presbyterian Day School. I then entered back into full time teaching by returning to Beaufort Academy. Upon hearing of the Charter School, I became intrigued, not only from a teacherʼs point of view but from a parentʼs point of view as well. I was privileged to served as the First Grade Assistant for the first year that RCS was in operation, but I am happy to be back into the world of Special Education. When I am not immersed in Riverview activities, I adore spending time with my husband, Mark, and cheering on my children, Maya and Mitchell, at various sporting events.

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LEARNING SPECIALIST

Kristi Rosengarten, M.Ed.
I earned a Bachelor’s degree of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) in Education, Cum Laude, at the University of South Carolina - Columbia, and a Master’s of Special Education degree at The University of Charleston.  I am certified in Early Childhood Education, Special Education, and am a Highly Qualified Teacher.  Having recently completed my 16th year, my teaching experience includes kindergarten, second grade and special education. Originally from Charleston, SC, I made the short move to Beaufort in 2008. I have enjoyed living here with my husband, and could not bear to live without a boat and salt water nearby! As a teacher, my never-ending goal is to find the best ways to develop fun, meaningful experiences for the children. I believe success in school helps bring success in life.  This is a motivator for me to continue to find creative ways to nurture and encourage the learning process. Once hearing of Riverview and learning of its mission statement and philosophy, I knew it would be a perfect fit for me. I am thrilled to have been a part of Riverview since it opened its doors in 2009, and I look forward to another exceptional year!
"Kristi is an experienced teacher with a background in learning disabilities and science. Her positive attitude is contagious."

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ODYSSEY OF THE MIND TEACHER

Cindy Lewis, B.A.
I can think of no greater adventure than living in my beautiful hometown of Beaufort, SC and joining the team at Riverview Charter School. Does it get any better than that? I spent most of my early schooling as a Biology major until I returned to school in 2009 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of South Carolina Beaufort. I was the first to graduate Sigma Tae Delta from the University—USCB’s first English Honor Society—and I had a great experience editing and publishing the University’s creative arts magazine, The Pen. It was exciting for me to choose a study that allowed me to explore my analytic and creative potential. The overall experience was so positive that it has shaped the backbone of my own education philosophy—a philosophy that resonates deeply with Riverview’s mission and core values.  Einstein said it best, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”  Odyssey of the Mind is an innovative program that challenges students to explore ideas in new and different ways while discovering the innate creativity that lies in each of them. Students have opportunities to work and think cooperatively while utilizing their unique, individual skills and interests. The ability to use knowledge for innovation instills a powerful sense of confidence, achievement and responsibility and is a critically important skill for the 21st century. I am thrilled to be on this wonderful journey with the students of Odyssey of the Mind and the supporting members of the Riverview community!

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TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATOR
Erica Freeman, M.Ed., B.S.
My husband and I are both originally from Northern Virginia. I graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. We made the move to South Carolina in 2003 once my husband, Mike, finished law school. After spending three years in Columbia, we moved to Beaufort in 2006, about five weeks before the birth of our first child, Michael. In June 2008 we welcomed our second son, Sam, to the family. In April 2010, we brought home our third son, Emmett. We absolutely love living in Beaufort and are here to stay! I have been teaching for ten years and earned my Masters in Reading and Literacy in 2007. I taught first grade for three years in Virginia and third grade for three years in Columbia. When we first moved to Beaufort, I took a year off of teaching to stay at home with my son, but found that I just missed teaching too much. For the next two years, I taught Elementary Science Lab at MC Riley Elementary in Bluffton. In 2008, a friend of mine told me about Riverview and suggested that I attend an informational meeting. I went out of curiosity and was immediately impressed. I was thrilled to be a faculty member during Riverview’s first year as a third grade teacher. In 2010, I made the switch from classroom teacher to Technology Integrator. I absolutely love my new position, especially being able to get to know every child at RCS!

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