Rondi Aastrup

Writer

Rondi Aastrup has been teaching English and Journalism since 1978.  A graduate of Atlantic Union College (B.A. ’77) and Andrews University (M.A. ’83), she has traveled extensively around the world with family, friends, and students.  She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, photography, listening to and playing music, and hanging out with family and friends.  Her blog (www.raastrup.blogspot.com) touches on all of those topics as well as her love for nature.
Formerly principal and English teacher at Greater Boston Academy, Rondi is the English teacher at Thunderbird Adventist Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, doing what she loves best: connecting with young people through reading, writing, and learning. Collaborating with her colleagues is also a special joy, especially when that collaboration results in a journey to discovery and excellence with their students.

Sonia Barrett

Sonia Barrett is a native of the beautiful island of Jamaica. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Education degree and Atlantic Union College with a Masters degree in Administration. She currently serves as Assistant Principal of the Brooklyn Seventh-day Adventist School in the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and also as the grades 7 & 8 teacher. She serves on the Atlantic Union Curriculum Committee as well as the Greater New York Conference Curriculum Committee. The excellence she brings to the classroom was recognized by the Alumni Awards Foundation in 2011 when she was the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award. Sonia is passionate about youth ministries and educating God’s children and has spent over thirty years working with young people, molding them into the likeness of Christ. She is a devout Seventh-day Adventist Christian who truly believes that “the work of education and the work of redemption are one.” She has served the church in varying capacities in several departments including the Secretariat, the Sabbath School and Women’s Ministries departments, to name a few.

Sandra Doran

Sandra Doran holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a special teaching area in English from Atlantic Union College,  a master’s degree in religion with emphasis in religious communication from Andrews University, and a doctorate in special education from Boston University. She has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in teaching, administration, and writing, with four published books and hundreds of articles published through her columns in the Adventist Review and Signs of the Times magazines. She has taught on every level from pre-school through graduate school and currently serves as associate superintendent in the Office of Education of the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Dr. Doran lives with her husband, Pastor Eric Doran, in central Florida, where they enjoy spending time with their congregation and surrounding family. She has recently released a new edition of the story of her father’s life, Finally Free: The James Finley Story (originally entitled, Nobody’s Boy), which forms the basis of this unit. More information can be found on her website, www.TheTeacherTrack.com and facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TheTeacherTrack.

Rebecca F. Kinley Fraker

Writer

Rebecca K. Fraker lives at Union Springs Academy in NY with her husband Steven Fraker.  She has three children and one grandchild. Most of her career has been spent with multi-grade education and she has taught every age through 12th grade.  She is greatly interested in everything and is always eager to learn new things.  This past year she has explored the world of bones and has started a collection of animal skulls, bones, and teeth to examine with her eager, enthusiastic students.

Laura Smith Kryger

Writer

For many years Laura’s desire has been to work with youngsters. She has had that opportunity not only to teach in an Adventist Christian school, but to be involved with Lincoln School from its inception. Laura states brainstorming with God and teachers last summer on a brand new Christ centered curriculum has been a blessing to her and will be a blessing to those who will use it. Laura’s educational journey began in New York. She attended Queens College and graduated from Nyack College in Nyack, New York in the spring of 1992. Since 2003 Laura has attended Atlantic Union College working on various courses of study. Besides her role as teacher she takes pride in being married to her husband Paul, and mother to two daughters and their husbands, and grandmother to eight wonderful grandchildren.

Paul Kryger

Paul Kryger began his teaching service at South Lancaster Academy in 1965, and taught there until his retirement in 2000. Born in Brooklyn, NY to immigrant parents from Norway and Denmark. Paul attended SDA schools from elementary through college, graduating from Atlantic Union College in 1965. He was hired by Southern New England Conference directly out of college as a teacher of Science, Mathematics and Auto Mechanics. As a Seventh-day Adventist teacher, Paul felt that this was a wonderful opportunity to share with his students his love of Science and his love for his Creator. Paul received a Masters degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. After the loss of his first wife, Rosalie, he married Laura Smith, who was a teacher in Lincoln, RI. Paul and Laura continue to contribute to their local community with educational endeavors.

Audra Wells Mark

Audra Wells Mark is a brain research specialist, educational consultant, trainer, and author.  She has a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.S. in Management and Administration of Educational Programs, an Educational Specialist in Brain Research and Organizational Thinking, and she is completing her doctorate in Organizational Leadership.

Audra has trained teachers across the United States, and in the Caribbean.  She has also authored two books.  The first book is entitled, The Bible, Anthropology, and the Ancient Caveman, and the second book is entitled, The Bible, Paleontology, and the Antediluvians. Audra loves the Lord, is married, has one son, and resides in the beautiful state of Florida.

Sherina Phillips

Sherina was born and raised on the island of Barbados and has been through the Adventist educational system for nearly all her life. She has a Bachelor in Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Andrews University. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Forensic DNA and Serology. Sherina started teaching in 2003 and has taught both High School Mathematics and Biology. After relocating to New York, she has since been at Hebron SDA Bilingual School in Brooklyn, NY, having taught 6th-8th grade science, 3rd grade all subjects and is presently serving as the 5th grade teacher.

Sherina believes that if a student is bored in class, then their learning will be affected and hence she wants to not only impact students in the classroom through textbooks, but also draw on her many years working with Pathfinders to make the classroom more lively and entertaining while still teaching the fundamental core education. Learning about math, science and God should never be boring. School is meant to be fun.

Nancy Smith

Dr. Nancy Smith helped to develop Millennium Learning Associates which emphasizes the importance of math for children. Laura feels that her role of mother and grandmother has given her such a rich life. She loves helping young people be the best that they can be.  Laura enjoyed working with her friend Nancy on the Teacher Bulletin.

Merine Williams

Merine Williams is from the island Jamaica, West Indies. She holds a Diploma in Education from Bethlehem Teachers’ College, a Bachelors Degree in Education from Liberal Arts College of Jamaica, an Art Diploma from Education Direct (formerly International Correspondence School) in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and a Masters Degree in Sociology from Brooklyn College. She is New York State certified as a Social Studies Teacher in the Department of Education. She is also certified as an Elementary Teacher in the Atlantic Union Conference. Merine served in her local church as Sabbath School superintendent for four years. She recently served on an Evaluation Team for one of our Greater New York Conference Elementary Schools. She presently teaches grade 3 and 4 at Brooklyn Seventh-day Adventist School. Her goal is to work closely with all her students, motivating them to work to their fullest academic potential, and helping them to achieve the utmost goal of sitting at the feet of the Master Teacher someday. Merine began her teaching career in the Caribbean in 1980. Prior to migrating to the United States in 2001, she taught at the elementary level for twelve years and at the secondary level for ten years. She served as 4-11 Club Leader at the Elementary Level and Representative to The Jamaica Teachers’ Association at the secondary level.