Faculty

Michelle Wallick Founder - Director - Elementary Lead Teacher - Music Teacher

Mrs. Wallick obtained a B.A. in English with a minor in Math/Computer Science from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. She has taught preschool and elementary aged children for over 25 years. When her two oldest children began their schooling, it was apparent that they had differing needs from other children. Her children knew the curriculum before they entered school, and were obviously gifted and unchallenged by their school. She sent her kids to private schools, a charter school, and a public school without success in finding a learning environment that was challenging and engaging to them. She eventually decided to homeschool. At the same time, her youngest child, although only a toddler, was also obviously gifted and needed a different environment than a typical preschool. Michelle designed a preschool program, which includes the Montessori philosophy along with academic time suited to preschool aged children to accommodate her own gifted preschooler, but also address the needs of all children. Cyprus was born in 2005 and opened its doors in a church room with 5 students.

With the knowledge that there are no suitable options for gifted students in the area, Michelle designed a unique elementary program specifically for students who are in the gifted range and could accommodate even the most profoundly gifted students while giving them same age AND same ability peers. Cyprus offers Classical kindergarten through fourth grade, with ability-based rather than age-based classes and a very in-depth, full-day, enriching curriculum. Cyprus has doubled in student population in the last year and will continue grow with our students, adding a grade each year!

While spending several years working with academically gifted children, it became apparent that often musical and artistic talent are present too. Michelle felt it was very important to address these talents with the same quality and excellence as Cyprus approaches academics. Although Cyprus has always been very rich in the arts, it now offers a full-scale school for music and the arts open after school hours. Private instrument lessons, art classes, drama, martial arts, science and language classes are offered through Cyprus School of Music and the Arts.

Michelle is currently pursuing certification in Talent Development and Gifted Education through the U of M. Concurrenly, she is pursuing a PhD in Educational Psychology with an emphasis on gifted education. She and her husband, Mike, have three children ages 17, 15 and 7, and she is Founder, Director and Teacher at Cyprus.

Karen Gainor Elementary Lead Teacher; Organizational Director

Mrs. Karen Gainor found Cyprus when looking for a preschool for her gifted sons in 2008. She spent a year as a Cyprus parent and daily volunteer in our classrooms. Beginning in the Fall of 2009, she became a lead teacher in our elementary program. She has a B.A in English and Journalism, an M.A. in English Literature and has nearly completed her PHD in Rhetoric and Technical Communication from the University of MN. She has seven years of experience teaching writing, public speaking, group communication, technical communication and visual design at the college level, but finds some her most gratifying work to be teaching young children. Karen loves geography and learning about our country and the myriad of places in this world. She has 4 years of experience reporting for and editing a bi-weekly newspaper, loves journalism in all forms and believes that the type of questions good reporters ask can be wonderful guidelines for the type of questions all inquisitive minds should hopefully be asking. Karen is quite accomplished at Sudoku and enjoys baking and writing poetry. Karen can be found at Cyprus approximately 7 days each week, working on schedules or planning fantastic and amazing adventures for our elementary students! Her dedication is unsurpassed.

Maggie Page Elementary Lead Teacher; Peace and Conflict Resolution Class; Art

Maggie Page has been teaching at Cyprus since August 2010 when she relocated to the Twin Cities from her hometown of Washington, DC. She first came to Minnesota in 2004 to attend St. Olaf College in Northfield, where she earned a BA in Studio Art with a concentration in bronze casting. While an undergraduate, Maggie had the opportunity to travel three times to Nicaragua to teach English and art, as well as spend two months teaching art and music in Kenya. After graduation Maggie spent one year working as an addictions counselor in inner-city Baltimore before taking a job working with special needs students at a preschool in Belgrade, Serbia. Special education has since become a passion for Maggie, which helped lead her back to the Twin Cities to pursue her M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of St. Thomas, where she now attends classes in the evening. In her (very limited!) free time Maggie enjoys cooking, reading, and art-making of all kinds.

Maggie has the unique ability to teach complex and high level topics to young children and have the information stick! Her creativity is 100% Cyprus!

Casey Englund Elementary Lead Teacher and Spanish Teacher

Ms. Casey Englund started teaching at Cyprus in the fall of 2011 as an elementary and Spanish teacher. She graduated from St. Olaf College in 2008 with a B.A. in Spanish and Psychology. Her passion for the Spanish language and Latin culture has been cultivated and increased as she traveled, studied, and worked abroad in Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico. She is familiar with several different dialects and loves nothing more than the ability to communicate with the interesting and kind people she meets. She has worked in several bilingual jobs, including as a patient advocate and associate educator with Minneapolis Public Schools.

In addition to all things Latin American, she loves the outdoors. She has been privileged to work as a canoe guide, take many different camping trips, and complete an unforgettable internship on a macadamia ecotourism farm in a tiny village nestled between three volcanoes in rural Cost Rica. Other great travels include a month in Nicaragua in 2007 with none other than Miss Maggie Page, teaching English and art. Her hobbies include knitting, spinning wool, running, biking, cross country skiing, and camping. Ms. Englund is very excited to be a part of the Cyprus community. She is inspired by the opportunity to work with intelligent, creative and kind students and staff and to build a unique educational environment that embraces individuals' talents and gifts while fostering and celebrating community. Ms. Englund loves to laugh and values kindness, honesty and simplicity. Feel free to come to her with any jokes, concerns, or stories- she'll gladly listen to them all!

Kelley Thompson Lead Teacher

Keri Jackson Teacher

Dana Koletar

Elementary Math Teacher

Mrs. Dana Koletar has a B.S. in computer science and worked for ten years as a programmer for IBM/Loral/Lockheed Martin. She "retired" to become a full time parent to her three children, who are now 18, 16 and 12. In discovering that her children were gifted, Dana became very involved in education and educational advocacy ultimately receiving the "Friend of the Gifted" award from the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented in 2006 in recognition of her work. Dana has 7 years experience as a Girl Scout leader, 5 years experience as a math team coach, teaching experience at a homeschool co-op for gifted students, 10 years of classroom volunteer experience, and has homeschooled her children at several points in their educational careers. She has also coached Destination Imagination teams with one team achieving Global Finals status. Dana has also started and run an after school activities program at her local elementary school, and founded a local parent support and advocacy group for parents of gifted children. Dana has a passion for math and science education and enjoys passing that on to her students. She also enjoys biking, travel and reading.

Alex Mezeritski Music Director; Music Masters

Alex Mezeritski specializes in developing the talent of exceptional young musicians of all ages and levels, and works with a various groups of Cyprus students in a weekly ensemble called Music Masters, which performs at our school concerts. Alex is an internationally acclaimed, world class pianist and composer from the Ukraine, a country with a rich tradition of excellence in music. He is a prizewinner of several Ukrainian and international piano competitions. He has performed as a soloist and in various ensemble settings throughout Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Russia and other countries around the world. He has been a professor of piano performance at Kherson Musical College. He has also led many Master Classes in piano in Austria and Greece. Alex's original piano compositions and numerous arrangements have been performed throughout the world.

Alex moved with his family to the U.S. in 1997. After becoming involved with the music program and with young musicians who attend Cyprus and seeing firsthand the excellence in education that Cyprus provides, decided to send his own son to Cyprus. He is the Music Director of Cyprus School of Music and of Cyprus Classical Academy.

Julie Lund Music Specialist

Julie Lund began teaching at Cyprus in the fall of 2011. She has previously been Music Specialist at a private school teaching preschool through grade 6, and teaches privately. She is very excited to share her love of music in a classroom setting at Cyprus. Julie has an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls in Vocal, Classroom and Instrumental Music K-12. She has taught many different aged children but is happiest at the preschool and elementary level. She obtained her Master's of Education at Hamline University and continues to attend Orff and Kodaly workshops to further her learning. Julie loves crossword puzzles, reading, knitting, and playing with her three mini long-haired dachshunds, Herman, Honey, and Henry. She also has two human children, Noah and Luke, who are short-haired and grown-up.

Yi-Ling (Ivy) Tai Flanders Mandarin Chinese Teacher

Ms. Tai teaches Mandarin Chinese and Piano in the elementary school and language center, has been teaching at Cyprus since Jan 2011. She finished her Chinese Business degree in Taiwan and worked there until 2009. Before she moved to the Twin Cities from her hometown in Taiwan, most of her jobs over the last 6 years have required strong intercultural communication. In her positions with Taiwanese companies, she was the window of contact between Taiwan and English-speaking countries. She has also traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and America for work and leisure. In her free time, Ivy enjoys painting, creating music, dancing and reading. Children love Ms. Tai, and are always smiling after one of her classes!