SPANISH TEACHER

Dottie continues her mission of teaching for life, joining Greenwood after retiring from public education. She earned her BSEd and MSEd from Temple, MSEd in Technology at Wilkes, and has taught since 1968. Her ancestors were martyred Christian teachers and she strives to support their belief that teachers are to serve the main dish of life with strength: Dignity Integrity Sincerity Humility, served with Christian love. Her ancestors and Spanish teacher would also expect that rather than retire, she devotes her life to the life-long responsibility of educating others.

EARLY SCHOOL TEACHER
1st Grade

Shannon is a passionate and talented educator with over 20 years of teaching experience and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She is committed to early childhood education that cherishes student curiosity, meets students at their individual levels and creates classroom experiences that encourage a love for learning.

EARLY SCHOOL TEACHER
Pre-K

Tori comes to GFS with over 10 years of educator experience. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mansfield University and a Master’s of Elementary Education from Bloomsburg University. With experience in both Early Childhood education, and many of the primary grades through 4th, Tori is a great fit for Greenwood Friends, knowing that our teachers interact with all ages. Tori and her husband, Troy, live in the Berwick area with their 2 adorable pups. They enjoy reaping the efforts of their garden, and have become an unbeatable canning team.

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL TEACHER
Grades 2-3

Marie currently teaches 2nd and 3rd grade and first joined the GFS Faculty as a long-term substitute in January 2018. She has a B.S. in Marketing with a minor in Economics from Penn State University and has earned a post-graduate diploma in Education from the University of South Florida. Marie and her family spent 18 years overseas, living in Seoul, South Korea, Paris, France and Hong Kong before returning home to Pennsylvania. She has taught in international schools in Hong Kong, and has also substituted in the public school system in Pennsylvania. Marie is passionate about building meaningful relationships with her students to promote feelings of connection, value, and respect.

ART TEACHER

Since graduating from the University of Connecticut earning a BFA with a concentration in photography, Ruth has worked as a creative director at a graphic design firm, and has exhibited her work internationally. She also makes art jewelry and has been published in several books. Ruth lives in Bloomsburg with her husband, and two daughters who are enrolled here at Greenwood Friends School.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER
Grades 7-8

Deb is a veteran educator who loves middle school the best of all. She is passionate about social justice and creating welcoming and inclusive communities for students. Deb has many years of experience leading transformative field trips and enjoys constructing project-based learning experiences. Deb studied American Literature, has a BA in Educational Studies, and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a member of NCTE, an occasional attender of Millville Meeting, the co-coordinator of Greenwood’s Pandemic Team, and a member of the Quaker Life Committee.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Portia Brandt has come out of retirement to serve as Head of School at Greenwood Friends. Her past experience includes serving as Superintendent of the Muncy School District for six and a half years, Principal of the Muncy elementary school for seven years, Principal of three elementary schools in the Shikellamy school district for two years, among other educational roles. Portia has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Delaware, a Master's of Education degree from Bloomsburg University of PA, and a Doctorate in Education Administration from Widener University. Portia's two sons attended Greenwood Friends School in the 1980s. She also taught at Greenwood and for many years served as a Board Trustee.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Shelley joined the Greenwood Friends School community in 2014 and has been very happy to work in such a caring environment. Shelley earned an A.S. degree from Brandywine College and majored in business education at Bloomsburg University. Her professional background is in human resources and public administration. For many years, she served on various community boards and committees throughout Columbia and Montour Counties.

BUSINESS MANAGER

Jody Love joined GFS in January 2017 as the Music Teacher and then joined the Administrative Team in the Summer of 2018. She spent the majority of her career in higher education administration before taking time to raise her two children (Juliana, 19 and Dallas, 13) and establish a family construction business. Jody holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Science in Technology Education, both from Mansfield University of PA, and is a QuickBooks certified bookkeeper. In her free time, she enjoys supporting her children in all their endeavors, spending time with her amazing husband Bob, singing alongside the talented members of the Williamsport Civic Chorus and making crowd-pleasing music with her bandmates in Strawbridge.

BUILDING, GROUNDS & STEWARDSHIP

Dylan oversees our Grounds & Facilities and is our “Stewardship” teacher. Dylan earned a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2004. He moved to Seattle and worked at a Native American Youth Home, and then moved to Philadelphia and worked with the LGBTQ+ community and West Philadelphia Alliance for Children. Later, he helped run an organic café/bakery with his partner, Liz Begosh, in Center City. They moved to Greenwood Township in 2020 and their child attends GFS. Dylan is a permaculturist and an avid follower of the natural sciences.

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL TEACHER

Grades 4-6

Alexus graduated from Bloomsburg University in December of 2019 with a BS Ed in Early Childhood Education and a minor in special education. Since graduating, she has been a substitute teacher in multiple school districts, and occasionally did some long-term substitute teaching in grades K-12. She was also employed for a brief time in a school district as a remote, and then in-person, second-grade teacher. Alexus left that district in pursuit of a school that shared her belief that social/emotional/and creative learning is equally important to the more "traditional" learning needs. Alexus is extremely excited to join the Greenwood Friends School and continue her teaching journey within this creative and accepting community! She is looking forward to building meaningful and lasting relationships, not only with the students, but with the families, faculty, and community that surrounds GFS. Alexus currently resides in Montoursville with her fiancé, Brent, and their cats, Louise and Archer.

EARLY SCHOOL TEACHER

Kindergarten

Ariana graduated from Susquehanna University in 2021 with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. She joined Greenwood Friends School last year as a long-term substitute and quickly developed a love of teaching. Ariana cherishes the opportunity to build lasting relationships with her students, letting them know they are cared for and valued. She enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with her family.

MUSIC TEACHER

Robin is delighted to be part of a school that fosters anti-bias and kindness. For many years she has taught music stateside as well as English as a second language in Japan. Robin studied Music Education at Indiana University of PA, Elementary Education at Saint Bonaventure University, and Educational Psychology at Penn State. She loves helping students to accompany their singing and to learn about different cultures through music. When not teaching, Robin works in energy healing.