Ben Conte will be starting his first year at ELM teaching third grade!

Ben loves to work with youth and has done so in various capacities. He has worked as a counselor for several summer programs including Upward Bound, an academics focused summer camp for underprivileged youth and Visions Service Adventures, a summer adventure camp in which participants travel to underdeveloped parts of the world to perform service work and explore different cultures.

For the Year of the Horse Ben identifies with the Mustang. The Mustang is a feral horse found in the western United States. Originally these were Spanish horses that were stolen by the Native Americans or were freed in other ways. These were the horses which changed the lives of the Native Americans of the Great Plains who used them for hunting, for battle and for faster travel. Ben identifies with the Mustang because of its close connection with the natural world and its significance in Native American culture.

Ben has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Plymouth State University and a Master of Arts in Spanish from the University of New Hampshire. He has taught Spanish at the university level for two years and has also taught seventh grade Spanish for six months at Plymouth Elementary. In addition, he has worked as a private tutor for both children and adolescents. Besides teaching Ben also loves the outdoors. When at home in Maine he enjoys going to the beach and surfing, or hiking in the mountains.

Dave Wilkinson is looking forward to working with the students at Escuela Las Morochas. After spending four years as a private tutor, he is looking forward to having his own classroom. He will be working with students in both Lower and Upper School as the drama teacher, which is fulfilling a fifteen year aspiration. He will also be teaching English, American History and Mathematics in the Upper School. Additionally, he will be working with English as a Second Language students in Lower School. As you can see, he will be balancing a variety of classes and levels. He is joined by his wife, Reada, and their daughter, Lina.

The breed of horse that Mr. Wilkinson identifies himself with is the Shire horse. Originally bred for warfare in the middle ages, the Shire is larger breed with a gentle disposition. Throughout history the Shire has needed to adapt to multiple changes. From carrying heavily armored knights, pulling plows, transporting trees for lumberjacks, or pulling ale carts from brewery to pub, their strength and adaptability has kept the Shire horses in service throughout the ages. In the past year alone Mr. Wilkinson has lived in 3 countries, began a new job, and has become a father. Needless to say the constant this past year has been change, so he has had to become quite adaptable like the horse. Mr. Wilkinson also believes in strong honest work which has been a staple of the Shire’s life since the beginning.

Mr. Wilkinson graduated from Ashford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a concentration in Education. He is working to earn his Master Degree in International education through Framingham State College.

Lily Munoz has worked at ELM since 1998 She spent 3 years teaching Spanish K-12 and this will be her 10th teaching in ECE. She will be teaching ECE I .

Lily loves to spend time with her family and loves to see her young students grow happy, comfortable and independent at school. Lily was a presentor last year at the VANAS converence in Caracas, where she enjoyed presenting to her international colleagues. She has been trained to be part of the Zoo- Phonics Team and teaches ESL in ECE I. She recorded her first CD " How Fun It Is to Sing Children's Songs" last year. Proceeds from the sale of this CD helped support ELM's 2009-2010 Yearbook.

For the Year of the Horse, Lily identifies with Draft Horses, which have a patient personality.

Lily earned her Science and Language Arts degree as an Educator at Universidad Experimental Rafael Maria Baralt. In her spare time, she likes to do Community Service, read the Bible, and cook.

Lon Eilers will be teaching English 2, Math 1, Social Studies A, SAT Prep, and an assortment of ESL classes. Lon Eilers is beginning his first year at ELM. He has been in the education profession for 28 years with experience as an Elementary Teacher, K-12 Guidance Counselor, and Director of Instruction. He and his wife Lori have taught in Texas, Syria, Indonesia, and China.

For the Year of the Horse, Mr. Eilers feels he would make a terrific “Merry-Go Round Horse”. The Merry-Go Round Horse is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with rows of wooden horses mounted on posts which are moved up and down.

The Merry-Go-Round Horse represents what life means to him. Life is a continuous large circle which never stops revolving. Within this continuous cycle there are many ups and downs. Without ever experiencing the downswings in life Mr. Eilers would never be able to appreciate when his horse in on the upswing. The wonderful thing about the Merry-Go Round Horse is that there are an equal amount of upswings as downswings. One can only hope that your horse is as up and down as mine. The Merry-Go-Round Horse is an amusement ride that has for hundreds of years entertained adults and children from around the world. Mr. Eilers believes that whenever you feel your horse has experienced too many downswings, get off and laugh as loud as you can, jump back on and start all over again.

Mr. Eilers graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education from Northeast Missouri State University and was awarded his Masters degree from Texas A & M Kingsville. Lon and , Lori were able to bring their two dogs with them to Venezuela; and they will be spending most of their free time exercising and playing with Blair and Sugar.

Lori Eilers will be teaching 1st and 2nd grade for her first year at ELM!!

This is her 21st year of teaching. Most of her experience is teaching lower elementary school in the state of Texas. Lori and her husband have taught overseas in Syria, Indonesia, and China. They both love to experience the diversity of cultures found throughout the world.

Lori enjoys working with young children because they are so eager to learn new skills and every day is different. Math is her favorite subject to teach, although reading is a close second.

Lori was born and raised in southern Maine and is a graduate of the University of Maine at Orono. She moved to Texas in 1990 and currently owns a house near Lake Somerville.

She relaxes by reading mysteries and taking her dogs for long walks in the state park.

Ms. María José González is exited to start the school year, “The year of the Horse” with the strength and speed of the “Arabian horse”, while teaching Spanish here at ELM.

In addition of being a ELM’s Spanish teacher, Ms. González will continue to assist and support our ECE program with great spirit and enthusiasm.

Ms. González, holds a Degree in Early Childhood Education from UNIOJEDA University, located in Venezuela. She also has six years of teaching experience; working with students of different ages in several private and public schools. Most importantly, she has had the unforgettable experience of sharing with students who have special needs. Maria Jose lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she studied and increased her English speaking skills.

She loves dancing, modeling, arts and crafts, and she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves to read and is always whiling to increase her knowledge and learn something new to share with her students.

Ms. Mile Rojas de Uribe is ELM’s Librarian and a great deal more! The year of the horse will be her second year at ELM. She will be working with the ECE TEAM, she will teach Technology to our young students and she will read books to them at the library. She also will be teaching technology to the lower school students,

She identifies with the seahorse. These charismatic animals resemble little chess knights and in ancient times, they were regarded as part fish and part horse. The seahorse swims upright with his tail down and his heads up, the seahorse has a dorsal fin that moves him forwards. Like the seahorse, Ms. Mile is looking forward to the future with joy and excitement.

Ms.Mile celebrated her marriage to Javier Uribe over the summer! Her hobbies include snorkeling and cooking.

Reada Wilkinson is very excited to be joining the ELM community with her husband, Dave, and daughter, Lina. Reada will be teaching the Grades 4/5 split classroom, working with the highest levels of Math and Reading in the Lower School, and serving as the Lower School Coordinator.

As it is the Year of the Horse, Reada has chosen the Exmoor Pony as her kindred spirit in the equine world. Like the Exmoor Pony, Reada is trustworthy and hardworking. She works until the job is done, and she will play the role needed to help the team. The Exmoor Pony has had several roles over the centuries and has proven to be very adaptable. In her eleven years of teaching, Reada has taught self-contained and resource special education classes, second grade, and fifth grade. She also spent 2 years as a full-time professional developer for the Houston Independent School District. Reada likes to work with the students and share her love for learning, just as the Exmoor Pony is often the horse that opens up the world of riding to children.

Reada has a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and a Masters of Education from the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, Texas.

Reada is looking forward to a wonderful school year!

Sieneh Wold will be teaching kindergarten for the 19th time this year – her fourth year at ELM! She loves to read herself, and works hard to instill a love of reading in her young students. Sieneh is now a certified trainer for the Zoo-Phonics program – a phonics-based reading program that works especially well with students who have limited English. During her time at ELM, Sieneh has redesigned the Early Childhood Education Curriculum to include a stronger focus on reading and writing.

For the Year of the Horse, Sieneh identifies with the Andalusian horse. These beautiful horses, sometimes called “Pura Raza Española,” were valued by the nobility as war horses. During the 15th and 16th Centuries, the Spanish monarchs gave these elegant horses to kings across Europe as a gift of diplomacy. In modern times, director Martin Campbell selected this breed of horse to be ridden by Zorro in the movie “The Mask of Zorro.” For everything from A (Andalusian) to Z (Zorro), Sieneh identifies with this breed because in her class students learn to read!

Sieneh is a graduate of Vassar College and holds a Masters from Northwestern University of Louisiana. She is a talented gourmet chef, always on the look-out for new recipes and ingredients! She also enjoys travelling, and her favorite place to visit in Venezuela is Merida. . . the climate reminds her of San Francisco.

Ms. Trudy Crossbourne is very excited to be starting her fourth year here at Escuela Las Morochas. She will take on a new role as the Upper School Coordinator; while continuing to work with students in the areas of Math, Science and Technology. As a Science teacher, she tries to get students enthused about her field by creating practical hands-on experience wherein students get the opportunity to apply the scientific process to solve problems of interest. She also tries to dispel, the all-too-common fear of Mathematics by getting students more comfortable in applying their critical thinking and problem solving skills. During her tenure here at ELM Ms. Crossbourne has also shifted the focus of Technology to incorporate a Graphic Design component which involves corroborative work on the school yearbook.

Ms. Crossbourne is a true “life-long learner”; she holds a BSc. in Molecular Biology, Chemistry and Spanish from the University of the West Indies and recently earned her MA in International Education from Framingham State College. She intends to begin learning a third language during this academic year.

During this, the year of the horse, Trudy most identifies with the Arabian horse because they share similar personalities. Arabian horses are well-known for being very affectionate as they bond well with humans. Their stamina and agility make them the preferred horses for endurance activities. They are also commonly used with those learning to ride as well as for therapeutic rides because of their friendly nature and willingness to work.

Within her family and amongst her friends and peers Trudy is considered a caring person who forms strong bonds with others. While she wouldn’t necessarily consider herself agile, She is a resilient person who accepts any challenge presented with every intention of succeeding!

In her spare time Trudy enjoys reading novels, listening to music, baking and volunteering with Kiwanis International.

Mr. Zuri Richards is excited to be starting his third year, here at Escuela Las Morochas, where he will continue to provide technology support services. Mr. Richards has over seven years experience in systems information technology, managing networks, both locally and internationally. This is his second time working in a school environment. He spent three years working, in the administrative office of the Mona Preparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica. He then moved on to pursue his passion in systems technology, and is currently working on completing his CISCO CCNA certification.

During the Year of the horse, Zuri identifies with the Thoroughbred. When you hear the word thoroughbred, the first thing you think about is racing and speed. They are known for agility, speed and spirit. Among his family and peers, he is known for just that; racing and speed. He has a passion for motor racing, a history of only purchasing fast cars and, in addition, modifying them to go even faster. He is usually at the track watching races and sometimes even serving as a marshall at these race events. Naturally, he is also very quick paced when walking and working, so at times, it may be hard to keep up with him. His lively and good-natured personality is a reflection of his spirit. Therefore, he is definitely the thoroughbred of the ELM team.

In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music, and sometimes even creating music. He also enjoys playing video games.