Special Ed Classrooms   Matthew Schoen, MilD 3-5 Pati Turpin, SLD 4-5 Charlene Weir, MiID K-2
Speech  Candice Noyes, Speech/Language Debra Siegel, Speech/Language   FOCUS Carolann Brown, FOCUS Janie Doroff, FOCUS Julie Harstead, FOCUS Debbie Jackson, FOCUS     Focus Page	Resource/Reading Lisa Dibble, Resource Michelle Rich, Resource Candy Steventon, Resource Anne VanGalder, Resource Mardrey Worthy, Resource Sheri Tolar

Bear Bits about our teachers:

• Matthew Schoen
  
  

• Pati Turpin, 4-5, teacher of students with learning disabilities in grades four and five, grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Classical Studies from Loyola University of the South and began teaching Latin at Brandon Hall School in Dunwoody, Georgia. Following receipt of her Master's Degree from Georgia State University, Ms. Turpin returned to her teaching career in 1997 with Gwinnett County Public Schools. During the 2006-2007 school year, Ms. Turpin also completed a Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Administration in conjunction with Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. Although Ms. Turpin has extensive experience in retail sales and management, her first love has always been teaching, and she plans to enjoy her career as long as possible.
   

• Charlene Weir K-3 (1/2) was born in Chicago, Illinois. She moved to Georgia in 1981 and attended Summerour Middle School and is a graduate of Norcross High School. She went on to attend the University of Georgia--Go Dawgs!--and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She later earned a Master's Degree in Education from Mercer University. Mrs. Weir began teaching in Rockdale County. She came to Gwinnett County Public Schools in 1999, and joined the staff of BLES in 2006. Mrs. Weir is married and has two children.

• Candice Noyes, Speech/Language, has been a resident of Georgia since 1987. She has brought to Berkeley Lake Elementary more than 11 years of expertise in the field of speech and language pathology. Her professional credentials include licensure from the state of Georgia in Speech-Language Pathology and the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the national American Speech-Language -Hearing Association. Ms. Noyes received her Masters degree from the University of Georgia. In 2002 she completed a Specialist's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia.

• Debra Siegel, Speech/Language, was raised in Atlanta. She earned a BA in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Florida in 1996. Debra earned a Master’s degree from the State University of West Georgia.  In 2002 she completed a Specialist's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia. She has been working with students who have speech and/or language disorders at Berkeley Lake since 1996. Debra enjoys the everyday challenges education brings. 
  
  

• Lisa Dibble, Resource, is a part-time resource teacher. This is her third year in Gwinnett County, her first at Berkeley Lake. She been teaching for 13 years and has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Ga. Southern University and a  M.Ed. in Reading, Language, & Literacy from Ga. State University.  She lives in Decatur with her husband, David and her  2 1/2 year old son Luke. They have one cat. Lisa loves to read and play tennis. This summer she spent a lot of time at the pool with her son. She love to travel, especially to the beach.  
  
  

• Michelle Rich, Resource, was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Bachelor's degree from University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood/ Special Education from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She earned an add-on certificate in Interrelated Special Education from University of GA. She has taught in DeKalb and Gwinnett County and has been at Berkeley Lake since 1992.
  
  

• Anne VanGalder, Resource, was born and raised in New York and received her Bachelor's degree from Elmira College in Elmira, NY. and a Master's degree in Special Education from Long Island University in New York. Before settling into the Peachtree Corners area in 1985, Anne taught in the New York city area. Since moving to Georgia, she has taught in private preschool and done educational programming in the private sector. Anne has been serving in the Special Education department at Berkeley Lake since 2004.
  
  

• Candy Steventon, Resource 
   

• Mardrey Worthy, Resource 

• Janie Doroff, FOCUS, grew up on St. Simons Island, GA and moved to Atlanta in 1986. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Master's degree in Reading Instruction with certification in Gifted Instruction. In 2004, she completed her Ed.S degree in Administrative Leadership. Mrs. Doroff began teaching at Centerville Elementary in 1986 and has been teaching at Berkeley Lake Elementary in the gifted program since 1994. Mrs. Doroff lives in the Peachtree Corners area with her husband, son and daughter. Mrs. Doroff was chosen by her colleagues at Berkeley Lake ES as Teacher of the Year in 2003. She enjoys challenging students at all grade levels, so the students' achievements meet their potential.
    

• Julie Harstead, FOCUS,  grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to the Atlanta area in 1994. She is a graduate of Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Elementary Education. Ms. Harstead earned a Masters degree in Education and also obtained her Reading Specialist degree from Bloomsburg University. In 2004, she earned her Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Gifted Education. Ms. Harstead resides in Duluth, GA and has a son and a daughter. In 1996, she was chosen Jackson Elementary School's Teacher of the Year and in 2001, she was named Berkeley Lake's Teacher of the Year. Ms. Harstead enjoys helping children uncover and develop their gifts and passions.
  
  

• Debbie Jackson, FOCUS