Faculty & Staff Directory

Dennis White came to The Marvelwood School after working for the Greater New York Council, the parent company of the Boy Scouts of America, where he spent two years teaching inner city youth as a guest lecturer in the public school system. He also worked as a camp director for the same organization each summer. Desiring a change from the city life, he came to Marvelwood with his wife, Misty Jordan, who had joined the School as its full time theater teacher.

Dennis teaches 9th grade world history, Lego robotics and 3D sculpture. Dennis enjoys all his classes for many different reasons, and finds it a welcome challenge to demonstrate that history can be interesting and fun. 15 years have past and Dennis still enjoys watching the minds of the students develop over the course of their time at the school. He has enjoyed their creativity and perspective the most.

Overseeing the theatre tech program, Dennis and his student crews create amazing sets for The Marvelwood School's stage productions. Dennis and his wife, Misty Jordan, Director of Residential Life, have two wonderful daughters, Isla and Everleigh.

At Marvelwood Since: 2006
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Theater Tech

At Marvelwood Since: 2012

Joanie went to the Westover School in Middlebury, CT., then to Hartwick College and graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a B.A. in English Literature.

She grew up at Cascade Mountain Winery in Amenia, NY, and worked there off and on for the past 30 years. In 1994, she and her husband settled down in nearby Sharon, CT., where they raised their three kids. In 2000, after teaching a creative writing class at Sharon Center School in the after-school enrichment program, Joanie was hired by Region 1 to work with the speech pathologist in the Pre-K program at Sharon and the Special Ed department. There she learned about PPT’s, IEP’s, the autism spectrum, and the process of diagnosing learning disabilities and implementing the plans.

When their kids started to play travel sports at an elite level, they traveled the country for games and tournaments. Joanie moved from Sharon Center School to substitute teaching, private tutoring, and coaching. In the summer of 2018, Joanie became certified as a classroom educator in Orton-Gillingham, a specific instructional approach to teaching children with dyslexia and started working at Marvelwood as a Strategies teacher. “I love being a champion for all kids but especially the underdog. I am honored to be a part of such an extraordinary community.” She is now working on her O.G. practicum at Marvelwood and Kildonan.

Joanie has done extensive volunteer work in the community, including the Arts Fund for Region 1, The Housatonic Musical Theatre Kitchen Tour, the Region 1 Athletic Fund, Sharon Parks and Rec and is currently the Senior Warden at Christ Church Episcopal in Sharon.

She and her husband Walter still live in Sharon. They can be found chasing their three grown “kids” around the country or most likely at a baseball game where their son Willy is an infielder for the Baltimore Orioles organization.

At Marvelwood Since: 2018

Michaela joined Marvelwood fresh out of college, bringing her knowledge of being a college admissions tour guide and executive board member with her. During her time at Muhlenberg, Michaela studied Anthropology and partook in archaeological research regarding Black history in rural Pennsylvania.

In her free time, Michaela enjoys reading (her favorite is "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman), hiking with her dog Frida, and doing carpentry projects. Being new herself, Michaela is very excited to join the Marvelwood community as an admissions associate and is eager to begin showing families and their students how welcoming and encouraging the Pterodactyl community is!

At Marvelwood Since: 2024

Monica is a native Spanish speaker from Argentina. She brings over 20 years of experience to Marvelwood teaching Spanish and English in public and private schools abroad. She has taught Spanish to all ages--elementary students to college-aged students.

Monica also brings experience in the corporate world as she has had a successful career translating technical scientific documents, books, essays and research papers for many leading U.S. academic publishers.

Monica comes to Marvelwood from Choate Rosemary Hall, and prides herself on her creative and innovative teaching philosophy.

At Marvelwood Since: 2022
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Recreational Skiing, Outdoor Adventures

Kym graduated Terryville High School in 1995. She began working as a Corporate Travel Consultant for Shuttle America Airlines, Tour and Travel Inc. and American Express Business Travel. After a series of tragic family events, Kym decided to walk away from the corporate world and set her sights on a slower, more meaningful career and started her photography business K.Zwick Photography. Kym's work has been published in West Hartford Magazine, Connecticut Magazine, and various news outlets. She prides herself on her work with the CT chapter of March of Dimes and St. Francis Hospital NICU in Hartford CT. Kim's love for all things beautiful, brought her to spend her free time in the garden cultivating beautiful flower gardens and fresh organic produce. Kim's love for cooking brings the garden to the table, creating fresh and healthy meals for those she loves. Kym enjoys the connection the garden brings, with all that see its beauty and purpose while teaching the importance of our local agriculture and sustainability. Kym resides in Sharon CT, with her husband Kevin, and their cat and dog, Pebbles and Doc.

At Marvelwood Since: 2023
Athletics/After-School Activity Assignment: Gardening