REDI Lab

List of 4 items.

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  Tom Thorpe

  Director of REDI Lab
  303-986-1501 x2722
  View Bio
  At CA Since: 2012

  Connecticut College - BA
  Fairfield University - MAT
  
  Tom Thorpe teaches Upper School English. He came to CA in 2012 from work at both St. Anne’s Episcopal and Graland Country Day schools in Denver. Thorpe served as Technology Coordinator at St. Anne’s as well as a Global Studies leader there. Prior to that, he worked at Graland as an Eighth Grade English teacher, team leader, Humanities Department Chair, and more. Thorpe co-founded and co-organized the Colorado Global Studies Symposium with Betsey Coleman and Jon Vogels. Prior to working in Denver, he taught English and History at New Canaan Country School in Connecticut. He holds a double major BA in Social/Cultural Anthropology and Religious Studies from Connecticut College, and a Master of Arts in Teaching, with an emphasis on secondary school curriculum and instruction, from Fairfield University. He serves on the Facing History and Ourselves Board, as well as the Rocky Mountain Parents as Teachers Board. Along with being certified in outdoor education, Thorpe presents regularly at local, national, and international conferences on English Curriculum, Technology, and Global Studies. He is Director of the REDI Lab program for Juniors and Seniors.
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  Martha Smith

  Upper School Science
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  At CA Since: 2010

  Colorado College - BS
  University of Colorado - MEd
  
  Martha Smith has been an Upper School Science teacher at CA since 2010. Smith teaches Freshman Biology and Chemistry and is an Upper School advisor. Before coming to work full time, Smith was twice a long-term substitute at CA, teaching courses in Chemistry, Biology, and AP Chemistry. She is a Denver native who received her bachelor's in chemistry from Colorado College. Smith worked as an environmental chemist for three years after college before returning to graduate school. Her MEd is in Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in Secondary Science from the University of Colorado. From there she went on to teach Chemistry and AP Chemistry for six years at Alameda High School.
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  Neethi Venkateswaran

  Upper School English & Math
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  At CA Since: 2019

  University of Rochester - BA
  Harvard Divinity School - MA

  
  Neethi Venkateswaran came to CA in Fall 2019 from the Head-Royce School in Oakland, Calif., where she worked since 2011 as a teacher, STEM Director, Academic Adviser, and leader of the school’s Diversity and Inclusion. She has taught a range of mathematics, including Geometry, Algebra, Precalculus, and AP Calculus AB. Prior to that, she worked as a teacher and resident faculty member at the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, Calif. Venkateswaran has received numerous awards and honors for her teaching and for her own academic achievements, including the Presidential Scholar Award in the Master of Theological Studies Program at Harvard University. She is also a graduate of the Klingenstein Institute for Teachers at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in New York City, and she has taught Indian Dance and is an accomplished violinist.
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  Amanda Zranchev

  Upper School Science
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  At CA Since: 2019

  Colgate University - BA
  University of Pennsylvania - MSEd
  Colorado School of Mines - MCE
  
  

  Amanda Zranchev joined Colorado Academy in 2019 as a part-time REDI Lab instructor while she was completing her master's in engineering at Colorado School of Mines. Since then, she has moved full time to teaching Physics and AP Physics and has enjoyed helping students experience the joy of "math in action." Outside of the Science Department, she has continued to work with the Junior REDI Lab program, where she is continually inspired by students' creativity, problem solving, and community building. Prior to CA, Amanda taught Physics and AP Physics at Deerfield Academy and Trinity School.