Trillium Charter School

Polly Christopher

Polly is a proud parent of six Trillium students ranging from preschool to high school and was a founding member of Trillium Charter School. She has years of leadership experience in Portland Public School special focus programs. She supported and developed non-profit educational and environmental outreach programs. She helped develop community service and service learning programs within the New York and Portland schools. She is a Midwife, a childbirth educator and has taught teenage parenting courses.

After developing Trillium Charter School's preschool program and serving as director and teacher, she now works as a member of Trillium's K-1-2 teaching team. Polly with her colleagues, work closely together to develop exciting constructivist-based learning opportunities for their students. Polly strongly believes in child centered learning that is developmentally appropriate for the wide range of children in her class.
Polly genuinely loves children and is enthusiastic about life. Her energy, love of learning and her openness to all possibilities is reflected in her teaching style and the relationships she builds with her students and their families. Through Polly, young children are instilled with the excitement of life long learning.

Beth Molenkamp (K-1-2 Advisor)

Beth looks at life as an adventure. The responsibility of a teacher is to encourage curiosity and an eagerness to learn in students. Since each and every human is unique education should be unique for each learner. Educational success is tied to emotional well-being and she works to develop a healthy community in her classroom and with other members of the school. Beth worked in Alaska in education for 10 years in the public school system. She taught child development, textiles and nutrition. She has worked with a variety of combined age groups and focused on hands-on learning with a diverse student population. She developed a comfortable haven for students in a large school to feel at home and safe even when class populations increased. She worked for six years in early childhood education developing curriculum, teaching children, and training teachers.

Beth's children have been involved in alternative education since their earliest grades. The project-based activities and room for individual differences and learning styles always appealed to her, as well as the ability to learn a subject in-depth rather than just memorizing for a test. As a parent she has experience starting a new school and working through the challenging first years.

The international focus of Trillium is an important aspect of Beth's background as well. She was an AFS student to South Africa and spent time in Sri Lanka with the Peace Corps. Beth moved frequently while growing up and that experience developed and interest in people of the world. She home-schooled her children for one school year while traveling around the United States so that they could see where history had actually occurred and experience the magic that is the tapestry of the United States.

Beth hopes to put her talents and experiences to use to help Trillium become an exemplary model of constructivist education. She looks forward to helping develop stronger ties as part of the Trillium community.

Whitney Sweet (K-1-2 Advisor)