Trillium Charter School

Kirk Ellis (Middle School Advisor)

I was lucky enough to have started at Trillium in its first year. I came to it with a background that included a degree in theater arts (with the typicalsad story of "poor-working-actor days"), as a musician, a yoga instructor, a professional writer and teacher, and eventually my Master's Degree in Writing. All of these interests found a home at Trillium and I have marvelled at how the community has supported me and the learning of every student, encouraging us all to play, explore, and express ourselves at school. This job has become a labor of love and a place of personal transformation. I am grateful to every student that I have worked with, and will work with, as we unlock our evolving interests and create an environment that lets us grow into life-long learners. Trillium is unique is its ability to flexibly reinvent itself, through an amazing and loving staff and parent community, to be a place that works for students from so many backgrounds. I was born in San Diego, and I moved to Portland in 1994. I'm married and have a young daughter named Leia. Over the course of my life I have fallen back on one essential point again and again that allows me to teach - no matter what we show and tell other people in our lives, it is really reflecting back to us some truth about ourselves. I like to believe this allowsme to look at each student in a new, fresh light every day and look at myself as having changed alongside them with each of their discoveries, making it a great adventure. I have too many interests to name and too many wonderful experiences to share only a few. I look forward to working with and learning from kids every day.

Click here for Kirk's blog.

Nina Thompson (Middle School Advisor)

Click here for Nina's blog.

I love all things science and geeky. I am overjoyed to be in a place where I get to share that joy with the people around me (and occasionally cause small explosions). After  having a wild time in the rain at campouts, enjoying spontaneous games of dodgeball, regular games of kickball, intense project nights and all the other fun things we get to do in the middle school program I am honored to be a part of the world of such an exciting, growing, and maturing middle school program.

Since being at Trillium I've had the opportunity to participate in the Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program where students use Lego NXT robots to complete "missions" and develop a "research team" to investigate and come up with creative solutions to real world problems.

I'm from Oregon, attended University of Oregon for an undergraduate B.S., attended University of Portland for my masters degree, and Portland State University for a few "certification programs" such as E.S.O.L. and continuing licensure. I've taught in a mainstream high school for 7 years, tutored and taught SAT prep workshops at S.E.I., taught Astronomy in community colleges, participated in the Partners in Science Program investigating Binary Star systems at Lewis and Clark College, and am glad to have arrived at Trillium Charter School.

Since being here I've taught chemistry, biology, physical science, geology, astronomy, and lego engineering. I've coordinated students participating in projects related to urban ecology, which was somewhat like trying to steer a team of horses going opposite directions. I look forward to learning, steering, and coordinating classes of the future.

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Kurt Maier (Middle School Advisor)

Click here for Kurt's blog.

The son of a law professor and an elementary school teacher, I am genetically engineered for this job. I have no real choice in the manner. The only place I attended from kindergarten to 12th grade was a small independent school whose motto is "Freedom in Learning." This liberal bastion my hometown of Nashville, TN was truly a home away from home. It was there that the nurture combined with my nature and it was only a matter of time until I became a professional teacher. From years in the Blue Ridge mountains teaching at a therapeutic wilderness education program for emotionally impaired adolescents, to a decade at a public alternative high school for at-risk teens, I knew always wanted to end up in a k-12 setting with "normal" kids. When my wife and I moved to Portland in 2006 I was thrilled to discover Trillium.

When not teaching (and often when I am!) I love playing West African drums, reading, yoga, playing strategy games, trying new things, spending time in the wilderness and meditating. I have recently come to truly appreciate beauty of impermanence in our lives.

At Trillium, I have found a perfect place to continue to nurture my own love of learning and at the same time provide others with the caring encouragement that so many wonderful teachers had given to me. And thankfully, neither Trillium nor my students are anything but normal.

Amy Stuhr (Middle School Advisor)

I have been a Middle School Advisor now for almost two years. I am committed to Trilliums philosopy of teaching to and nurturing each child's inherent curiosity, creativity and connection to community. I believe in teaching in a way that supports diverse learning styles and use democratic processes to help students grow fully as human beings and contribute to and enhance the world.

I came to Trillium as a parent of kindergartners. I was looking for a school with mixed age classrooms with an alternative curriculum and a smaller classroom size. I ended up spending the year in the classroom with my new-to-school five year olds and fell in love with Trillium.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, I moved to Portland in 1989. I knew I did not want to teach. It looked too hard. I spent the next fifteen years working with children and families, mostly in school settings, but kept a distance from classroom teaching. I always gravitated toward middle school students, working at Binnsmead Middle School and Open Meadow Alternative Middle School in Portland. When I had twins in 2002, I became a full time stay at home parent.

My childhood revolved around helping my mom put up bulletin boards, talking with her as she graded papers and the endless conversations during holiday dinners about curriculum and planning. I had a love hate relationship with school and teaching, but I loved learning. My grades didn't always reflect that.

Click here for Amy's blog.