The administration and support staff of Mt. Helix Academy is truly award winning. Mr. Collins received TIEE’s Professional of the Year (2000) in recognition of his superb teaching talents. Ms. Dart  (2006), Mr. Reasoner (2008), and Mr. Orozsco (2011) are in an elite group of TIEE personnel who have been honored with TIEE’s Director’s Award for their commitment to the Mission and goals of The Institute for Effective Education. Ms. Stephens was awarded TIEE’s Assistant of the Year in 2000 for her contribution to the ongoing development of Mt. Helix Academy. We are especially proud of our custodian, Danny Orozsco, who is a 1997 graduate of TIEE’s Urban Skills Center and has been our dedicated custodian since that time.

Photo Gallery

Mike Collins, B.A.
Director

Alison Young, B.A.
Assistant Director

Trish Dart, PHR
Hd Bkkpr, HR Mgr

Tom Reasoner, B.A.
TIEE's IT Manager

Karen Stephens
Administrative Assistant

Danny Orozco
TIEE's Custodian

Mt. Helix Academy’s enrichment activities are second to none and that is owing the the team represented here. Ms. Bedwell was honored as Professional of the Year by TIEE in 1999 for her outstanding visual arts teaching and she was honored in 2008 by Artsonia, the online museum of student art, for her role in bringing Mt. Helix Academy fourth place among California schools for its visual arts program. In addition to her outstanding teaching of music for which she was awarded Professional of the Year — 2010-2011 by The Institute for Effective Education, Ms. Sussilleaux is a highly skilled karate black belt who has won many karate competitions and was a member of the U.S. National Team under the International Olympic Committee.

Photo Gallery

Stephanie Bedwell, MFA
Visual Arts

Tanya Sussilleaux, MFS
Music & Performance

Jessica Thompson, B.S.
Computer Literacy & Spanish

The K-5 teaching team includes teachers of students in both the Primary Module (K-2) and the Elementary Module (3-5). The group includes two of TIEE’s Professionals of the Year and five of TIEE’s Paraprofessionals of the Year. Both Ms. Rand (1996), who is the only staff member to have been with the school since its inception in 1983, and Mr. Hanlon (2002) have been awarded TIEE’s Professional of the Year for their consistently outstanding teaching at Mt. Helix Academy. Mr. Hanlon also has been a recipient of a national award.  He was honored by the Association for Direct Instruction as Teacher of the Year (2008). Mr. Hanlon (1997), Ms. Hlavac (1999), Mr. Morgan (2003), Ms. Sharp (2002), Ms. Spoelhof (2009), and Ms. Ziegler (2004) all received TIEE’s Paraprofessional of the Year award.

Photo Gallery

Ellen Foggiano, B.A.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Trish Gallagher, B.A.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Caitlin Gillen, B.A.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Sara Graves, B.A.
Primary Mod Tchr

Mike Hanlon, B.A.
Primary Mod. Tchr.

Christina Martinez, B.A.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Mark Morgan
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Erica L. O'Connell, B.A.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Erin Palkoner, M.A.
Primary Mod. Tchr.

Carol Rand, B.A.
Primary Mod. Tchr.

Melissa Sharp, B.S.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Rachel Spoelhof, M.Ed.
Elementary Mod. Tchr.

Patricia Ziegler
Primary Mod. Tchr.

Mt. Helix Academy’s Middle School team is led by Mr. Mike Collins, Director of Mt. Helix Academy, who was honored at TIEE’s Professional of the Year (2004) for his outstanding teaching at the school. Ms. Sophia Frost, who worked in TIEE’s central administration for many years before taking on her teaching duties, was the first staff member to be awarded TIEE’s Director’s Award (1995) for her contribution to the Mission and goals of TIEE.

Photo Gallery

Suneeta Cohen, B.A.
Middle School Teacher

Claire Dumlao, B.A.
Middle School Teacher

Sophia Frost M.A., MFT, BCBA
Middle School Teacher

John Hudson, B.A.
Middle School Teacher

Marisa Vernac, B.A.
Middle School Teacher

The Coordinator of the AIM HIGH team is Mr. Steve Wheless, who was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2009 by the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Learning Disabilities. Mr. Wheless also was awarded Professional of the Year in 2009 by TIEE. The Lead AIM HIGH teacher is Ms. Marita Morones, who was honored as TIEE’s Professional of the Year (1995) for her excellent teaching in TIEE’s schools.

Photo Gallery

Steve Wheless, B.A.
AIM HIGH Coordinator

Mary Rita Morones, M.A.
Lead AIM HIGH Tchr.

Laura Leo, B.S.
AIM HIGH Teacher

Deidre Melanese, B.M.
AIM HIGH Teacher.