Specialists

Florence Sherrill Duarte,

Middle School Technology & Digital Movie Making 6

Ms. Florence Duarte is the 6^th grade Digital Movie Making teacher as well as the middle school computer specialist. She was born in São Paulo, was raised in Rio de Janeiro, and has lived in Salvador, Bahia; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; and Washington DC. She went to college in the US and in Brazil, and has four different degrees: a B.A. in biology, a Brazilian and a US teaching certificate in secondary science, and a master’s degree in secondary science education. Before coming to EARJ, she taught at the Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia and at the Washington International School in Washington DC.

Ms. Florence worked at EARJ from 1983 to 1993, and has been back since January 2002. At EARJ she has taught lots of different subjects like IB chemistry, 10th grade Biology, 9th grade IPS and Middle School science. Currently, she works in the art and technology departments as the Digital Movies teacher and as the MS computer lab specialist. Ms. Florence chose to work with technology because, as she says, ”it broadens her horizons,” as it allows her to work with all subjects, teachers, and students. One thing that parents and students should know about Ms. Florence is that she loves being in school. She has also been involved in extra-curricular activities such as robotics, FAISE, and currently runs the middle school activity called Panther Pods.

Some of Ms. Florence’s hobbies include sailing and playing bossa-nova on the guitar. She is interested in almost everything, but dislikes politics. Something that you may not know about Ms. Florence is that her mother also taught at EARJ. Mrs. Elisabeth Bowker Sherrill was head of the English department back in the 1970’s . You may also not know that Ms. Florence comes from a family of Episcopal missionaries. Her father is the retired Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Brazil, Edmund Knox Sherrill.

Written by Maria Antonia Dunin

Revised by Florence Duarte

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Jennifer Coleman, Learning Specialist

Ms. Jennifer Coleman was born in Los Angeles, California, where she lived initially. She also resided in Virginia, U.S.A, in Spain and in Brazil. She attended Loyola Marymount University, where she got her BA degree in Psychology Education, and then her MA in Special Education.

She worked in a Washington DC school before coming to EARJ, where she has been working for eight years. At EARJ she held several jobs among which are Lower School Learning Specialist, Middle School Learning Specialist, Upper School Learning Specialist and Student Services Department Head. She chose this field of study because she has always enjoyed helping people; when she was growing up, she volunteered to help people with special needs.  Ms. Jennifer wants parents and students to believe that in her classes all students can be successful. 

Other activities in which Ms. Jennifer is involved at EARJ comprise of FAISE and SOS club. Outside work she likes to travel, read books, cook, exercise, and walk on the beach with her family. She has two daughters called Sofia and Stella.

Written by Nicolas Cavazzoli 

Revised by Jennifer Coleman

 E-mail Ms. Florence

Luiza Maia,

Luiza Maia was born in Curitiba, in the State of Paraná, Brazil. She has lived in the United States of America, in Japan, in South Africa and in Rio de Janeiro.  She did most of her studies in Brazil: she graduated from UERJ with a degree in English; she also has a degree in Education from Notre Dame College in Rio de Janeiro.  Ms. Luiza has a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from the University of Southern California, USA, and she has also studied for a Ph.D. in Education, at the same American university, but she stopped at the beginning of her dissertation. Before she came to EARJ, she worked at other international schools in Rio and abroad; she also worked at language institutes.  She has been a language teacher in Middle and High schools as well as in colleges; she has also been an elementary teacher for a good part of her career.

Ms. Luiza is in her sixth year here at the EARJ as an ESL specialist at the Middle and Upper schools. She said that she has chosen teaching ESL because English is her second language too and because she has always enjoyed being a teacher. Ms. Luiza also helps teachers to learn more about ESL and Differentiated Instruction; and she is part of the teachers’ social committee.

Teaching is not the only thing that Ms. Luiza does in her life. She likes to watch movies and she enjoys reading, but her favorite activity is traveling. Ms. Luiza wants all parents and students to know that “Speaking several languages and learning about other cultures is very important to make the world a friendlier place.”

Written by Nicolas Cavazzoli 

Revised by Jennifer Coleman

 E-mail Ms. Florence