Camp Director

Amy Murphy started her Elementary teaching career in the public schools of New York City, and found her calling in Montessori education as a teacher of the multi-age classroom. She honed her skills in teaching, mindfulness, and conflict resolution through Montessori practice.

She taught for twenty years in grades 4-6, having earned her M.Ed from Hunter College in New York and her 9-12 Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. Amy is currently working at Colby college in administration, where she is now assisting college age students. Amy is excited to share her love of learning with students at Sum Camp. She currently lives in Waterville with her two sons, two cats, and two dogs.

Math

Dr. Thomas Klepach received his PhD in carbohydrate biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. He has extensive teaching experience in a wide range of secondary and tertiary educational environments ranging from Colby College and KVCC here in Maine to Texas A&M and Del Mar College in Corpus Christi Texas. He has also taught upper level math and science at Maine Arts Academy (formerly Snow Pond Arts Academy) since its inception in 2016. During his baccalaureate at Eastern Michigan University he trained in the progressive pedagogical techniques of the High/Scope Institute for Ideas, an independent educational institute focusing on early childhood education, as applied to high school aged students at the High/Scope summer camp for teens. He also received the Kaneb Center Advanced Teaching Scholar Certification from the University of Notre Dame during his graduate studies. In addition to his professional pursuits, he was trained as an Ashtanga Yoga instructor in Hamilton,New Zealand during his two year stay there following graduate school. He has also had a modest but successful life as a visual artist and as a musician in several musical groups and is particularly interested in integrating the performing arts into an active learning environment in the core academic courses that he teaches. He enjoys the out of doors all year long, and lives in downtown Waterville with his wife and two young children.

Art Instructor

Holly Hubbard is deeply passionate about providing a solid foundation in the arts, for all of the youngest members of  Waterville’s community, especially as we help them through this pandemic. Art is expressive and the process holds potential for healing and coping with challenges. Wanting to encourage accessibility to promote these benefits, she recently had the honor of collaborating with a team of volunteers, launching the Art Kits for All program with community partners from Waterville Creates! and the Colby College Museum of Art. She believes partnerships like these bring together other passionate educators and supporters in the community allowing for new opportunities, and synergies.

Holly earned her BA in Studio Art and obtained her M. Ed. both from the University of New Hampshire. She holds a Maine State teaching certificate with an endorsement in K-12 Art and is currently working at the George J. Mitchell School as the K-3 Art teacher. She has been an educator for 11 years, has taught in preschool, elementary, middle and high school, in both the public and private settings. She lives in Waterville with her husband, two boys and two cats.

Music

Christine Little has taught dance and creative movement to children and adults for over 20 years! She has a BFA in dance and an MA in music therapy.

Theater

Paul P. Barnes presently teaches sixth grade ELA at the Waterville Junior High
‘School; where he’s been teaching for twenty years! He also works as a Theatre
Director for Thomas College and heads the Thomas College Players Drama
Group. Before working at Thomas, he was the Winter Drama Coach for the
junior high, where he wrote and directed all of his plays. Paul has also worked at
the Hall School when he was involved in an after school drama program for Kids
Express!

Producer — Curriculum Consultant

Scott Taylor is a mathematics professor at Colby College. He earned his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2008 and has lived in Waterville ever since. He has a passion for expanding people’s capacity to learn new mathematics.