Rhonda Bullock

Music Coordinator

Rhonda began volunteering at Fiddlehead in the summer of 2013. After a
year of experiencing the wonder and joy of teaching and learning with children, she moved on from a long and successful career in the business world to start
a new career in education. Rhonda spent her first six years at Fiddlehead School immersed in play-based learning in the Pre-K classroom as an assistant teacher. During that time, she was also able to share her passion for music and playing
the fiddle with the children throughout the school, planting the seeds for Fiddlehead’s music program. During the last several years, Rhonda has dedicated her time and passion as the school’s Music Coordinator. Teaming up with the music teacher and several private music instructors, she ensures that all students have the opportunity to explore and nurture a love of culture, community, and creativity through music. Rhonda shares the gift of music with others through teaching both group and private violin/ fiddle lessons as well as playing and performing with the group Fiddle~icious, Maine’s largest fiddle orchestra.

Heather Milberger

Music Teacher

Born into a musical family, Heather’s earliest memories are of singing in the
church choir alongside her father. A long time music instructor, her father
showed her the joys of teaching music early on. Music took her to study at New England Conservatory in Boston, where she spent five years exploring and expanding her personal style while teaching in the Boston community. Heather deeply values creating a space of expression for young musicians and strives to create community through musical connections.

Heather lives in Portland with her cherished cat Ophelia and is very active in the New England music scene performing her original music.

Dawn Ellen Kirkland

Spanish

Before coming to Fiddlehead in 2019, Señora Kirkland taught Spanish in elementary and middle schools in Portland for several years. Prior to that, she developed and ran a study-abroad semester program in Ecuador that included the study of the Spanish language and Ecuadorian culture. Prior to that, she was an outdoor educator, primarily with Outward Bound schools around the world. Living out of her backpack for a decade, she led hundreds of student groups across the globe in leadership education through outdoor adventures such as mountaineering, backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, and
ropes courses.

Señora Kirkland has traveled, worked, and lived in many countries around the world, focusing much of her time in Spanish-speaking countries. She specialized and honed her Spanish language studies in Guatemala and Ecuador where she spent extensive time studying at Spanish language schools and living with local families. Señora Kirkland has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America, and she spent 6 years living on and off in Ecuador where she built a little house in a small, surfing village along the coast. She feels a deep connection to Latin America and its beautiful and varied Spanish-speaking cultures.

Señora Kirkland holds a Masters in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University and a Bachelors in Art from SUNY Albany. She lives in South Portland with her husband and daughter, always eagerly planning their next adventure together.

Katherine Uschmann

Occupational Therapist

Katherine is an Occupational Therapist who loves working with students and
their families. She earned her Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Southern Maine and brings experience from a past career in
business consulting. Katherine believes in the unique value of everyone she
works with.

Katherine lives in Yarmouth with her husband and three children. She is active in her library’s book club and a local artist group.

Beata Welsh

Speech Therapist

I am happy to be returning for another year as a school contracted provider. Having provided speech/language services for over twenty years, my favorite part about therapy is seeing how proud the students’ are when they’ve accomplished skills that were initially difficult. When I am not at school, I enjoy hiking, biking, and camping with my family. I look forward to getting to know the students and assisting them in being the best communicators they can be.

Amy Arsenault

Atelierista (Art Teacher)

Seal Rossignol

Outdoor Learning Coordinator

Kelly Lancaster

School Social Worker, Pre-K–3rd Grade

Kelly has been a social worker for kids in the school setting for 8 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in child development from The University of Maine. She then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston College. Kelly has worked in early intervention, in-home therapy, and in school settings. She specializes in child-directed play therapy. Kelly loves school social work because it allows her to give students a safe place to express their feelings in playful and creative ways. When not at work you can find her running, baking, and playing with her 2-year-old son, Jack.

Carrie Larson

School Social Worker, 4th–8th Grades

Carrie has been a School Social Worker at the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences since August 2020. Carrie has an extensive history of working with children and adolescents in a variety of settings but has chosen School Social Work as a result of the daily opportunities to interact with young people in a supportive, community-oriented environment.  Carrie is a strong advocate for students, their emotional wellness, their independence and their identity.  When Carrie is not at school, she enjoys being with her partner, her three children and her dog finding ways to laugh.