Administration

Paige Arnell

Head of School

B.A., English, University of Dallas

M.A., English, Middlebury College

Paige Arnell has over 14 years experience working in the field of education. She holds a B.A. from the  University of Dallas and a M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. A graduate class with the renowned British educator Michael Armstrong coincided with the birth of her first child and launched an abiding interest in early childhood education. While her primary focus was originally literacy, her interest has expanded to a broader study of systems of education and how they impact learning for all students. Throughout the years she has undertaken numerous classes in professional development, most recently completing coursework for Creating Cultures of Thinking: Exploring the Purpose and Promise of Schools offered through Harvard’s Project Zero. She is also engaged in a writing and research project exploring the intersection of household technologies and historical studies. 

When she is not immersing herself in all things school, Paige loves to spend time exploring the natural beauty of Central Texas alongside her four children: Althea, Ella, Wren, and Whitman. They also enjoy tasting treats at different bakeries in town and visiting libraries to maintain a steady supply of books. 

Jared Dailey

Dean of Students, Mathematics and STEM Instruction & Athletics

B.A., Mathematics, The University of Texas at Austin

Jared has been at Kirby Hall School since 2006. He teaches Math and STEM and coordinates the MakerSpace program. Jared also serves as a passionate and enthusiastic coach for many of the school’s athletic teams. Prior to joining Kirby Hall, Jared spent two years as the Educational Coordinator, zookeeper, and night watchman at the Austin Zoo. Jared loves all things logical (sometimes even the illogical), sports, and nearly any activity that involves friends and the outdoors. He also loves spending as much time as possible with his family–daughter Greta, son Nolan, and wife Kristin.

Martha Peters

Dean of Curriculum & Spanish Language Instruction

M.A., Romance Languages and Spanish Literature, University of Missouri, Kansas City

Martha is a native Spanish speaker, originally from Mexico, with twenty five years of language instruction. She joined Kirby Hall from Headwaters School (formerly The Khabele School) where she was an Instructor and Director of the Foreign Languages Department.  In addition to teaching introductory levels through Spanish V, she taught Spanish B, Standard Level and Higher Level, of the International Baccalaureate program. Señora Peters’ experience in language instruction encompasses a diversity of ages and settings, which also includes teaching adults in continuing education programs offered by community colleges, as well as private instruction to business executives. Moreover, her experience is not limited to classroom instruction but includes several examples of curriculum development for Spanish programs newly-begun or requiring complete overhauls. These experiences have prepared her for her new role, Dean of Curriculum. She is passionate about teaching Spanish and Hispanic cultures through engaging activities such as storytelling, cooking, art, music, literature, and dance! 

Señora Peters and her husband have a daughter, son, and two grand cats.  She enjoys traveling, reading, going to concerts and dancing. 

Emily Lopez Roberts

Director of Admissions

B.A., Sociology, Texas State University

Emily joined Kirby Hall School in 2018 as the Director of Admissions. Having been a student here at Kirby Hall from kindergarten through graduation in 2011, she is familiar with and passionate about what it means to be part of the Kirby Hall family. Emily graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas State University with a degree in Sociology.  She is delighted to have returned to Kirby Hall as a member of the administration and to share her love of the school with prospective families. In her spare time, Emily enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family.

Claire LaChance

Chief Financial Officer

M.S., Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

Claire is originally from Massachusetts and joined Kirby Hall School in 2008. She earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute followed by an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Claire spent fifteen years working in engineering before relocating to Austin. After her distinguished career in engineering, she trained in accounting, where her analytical and precise mathematical skills have served her well.

Alyssa Drury

Marketing and Communications Officer

 

B.A., French and International Relations, Lake Forest College

Alyssa shares with Kirby Hall School her nearly two decades of marketing experience from a variety of fields. She studied French and International Relations in Chicago and then spent several years working in public relations there prior to returning to her home state of Texas. She most recently served as an independent communications specialist before joining Kirby Hall.  Away from school, Alyssa enjoys multiple books clubs, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their two busy daughters. 

Kylee Nitschke

Staff Assistant

Kylee joins Kirby Hall with enthusiasm for great service and organization! She has spent the last 11 years working in massage therapy and wellness. Kylee owned and operated the ONYX Wellness and Massage Therapy Center and prior to that she was the owner of the Mercantile Zero Waste Goods Company. Kylee also taught cheerleading and gymnastics to children and adults of all skill sets. In her time away from Kirby Hall, she loves spending time outside with her young son, Iroh, crafting and being involved in minimal-waste activism and lifestyle workshops.

Faculty

Emma Chesonis

Second Grade

Teaching Certification: Early Childhood Education

Emma joined Kirby Hall after having moved here from Rochester, NY. She is thrilled to be teaching  second grade with us again! In her spare time outside of school, Emma can be found hanging out with her family, checking out the amazing hiking trails around Austin, painting or cooking.  

Kitric Dixon

Physical Education and Athletics

 

B.S., Kinesiology, California State University San Marcos

Teaching Certification: Physical Education

Coach Dixon is a lifelong enthusiast of athletics, having excelled in many sports himself, and served as a high school football strength and conditioning coach as well as a youth boxing instructor in Southern California.  Prior to his career in education, Coach Dixon was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He was also stationed in Japan where his leadership role entailed ensuring that his platoon met designated Weight and Physical Conditioning standards. While in Japan, he enjoyed volunteering as the basketball coach for a local middle school near his post.

In his free time, Coach Dixon loves spending time outdoors with his family, cheering on his own three children in their sports activities, learning about other cultures and languages, and trying new foods. He loves doing his part to help develop healthy and mentally and physically strong students here at Kirby Hall.

Sydney Loyd

Kindergarten

Teaching Certification: Early Childhood – Sixth Grade

Sydney is a true local and was born and raised in Austin. Following her graduation from The University of Texas at Austin, she jumped right into the classroom teaching first grade. She has been teaching Pre-K for the past several years in South Austin before joining us at Kirby Hall. Sydney has a passion for supporting young learners and instilling a strong foundational love for learning. In her free time, she enjoys cooking new vegan food  and spending time outdoors.  

Nicole Mann

Art

Kirby Hall is thrilled to welcome Nicole as our new art teacher for all grades. She joins us with several years of robust experience in fine arts education having taught on both coasts at Green Farms Academy in Westport, CT and Gateway School in Santa Cruz, CA. Nicole also teaches high schoolers at the neighboring Griffin School here in Austin.

Nicole was raised in Caracas, Venezuela and studied textiles at the Rhode Island School of Design, followed by earning dual masters degrees in art education, and curriculum and teaching, respectively from Boston University and Columbia University, Teachers College.

Outside of school, she operates a small online store selling handwoven goods and enjoys hiking as much as possible with her son Mateo and Vizsla named Cilantro.

Elizabeth McGinnis

PreK4 through Third Grade Spanish

Prior to joining Kirby Hall, Elizabeth taught bilingual Pre-K and Kindergarten in AISD as well as Spanish classes for Eanes ISD and Parkside Montessori. Additionally, Elizabeth spent nearly three years teaching English online to children in China and has experience as a Lindamood-Bell reading instructor. When not teaching, she enjoys yoga, hiking and visiting the beach.

Lynn Mikeska

Drama and Music

M.F.A., Acting, University of Georgia

Much like theatre, Lynn considers teaching to be a collaborative art, learning from her students as much as they learn from her. She comes to us with extensive experience in teaching with prior roles at the Child Development Center at Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, Boston Children’s Theatre, and the University of Georgia.  Most recently, Lynn served as the resident Teaching Artist at the Lake Dillon Theatre in Silverthorne, Colorado. 

Her work with children and young adults in the classroom focuses on creating curious, critical thinkers who recognize the beauty and power of creative self-expression.  Lynn is also a dedicated artist and performer herself with more than 20 years of experience as an actor, writer, musician and puppeteer.

Rosa Perez

PreK4

We are thrilled to welcome Rosa to Kirby Hall and benefit from her more than 20 years of teaching experience. She has worked with children of all ages from six weeks old to teenagers. Rosa is originally from New Jersey but was raised in South Texas from five years old. She earned her education degree from Eastfield College in Dallas and moved to Austin four years ago. In her spare time, Rosa enjoys crafting and being creative, traveling, and also spending time with family and friends.

Lauren Piccone

Fifth Grade through Middle School: Humanities Teacher

Lauren recently moved to Austin from Philadelphia after completing  both her undergraduate and graduate programs at Temple University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Secondary English Education. She spent the last three years teaching middle school English outside of Philadelphia. In her free time, Lauren enjoys running, reading, and going to shows around town. She also adores curating book lists for people.

Claudia Ronchetti

Third Grade

Teaching Certification: Early Childhood – Sixth Grade & Third – Fifth Grade Reading

Claudia is originally from Rochester, NY and has been living in Austin for the past 2 years. She holds a degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan as well as being a certified reading specialist for third through fifth graders. Claudia loves being a part of the Kirby Hall family and is looking forward to her third year at KHS! In her spare time, Claudia enjoys working out, cooking, and, of course, reading! 

Paul Schumann

Lower School: STEM & Fifth Grade through Middle School: Science

M.S., Geology, The University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Paul was born and raised in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York. He studied Geology at both the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, later earning his teaching certificate from LeTourneau University. Paul worked for 15 years in the Environmental Consulting field for several firms across the country before discovering that he loved to teach. Prior to joining Kirby Hall School in 2019, Paul was a science teacher at Connally High School in Pflugerville ISD for 12 years. During his time there, he taught a variety of courses including Chemistry, PreAP Chemistry, IPC and Astronomy. Paul and his wife of 30 years have three children. He enjoys all kinds of music and regularly attends the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Paul also writes online reviews for a popular website on high-end audio equipment.

Erika Watson

Fourth Grade

We are thrilled to have Erika with us teaching at Kirby Hall and sharing her strong background in education and joy of working with children. She graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in Elementary Education along with a minor in Mathematics. She has previously taught Kindergarten as well as 2nd and 4th grades. Erika relocated to Austin from Oxford (in the United Kingdom) for her husband’s work at The University of Texas. While in the UK, Erika was an instructor for 5th grade at a primary school there. In her spare time, she can be found exploring the city’s parks and playgrounds with her two young daughters, Cora and Rhea. 

Christie Webb

First Grade

Teaching Certification: General Education, First – Eighth Grades

Originally from San Angelo, Christie moved to Austin in 2019 to be closer to family.  She has been teaching for more than 30 years in both public and private school settings. She has taught grades Pre-K through fifth, as well as spent several years as a reading specialist.  Christie is thrilled to be teaching at Kirby Hall School.  She loves engaging and motivating children to experience the joy of learning.  Christie believes an atmosphere built on respect, discipline, and love of learning is the basis of a successful classroom. In her spare time, Christie enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, and exploring Austin and the Hill Country.