Hands For A Bridge

HFB Staff

2011 Hands for a Bridge Teachers

Tom Nolet

Mr. Nolet, a Hands for a Bridge co-founder, has co-led every trip to Cape Town, allowing seven years of SA travelers to start their days to the sounds of a harmonica, bridge the chasms all day long and finish with poetry and songs in their hearts. Mr. Nolet is currently the Language Arts Department Chair, and has taught Language Arts at Roosevelt High School for 24 years.

Kara Macdonald

Ms. Macdonald is the program manager for the 20010-2011 school year. Her enthusiasm and positive energy continually buoys all HFB participants. She is also the coordinator of the 2011 trip to Northern Ireland.

Janine Magidman

Ms. Magidman has never strayed far from the HFB fold, and her acute interest and knowledge in international dialogue advances the scholarship in the 2011 group. Sha also serves as a coordinator of the 2010 trip to Northern Ireland

Carolyn Kenney Hall

Ms. Kenney Hall is the instructor of the Hands for a Bridge class. She meets with the students daily, and is the principal source of inspiration for the entire group. She also serves as coordinator of the 2011 journey to Cape Town.

Rik Katz

Rik joined the HFB teacher group in 2009, and has helped to facilitate fundraisers, meetings, and social events for parents and students. An energetic teacher of Human Geography, he is a font of resource for HFB.

Karen Grace

Ms. Grace traveled to Cape Town in 2006 and 2007. She is a member of the Hands for a Bridge Board of Directors. Though not traveling in 2011, she is a acutely involved in the planning and implementation of all HFB events. Karen’s last 7 years at Roosevelt have found her teaching AP US History, Ceramics, Drawing and Painting, and the 10th Grade Block. She also designs the scenery for Roosevelt Drama’s spring musicals. In August 2006, Karen helped RHS Drama take the show on the road to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

HFB EMERITI

Doug Holwerda

Doug Holwerda co-led the Belfast trips in 2005 and 2006 as well as breaking new ground (again) taking the 2007 group to Derry/Londonderry. After 12 years as a teacher, Doug became a Mental Health Counselor, primarily focusing on youth. He worked at Roosevelt High School since 2003, working with individual students to address individual problems and working with groups of students to clarify values and goals. Doug has been involved with anti-violence, cross cultural awareness, boys to men, crisis intervention and sexual orientation groups with students. He believes that the antidote to problems is to create a life that is purposeful and meaningful. He is a master of Creative Play and Speed Scrabble.

Francene Watson

Danny Rock

Mr Rock, another co-founder of Hands for a bridge, co-led the first three trips to Cape Town in 2002, 2003 and 2005, before crossing over to the Belfast group in 2006. An articulate spokesperson, he provided much of the spark and vision for this program's continuation.

Jennifer Smith

Ms. Smith first traveled to Cape Town, South Africa in February of 2005, the year that HFB first formed its connection with Bellville High School. Since then, Jen has traveled twice more to South Africa, and in 2007, she took on teaching the Hands for a Bridge class to help prepare students to travel to either Northern Ireland or South Africa. Jen taught for eight years at Roosevelt High School but has since relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania where she teaches at Parkland High School.

Web Team

RL "Bob" Morgan

Bob is the new HFB website guy, and is still getting his feet wet.  Bob is the parent of a 2009 RHS HFB student who will be traveling to Northern Ireland.  Bob does computer stuff for the UW.