2014 Hands for a Bridge Teachers and Coordinators
Tom Nolet
Mr. Nolet, a Hands for a Bridge co-founder, has co-led every trip to Cape Town, allowing 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 28 years. He is the instructor for the Hands for a Bridge class for the 2013-2014 school year and will be returning with the group to South Africa in February, 2015.
Janine Magidman
Ms. Magidman has been teaching for 19 years at Roosevelt High School in the Social Studies Department. She currently teaches Human Geography to 10th graders. As the Yearbook Advisor for Roosevelt, her vision is to ensure that all students at the school are celebrated as essential to the community. Ms. Magidman traveled to Belfast with HFB in 2005 and 2006 and was trip coordinator to Derry/Londerry in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014.
Ms. Magidman has been an indomitable force in the program, and her acute interest and knowledge in international dialogue advances the scholarship in the HFB class.
Carolyn Kenney Hall
Ms. Kenney Hall was the Hands for a Bridge classroom instructor for the 2010 and 2011 school years. She traveled to Cape Town in 2009, and was trip coordinator for the 2010, 2011 and 2014 South Africa journeys.
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. Karen’s last 9 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. She was a leader in the 2013 journey to Cape Town, South Africa.
Kara Macdonald
Ms. Macdonald has been inspiring HFB students since 2008. She has travelled to Northern Ireland three times. Her enthusiasm and positive energy continually buoys all HFB participants. She teaches AP American History and Human Geography.She is currently working on her Masters in Literacy as well as her National Board Certification. She is a leader and coordinator of the 2015 journey to Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Reid Von Pohle
Mr. Von Pohle traveled as a teacher/chaperone to South Africa in 2014 where he kept the soccer ball in action and the poetry flowing.
Riana Nolet
Riana Nolet, because she is a proven organizer and motivator, has been appointed as HFB manager where she oversees fundraising and administrative tasks. A veteran of two journeys as a chaperone to South Africa, she will be returning once again in 2015 where she will keep everyone clearly on the left side of the road.
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.
Siva Narayanan
Siva has been a left handed driver for the 2013 and 2014 journeys to South Africa. His unparalleled humor keeps the bus rockin’.
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.
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.
Mark Wolfe
Mark Wolfe has been involved in Hands for a Bridge since 2003, when his daughter, Arwen, was a Cape Town traveler. He has been master of car washes, photograper extraordianaire, and driver of the big bus for the 2010 Cape Town journey.
Riana Nolet
Riana Nolet joined the 2010 Cape Town travelers as an able chaperone and returned in 2011. Organized and calm, she kept the engines running smoothly.