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PHSSA Staff
Meet the Principal and staff for the 2010-2011 school year. More bios to come.
Principal
Mrs. Boyd
 Pamela L. Boyd will serve as principal of PHSSA, Richmond’s first charter school and the first elementary charter school in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In her most recent administrative position, she served as the principal of Charles City High in Charles City, Virginia, for four years. As principal of Charles City High, Boyd was dedicated to a democratic approach respectful of the differences and talents of the students, while ensuring a safe and nurturing environment.
Boyd brings a wealth of experience from the classroom and administration, and was most recently employed at Henrico, Virginia, at Fairfield Middle School in Henrico, Virginia, as a technology teacher. Prior to that she also served as dean of students, and as an administrator-in-training at Meadowbrook High School, Chesterfield County, Virginia. Boyd also spent 17 years in public education in Maryland and North Carolina.
Exceptional education students have always played a large role in Boyd’s education career. As an educator she was involved in IEP meetings and often taught exceptional education children. She found keeping abreast of current trends and research in exceptional student education was a crucial part of the goal of having all students with disabilities showing annual improvement in academic achievement. This combined with an in-depth knowledge of the rules, regulations, policies and special programs on all levels of government allowed for constant progress to be made toward closing the achievement gap.
Pamela L. Boyd received her Masters of Education in Education Supervision and Administration from Virginia State University in 2005 and a Bachelor of Science, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1986.
Kindergarten
Ms. Dillon
From the time Ms. Dillon was a little girl, it was her dream to be a teacher. When her son went to college, she did too, and she reached her goal seven years ago. She loves spending time with her family on their farm, traveling and exploring new places, and learning from children. She’s very excited to be a part of Patrick Henry School!
Ms. Dillon has a Master’s degree in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BA in Humanities from New College of California. She has a wealth of experience in Exceptional Education, multi-sensory learning, and thematic instruction across grade levels. A self-described “science nerd,” Gayle has served on the teacher advisory board of the Science Museum of Virginia, is a Certified Wetlands Instructor, and led the Children’s Engineering initiative at her former school.
Her interests also include the correlation of exercise to the brain, creating safe and civil schools, and restoring childhood connections to nature through land stewardship. Ms. Dillon has taught enrichment courses on clay animation, engineering, and energy exploration. She spearheaded a school recycling program, and mentored the Ecology Club. She has taught technology to colleagues, presented seminars, and was named her school’s “Teacher of the Year.” Ms. Dillon also participates in numerous community activities, and is a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. Mrs. Dillon can also grow vegetables and knows one magic trick.
Mr. LaPradd
 Creative, innovative, and inspiring instruction coupled with the passion for every child’s success have been the hallmark of Mr. LaPradd’s eleven year career in Early Childhood Education. An advocate for the power of education, he works diligently to share his knowledge with his students, parents, and other educational professionals. Before joining PHSSA, Mr. LaPradd worked as the Lead Early Childhood Educator for PACE Even Start Family Literacy Program with Amelia County Public Schools in Amelia, Virginia. He was instrumental in developing the Early Childhood and Parenting Curriculums for the program. Mr. LaPradd also worked as a Kindergarten and Prekindergarten teacher with school systems in North Carolina. He was a founding faculty member of Vance Charter School, the first charter school in Henderson, NC. Mr. LaPradd is a workshop presenter for the Richmond area PBS Community Idea Station’s “Ready to Learn”, a program which provides workshops for parents and Early Childhood professionals on a range of topics from beginning literacy to healthy lifestyle choices for young children.
Mr. LaPradd holds a BS in Liberal Studies from Averett College. He is currently pursuing an MFA from Hollins University in Children’s Literature. As a Nationally Board Certified Early Childhood Generalist, he has had the opportunity to work with the Virginia Department of Education as the Early Childhood representative on the VA Even Start grant selection committee, as well as, a member of the review committee for the Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds. He has also presented numerous presentations on various Early Childhood Topics at the local, state, and national level.
In addition to teaching, Mr. LaPradd is passionate about swimming, reading a variety of literature, spending time with his cocker spaniel, Rawlee, writing original children’s stories and many other creative endeavors. He is excited about the opportunities to share his knowledge and expertise with PHSSA’s students, faculty, and parents.
“Aspire to INSPIRE!”
Ms. Hines
Ms. Hines is a Richmond native and has been teaching in Richmond for the past 4 years. She began her teaching career at William Fox ES, where she taught 4th grade math and science for 2 years. Most recently she has been teaching 3rd grade at Blackwell ES.
Ms. Hines was in the MFA program at VCU before transferring to the School of Humanities and Science. She received her BS with a major in science and a minor in geography. Additionally she received her Masters of Teaching in Early Childhood/ Elementary Education.
She is excited to implement an integrated curriculum here at PHSSA. Through science, art and hands-on investigations she strives to excite and motivate her students.
First Grade
Ms. Hill
 Ms. Hill graduated from University of Virginia in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. Since graduating, she has been teaching at the primary level for six years and has also completed the requirements to earn her National Board Certification in Literacy. She is eager to meet the students and families of PHSSA and begin working together this year to launch Virginia’s first elementary charter program.
Ms. Medhurst
 Ms. Medhurst is a highly qualified teacher who holds a Virginia PreK-3 Postgraduate Professional License. She earned a master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Old Dominion University and undergraduate degrees in English and Sociology from Mary Washington College. Her six years teaching both first and second grade inclusion and regular education classes in an urban Title I school have provided a breadth of experience that has enabled her to form creative, applicable solutions to real life education challenges. This experience has also reinforced Ms. Medhurst’s belief that all students can learn and enlivened her passion to inspire students to set and reach ambitious goals. When she's not at school, Ms. Medhurst enjoys exploring the James River Park System with her fun-loving Labrador-mix Harrison or sweating it out as she trains for another half marathon. On rainy days, she is often found relaxing in a local coffee shop reading a good book or in her Westover Hills kitchen trying out a new recipe using fresh ingredients from the local farmers market.
Second Grade
Mr. Carter
 This will be Mr. Carter’s tenth year in Education. He is originally from Philadelphia, PA where he worked at a Charter School for three years prior to moving to Richmond, VA. He has also taught in Chesterfield County Public Schools. He currently holds a B.S in Elementary Ed. from Kutztown University and currently working on his Internship to complete his Master's in Charter School Administration and Leadership. He is excited to get started at Patrick Henry. The integrated curriculum will provide the perfect platform for inquiry-based learning and students will be able to retain more information to prepare them for state exams.
Mrs. Tam
 Mrs. Tam just moved to Richmond, VA with her husband and very lazy, lazy dog Waylon.
Mrs. Tam graduated from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She then went back to school and earned her teaching certificate in Maryland. She is currently taking classes through Drexel University to receive my Masters of Education Degree. She has been teaching for 6 years. During that time she has worn many different hats. Those hats include long-term substitute, resource teacher, tutor, second grade assistant, fifth grade teacher, and lastly a second grade teacher. This will be her fourth year as a second grade teacher.
Mrs. Tam’s Mission Statement: It is my mission to bestow a love for learning upon my students. I attempt to teach with a passion for my subject so that my students develop a desire to become life-long learners. Differentiated instruction needs to be at the forefront of this mission in order for the students to grow to their fullest potential. Recognizing students as individuals by placing values on their cultures will play an important role in this mission so that the class can come to an understanding of each other. Once a classroom environment that is based on empathy and tolerance is acquired, I feel that true learning can take place. This includes life skills as well as the academic curriculum.
Third Grade
Ms. Young
 Ms. Young grew up outside Fredericksburg, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2007 with a dual degree in American Studies and Spanish. Through the national teaching corps Teach for America, she spent two years teaching third and fourth grade at IDEA Quest Academy, an IB charter school in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Most recently she’s been working for Living Classrooms, an educational non-profit in Washington, D.C., where she’s been designing and teaching an environmental science curriculum for early elementary students. She has always wanted to teach at a school that shares her interest in social responsibility and environmental stewardship, so she’s thrilled to be returning to her home state to help get Patrick Henry off the ground!
Fourth Grade/Fifth Grade
Mrs. Elias
 Known for living and teaching by the quote “Love the life you live, live the life you love”, Mrs. Elias creates an energetic differentiated learning environment for all of her students. With a background in theatre and music, it’s no surprise that she’s at home in front of any audience, especially her students. Mrs. Elias’ education includes a BA in Communication Arts from Catawba College, a Masters in Education from Mary Baldwin College, as well has her Gifted Endorsement. Some of her awards and accomplishments include “Teacher of the Year” in 2008, one of Style Weekly’s “2009 Richmond’s Top 40 Under 40”, and numerous service grant awards for all of her work connecting schools with their communities. Mrs. Elias spent her first 6 years as an educator, leader, and presenter for Chesterfield County Public Schools. She is very proud of her accomplishments with the “Lunch Date with the Future” program that teaches students manners and etiquette that they share with community members during formal lunches (www.VAlunchdate.com ). In her free time, she loves seeing live music, traveling, enjoying the outdoors, and of course spending time with her husband and dogs. She has a passion for creating a love of learning for all of her students and is very excited to be the 4th/5th grade teacher for the new Patrick Henry team!
Art Teacher
Ms. Chamblin
 Anne Chamblin is an artist and art educator with over 15 years of experience teaching art to people of all ages and abilities.
She holds a B.F.A in Painting and Printmaking and a B.A in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Anne has brought after-school art programs to many schools in the region and at the Visual Art Center. She believes that art serves as a rich soil that nurtures the total educational experience. Art is a part of everything.
Physical Education Teacher
Ms. Lister
Ariel Lister received her Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd) in Health & Physical Education PK-12 from George Mason University. Then received her Master of Education (MEd) in Adapted Physical Education from the University of Virginia. She has been working for the City of Fairfax Parks & Recreation Department for 12 years. While working for the Parks & Recreation Department, she worked as a camp counselor, a tumbling teacher, an after-school fitness teacher as well as helping with a variety of special events in the community.
Her goal is to help reinforce core subject concepts and topics that are being taught in the classroom, while helping students learn the skills necessary for performing a variety of physical activities and understand the benefits of achieving and maintaining a physically active lifestyle.
Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Battle
 Mrs. Battle is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. She earned her Masters of Arts in Counseling from Central Michigan University. She has over 10 years work experience with Richmond Public Schools. Mrs. Battle is excited to serve as school counselor at Richmond’s first charter school.
Quote: “You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself. “
Galileo Galilei
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