Sumsion-Cheryl

Faculty

Cheryl Sumsion

Fourth-Sixth Grade Music Teacher

This marks Cheryl Sumsion’s 22nd year at Black Pine Circle School and her 31st year as an educator. She earned her B.Ed. and teaching credential through the University of Western Ontario in vocal music and her B.A. from the University of Waterloo in honors music/personality and religious studies. Her graduate work includes studies in Vocology and Baroque vocal technique. She has enjoyed many years of additional training in both the Kodály and Orff approaches to teaching music. In Toronto, she taught sixth through eighth grade core subjects with a special emphasis on vocal music, drama and ESL, and there began her love of vocal coaching for musicals. As a soprano, Cheryl has performed in 15 musicals, and sung on 16 commercially released CDs. She performed and recorded with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir in Toronto, and has also performed in cathedrals throughout England. Currently, she sings with the American Bach Soloists, at churches in the Bay Area, and enjoys voice acting and vocal coaching.

Teaching Since

1992

Pronouns

she/her

Contact

Email >

Why I Work with Children

The sound of children’s voices singing is one of my favorite sounds in the world.

A Favorite Book

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

Quick Fact

Tamed a mechanical bull in Nashville, Tennessee.

Other Faculty for This Grade

Aïda Garcia-Pons

Lower School Spanish Teacher

Aïda attended the same elementary school as opera tenor Josep Carreras.

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Ana Sellers

Ana Sellers

Fourth Grade Assistant Teacher

Minimalism is my favorite art movement.

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Andra Marziano

Andra Marziano

Dean of Upper School Students, Assistant Head of Upper School, Upper School Drama Teacher

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Carla Rodea

Carla Rodea

Upper School Spanish Teacher

I speak several languages.

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Dan Hughes

Dan Hughes

Fourth Grade Head Teacher

When I was 16, I spent three days in the South African bush with just my journal, water, and sleeping bag.

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Emmeline Hill

Emmeline Hill

Sixth Grade Science Teacher and Sixth Grade-Level Coordinator

Herded sheep by motorbike in Australia.

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Gerry Branner

Sixth and Eighth Grade Physical Education Teacher

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Jenny Reeves

Jenny Reeves

Upper School Art Teacher

Loves to swim

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Kathy Henderson

Kathy Henderson

Sixth & Seventh Grade Math Teacher

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Kim Livingston

Lower School Art Teacher

Started clowning at age 9

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Lessley Bender

Lessley Bender

Fifth Grade Assistant Teacher

Bicycled across the U.S. in 2014!

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Maria Palmer

Sixth Grade English Teacher, Eighth Grade Creative Writing Teacher

Loves to write or paint

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Michael Feferman

Lower School Physical Education Teacher

Has developed a secret pizza sauce

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Nataliya Vdovychenko

Nataliya Vdovychenko

Upper School Assistant Teacher

Fluent Russian speaker

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Nicole Lockwood

Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Science and Second-Fifth Grade Garden Teacher

Apprenticed at the National Theater of Croatia

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Rem Djemilev

BPC String Orchestra Leader

Creates musical arrangements for fun

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Sandy Brumbaum

Sandy Brumbaum

Fifth Grade Head Teacher

Rescued a pug-mix puppy named Soba

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Sarah Roggero

Upper School Spanish Teacher

My birthday is April 1st, no joke!

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Torin Coffino

Torin Coffino

Sixth Grade History Teacher

Played Gaelic Football as a youth, and won a Minors championship in Ireland

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Xiaoyan Xu

Fifth-Eighth Grade Mandarin Teacher

Once ate deep-fried silkworms

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