Faculty
Hande Erdem
Cello teacher
Originally from Istanbul, Turkiye, Hande Erdem received her bachelor of music degree from Istanbul University State Conservatory. During her undergraduate studies she performed with the Istanbul State Symphony and the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. After moving to the Bay Area, she received her MFA from Mills College and has maintained a busy private teaching studio in the East Bay since 2001. She has held teaching positions at Archway, St. Paul’s Episcopal, San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures in Music Program and continues to teach at the Crowden School as well as several different Oakland Public Schools as part of Oakland Symphony’s Music for Excellence education program. In addition to being a passionate teacher, Hande regularly performs with the Oakland Symphony, Berkeley Symphony and San Jose Chamber Orchestra among other groups. When she is not teaching or performing, she loves spending time hiking with her dog, forest bathing in the redwoods, and salsa dancing.
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Other Faculty for This Grade
Aïda Garcia-Pons
Lower School Spanish Teacher
Aïda attended the same elementary school as opera tenor Josep Carreras.
Ke Williams
Kindergarten Head Teacher, Lower School Assistant Teacher Coordinator
Where I was born, now stands a Yoda statue
Nicole Lockwood
Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Science and Second-Fifth Grade Garden Teacher
Apprenticed at the National Theater of Croatia
Romina Ronquillo
Second Grade Head Teacher, Lower School Student & Faculty Operations Coordinator
Mad for dancing
Tess Leverenz
Third Grade Head Teacher
Took three and a half months to bike across the country with my husband