Our Team
Nora School teachers have one thing in common - a unique take on life. By bringing their individual perspectives to the classroom, our team of educators builds compelling cases for all the subjects that they teach. With classes that average only 8 students, it’s easier for us to connect on a deeper, more fundamental level with each one.
What’s more, our “first-name” policy allows for a comfort level rarely seen outside of small schools like Nora - bonds build quickly without formalities, and camaraderie between teachers and students is the norm, not the exception.
Our teachers are enthusiastic about learning, experts in their subject areas, and dedicated to young people, grades 9-12. All of our faculty members have degrees in their primary teaching area, and more than 80 percent hold advanced degrees. Our staff also includes administrators who teach, a college counselor, a learning disabilities specialist, an athletic director, a psychological consultant, and tutors.
Names & Faces
Chris
Community Service Coordinator
ENGLISH: Literature & Composition, Academic Writing, Fiction Into Film, Comprehensive Writing, Dystopian Fiction
B.A., English, Humboldt State University (California) & M.A., Literature, University of Maryland, College Park
Chris Conlon joined Nora in 1995
While Nora has changed in some ways during the quarter-century I’ve worked here, the school’s focus on the individual—the unique qualities and needs of each student—has remained constant. Originally from the central coast of California, I came to Nora after stints teaching in Botswana with the Peace Corps as well as in DC Public Schools. Under the name Christopher Conlon I’ve written several published books of fiction and poetry as well. Literature is my first love, and I try to communicate that passion to my students.
Scott
Senior Advisor, College Advisor, Athletic Director
SOCIAL STUDIES: American Studies, World History, U.S. History, Political Science, Street Law
B.A., Economics and History, University of Maine
M.A., Education, University of Rhode Island
Rhode Island Teacher’s Certificate in Special Education
Scott Madden Joined Nora in 1995
What I most enjoy about The Nora School are the close relationships that teachers can develop with their students. The Nora community provides a relaxed, friendly environment that challenges the students while looking out for their best interests and offering support for that extra step. Before joining The Nora School family in 1995, I taught at the Sheridan School, Washington, DC, and directed their Wilderness Experiential Education program in the Shenandoah Valley. Prior to that I taught in the public schools in Newport, Rhode Island, and worked as an Instructor for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School for seven years. For the past 20 years I have been enjoying the opportunity to teach, coach, and work with young people for nine months of each year. I live with my wife and our three boys in Washington, DC. I am an avid bicyclist and enjoy triathlons and road races.
Nisaa
MATH: Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Algebra II & Trigonometry and Financial Algebra
B.S., Accounting, Lincoln University (PA)
M.A.T., Special Education, Trinity University (DC)
Certification: Non-Categorical Special Education/K-12
Nisaa Abdus-Sabur joined Nora in 2015
The Nora School is a very special and safe place. The school community is made up of a diverse group of learners with a very supportive and caring staff that I am happy to be a part of. Students always ask, “Why do we have to learn Algebra?” In order to effectively teach and make math more approachable you have to show its connection to every day life. Most importantly, before the teaching can even happen, you have to get to know and empathize with your students. I attended undergrad at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and did my graduate studies at Trinity University in DC. I have taught Math for more than ten years to high school students in public charter schools in DC. I am a mom of four teens and reside in Silver Spring, MD.
Brennan
SCIENCE: Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental, Bio-Chem
B.A., Liberal Arts, & B.S., Chemistry and Biology, The Evergreen State College
Brennan Boothby joined Nora in 2016
Born in Virginia, I grew up in West Virginia and Maryland, attended college in Maryland, Iowa, and Washington state, and now live and work in the suburbs of Washington DC. I graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA with a B.A. and B.S. My first intellectual passions were art, psychology, and philosophy, but ultimately found science to be my favorite academic discipline, and in particular chemistry. Without exception, I have found that the best teachers challenge and inspire their students. I am excited to teach, inspire, and champion my students through the seemingly endless and fascinating world of science.
Calder
History of US Interventionism, Environmental Science, Contemporary Studies, Ultimate Frisbee Coach, Administrative Assistant
Calder Sett joined Nora in 2023
Though I was born in DC, I moved around a lot as a kid before ending up in Colorado for high school. I went to Clark University in Massachusetts to study conservation ecology and, shortly after graduation, moved to Ha Noi, Viet Nam where I lived for six years. While living in Viet Nam, I got a job at a bilingual school and fell in love with education. I found my niche teaching history and academic literacy as well as volunteering for student clubs. I've just recently moved back to the States and am lucky enough to find myself at the Nora School. I try to view every lesson as a story with drama, mystery, and character development for each student. History, in particular, makes no sense to me as a series of dates with names attached, but becomes exciting when seen as a great story with questionably reliable narrators. Outside of teaching, I love to play music, ultimate frisbee, and dungeons and dragons.
Chrissy
ARTS: Art History Art, Studio Art, Illustration, Sculpture, Drama
B.A., Visual Arts – Animation & Interactive Media (Minor: Anthropology), University of Maryland Baltimore County
Chrissy Jarina joined Nora in 2016
I am a working artist with a broad range of interests. My early artistic influences as a child were 2-D cartoons and Michelangelo sculptures and paintings. Since then, I have studied drawing and painting, including acrylic painting techniques. I earned an animation degree at UMBC where I studied both 2-D and 3-D animation and where I helped produce a full length independent film with the film group Blue Duck Studios. My current interests are cartoon portraits for engagements and weddings, lyric writing, and further advancing my artistic craft in a number of genres.
Darrell
Music, Academic Coach, IT Support
B.A., Music – Jazz Performance, Towson University
M.A., Music – Jazz Performance, University of Maryland
Darrell Reddix joined Nora in 2021
I am a lifelong musician dedicating the remainder of my life to a pursuit of self-expression and enlightenment through listening to, performing, and teaching music. As a child growing up I found confidence in my own individual personality through learning how to accept my unique approach to my instruments. Through music and performance, I have traveled to different states, out of the country, and have played venues such as Blues Alley, as well as done tours like Vans Warped tour. At the Nora School, I hope to impact the students through these experiences and help them to develop and further understand their own unique personalities through a musical lens.
Leslie
Junior Class Advisor, Assistant Rock Climbing Coach
MATH: Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Algebra II, Cryptography, Logic
BA: Mathematics and Chemistry, Bryn Mawr College
Leslie Reiffen joined Nora in 2022
I grew up in Silver Spring; my older brother attended the Nora School, so I’ve long been aware of the values and methodologies of Nora. I was fairly apathetic about math for the majority of middle and high school, but taking Calculus changed that. It was the first math class I took that put a greater emphasis on thinking and problem solving than memorization. It was the first math class that felt fun. Like a lot of Nora’s students, I have ADHD, so I teach with pedagogical tools that helped me learn: I keep memorization to a minimum, incorporate real world applications of the material, include the historical context, and gamify whenever possible.
Pixie
Certified Medication Technician
ART: Digital Design, Sculpture, Painting, Mural, Book Arts
B.S., Art History & Urban Studies, Hunter College
M.S., Urban Planning, Columbia University and M.A., Fine Arts, American University
Pixie Alexander joined Nora in 2021
Before moving to DC, I worked with “at risk” New York City teens for a decade at YMCA- Camp Vacamas doing Outward Bound and other environmental education programs. I also ran a multi-disciplinary studio doing freelance work in photography, film, and book arts for many years before coming to Nora.
Roberto
Director of Operations
Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish Culture and Conversation, Latin American Films
B.A., Spanish, University of the District Of Columbia
M.A., Teaching Spanish as a Second Language, University of Granada, Spain
Roberto Ungaro Joined Nora in 2020
I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I taught Spanish as a second language in the DMV area from 2006 until 2016. In 2016, I moved to Mexico City to teach Spanish to U.S. Foreign Service Diplomats and have recently returned to D.C. What I love the most about teaching, after many years of doing so, is to learn alongside my students. Apart from the passion I have to share my language and culture, music is also one of my favorite pastimes and since I believe it is another great way of communication I like to incorporate it into my classroom.
Terah
Literature and Composition, College Writing, Global Literature, World History
B.A.,Towson University, Education
Terah Richardson joined Nora in Spring 2022
Finding Nora School has been an act of fate for me. While growing up in Silver Spring, MD, I remember passing Nora School everyday to go to my elementary school down the street. I never noticed it then but now as an adult, I am happy to say I SEE Nora School and I am excited to start my first, full year of teaching here. I’m a graduate of Towson University, where I majored in Middle School Education concentrating in English and History, and currently I’m a graduate student at Loyola University Maryland. I’m studying Educational Technology and have plans to graduate in December 2022. Until then, you can find me teaching ninth and 10th grade English and Social Studies, coordinating a school-wide test, or helping out with admission! This will be my fourth year teaching and third year in the classroom. When I’m not in school, I enjoy coaching my high school dance team, cooking, or watching movies with my family.
Christina
Dean of Students, Registrar, Technology Coordinator
Future Issues, Global Communities, Graphic Design, Photography
B.A., Africana Studies, Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)
Christina Mullen joined Nora in 2015
After returning from the Peace Corps and spending much of Spring 2015 subbing for various teachers at Nora, students and teachers convinced the Head of School to hire me as a member of the full-time staff. My Peace Corps service was in Burkina Faso, West Africa. As a health volunteer, I taught both formal and informal classes on a variety of health topics, such as malaria, nutrition, family planning, and teen pregnancy prevention alongside English and journalism seminars. Prior to my Peace Corps service, I spent two summers on the Crow Native American Reservation in Montana with Unity Hoops Basketball, a non-profit organization that uses basketball as a common language to empower youth and teach greater life lessons.
Mara
Head of School
B.A., English, Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)
M.A., American Literature, The George Washington University
Mara Nicastro joined Nora in 1991, Re-joined Nora in 2020
A life-long teacher and educator who found my true calling in small school administration, I am thrilled to be back at The Nora School. In 2014, as Head of School, I led Friends Meeting School in Ijamsville, MD through a major transition into an established K-12 program. These two schools have similar missions which allow for every person to be seen and heard. We value the importance of real-life learning through adventure, experience, and discussion based classroom curricula. I currently serve as Coordinator on the Washington Small Schools Association and on the Board of Directors of the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS). I live in Maryland with my husband, Richard, and our sweet dog, Russell. Richard and I have three grown children. Together we enjoy biking, hiking, and reading in our empty nest.
Marcia
Director of Admissions, Wellness Coordinator
B.S., Advertising, University of Florida
Marcia Miller joined Nora in 2012
I came to Nora after a career in corporate recruiting and managing student programs and volunteering at Georgetown Day School in DC. Experienced working with high schoolers and with a teenaged daughter now in college, I’m well aware of the parental struggles and anxiety that go into raising teenagers in the 21st century. I continually look forward to helping prospective families in their search for the right educational setting. In addition to my time spent at Nora and with my family, I volunteer with Learning Ally and am a board member of CHADD Montgomery County and AISGW (the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington).
Norman
Assistant Head/Business Manager
B.S., Architecture, Catholic University
M.A., Writing, University of San Francisco
Norman Maynard joined Nora in 2009
I have been a teacher, upper school principal, and interim head over the past 14 years. Before entering the educational field, I was an architect, writer, sheep farmer, and asbestos inspector, to name but a few. I am very happy to be at Nora and to contribute in whatever way I can to this wonderful learning community.
Adjunct Staff
Margo
M.A. American Sign Language Education (in progress), Gallaudet University, Washington DC
B.A. Deaf Studies & Minor in ASL, Peace Corps Certificate, Gallaudet University, Washington DC
Margo Hutto joined Nora in 2022
I'm Margo Hutto, a passionate individual whose journey spans from Alabama to Austin, Texas, and now settled in DC. As a proud member of a Deaf family, I am currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Sign Language Education (MASLEd) alongside a Certificate in Global Leadership in Deaf-Centered Disability, Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, and Emergency Planning. Expecting to graduate in May 2024, I hold a dream of joining the Peace Corps to empower Deaf communities and educate deaf children. Beyond academics, I'm a dedicated mother to two remarkable sons—one starting at Gallaudet University and the other thriving at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf. I'm deeply committed to assisting those eager to embrace ASL and advocate for the Deaf Community. Amidst my diverse interests including travel, culinary exploration, quality family time, musical rhythms, and literary pursuits, I find joy in teaching, learning, and fostering connections.
Chris P
School Counselor
M.Ed. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clemson University
B.S. Recreation Management / Experiential Education, Appalachian State University
Chris Peckham joined Nora in 2022
I believe nature and hands-on experience have healing power and that is something I try to bring to all of the work I do. I've been working with teens and young adults for over 18 years. I enjoy helping adolescents successfully transition to independence. I bring a strength-based approach to my clients with training in cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and solution-focused therapy. I help clients reconsider themselves and their value, empowering them to develop self-efficacy, motivation and self-confidence. I am Licensed in Maryland as an LCPC and a Nationally Certified Counselor. I love dogs, skiing, hiking and gardening.