Karen Burns - English

Karen Burns started at the Vinalhaven School in 2003 as an Island Institute fellow working in the Performing Arts. She has been teaching High School English since 2007. Originally from Melrose, MA, Karen got her B.A. from Amherst College in 2002, with a double major in English and Psychology. She got a M.A.T. (Masters of Arts in Teaching) in Secondary English from the University of Maine in 2007. She is currently the advisor for National Honor Society. She is also on the High School Team and the Vinalhaven School Enrichment Committee. Outside of school, Karen enjoys reading, walking, dance, theater and spending time with her husband and two kids.

Mark Jackson - Vocational Technology

Mark Jackson has been teaching at the Vinalhaven School since 1998. Before that, he worked as a builder of both houses and boats, an economist, and meat packing house supervisor. He moved to Greens Island in 1989 with his family of four children, homesteading year-round on this outer island. He has a BS degree in Animal Science and Industry (1976) from Kansas State University and a MS degree in Agricultural Economics (1980) from Michigan State University. A native of Kansas, he still enjoys cowboying and noodling for catfish.

Albert White - Science

Bryan Feezor - Math

Bryan Feezor majored in Mathematics Education and University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and minored in Education.   While there he was part of a new Internship program that took undergraduate math majors and placed them in local middle and high school classrooms.   As part of this program he spent a semester writing and filming videos for a middle school math program one year and working with high school students the next year.   After graduating with a Bachelor degree in Mathematics, he enrolled in the masters program at UCSC in Mathematics Education after being chosen as a Robert Noyce Fellowship.   After sailing aboard the Schooner Heritage for a season around the Penobscot Bay Bryan heard of Vinalhaven School was in need of a High School Math teacher.   Since he started teaching here he has spent many classes working on keeping the students interested by using his own personal interests.   Bryan’s math classes are often discussing Scuba diving (of which he is a certified instructor of 4 years), bicycling, or sailing and how through these topics we can learn about a number of mathematics ideas. 

Susan Philbrook - French

Susan Philbrook is enjoying her 7th year as the K-12 French teacher at Vinalhaven School.  Originally from Davis, California, she attended the University of Maine at Orono where she played on the university soccer team and majored in French.  She has a degree in French and a Master of Arts in Teaching in French.   She is the Girls Varsity soccer coach, and the French club advisor.  She also is part of the Sports Done Right Committee and the Girls Book Club and a member of the Discovery Curriculum Team.   Besides teaching and soccer, Susan enjoys traveling, running, painting, sewing.

Jud Raven - Social Studies

Jud Raven majored in Medieval History at the University of Maine, Orono with a minor in German.  He spent a year studying abroad at the University of Salsburg in Salzburg Austria.  Jud received his teaching certificate through the University of Southern Maine's Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP). After teaching history for eight years at McDougle Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Jud returned to Maine and taught history for a year at Narragaugus High School in Harrington, Maine.  Jud moved to Vinalhaven eight years ago when he became the high school social studies teacher.  Jud enjoys spending time with his family: wife Susan, daughter Isa, 4, and daughter Addy, 2. He also enjoys canoeing, hiking, backpacking, strategy games, and photography. 

Yvonne Thomas - K-12 Guidance Counselor/ High School Health

Yvonne Thomas has worked at the Vinalhaven School as the school counselor and health teacher since the 2001/02 school year. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College with a major in fine art and a minor in psychology. She has Master’s degree in art therapy with an emphasis on school counseling from Lesley University. Prior to coming to the Vinalhaven School, she was the school counselor at The North Haven Community School. She is a member of the Leadership Team, the High School Team and the Wellness Team. She is on the board of directors of Partner’s in Island Education (PIE) and The Island Institute. Her personal interests include spending time with her family, cooking, gardening, reading, and walking her dog. Her teaching goal is to help all students become successful adults.

Jill Oakes - High School Special Education Coordinator

Jill Oakes is a seasoned islander. She first graduated from Vinalhaven high school in 1973 and studied elementary education at UMO, graduating in 1977. She taught in Bingham and Camden/Rockport, and then returned to the island to teach elementary in 1981. Jill left Vinalhaven in 2005 to live in Pennsylvania, and worked for Hempfield Behavioral Health as the Center Director of 21st century after school programs for Hispanic children. She returned to VH with her husband, and took the ed. tech position in 2008, and is now employed as Special Ed. Teacher in the 2011/2012 year. Jill has 2 adult children, a coon cat and a pomeranian. She enjoys dog-walking, walks on the beach, playing cards, and reading when she has time.

Jennifer Gehnrich - High School Special Education Technician

Jenn Gehnrich grew up in Maryland and graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2009 with her major in psychology and minor in language studies. She then moved to Boston and graduated from BU with her master's in social work, and had a focus on family therapy. Jenn currently works as an ed. tech. with both HS and MS students, and also works at ICMS as a counselor. She enjoys hiking, biking, running and is an avid movie lover.