Sue Dempster - Librarian

Susan Dempster graduated from Rhode Island College with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education and Psychology and taught in day care centers in Providence for 5 years before moving to Vinalhaven.  Continuing in the field of early childhood education, she operated a home day care and a nursery school in her home for 11 years.  She has been the librarian at Vinalhaven School since 1999 and has a Library Technician Certificate from the University of Maine at Augusta.

Susan facilitates 3 student book clubs, helps facilitate the MS girls’ technology club, Zoey's Room, chairs the library committee, co-chairs the Vinalhaven School SEED Team, and is on the advisory board for Mainely Girls. In 2001, she started A Girls Point of View, the Mainely Girls book club. She enjoys reading, cooking, walking, photography, and spending time on an even smaller island than Vinalhaven every summer!

Tristan Jackson - Alternative Education/ CoSEED

Tristan Jackson spends half the day with students in the VHIVE program (Vinalhaven Integrated Vocational Education), and the other half helping with community projects as the CoSEED place-based educator. He graduated from Cornell University in May 2005 with a double major in psychology and sociology.

Matt McGreevy - Ed Tech

Matt McGreevy grew up in New York State and earned his undergraduate degree in History form SUNY Plattsburgh.  He is currently enerolled in a Masters of Education program at Saint Joseph's College in Standish

Matt started his public school teaching career in Jay, Maine and has been working as an Ed Tech for three school years. Prior to his career in public education Matt worked as a professional ski instructor for twelve winters, spent a year as a direct care provider for disabled adults in Portland, counseled boys at a summer camp in Wayne, and waited tables in Acadia National Park where he met his wife.

He enjoys assisting Sue Dempster with the Middle School boys book club, “Books and Bagels” and looks forward to coaching the 5th and 6th grade girls basketball team this January.

Pat Paquet - Math/ Social Studies

"As a middle school math teacher, I believe that challenging each student to explore, analyze and solve a variety of mathematical problems gives them the opportunity to develop their mathematical skills individually.  The integration of science and technology is an essential component to each course. Through differentiation of instruction, I strive to meet the needs of all my students by giving them a variety of ways to show what they know and are able to do."

Ms. Paquet graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1993.  She began teaching at Vinalhaven School in the fall of 2003.

Amy Palmer - Science/ Social Studies

Amy Palmer has taught middle school science at Vinalhaven for 4 years.  She graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.S. in biology, which included a semester abroad program in Kenya.  After graduating, she began teaching natural history and ecology at outdoor schools across the country from Ohio, to Alaska, to California, and Hawaii.  She developed a strong interest in marine ecology and became a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in Monterey Bay, and then got her Masters in Education from the University of California at Santa Cruz.  She is a strong believer in hands-on, experiential education.  She enjoys being the assistant coach of the girl’s varsity soccer team in the fall, playing indoor soccer in the winter, and organizing the youth soccer league in the spring.  She is a member of the science curriculum team and the middle school team, and she enjoys mentoring the middle school girls alongside Sue Dempster. 

Robb Warren - English Languarge Arts/ Social Studies

Robb Warren graduated from Vinalhaven High School in 1982; he went on to the University of Maine where he graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs/Political Science.  After a short stint working in Washington, D.C., Robb returned to Maine in 1988 and where he received his teaching certificate from the University of Maine. Robb taught for 6 years in SAD 52 & 61 and then returned home to Vinalhaven to teach 6th grade in November 1997.