It is with tremendous excitement that I introduce our newest faculty members to the
Academy Hill School community!
French: Andrea James
Andrea comes to us with more than 20 years of experience teaching World Language. She is
currently serving as the Department Chair at her present school. Andrea is a two-time recipient of the Grinspoon Teacher of the Year Award. She has been a Supervising Practitioner for teacher candidates at both Westfield State University and Smith College, as well as a presenter at the annual Massachusetts Foreign Language Association Conference.
Andrea earned her B.A. in French and Environmental Studies from Colby College, her M.Ed. at the College of our Lady of the Elms, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies at UMass Amherst.
Middle School (6th Grade STEM; 7th Grade Humanities): Michael Dindoffer
Michael comes to us from his position as the Science Department Chair at the Westminster School in Annandale, Virginia. In the past, Michael also served as a teacher at the Taktse International School in India. He is an award-winning screenplay writer with experience in the film industry.
Michael earned his B.A. in History and Physics from the University of Virginia, his M.F.A. in Film from Boston University, his M.A. in English from Middlebury College, and is currently pursuing additional coursework in Educational Pedagogy at George Mason University. Michael is happy to be joining his wife, who recently relocated to Northampton to take a position with Amherst College.
We feel fortunate to have attracted both of these outstanding candidates.
