New Hires for the
2021-2022 School Year
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Dear Parents,
We are so excited to introduce to you the new members of our Faculty & Staff for the upcoming year. At Cardinal Newman we take great pride in hiring the best and the brightest from each field. It is part of our mission and our commitment to all of you, to provide your children with an exemplary middle and high school experience. We are confident these new employees will exceed those expectations. Please join us in welcoming the following new hires to the Cardinal Newman family.
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Mrs. Bailey will join us as the new Science Department Chair/ Biology teacher and brings with her 20 years of experience in the classroom, teaching science at every high school level; from Physical Science to Advanced Placement Biology. Mrs. Bailey is in the process of obtaining her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Just last year Mrs. Bailey was bestowed the honor of the Hope Teacher for the Center for Education and Equity of African-American Students. In 2017 she was a South Carolina State Finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, and in 2013 she was named Teacher of the Year at Airport High School!
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Patrick Blake is our new 9th grade Guidance Counselor, and comes to Cardinal Newman with 25 years of experience in education, counseling and case management. Mr. Blake is a National Board Certified Professional School Counselor. He received a BS in Psychology from SUNY Oneonta and a Masters in School Counseling and Education from SUNY Plattsburgh.
For the last 13 years Mr. Blake has worked at Richland Northeast High School as lead senior counselor. Prior to moving to South Carolina Mr. Blake was a high school counselor and special education intervention counselor in Ithaca, NY. He has also worked as a case manager in NY and summer camp director.
Mr. Blake lives in Columbia SC with his wife, and his sons who attend Cardinal Newman. He enjoys time with friends and family, outdoor activities, playing guitar, and reading. Mr. Blake is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Columbia. He volunteers as Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 100 and is a 3rd degree Knight of Columbus.
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Cindy Cummings is our new math teacher. She earned a BS in math and MS in Statistics, and she has taught both in college and secondary schools. She has taught every math course that we offer at Cardinal Newman and is happy to be returning to us this year! In her spare time she enjoys traveling and playing golf with her family. |
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Gabriel Del Rossi is our new World Languages teacher. A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Gabriel Del Rossi received his BA from Boston University and MA from Boston College. He then moved to France and finished a second MA in Comparative Literature at the Université de Savoie Mont Blanc. Here, Mr. Del Rossi specialized in French and Italian texts, focusing on the comparative development of Romance Languages and dialectal differences within European states.
Mr. Del Rossi has spent decades in France, Spain, and Italy, both as a resident, and working as a travel guide of active and gastronomic adventures for Adams and Peabody, located in Bartow, Florida. He is the recipient of the Donald J. White Excellence in Teaching Award as well as the Herbert H. Golden Award for Romance Languages.
When not thinking about foreign customs, cultures and communities, Mr. Del Rossi enjoys mountain biking on the weekends, his morning runs, and evening jazz. He has a daughter who he reads to nightly, a wife he loves dearly, and a MS in Chemistry he is finishing shortly.
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Dr. Gårdestig joins us as a Physics and Chemistry teacher, and will also head up the Robotics Club. He earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering Physics from Uppsala University, Sweden, and went on to also earn his Doctor of Philosophy in Nuclear Physics from the same university. After a few years of research at prominent US universities, he found his passion in teaching and went on to teach physics and related subjects at both the collegiate and high school levels.
Most recently he taught physics online for University of Maine and Johns Hopkins University. While teaching at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in rural northern Maine, he coached the VEX robotics team, Lego robotics, and had the honor of presenting at the Annual Conference of the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools in Seattle, WA. He also had the opportunity to teach a physics-related snow-sculpturing class under harsh winter conditions.
Dr. Gårdestig loves to travel and explore with his family, is an avid Star Trek and Star Wars fan, and aspires to master the art of food fermentation. When he is not working, he can be found baking bread, wood working, or geocaching. He and his wife have plans to one day build a tiny home on a lake and spend their days sailing.
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Sandi Hitchcock is our newest Math teacher. After completing her Masters in Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University, Mrs. Hitchcock began her teaching career at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL. Upon moving to Columbia, SC with her husband David, she began a series of teaching positions at several colleges and universities across the country, in both face-to-face and online classrooms.
After serving Cardinal Newman as a substitute teacher during the pandemic year, she discovered that it was time to head back to the classroom and CNS was the perfect fit! Mrs. Hitchcock loves all things Disney, Clemson, purple, and especially her four sons, husband and dog Cooper!
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We are excited to announce new hire, Brittany Melvin, as the Director of College Counseling. Ms. Melvin comes to us from Playa del Ray, C.A. where she was the Academic and College Counselor at Notre Dame Academy, in Los Angeles.
Ms. Melvin earned her B.A. from High Point University (NC), double majoring in Strategic Communications and Spanish. She later earned her M.A. in Educational Studies from Loyola Marymount University (CA). She brings with her seven years of Academic Counseling experience, both at the high school and collegiate levels.
Ms. Melvin encourages her students to strike a balance between academic and extra-curricular interests. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, yoga, and days at the beach.
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Janie Neeley brings to Cardinal Newman over twenty years of teaching experience working in a variety of educational settings. She has served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, school district literacy coach, learning disability instructor, instructional designer, adjunct professor, and parent advocate.
Janie earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary & Middle School Education from the College of Charleston and a Master of Education degree in Reading Education from the University of Virginia. Most recently, Janie was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to serve on the South Carolina First Steps Board of Trustees. In addition, Janie is a member of the South Carolina Department of Education’s Advisory Council for Educating Students with Disabilities
Janie is the parent of three children with very diverse learning needs. Her youngest son, Marshall, is diagnosed with Down syndrome. She has personally experienced the challenges associated with parenting a child with a learning difference. These combined experiences have fueled her passion for creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for ALL students.
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Jill Shellenberg joins the CN family this year in the role of School Nurse. Nurse Shellenberg earned her BA in Nursing from University of South Carolina- Aiken and is a board certified Registered Nurse. She has worked in private practice for more than 13 years.
Nurse Shellenberg is a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church and when she isn't working she enjoys spending time at the beach or on the lake with her husband and two children, Avery and Stephen.
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