Guilford Center for Children

To the GCC kids I'm Mr. Jonathan, the guy who sings, plays, teaches and reads to them every other Wednesday! They probably don't know I have 200,000 subscribers and well over 500 videos on my YouTube guitar lesson channel (www.youtube.com/jkehew1) and even more videos on my website (www.song-bike.com) I've written many books and one was recently published by Hal Leonard Publications (https://www.halleonard.com/product/348999/easy-guitar-chord-lead-tricks) And my wife Cheryl and I opened our music school in Old Saybrook 17 years ago, www.corner-music.com. It all started for me in 1979 when I began studying drums and orchestral percussion (thank Mom & Dad!) Soon came guitar, banjo, mandolin, voice and piano. I knew right away I was going to spend my life playing music - at ten I asked my band director when I should join the musicians' union! After graduating from Northwestern University I have made a living: performing music writing music repairing instruments managing a music store hosting a radio show recording an album of original songs producing and engineering for other artists teaching music since 1992 in homes, music stores, public schools, private schools, my living room, on TV and online. My students have ranged from 3-83 and include many Special Needs children and adults. Now that my son is heading off to college I especially enjoy my experiences with the GCC kids. I look forward to Wednesdays as much as they do! It's a real privilege to be on the GCC team.

Audrey is a native French speaker who was born and raised near Paris, France. She earned a B.A. in Spanish from Paris XIII University. She has two daughters who have been brought up in a bilingual household. They also share her love and passion for languages. Audrey has taught French and Spanish to Lower School and Middle School students for 15 years at The Country School in Madison. Using the experience she acquired over the years, she developed a fun and relaxed teaching approach in which children and adults feel comfortable and thrive learning a language. She enjoys interacting with students of all ages and she feels very fortunate to be able to combine her professional training, her love of languages and her natural disposition to teach her students effectively. Her absolute goal is to personally engage with each and every student, and make each and every class as fun as possible to maximize learning. Her greatest reward is seeing her students progress and share their joy of learning and speaking their second language! Audrey is passionate about teaching languages and sharing the culture of the French and Spanish speaking countries.

Don is native to south central CT being born in New Haven and growing up in Clinton. Both of Don’s parents were teachers and instilled in him a love of education. Don earned his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and managed a cardiovascular research laboratory at Yale University, School of Medicine for over 17 years. Recently, Don earned his Master’s degree in Sports Science, with an emphasis in coaching, from the United States Sport’s Academy. Soccer has been a passion for Don for over 35 years. He started playing when he was 10 years old and continued playing competitively through college. After his playing days, Don turned to coaching as a way to give back to the sport he loves. He has coached at multiple levels including youth teams (ages 3-14), middle school teams, high school teams, and collegiate teams for over 15 years. Don currently coaches for South Central Premier and is part of the women team’s staff at Quinnipiac University. Don lives in Deep River with his wife Donna, and their twins, Dakota and Donnie.

Amy is a teaching artist, educator and professional actress and singer. She merged these professions in 2007 when she founded Treehouse Players, a children’s theatre adventure. In THP, Amy combines nurturing children’s creative spirits with her passion for theatre, music, story and dance. Amy prides herself on her flexible and collaborative spirit. She encourages teachers to work with her to create arts-integrated workshops and residencies where she develops and adapts lessons for differentiated learning. Amy assesses individual learning methods, often in the moment, and implements curriculum based on the group’s needs. Amy utilizes children’s literature and creative arts to engage children of all ages and abilities, guiding them through a theatrical journey, from improvisation to creation to expression. Amy engages children through THP adventures, schools, libraries and community events. She brings positive energy, a wealth of life experience and a passion for children to find, develop and use their voices with strength.

Ruth is a facilitator of the art experience and provides guided exploration of all art processes including painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, textiles, printmaking, mosaic, and large collaborative installations. Her work with children was recognized in her district when she was nominated Teacher of the Year in 2007. Her love for teaching art was known throughout her career in RSD13. As a new retiree she looks forward to working with children and staff at GCC and sharing her passion for art making. Ruth is a practicing artist and enjoys painting a variety of subject matters. Her work has been accepted in juried shows through MAS, CAS, and FWWML. Her continued professional development has included workshops at Wadsworth Atheneum, Peabody Museum, Creative Arts Workshop, Guilford Art Center, and trainings through her memberships with CAEA and NAEA. In 2019 she traveled to the foothills of Tuscany to paint the Italian countryside. Ruth promotes engagement through storytelling, puppetry, animation, and movement. Her love of nature weaves through many of the art processes she provides. Her favorite thing about being an art teacher is witnessing the moments of complete and uninhibited joy as a child gets lost in the process of the art experience.