EMAILS

indiracummings@richland2.org Indira Cureton-Cummings "Mrs. C-C" Theatre/PCA Director

casmond@richland2.org Cierra Asmond Strings

chfletchert@richland2.org Charlotte Bent Fletcher Theatre

nhardenbergh@richland2.org Nicole Hardenbergh Czekalski Dance

kgardner@richland2.org Karrington Gardner Visual Arts

shajocobs@richland2.org Sharon Jacobs Visual Arts

emears@richland2.org Dr. Elizabeth Mears Vocal

mraines@richland2.org Mary Catherine Raines Visual Arts

grivers@richland2.org Garrick Rivers Wind Percussion

Palmetto Center for the Arts Faculty

Indira Cureton-Cummings PCA Director and Theatre Instructor

Indira Cureton-Cummings is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Career and Technical Education. She received a Masters in Fine Arts in Theatre Administration from New York City's Columbia University-School of the Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Public Communication and the Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo. As the Director of Drama at Eau Claire High School, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year 2011-12 and was an award recipient and grant writer for Disney's Music in You-High School Musical. Indira served as Co-Chair for the Career and Technical Education Standards Revision Committee for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She also served as co-chair for the revision committee for National Board's policy statement What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do- the document that defines the Five Core Propositions. Indira was also the chair for the SC Theatre Standards Revision committee in 2017, South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency. She has worked with the summer professional development institute Curriculum Leadership Institute in the Arts (CLIA) for over a decade and now serves as the CLIA Coordinator and Grants Manager.

Cierra Asmond Orchestra Director

Cierra Asmond, a native of Columbia, SC began her studies in Richland School District One where she graduated from Keenan High School. She credits her success as a professional musician from the amazing foundation given by her grade school teachers (Anne Ezell, Brian McCants, Freddie Grace and Christi Lewis). After graduating high school, Cierra furthered her studies at Converse College (Spartanburg, SC) where she studied with Miles Hoffman (Minute with Miles, NPR). After graduating with her Bachelor of Music in Performance she continued her studies at DePaul University (Chicago, IL), where she received her Master of Music in Viola Performance with the late Rami Solomonow. Cierra currently performs with orchestras in the southeast region (The Aiken Symphony Orchestra and The Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra), she is also a substitute musician with The South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra and The Greenville Symphony Orchestra. When time permits Cierra performs with The Colour of Music Festival and The Gateways Music Festival, both celebrating and acknowledging the importance of African-Americans in the Classical Music genre.

Nicole Czekalski Dance Director

Nicole Czekalski, Director - has taught in public schools for 13 years, including 4 years at Round Top Elementary as the dance educator. While at Round Top, Ms. Hardenbergh taught creative dance, ballet, jazz and contemporary techniques, as well as choreographed and produced full-length ballet productions of The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Wizard of Oz. She is in her eighth year as the Dance program director for PCA, where she recently directed Harry Potter the Ballet, Mary Poppins the Ballet, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Tarzan, The Lion King, Coppelia and Cinderella to rave reviews. A graduate of Winthrop University with a BA in Dance, Ms. Hardenbergh has also taught ballet, contemporary, lyrical and jazz for 11 years with the Tri-District Arts Consortium and is on Artistic staff at Ann Brodie's Carolina Ballet

Mrs. Czekalski also serves as choreographer for PCA Theatre including such musicals as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Grease, A Chorus Line, Hairspray, Fame, Seussical Into the Woods and Aida!

Charlotte Fletcher Theatre Instructor

Charlotte Fletcher is new to Richland Northeast High School! She is from Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of Towson University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Theatre Studies and the University of South Carolina where she received a Master's degree in teaching Theatre. She is beyond thrilled to be here teaching Theatre 1, Theatre 3, Technical Theatre, as well as Theatre 1 PCA. She has experience in directing students, collegiate performances, professional performances, as well as school performances. She knows exactly how fulfilling it can be to be apart of a Theatre Department as a student and now as a teacher!

Sharon Jacobs Visual Art Instructor

Ms. Sharon Jacobs, 3 Dimensional and Level 1 Art Teacher at Richland Northeast High School Bachelors of Fine Arts, General Fine Arts, Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore Maryland Masters of Arts in Teaching, Art Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC Ms. Jacobs joined RNE in August 2016 to teach the 3D classes such as ceramics, sculpture, and advanced 3D visual art in addition to the PCA Art 1 magnet honors. She has taught in public and private schools throughout South Carolina since 2005. Before earning her MAT she was part of the United States Army Reserve with a seven year stint on active duty with the 18th Airborne Corps and 101st Airborne Air Assault Division. In her spare time Ms. Jacobs rides horses, does art and crafts, reads, and spends time volunteering. She is an active member of the United States Pony Club and serves on the Greenville Foothills Pony Club board and the Carolina Region Board of Directors. She wants her students to "get messy and make mistakes".

Dr. Elizabeth Mears Choral Director

Dr. Elizabeth Mears - graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Furman University. After teaching at Hughes Middle School in Greenville, she was named the school's Teacher of the Year. Dr. Mears then completed her Master of Music Education Degree at the University of South Carolina. She travelled to Louisville, Kentucky, where she taught at Eastern High School. Her choirs received "superior" ratings at local, state and national festivals and were chosen to perform at the Kentucky Music Educators' State Convention. In 2001, Dr. Mears completed her studies and received a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from the University of South Carolina with an emphasis in choral conducting. She has continued her work with school and church choirs and is currently part of the Fine Arts Faculty at Richland Northeast High School.

Mary Catherine Raines Visual Art Instructor

Mary Catherine B. Raines is a 2009 National Board Certified visual art teacher; earned an MAT in Art Education and a BFA (concentration in painting and drawing) in Studio Art from the University of South Carolina. Currently she teaches the International Baccalaureate Visual Arts Classes, Advanced Placement Art, PCA 2, Advanced 2-D Design, Painting and Art 1. She sells works with the Trenholm Artist Guild in the 1425 Inn, the TAG market and show, Best Mattress on Devine and personally at Haven's Gallery on Devine Street. Past exhibitions include a 4 person show at Certus Bank on Main, the Columbia Museum of Art Educators Gallery, HOFP Gallery, Sandlapper Art Gallery, Columbia College Invitational, Lipscomb Gallery and McMaster Gallery at the University of South Carolina. In the 2014 South Carolina State Fair, Mary Catherine Raines won 2nd place in the Professional painting division for her artwork, Britt's Beach. Every Year Ms. Raines' PCA students win National and State Gold and Silver Scholastic Awards. For Seven years, Mrs. Raines was honored to receive an award for the most student winners at the South Carolina State Fair. The PCA Visual Arts program had the honor of exhibiting collections of student works at the internationally acclaimed Martin Gallery in Charleston, SC three years in a row! The students also exhibit at the Village Artists Gallery, the Good Life Cafe, TAPP's on Main Street and other venues in the greater Columbia area.