The SEL Team

The SEL team is comprised of experienced educators who are passionate about making learning about the environment a core part of students’ curriculum. They work closely with SEI, a non-profit, who provides program support. SEI has been building leaders to drive sustainability solutions for 25 years. All SEL Team members believe in and are devoted to youth leadership as a means of transformative change for a more just and sustainable world.

Karen Madden

9th Grade Environmental Leadership Seminar I, 10th Grade Environmental Leadership Seminar II, and 9th Grade Ethnic Studies

Karen Madden is the Lead Teacher for the MarinSEL program. In this role, she teaches three MarinSEL classes, coordinates various aspects of the program, and spearheads the deep collaboration with the other TLHS teachers in the program. She started her career in education in 1997, and has close to 20 years of experience in the classroom.

Karen grew up in San Rafael Park and earned her B.S. in Human Development from UC Davis. During the pandemic, Karen went back to school at San Francisco State University, where she earned her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership as well as her Administrative Credential. She finds that the MarinSEL Lead Teacher role is the perfect balance of teaching and leading, and she is thrilled to be a part of the Trojan family.

 

Sara Frack

9th Grade Biology and 11th/12th Grade AP Environmental Science

Sara Frack grew up in Marinwood where she attended Mary E. Silveira Elementary School, Miller Creek Middle School, and Terra Linda High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology Education from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in English as a Second Language Teaching Methods from City University. Her years of hiking and biking in Marin and traveling on vacations gave her a passion for environmental protection. She chose science education because she felt that she could have the most impact by teaching the next generation about protecting the environment. Ms. Frack and her husband live in Marinwood with their three boys. Sara loves gardening, hiking, walking her dog, caring for her chickens, getting a cup of coffee with a friend, and reading when she gets a chance.

 

Chelsy Newton

9th Grade Physical Education and Health

Chelsy is a local, hailing from Napa. She’s an experienced teacher with 18 years in the field, the past 10 in Auburn. Chelsy joined MarinSEL because she “was interested in a new challenge.” Her love of the outdoors drew her to the program. Chelsy finds the curriculum exciting and enjoys her students immensely. She calls her teaching style assertive, honest, and organized. “I show respect to students, their thoughts, and opinions. My class is structured for students to feel safe and comfortable. I believe in students being themselves.” When she’s not teaching MarinSEL students, Chelsy enjoys being active with her family, including her three children. She loves to hike and dance. And she believes being a mom has given her a tremendous amount of experience in imparting important information to children.

 

 

Allison Oropallo

11th Grade Environmental Engineering and Tech Design

Hailing from upstate New York, Ms. Oropallo attended University of Connecticut where she played Division I Women’s Ice Hockey and The College of Saint Rose where she earned her degree in Applied Technology Education. She then earned her Master’s in Education from S.U.N.Y Plattsburgh. Prior to teaching woodshop, photography and construction at Terra Linda High School, Ms. Oropallo taught for the Novato Unified School district and for Arlington Public Schools near Boston. While participating in HGTV’s All-American Handyman series, she was voted Fan Favorite. Ms. Oropallo brings her incredible woodworking and engineering skills to the classroom to create a welcoming atmosphere for students to complete hands-on projects.

Follow Allison Oropallo on Twitter @AllisonOropallo

 

Emily Lichty

9th Grade English 

Born and raised in San Clemente, CA, Emily Lichty attended California State University San Marcos and majored in Psychology. During that time, Emily also played collegiate golf and helped the team become a high-ranked Division II golf team. She also earned a teaching credential and Masters of Science in Education from Dominican University of California in San Rafael. Emily started teaching at San Marin High School, and recently transitioned to Terra Linda High School. Emily chose to teach English because she values the importance of reading and writing in daily life. She strives to prepare her students to have the skills to succeed in college and the workplace, while also making English fun. Emily’s favorite part of teaching is making connections with students! She is excited to join the MSEL team to help her students become leaders within the Terra Linda community and beyond.

 

 

 

Mackenzie Bedford

10th Grade English

Coming to the Bay Area from the Central Coast, Mackenzie has taught at Marin schools for the last seven years, with the last three happily at Terra Linda High School. She attended UC Berkeley for her Bachelor’s, pursued an ELA credential from Sonoma State, and has an M.A. in Education with an emphasis on Equity & Social Justice from San Francisco State. She believes that everyone should read like a writer and write like a reader!