The Impact Of A Strong Advisory Program - Katrina Hill, Caleb Amstutz, & Melanie Fox

Today our guests are Katrina Hill, Caleb Amstutz, & Melanie Fox from Community School in Roanoke, Virginia

We talk to Katrina, Caleb, and Melanie about the advisory program at Community School which was recently recognized as an inaugural AMLE School of Distinction in 2022. They share about multiage groupings, multiyear relationships, the value of traditions, and the impact that these have had in the lives of the students at Community School.

View the AMLE School of Distinction Page

Caleb Amstutz has taught middle school science at CS for three years. He graduated with a bachelor's in Biology and English from Guilford College in 2019. He is a CS alumni, graduating in 2011, and understands the lasting benefits a CS education can provide. His favorite classes to teach are biology, chemistry, and ornithology. In his free time, he likes to adventure anywhere outside or curl up with a good book.

Katrina Hill is a veteran teacher and has worked with students from preschool to high school. She has taught humanities at Community School for 21 years and is the current Middle School Coordinator. Katrina is also the advisor for ComMUN, a middle and high school Model UN team. She loves that Community School gives her the opportunity to teach a variety of subjects through studio-style electives and helping students find their perfect book.

Melanie Fox has been a Humanities teacher at Community School for 2 years. She graduated from Shenandoah Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theatre and attended VCU for Psychology. In her previous life, she worked as an actress, waitress, executive assistant, retail manager, and event organizer. Having such a varied resume has given her a unique perspective on being flexible and improvising on the fly. Her favorite part of teaching is allowing the students to take the lead when they need more than just content and need time to work through complex subjects that have more to do with their social and personal growth.