Andy Carr enjoys working with students, families, and faculty in his role as Associate Director of Teaching & Learning and Dean of Students. His love of history and teaching also has him back in the classroom leading a 7th grade Geography class. Mr. Carr has been working in education since graduating from Colby College. After earning his M.A. in Private School Leadership from Columbia University in 2017, Mr. Carr has held various leadership roles in Connecticut and Virginia independent schools. Since joining the Applewild community in 2021, Mr. Carr has lived in the Flat Rock Dorm with his wife, Mrs. Carr, and their two young children who are Applewild students.

Mr. Bonanno graduated from The Boston Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor’s in Applied Performance on Clarinet. He has been a dedicated music educator for over 30 years. Mr. Bonanno also teaches at Groton Hill Music Center and serves as the choir director at St. Bernard Church. Mr. Bonanno gives his students the tools they need not only to become good musicians but also the strategies they will need in core academics, socially and emotionally. Instrumental music is critical to building the children’s mind, body, and soul. Mr. Bonanno is also a freelance woodwind player in the Boston area. He has performed with various entertainers, including The Temptations, Four Tops, Frankie Valli, Johnny Mathis, Gladys Knight, Wayne Newton, Ben Vereen and also appeared with the New York Pops. 

Asher Chase grew up locally in beautiful Royalston, Massachusetts. He has been teaching for eight years and has been the Spanish teacher here at Applewild for three. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, he moved to Taipei, Taiwan where he taught English for several years. He then moved to Mexico City where he started his own language school. He is passionate about languages, teaching and making sure every student has a fun, safe and educational experience in his classroom. Outside of school, he enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife, baby boy and chihuahua.

Devin Dirk is currently in his third year at Applewild, where he teaches Foundations, 6th, and 8th/9th grade science, and serves as a dorm parent in the boarding program. He earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Connecticut. After two years working in the field, Devin discovered his passion for teaching while living in Japan, where he taught English to both children and adults in Tokyo and Fukushima City. He joined Applewild in 2022 and now resides on campus at Flatrock with his wife, Yufi, and their puppy, Miso. In his free time, Devin enjoys building custom gaming PCs and diving into abstract science topics on Wikipedia.

After 20+ years of teaching public school, Alison was thrilled to have found a place here in the Applewild community four years ago. As a Middle School Math Teacher, Alison truly enjoys getting to know each student and identifying their specific needs as a math learner. You can also find her coaching our Girls Basketball and Soccer teams. After receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Business from Merrimack College, she went on to earn her Masters in Education at Fitchburg University. Alison enjoys spending time with her husband and son at their home in Pepperell where you'll probably find her reading on the porch. She also frequently visits her parents in Wells, ME throughout the summer and tries to see at least one rock concert a year. Keep an eye out for her Doodle, Lucky, who enjoys attending Spring sports games with her!  Go Hawks!

Tara Goodrich serves as the Assistant Dean of Students for Grades 4-9 and teaches English and Humanities to Grades 6-9. Tara graduated from Assumption University and has taught English for over 20 years. She is currently completing her Masters in Educational Leadership at Fitchburg State University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time on the water, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.She lives in Oxford, MA with her husband and has two wonderful daughters, Emily and Brooke.

Declan Drapeau is the Learning Support Coordinator for grades 5-9. He lives in and loves the city of Fitchburg. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Santa Fe University of Art and Design in New Mexico. He has been teaching since 2013 when he completed his teacher training with New Teachers Collaborative based out of Parker Charter on Devens. He earned his Master’s in Special Education from Fitchburg State University and also received his certification from The Orton-Gillingham Academy. He loves being able to work with students in tutoring, Writing Lab, the creative arts magazine, and advisory. His two adorable, brilliant, funny children attend Applewild’s Preschool. He decided to start boxing recently, much to his family’s chagrin.

Bethany has been at Applewild since the beginning of Foundations! She is passionate about helping students with LBLD engage with curriculum, build confidence and have fun while learning. Bethany holds a MA in Elementary Education and Massachusetts licenses for Elementary Education and K-8 Moderate Disabilities. She is also a certified tutor through the Orton Gillingham Academy and occasional Vedic Meditation teacher. In her free time, Bethany enjoys tennis, travel, going to her kids’ rugby games and hiking with Merlin, her therapy cat in training. 

Linda Reida returned to Applewild in 2021 after previously teaching there for ten years while her daughter attended the school.  With over 30 years of experience in education, she holds a Master’s degree in Education and Deaf Education and is a trained Wilson Reading instructor. Early in her career, she taught deaf children and worked with deaf adults. During her time away from Applewild, Linda directed a local tutoring center and ran her own business. Her focus has always been on supporting students and young adults with learning differences. Now back at Applewild, she enjoys teaching executive functioning, study skills, learning support, and Wilson Reading. She resides in Westminster with her happy husband and their two playful Maine Coon cats. On a personal note, her daughter, an Applewild alumna, now works as an Executive Assistant at a Boston-based biotech company.

After receiving her Masters degrees in both education as well as visual arts from the University of New England, Sara Sanford has dedicated her forty year career to being an educator. She has been an elementary homeroom teacher, an english teacher as well as an art instructor grades Kindergarten-12. She is a certified Responsive Classroom teacher. She has been a dorm parent and taught in both private and public school settings all over New England. When she isn’t working in the studio at school, she is writing or painting in her studio at home, or hiking and spending time with her husband Conrad, her 6 adult children and her dog Nutmeg.

Miss Berwick comes to us from the plains of North Dakota. She grew up in rural Vermont and decided it was time to adventure back. She joins us at Applewild as she goes into her 7th year of teaching. She holds an undergraduate degree in secondary education from Unity College and an MS in STEM from The University of Iowa. She lives on campus in the Flat Rock Dormitory with her 7-year-old heeler mix, Poppy. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, and traveling to national parks. 

Kayla Bilodeau has been in education for over fifteen years. She is a teacher in the Foundations Program and an Orton-Gillingham Tutor. Kayla holds a Master's and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Special Education. She is currently in the dissertation process, working toward her Doctor of Philosophy in Education. Kayla is also a yoga instructor and frequently teaches yoga to the students at Applewild. 

Wyatt Ellinwood is new to classroom teaching, but has worked exclusively in schools since graduating from the University of Vermont in 2022. At UVM, Wyatt double majored in Japanese language and Asian Studies, and uses a love for history, literature, and communication to fuel an impassioned commitment to Applewild’s academic and residential life curricula. A graduate of St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, Wyatt has a strong background in prep school and boarding life, and uses that knowledge as an Applewild dorm parent to support, engage, and foster the growth of the school’s growing boarding population.

Amanda Hu is the English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at Applewild. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an M.S.Ed. in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania. With over five years of dedicated experience, she has taught English to learners of various ages and linguistic backgrounds, focusing on cultivating self-regulation and intrinsic motivation among her students. Residing on campus, Amanda also supports the Residential Life Program and is passionate about languages, sports, and travel.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Arkansas as the son of two educators, Grayson attended Southwest Tennessee CC as a baseball player, before completing his Bachelor's at Arkansas State University, studying History. Grayson's passion for music, movies, pop culture, sports, and his being a native southerner gives him a unique perspective that he is always excited to share with the students and build their skills and knowledge as they move forward in their education. This is his first year in the classroom and at Applewild, and he has embraced living in New England and at Applewild as his new home. He serves as a History/Humanities teacher for the 6-9th grade, and as a dorm parent in Applewild's Residential Life Program. Also cat dad to a lovely little cat named Bridget.