Kevin Campion’s first year at Menlo will mark his seventh year teaching middle school math as he previously taught it at the McKinley Institute of Technology in Redwood City as well as at several middle schools in Massachusetts. Kevin began teaching to have a positive influence on the lives of young people. Before moving to California during the summer of 2016, Kevin drove cross country with his wife, MaryAnn, and two sons, Mason (7) and Emery (5). Outside of teaching, Kevin likes to play golf, swim with his boys, and cheer for the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots. He earned a BA in communications from Furman University and a master’s in education from Cambridge College.

After receiving a BA in Theater Arts, sixth and seventh grade computer science teacher Mike Kulbieda spent two years in New York City as a working actor and musician before beginning his teaching career as an English tutor in Mexico. He went on to teach ESL in South Korea and Southern California before deciding to pursue a master’s degree in education. Since then, Mike has worked in independent schools in Frankfurt, Germany; Philadelphia, PA; and Palo Alto, CA. He spent the past three years at the International School of the Peninsula developing and implementing an elementary computer science program and managing the school’s Maker Lab as the Design/MakerEd Coordinator. In his spare time, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and surfing, playing music, and tinkering.

Bobbi Lynn Monroe joins Menlo as the seventh grade science teacher from the United Arab Emirates where she taught middle school science at the American School of Dubai. She has also previously taught chemistry as part of a nursing program as well as AP Chemistry and earth, life, and physical sciences at a rural high school in Pennsylvania. She also worked as assistant director of the Tech Museum’s summer camp program and as an elementary science specialist in the Cambrian School District. She earned a BS in chemistry, a secondary education teaching certificate at Bloomsburg University, and is currently finishing a master’s in science education with Montana State University. In her free time, she enjoys “geeking out” over all things science, spending time with her daughter, camping, doing yoga, “badly” strumming a ukulele, and watching Star Trek.

Patrick “Pat” Neary, who is teaching middle school visual arts during the first semester, is an accomplished artist and teacher who also worked in the digital animation and visual effects industry for feature films and commercials prior to moving to the classroom. He began his teaching career at the college level for students who wanted similar careers in animation. He’s taught digital arts at the high school level as well as helped coordinate the start-up of an open-inquiry space for student creativity. At the middle and lower school level, he has taught at the Sea Crest School and Sacred Heart and has been a Specialist Teacher and manager of a makerspace Innovation Lab. Pat enjoys digital photography, creative digital media, drawing, and watercolor painting using traditional media as well as spending time with his wife and their cat.

Middle School counselor and human skills teacher Katherine Peterson ’97 has worked throughout the Bay Area as a school psychologist, counselor, and school administrator for the past 15 years. Connecting with students and families in good times and bad is her life’s passion. She was most recently the Director of Student Services for the Woodside School District. She earned a BA from Princeton University and a PhD and MA from UC Berkeley. She lives in Menlo Park with her husband, who is also an educator, and daughter Annabelle (7). She also enjoys skiing, running, reading, gardening, and game nights.

Angela Curotto-Pierson ’07 is excited to be returning to Menlo as the Middle School dance teacher for the first semester. After graduating from NYU with a BFA in dance in 2010, Angela pursued a professional career in modern and contemporary dance and musical theater. Her dance experience includes performing at venues throughout New York City, New England, and San Francisco, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob’s Pillow, and Z Space. In her free time, she enjoys cooking (especially authentic Vietnamese food), traveling with her husband, and spending time with her dog, Mika.

Sixth grade English teacher Becki Philips is originally from San Diego but began her teaching career in Arizona where she taught middle school for five years. From there, she moved overseas and taught high school and middle school at American International schools in Seoul, Dubai, and Vienna. (She even taught alongside new middle school science teacher Bobbi Lynn Monroe when in Dubai!) After seven years abroad, she is excited to return to California and join the Menlo community. She enjoys reading Harry Potter, cooking, and is always planning her next travel adventure. Becki earned her BA in liberal studies at education at California State, San Marcos.

A Los Angeles native, Leo Kitajima (“Mr. K.”) will lead the Upper School orchestra and jazz programs as well as the Middle School Chamber Ensemble. He comes to Menlo from the Westridge School where he was the Orchestra Director and Music Department Chair. He also has served on the violin faculty of the Colburn School of Performing Arts and the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. He earned his master’s in music education from Northwestern and received a bachelor’s degree from USC. Fascinated by the diverse musical genres he was exposed to as a youngster in L.A, Leo spent his undergraduate years exploring and studying multiple genres through analysis, composition, and performance. Over the summer, he had the opportunity to shoot his first music video, a collaboration with the Los Angeles-based singer MILCK. Beyond music and teaching, Leo enjoys frequenting coffee shops and taco trucks and working on vintage cars.