Our Faculty

​Nichole Bond
Head of School
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​Being at GATE is so much fun! The kids are inquisitive and interested. With freedom to explore deeply and go to the next level of questions, nothing ever gets boring or repetitive.  Our faculty is dynamic, kind, and a great team helping our kids thrive!
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We are thrilled to have Nichole Bond at GATE, where she uses her diverse scientific background to educate and inspire GATE's kids—our next generation of thinkers, scientists, and leaders. Nichole obtained her PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and comes to us after five years of postdoctoral work at the National Institutes of Health and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. A teacher for most of her life, Nichole has received awards from UNLV and NIH for many things, including her instructional abilities, and she loves learning new things, too. 
Kristen Huang
Upper School Instructor
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I enjoy teaching because it involves constant learning and exploring, and I thrive with balancing excellent plans and teachable moments in inquiry and project-based environments.
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Kristen's background spans a wide variety of locations and experiences, from directing the Children's Discovery Center Preschool in Texas, to teaching in The Navajo Nation (Arizona), Wellesley, Massachusetts, and Novato, to being a Marin Master Gardener, to parenting two gifted children. Kristen attended University of Texas, Austin and gained her bachelor's degree in Educational Psychology. She obtained her master's degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education. At every step of her career, Kristen has been involved with children and education, as a student, as a professional, and as a volunteer.
Roland Johnson
Dean of Students
Physical Education & Aftercare
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GATE kids are individuals and helping them grow into their best self is my passion at GATE. Through PE, and by teaching conflict resolution tools, GATE kids learn that sportsmanship is self-management, connection, responsibility for self and others, resilience and adaptability.  Daily PE gives our GATE kids tools for life.
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Coach Johnson has over 25 years of experience with physical education in public and private schools, and in afterschool programs as well. He has an extensive background in hip hop dance form, teaching master classes and popular summer camps. Coach Johnson helps children understand that physical activity is important to lifelong health and happiness, as well as being a great way to stretch out their bodies after a morning exercising their minds. He mixes up his classes between the national physical education standards activity recommendations, dance performance, and outdoor exploration on the GATE campus. Coach Johnson is also well versed in mindfulness and believes that treating others with respect is one of the first steps to success in life.  Coach Johnson is a respected leader for the GATE kids and exceptionally suited to serving as Dean of Students.
Tracy Mardigian-Kiles
Upper School Instructor
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I love coming to work at GATE. My colleagues are gifted educators who are constantly creating and building on successes to deliver a dynamic and powerful learning environment for the students. And don't get me started on the students themselves—they are engaged and excited to learn. It's a tremendous pleasure to nurture that enthusiasm and to help them reach their very high potential!
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Tracy Mardigian-Kiles obtained her BA in International Relations/Economics from Tufts University and her MA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Study. Her career included positions at the United Nations Development Programme, the U.S. State Department and the World Bank before moving to California with her husband to raise their children near family. An avid writer, Tracy is at work on a re-draft of a novel and loves to teach language arts and creative writing. She has extensive tutoring and curriculum development experience and created the content for several training programs as part of her duties at the United Nations. She began her involvement at GATE as a temporary math teacher and is delighted to have an even bigger role as classroom teacher. 
Pranathi Brahmandam
Upper School Instructor

​When I first toured GATE as a parent, I was wowed by the smiling faces of the Phoenix students that greeted me.  After many years here, I see that what makes GATE tick is the individual attention to socio-emotional-intellectual development that each child receives. They are nurtured uniquely as they pass through the care of each of the class teachers. I am delighted to be a part of this team!

Pranathi Brahmandam is excited to build a constantly evolving and dynamic classroom which aligns with inquiry based learning. Pranathi has a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and has spent fourteen years in the software industry, not including a break to raise her two kids. She has deep philosophical interests and has co-founded a church of her faith in the North Bay. Prior to joining GATE’s staff, Pranathi actively volunteered with us for a decade, teaching a variety of subjects. She loves that GATE students are not just eager to learn but also to question, internalize and extend their learnings to make personal connections.​
Bee Schlotz
Lower School Instructor

I love teaching at GATE, because it's an environment where the kids with unique social and educational needs can flourish. There is a welcoming atmosphere and a great sense of community, within each class and across the school. It's a dream come true to be a part of it!

​Bee Schlotz obtained her BA in Linguistics and MA in Education from University of California, Santa Cruz, with postgraduate work in Educational Therapy through UCLA, UCSCx and the Making Math Real Institute. She's been teaching in the Bay Area for 15 years, working primarily with gifted and 2e populations. A Bay Area native, she lives in Oakland with her two kids.
Theo Knox
​Lower School Instructor

GATE is a wonderful place for hands on experimentation, lots of questions, and excitement about our world.  I'm so excited working with GATE's amazing kids!

Theo started at GATE as the art teacher in 2019 before becoming the Pegasus core teacher a year later.  Theo holds a BFA from Alfred University, has taught for fifteen years in Marin, and has been a teaching artist in Vallejo Public Schools for five years. Over this time, Theo has worked on developing and refining project-based curriculum that combines art & science as a starting point for observing and understanding the world. 
Cherstin Nash
Lower School Teacher
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I started teaching to have the same schedule  as my children. That was over 20 years ago. I love to learn and here at GATE I can learn along with my students!

Cherstin Nash has been in Marin since she moved here when she was 8 years old from New York. She grew up in West Marin, attending non traditional schools like the open classroom program and the School within a school. Cherstin earned a B.A in Early Childhood and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State. She believes everyone should be able to learn at their own pace. Here at GATE she enjoys that the children are working to their full potential. She has two adult children who live in Southern California, but most of her family is still on the East Coast , where she likes to spend her vacations. She enjoys reading and swimming. She says that living in Mill Valley gives her easy access to all the museums that she loves while living 30 minutes from the beach and Mt Tam. She loves nature and looks forward to sharing her interests with her students.
Sandy Jacklin
Operations and Administration
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GATE Academy's students, teachers, and parents create the most wonderful community of learners. The students are enthusiastic, engaged, and most of all they are happy. This is truly an amazing school.
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Sandy graduated from San Francisco State, majoring in Early Childhood Education, and before joining GATE, taught preschool for many years, mentored many budding teachers, and served as President of Marin Association for the Education of Young Children. Currently, Sandy is an appointed commissioner serving on the Marin Childcare Commission and has guest lectured on early childhood education at venues around California. With years of experience running a large pre-K classroom at Marin Day Schools/Bright Horizons, Sandy knows how organization and communications can help make everything run smoothly at a small school. We are so grateful to have her here daily to support the students and teachers!

Supporting Faculty & Staff​
David Abrams
Theater Instructor

David Abrams loves teaching theatre and creative expression at GATE!  David is the founding artistic director of Birdbath Theatres.  Under Birdbath, David received a TBA award for his performance as Richard II in 2018.  He has taught drama at a number of schools and programs around the bay for over thirteen years including College of Marin and Oakland School for the Arts.  David received his master’s in acting from the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University.
Julia Amber Adams
Expressive Movement and Performance Arts Instructor

Julia Adams began her training in ballet with Marin Dance Theatre. She continued her dance education in the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Graduate Program for 2 years and spent summers with Peridance Contemporary Dance Company’s BLUEPRINT program. In addition to her work as an early childhood educator for 2 years, Julia spent 5 years on the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School faculty, teaching ballet for the Children’s, Student, Pre-Professional, and Community divisions. Julia also served as the interim co-coordinator for the PBT Community Division. Additionally, Julia was heavily involved in the PBT Education Department as a co-instructor of Adaptive Dance for students and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other sensory sensibilities, as well as in university collaborations for dance curriculum building and writing. Julia serves as the contracted curriculum developer and course designer for the dance program collaboration between PBT and Chatham University. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member for Chatham University.
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Joan Pont, MD
Upper School Instructor - Specialist
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There is nothing as energizing as seeing a student feel the joy of mastering something difficult, just a little out of reach. The largely self-directed projects of each inquiry period support that experience each and every time.
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Joan retired from a busy Internal Medicine practice and has turned to...farming. She gives as much attention to learning about crops, soil composition, biodiversity and retaining native plants in the scheme as she did to medicine and this has yielded a second life-long learning career. Sheep for wool production, spinning, weaving and knitting, and the fun of competitive horseback riding and equine husbandry take up all the extra time she has available.  It is a privilege to have Joan's help with our special Inquiry period of I5 when the eighth graders take on Hearts’ Desire.  Prior to farming and spending specialist time at GATE, Joan majored in math and chemistry at Wellesley. She proceeded from there to Harvard Medical School.  Joan's post-doctoral education took place at Stanford University Medical Center and UCSF, and she followed up her formal education with a robust medical career as an internist.  ​
Dawn Madole-Nkomonde
Music Appreciation and Theory, Lower and Upper School

Dawn Madole-Nkomonde (Ms. Dawn) is an accomplished violinist, performer and teacher. She teaches our lower and upper school music enrichment classes on Mondays and Fridays.  In addition to teaching at GATE, Dawn performs with the Marin and Vallejo Symphonies, teaches 20+ private violin students throughout Marin County (including at GATE), as well as at the Crowden Music Center.  Dawn was awarded the Private Music Instructor Teacher of the Year award from the Marin Symphony in 2019.  She holds a BA in Music from UC Berkeley.
Virginie Biolay
French Teacher, Lower School​

I find my students at GATE Academy to be so inspiring, so full of life and curiosity that they not only inspire me but they inspire each other which truly makes it a joy to be introducing and helping them to learn the french language.

Virginie studied languages at Rennes University in Brittany France and she graduated and majored at the St. Germain university of languages of Paris. While living for three years in Bora Bora French Polynesia, Virginie taught
students from all over the world. Now living in Marin for the last thirty years, Virginie has had the pleasure of teaching private students of all ages.
Chris Alexander
Literature, Upper School

I love teaching at GATE because the tempo and ambience are so conducive to thoughtful, creative work—for both students and teachers!
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Chris holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Modern and Medieval Languages from Cambridge University, U.K.  Chris delights in exploring literature of all types, including short stories, song lyrics, and novels.  Chris has been teaching English language arts and ethics for many years at the high school level, and is also an accomplished  French and German teacher.  In his minimal spare time, Chris is part of a rock music band, and he is an intrepid dog walker, too!
Sita Venkataramani
Math, Upper School

Mathematics has been my favorite subject for as long as I can remember and I am passionate about passing on my love for logic, mathematics and analytical reasoning to the younger generation. 

Sita has over four decades of experience as a Software Engineer working in various sectors of the industry. He graduated from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi, India from where he received his two degrees, a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Management & Systems. He and his wife are longtime residents of Marin, and during his free time he loves to read, go on long hikes, and travel the world. He is also learning to play the guitar and is absolutely loving it.