Department: Lower Elementary

Chris has earned a B.S. in Mathematics Education from the University of South Florida and is certified in Middle Grades (5-9). Chris graduated from the Helios STEM Program at USF which is a distinguished program specifically engineered to prepare future educators for the real world. He has a passion for making math fun and relatable for his students. Chris believes that students benefit greatly from working together and tries to integrate group projects into the classroom whenever possible. In his free time Chris enjoys golfing, spending time outdoors, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Daniel has three years of experience teaching in both public and private schools. He previously worked as a teacher at elementary level. He has taught writing, social studies, and science to students in grades 4-5 at TDS. He is passionate about creating hands-on science activities. In his writing classes, he believes that students should find their voice. He received a B.A in History from the University of Coleraine and uses that knowledge throughout his Social Studies lessons. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and stepson and watching a lot of soccer.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Kelly Newman earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Notre Dame of Maryland University in 1984 and began her career in teaching. She loves children and learning, and her passion for making a difference in the world has provided her with a wide range of opportunities in the field of education.  Her thirty-plus years of experience includes time as a Classroom Teacher, a Producer of Educational Services for America Online, a Director of a Britannica Learning Center, and an Educational Curriculum Writer with Sylvan Learning Systems creating curriculum for the Chicago Public Schools.

While living and working in Illinois, she took some time off to start a family. When her two sons were of school age, Mrs. Newman returned to the classroom. Her passion for providing students with a variety of pathways to be socially, emotionally, and academically successful furthered her involvement in education.  She became a moderator for Student Council, a school representative for the Standards and Benchmarks Committee, an Activities Director for Field Days, and a mentor for other teachers. Her commitment to excellence led to her nomination for the Bisk ‘Hometown Hero Award’ for Educational Leadership. This award granted her a scholarship to obtain a Master’s Degree, which she received in Curriculum and Instruction from Scranton University in 2016. Afterward, she was promoted to the position of Reading Resource and Response to Intervention Specialist. While she missed the classroom, this new position allowed her to maximize her Special Education skills in working one-on-one with children and collaborating with their parents and teachers as a team. 

“Nothing is more rewarding than watching a child go from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’.”

Ms. Pomet has been a career teacher for over 30 years, working for schools in Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas. She has taught all subjects in grade levels from 1st through 8th grade, with a passion for helping students with developmental challenges, intellectually and emotionally disturbed disabilities. Ms. Pomet earned her Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of Arkansas. She has continued to build on her experience by working with a variety of foundations and programs, including; the Contentment Foundation’s Four Pillars of Wellbeing, Read Naturally Intervention Program, and The Orton Gillingham Approach. On the weekends, Jill can often be found listening to live music and jeepin’ with friends.

Desiree has 19 years of teaching experience in both public and private schools. She earned her Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Westchester Community College in her hometown in New York. She then moved to sunny Florida, away from the cold, and earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Tampa. Desiree has extensive training in both Linda-Mood Bell and Orton-Gillingham reading methods, which she utilizes routinely as a reading tutor at TDS.  In her spare time, she enjoys taking her dogs for long evening walks, taking their boat out, watching sunsets with her husband and two children, and watching her son swim competitively and play baseball.