Staff
Outdoor School Staff 2022-2023
Administration
Gina Felter
Principal
Ms. Gina C. Felter has spent the 50 years of her life learning about and caring for our local, natural environments here in Maryland. Growing up in Cockeysville in Baltimore County, Gina began to form her deep love of nature through the Girl Scouts of the USA program. After graduating from Dulaney High School in 1990, Gina attended Virginia Tech to study Wildlife Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine. While there, she had opportunities to conduct authentic research in the fields of mammology and ornithology at Mountain Lake Biological Station in Southwest Virginia. Although she loved learning about wild animal populations and how to preserve them, she decided to change her career path to one in which she could share what she had learned with others. Gina returned to Maryland to attain her Master of Arts in Teaching from Towson University.
A position at Sykesville Middle School then began her 18 year tenure as an educator in Carroll County Public Schools. While there she worked tirelessly to educate students about their local environment through the construction of The Living Laboratory, a double fish pond system with surrounding native habitat. Ms. Felter was then given the opportunity to go to work at Carroll County Outdoor School where she helped transform curriculum to integrate the environmental issue investigation model of instruction. After three and a half wonderful years at the Outdoor School, Ms. Felter transferred to Francis Scott Key High School where she worked to incorporate the EII model into more advanced, high school curricula. Of special note are the Aquatic and Terrestrial Environmental Science courses that include not only hands-on, real-life environmental investigations, but a service-learning component as well. At each of these three teaching experiences, Ms. Felter educated not only students, but staff members as well to attain MD Green School or MD Green Center status.
During those experiences, Ms. Felter also worked to attain her administrative certification from McDaniel College and worked as an Assistant Principal at both North Carroll and Manchester Valley High Schools. During those years, she has provided unique professional development opportunities for her staff on effective environmental education and has worked with the NC Green Team, a club created by NC students to improve the local environment both in and around the school. In May of 2013 North Carroll became one of the latest MD Green Schools under Ms. Felter’s direction and then received the United States Department of Education Green Ribbon recognition in 2014. At Manchester Valley she also worked with a student-led group, the MV Enviro Club to continue to promote green initiatives as part of the MD Green School program.
Throughout her life, Ms. Gina Felter has strove to learn more about and then to positively change the local environment through the education of others using creative, hands-on, authentic environmental learning experiences. She is looking forward to another exciting and smooth school year.
Favorite Quote: "We get to be a ripple in the water..." -Indigo Girls
Faculty
Carly Ferguson
Carly Ferguson is originally from Maine, but now calls Gettysburg, PA her home. She is a graduate of West Virginia University. This is Ms. Ferguson's sixteenth year at Outdoor School. She enjoys traveling, horseback riding, backpacking, hanging out with her family & pup, Dr. Seuss, and just about anything to get outside!
Favorite Quote: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi
Misti Kelly is a Carroll County native who still remembers attending Outdoor School when she was in 6th grade & as a high school counselor. She is a Westminster High, Millersville University, and Towson University graduate. This is her 3rd year at Outdoor School, she previously taught 6th & 7th grade science for 15 years with CCPS. She loves the outdoors, especially hiking, kayaking, and traveling the world. Mrs. Kelly is enjoying her empty nest life & spending time with her husband & their 2 dogs.
Favorite Quote: "Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you." -Frank Lloyd Wright
Misti Kelly
Dannielle Midkiff
Danielle Midkiff is a West Virginia native. She attended Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania and McDaniel College for graduate studies. She has taught for 18 years in Carroll County in the PRIDE program. This is her second year at Outdoor School! She enjoys running, hiking, traveling and anything outdoors with her husband and golden retriever.
Favorite Quote: "Be curious, not judgmental." – Ted Lasso
Tom Vail is originally from Woodlawn in Baltimore County and moved to Carroll County at age 11, where he still resides. Mr. Vail graduated from Liberty High School and Western Maryland College. He has worked at the Outdoor School for 25 years. Mr. Vail has taught marching band at Liberty High School for the past 30 years. He enjoys music and plays guitar in two local bands.
Favorite Quote: “Music is the universal language.”
Tom Vail
School Nurses
Pam Levesque has lived in Carroll County for 23 years. She is excited about her sixth year at Outdoor School and has been a Pediatric Nurse for 31 years. She enjoys being outdoors, camping, kayaking, reading, and spending time with her husband, 3 children and multiple pets.
Favorite Quote: "Be Somebody Who Makes Everybody Feel Like a Somebody."
Dawn Van Der Stuyf is a Maryland Native and has lived in Carroll County for 24 years. She has been a RN for 32 years and is excited for her tenth year at Outdoor School. She enjoys traveling, gardening and spending time with her husband, 2 children, 3 grandchildren and Yellow Lab, "Ava".
Favorite Quote: "Everyday holds the possibility of a miracle."
BJ Phelps is originally from Maine, but has resided in Carroll County, Maryland for the last 23 years with her husband. They have a son and daughter that both enjoyed the extension of their parent's love of nature at Outdoor School. She graduated from the University of Maryland and Stevenson University. She also enjoys psychiatric and geriatric nursing, and teaching RN students. She has many pets and frequently fosters for the Carroll County Humane Society. She is happiest when nature surrounds her and loves to work on projects in her spare time to support the environment when she's not exploring the outdoors.
Favorite Quote: "The grass isn't greener on the other side. It's greener where YOU water it."
BJ Phelps
Support Staff
Lori Schlosser is originally from Cape May, New Jersey. She is a graduate of Towson State University. This is her third year at Outdoor School as an Instructional Assistant but Ms. Schlosser was an Outdoor School Teacher for 9 years previously. She lives in Blue Ridge Summit with her husband and has two children. She enjoys kayaking, hiking and camping.
Favorite Quote: "The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth." Chief Seattle
TBA Our new assistant's information is coming soon!
Favorite Quote: "
Coming Soon!
Mary Hoy
Mary Hoy is from Carroll County. She is a graduate of Salisbury University. Mrs. Hoy is in charge of live materials for Carroll County Public Schools. She enjoys teaching kids about the environment, planting gardens with kids, vacationing on the river, and learning.
Favorite Quote: "In the end we conserve what we love, we love what we understand-we understand what we are taught."