Curriculum Vitae

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Biography

Mrs. Suzanne "Su" Rinas Leone grew up in a German-American family in rural western New York State. She graduated on time from Brockport Senior High School with a Regents' Diploma, which included credits at the local State University of NY College at Brockport. She was awarded the prestigious Regents' Scholarship as well as several smaller endowed awards through high school.

She travelled during summers with her family on their powerboat, and was lucky enough to spend a great deal of time in the canals of Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Thus began her love of the French language. Listening to her German-speaking relatives further established her love of foreign languages in general, and Mrs. Leone double-majored in math and foreign languages in high school.

Mrs. Leone learned to read English at a very early age, and also showing an aptitude and interest in piano, was enrolled in private lessons the summer before Kindergarten. She has played piano and sung ever since. Formal vocal training began in sixth grade, and she began learning guitar chords from a friend at sixteen. Other instruments such as flute, trumpet, violin and percussion, were picked up in college as needed. As she tells her students, "Once you learn how to read musical notation, you can play any instrument in the world if they give you a fingering chart!"

Shortly after launching a career as a professional musician, Mrs. Leone was involved in a car accident that significantly injured her left hand. This turn of events nudged her back into teaching, where she has been ever since, and loves it!

She has one older brother, and six step-siblings because both her parents remarried after high school. She currently lives in northeastern Raleigh with her husband, pet rabbit, pet goldfish, an assortment of wild birds in the garden, and soon-to-be a baby or two (due November 16, 2009). She loves to bake and read and do Facebook.

 

Biography  •  Education  •  Teaching Experience  •  Other Experience

 

Education

Mrs. Leone was awarded two scholarships (Presidential and Gabriel Burda) which allowed her to attend Seton Hill College in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, then a Catholic liberal arts college for women admitting men to the School of Fine Arts. Despite taking many education and composition courses, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1994.

In 1996, Mrs. Leone returned to college to pursue Post-Baccalaureate Advanced Teacher Certification in Music at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. She finished student teaching in December 1997.

In 1998, she began pursuing her Master's degree in Education, majoring in Interdisciplinary Arts for Children at SUNY Brockport. She wrote a resource book for thematically including folk art, music and dance into the K-6 curriculum, and produced a two-CD set of original field recordings of the cited music. (Thank you to the Golden Link Folk Singing Society for their invaluable help and talents!)

She has participated in many workshops on multiple intelligences and reading. She also has led workshops on integrating reading into music and physical education, and copyright law.

In 2007, Mrs. Leone became an ordained New Age Minister, and performs non-denominational weddings in the Triangle area. This achievement was the culmination of nearly four years of study and coursework. She is very proud to be "Reverend Su."

Mrs. Leone holds a permanent teaching certificate in Music K-12 in New York State. She also holds teaching licenses in Music K-12 and Elementary Education (General) K-6 in North Carolina. Her next renewal cycle in June 2011.

 

Biography  •  Education  •  Teaching Experience  •  Other Experience

 

Teaching Experience

Public Schools

Wake County Public School System (NC) ~ Substitute Teacher, Feb 2009-present

Wilton Elementary School (Granville County, NC) ~ Music PK-5, Aug 2003-Oct 2008

Newark High School (Newark CSD, NY) ~ General Music &Women's Chorale, Sep 1998-Jun 2000

Private Schools

CHW Elementary School (Holley, NY) ~ Sixth Grade General, Music, Art & Spanish, Aug 2000-Feb 2002

St. Joseph's Villa (Rochester, NY) ~ Music & Art Teacher Assistant, Mar 1998-Aug 1998

 

Biography  •  Education  •  Teaching Experience  •  Other Experience

 

Other Experience

Musical

St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Holley, NY) ~ Organist & Music Director, Sep 1996-May 1997

Westmoreland Symphonic Winds (Greensburg, PA) ~ Stage Assistant, Aug 1991-May 1994

Clerical

Cue Sport Promotions (Raleigh, NC) ~ Personal Assistant & Web Wizard, May 2008-Present

News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) ~ Finance Assistant, Jan 2009-Feb 2009 (OfficeTeam)

Coordinated Care Services, Inc. (Rochester, NY) ~ Administrative Assistant, Aug 2002-Apr 2003 (OfficeTeam Aug-Nov)

Wilson Commencement Park (Rochester, NY) ~ Finance Assistant, Feb 2002-Aug 2002 (OfficeTeam)

Monro Muffler Brake & Service (Rochester, NY) ~ Advertising Assistant, Feb 1995-Oct 1997

Seton Hill College Music Preparatory Division (Greensburg, PA) ~ Clerical Assistant, Aug 1990-May 1994

Other

The Pointy Hat.com (Wake Forest, NC) ~ Seamstress' Assistant, Oct 2008-Present

Loxley Abbey Church & Mini Farm (Raleigh, NC) ~ Associate Pastor, Web Consultant and "Taj MaHen" Co-Constructor, Feb 2007-Present

Jesse Thompson's Duryea Ford (Brockport, NY) ~ Service Writers' Assistant, Jun 1994-Dec 1994

Westmoreland Nursing Home (Spencerport, NY) ~ Night Cook & Tray Aide, Jun 1990-Mar 1993