Meet Our Staff
Meghan Cavalier: Meghan is the Executive Director of the school. Before coming to River’s Edge, Meg was the secondary principal at Bethany Academy in Bloomington, where she was also a science teacher (Life science, Earth Science, Chemistry and Physics). She has been an Interpretative Naturalist at the Minnesota Zoo, Special Ed teacher and youth pastor. In 2000, Meghan received the Bruce Vento Scholarship for science educators. Meghan holds an Elementary/Middle school teaching license with an emphasis in Environmental Science. She is currently pursuing a
K-12 Principal and Superintendent license. Meg received an Innovative Program Teaching Assignment licensure waiver from the Board of Teaching which enables her to teach all content areas at the Secondary level. She currently is working on her Doctorate in Education Administration at Bethel University. She enjoys running, camping, canoeing
and yoga. mcavalier@reamn.org
Adrienne Eldridge: Most recently Adrienne was the Office Manager for First Lutheran Church and Bay Lake Camp.
She has previous charter school administrative experience. Adrienne has worked with young people in many different capacities and has a BA from Augsburg College in Youth and Family Ministry. She enjoys spending time outdoors, watching movies, going for walks, canoeing, yoga and lives in St. Paul with her family. We are excited to welcome
er to our team! aeldridge@reamn.org
Sarah Oppelt: While life science and biology have been her focus in the classroom, she led youth trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Florida Everglades. She has a M.A. degree from the University of Minnesota. Sarah also brings extensive experience with environmental and outdoor education, including courses in canoeing, backpacking, ropes, rock climbing and training in environmental service learning programs. She is a Wilderness First Responder, certified
in Wilderness Water Safety and BLS-CPR. Sarah holds a 5-12 Life Science teaching license and received an Innovative Program Teaching Assignment licensure waiver from the Board of Teaching which enables her to teach all content
areas at the secondary level. She also has a variance from the MN State Department of Education to teach secondary Special Education. soppelt@reamn.org
David Melvin: Dave teaches Humanities at River’s Edge. Dave brings to REA not only his classroom experience with Social Studies, Economics and Humanities, but also organizing larger group activities such as Model United Nations
and History Day. He is an instructor of bicycle mechanics and was the general manager of Youth Express Bike Shop
in St Paul for several years. He is also a Wilderness First Responder and able to provide excellent emergency care
and first aid in a crisis situation. Dave holds a 5-12 Social Studies teaching license and received an Innovative Program Teaching Assignment licensure waiver from the Board of Teaching which enables him to teach all content areas at
the Secondary level. He enjoys camping, canoeing, cross-country skiing and juggling. Dave is literate in Hmong.
Heather Evjen: Heather teaches math at River’s Edge Academy. She earned a BA from St. Olaf College with a math major. She is currently licensed to teach 5-12 Math as well as ESL (English as a Second Language). She brings a passion for helping students achieve their goals, including finishing high school and becoming successful college students. Heather has spent the past several years teaching on an interdisciplinary team in Hawaii. In addition to writing and implementing authentic curriculum, she also advised the College for Every Student club and student council. She plays French horn and hand bells. In her free time, Heather enjoys hiking, camping, running, and watching a good movie. hevjen@reamn.org
John Byrnes: John teaches Language Arts at River’s Edge. Most recently John taught in the Mounds View School District. His strengths include using collaborative technology such as google docs, wikispaces and moodle. He also has experience at Crosswinds Middle School and Central High School. John earned a BA in Religion at Gustavus Adolphus and is currently completing a M. Ed. in Secondary English Education at the University of Minnesota. He is licensed to teacher 5-12 Communition Arts in the State of Minnesota. When he is not reading and assessing writing, John enjoys banjos and barbeques. jbyrnes@reamn.org
Sky Davey: Sky has worked in several different communities including Red River High School in Grand Forks ND , Harbor City International School in Duluth, MN, and A.I.Jedlika Middle School in Proctor, MN. Sky earned a BA from Bemidji State University in History with a minor in Mass Communication, as well as a BA from the University of Minnesota- Duluth in Secondary Education. He currently has a teaching license in K-12 EBD and LD and 5-12 Social Studies. Sky worked with Minnesota Conservation at St. Croix State Park for several summers leading high schol aged youth on a variety of conservation based projects. He enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and has competed in many tournaments throughout the United States. He also enjoys camping, canoeing, biking, reading and traveling. sdavey@reamn.org
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