Staff

Penelope Renoll – Vocal Music / PVA Department Chair
Penelope Renoll has been working as a music educator for more than 20years. She received her bachelor’s degree from Marywood University in Scranton and did her graduate work at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Mrs. Renoll began her teaching career in the Wyalusing Area School District in Wyalusing, Pa. She also served as choral director for the Marywood University Children’s Choir of Scranton, Pa., an auditioned choir of students from schools in the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre area. Upon relocating to Maryland in 2005, she began teaching Advanced Placement Music Theory, International Baccalaureate Music, piano and guitar at Annapolis High School.  She then accepted a position at Wiley H. Bates Middle School, where she is now employed as the choral director. Mrs. Renoll is excited about working with the talented students in the Performing Arts Magnet program, as well as with the many fine choral members in the liberal arts program. She has long been an advocate of the Kodaly method and utilizing proper vocal techniques to promote healthier singing. Mrs. Renoll and her husband David live in Annapolis, Maryland and own their own sailing business, R and R Charters and Sail School. In her leisure time Mrs. Renoll teaches sailing and loves to read, travel, spend time with family, and ski.

Leo Hylan – Digital Arts
Leo Hylan received his Bachelors in Fine Arts from the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, He concentrated mainly in New Media after studying Fine Arts at The Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington D.C.  Leo received his Masters Degree in Art Education at Goucher College. Leo’s exhibitions include a film selection at The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, IL. Photographic exhibitions in several locations in the Baltimore-Washington Area. He has also made several Sound and Video Performances throughout venues in all over the East Cost. As a product of the Visual Art program in Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Leo is proud to be teaching with the great staff at Wiley H. Bates Middle School.

Kristine Genovese – Dance
Mrs. Genovese (B.F.A) Towson University, Dance Performance & Education Pre-K-12 Teacher Certification Kristine Genovese discovered her love for the arts at a young age while studying ballet, modern, tap, jazz and folk dance as well as performing in musical theatre productions. She is thrilled to be teaching dance education at Wiley H. Bates Performing & Visual Arts Magnet School and honored to be collaborating with such an amazing team of educators. Kristine also works with EQUINOX DANCE COMPANY (EDC) of Frederick, Maryland. She was the Artistic Director of the company for two years and remains on the EDC Board as their Education Director and guest choreographer. Kristine danced with KINOR DANCE COMPANY of Greater Washington for ten years where she was Assistant Director and had the opportunity to choreograph. Mrs. Genovese is also a volunteer and CO-CHAIR of the Walk Committee for the American Diabetes Association of Frederick, MD.

Jean Marie Orzech – Fine Arts / PVA Department Chair
Mrs. Orzech currently serves as a visual arts educator at Bates Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Anne Arundel County. She was awarded the Visual Arts Middle School Teacher of the Year Award in 2006.  Mrs. Orzech has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in design and a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction.   Mrs. Orzech’s experience as a portfolio judge for the Visual Arts Enrichment program has benefited many students in preparing their portfolios for high school and college entrance requirements.   Her students have gone on to show their work in a variety of exhibitions and achieve scholarships at major art institutes.  Mrs. Orzech also exhibits her own work in a variety of venues.  She has also written the curriculum for the visual arts magnet as well as participated in the Italian curriculum publication.

Daniel Puckett – Instrumental Music
Daniel Puckett is a native of Thomaston, Georgia and has a Master’s degree in saxophone performance from the University of Maryland. He graduated from the University of Georgia, cum laude, with a Music Education degree in 2006. Mr. Puckett recently was a member of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra and has toured across the United States and Canada. Mr. Puckett has performed at the Rainbow Room in NBC Studios, Kennedy Center, the Hippodrome, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the San Francisco Jazz Festtival, and the Georgia World Congress Center. He has performed with performers such as Ruben Studdard and Debbie Boone.  Daniel is in great demand as a freelance flutist, clarinetist, saxophonist and teacher in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia Area.  At the University of Maryland, Daniel played saxophone, flute, and clarinet in the top jazz ensemble and jazz combo. He also played in the University of Maryland saxophone quartet. He also plays bass clarinet in the concert band.  While at the University of Georgia School of Music, Daniel was a member of the Redcoat Marching Band, and he was an active member of the UGA Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and a former member of the Revolution Saxophone Quartet and the UGA Freshman Saxophone Quartet. He has also made appearances with the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra and the Athens Symphony Orchestra. He was awarded the Roger Dancz Scholarship from the University of Georgia Bands in 2004. He won the 2003 UGA School of Music Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition as a sophomore. Mr. Puckett won the 2003 Georgia Music Teacher’s Association Lower College Woodwinds Competition. Mr. Puckett was the winner of the 2005 Edwin Gerschefski Scholarship Competition sponsored by Phi Mu Alpha. He was a member of the 2004 CBDNA Southern Division Intercollegiate Honor Band. He has performed on masterclasses for Fred Hemke, Otis Murphy, and Jonathan Helton. He has also performed at North American Saxophone Alliance regional and national meetings, and the Navy Saxophone Symposium. He was a soloist with the Upson-Lee High School Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble. In high school, Mr. Puckett was awarded the Semper Fidelis Award from the United States Marine Corps for Outstanding High School Musicianship, John Phillips Sousa award and Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. Mr. Puckett is also a member of Delta Epsilon Iota, an academic honor society at the University of Georgia.

Chelsea Shea- Dance
Chelsea Shea received her M.Ed in Multicultural Dance Education from Lesely University, MA in 2008 and her B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Jacksonville University, FL in 2006. Ms. Shea has traveled and danced professionally in the USA, Canada, Ecuador, China and the Philippines. Ms Shea also teaches each summer at Ballet San Antonio at their pre-professional summer intensive, and choreographs for their junior company. Ms.Shea’s recent endeavor was the conceptualization and start of her NGO in Tacloban City, Philippines called International Dance Exchange as well as the Bliss Dance Conservatory in 2007.  IDE works with American colleges and Universities on an individual basis so that dancers may study abroad and receive college credit that will fill their graduation requirements. IDE also works with local dance studios, schools, conservatories and individuals who have a desire to learn, teach and perform dance in another geographical setting. The Bliss Dance conservatory provides free dance training to the children of the Bliss community in Tacloban City where the children are offered state-of-the-art training.  Bliss Dance Conservatory demonstrates Ms. Shea’s desires to start a dance company that will show this country and the outside world what children can overcome through the art of dance. Chelsea Shea’s future plans are to pursue her doctorate degree in dance and teach as a college dance professor.

Brittany Jacobs- Instrumental Music/Strings
Brittany Jacobs has been playing and studying viola for nearly fifteen years.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Music degree from Towson University, and her Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Music from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  She has worked with a variety of students of all ages in music, from Pre-K to Grade 12, teaching band, chorus, orchestra, and general music.  In April 2010, Mrs. Jacobs was a recipient of the 2010 Maryland State Department of Education Teachers of Promise award.

In 2007 Mrs. Jacobs made her European debut as a violist, performing with other SMCM students in the International Alba Music Festival in Alba, Italy.  She has most recently performed with the Bolton Hill Memorial Players, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Chesapeake Orchestra, and the Towson University Symphony and Opera Orchestras.  She is thrilled to be teaching the many talented students in both the PVA and Liberal Arts Strings classes here at Wiley H. Bates Middle School.  In her spare time, Mrs. Jacobs enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband.

Elisa Sileoni- Italian
Elisa Sileoni is a native of Italy. She was born and raised in the town of Pollenza (Le Marche Region) on the East side, by the Adriatic Sea. Sileoni discovered her passion for English at a young age while listening to Pink Floyd songs, her favourite music band. Sileoni’s mothertongue is Italian. Her second language is French. Her third language is English and her fourth language is Spanish. She is currently learning American Sign Language (ASL).  Sileoni graduated in 2005 from Youngstown State University with her experimental thesis “Effect of Humour on Motivation in Foreign Language Learning” and her Master’s in English and TESOL Certificate. She graduated from Lake Erie College summa cum laude with an English degree in 2004.  After graduation, Sileoni has worked in both the interpreting/translating and teaching fields. In May of 2008, her subtitles appeared on the show “Prehistoric Megastorms” aired by the History Channel. She has also worked as an instructor at the university and K-12 levels of the Italian language and the English language in both Italy and the U.S.   Languages come easy, but teaching even more. She is now part of the World Classical Language Team in Anne Arundel County and the Italian instructor and Foreign Language Chair at Bates Middle School.