Poly is excited to welcome Upper School Science Teacher Helen Foley ’05 back to campus after she graduated two decades ago. She is now teaching Integrated Science and AP Biology. Foley’s lifelong fascination with the natural world led her to pursue a B.S. in Biology from the California Institute of Technology. From there, she earned her PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Southern California. Foley continued to conduct research at USC for eight years while serving as a postdoc at Caltech, where she taught undergraduate and graduate-level classes.
Foley aims to encourage students on both their academic and personal journeys. Reflecting on her time at Poly’s Upper School, Foley noted, “I had a great teacher who encouraged me to see all the different options beyond just being a doctor. I want to share some of that information. I find it interesting to have mentors and teachers who had a different career path.”
Additionally, Foley hopes to foster curiosity in her students, encouraging them to ask questions. “Dr. Foley is a great teacher who brings life to science and this sense of curiosity to her lectures. She really makes you think about what’s happening,” said junior Ajani Durham, a student in Foley’s AP Biology class. “I love being in her class.”
Outside of the classroom, Foley enjoys spending time outdoors. Because of her love of nature, she’s especially excited for the upcoming Outdoor Education trip to Channel Islands.
“Outdoor Ed is going to be the highlight of my year. I’m really excited!” Foley shared.
The Poly community is excited to welcome back Peter Lifland ’06. His last name may sound familiar because he is the older brother of Middle and Upper School Performing Arts Teacher Eric Lifland ’12. Peter Lifland graduated from Poly 20 years ago before attending Harvard and majoring in computer science.
“At Harvard, I thought I would do math because I loved math at Poly, but after my freshman year I decided I did not like math. So I tried physics and CS [computer science], and CS was wonderful. I never stopped,” Peter Lifland said.
He later interned at Microsoft, where he ended up working full time for 10 years before returning to Poly as a teacher.
“Part of my job was teaching other people new skills,” Lifland said. “That was always really rewarding.”
Now Lifland hopes to make an impact through educating younger people. He is now teaching Geometry and Algebra with Transformations (GAT), AP Computer Science A and Introduction to Computer Science.
“Helping others learn was the thing that I felt was making a real impact in a way that writing code never did,” he shared.
Sophomore Emmett Joanou, one of Lifland’s AP Computer Science A students and advisory member, said, “So far, I think he’s doing an amazing job teaching, and I can’t wait for the year to continue.”
This year, the Poly community is excited to welcome Upper School Science Teacher James Maloney, who is teaching Honors Physics and AP Physics. Maloney is also advising the Science Olympiad team.
Before teaching, Maloney earned a B.S. from the University of Florida and a M.S. from the California Institute of Technology. His professional path has spanned a wide range of educational and entrepreneurial endeavors, including teaching at Pasadena City College, leading education and outreach programs at Caltech and co-founding an educational technology company that has worked with hundreds of K-12 schools.
As he transitions to Poly, Maloney aims to deepen students’ understanding of the relevance of physics in the real world.
“Everyone in their daily lives would benefit from having those basic tools of modeling and thinking about things quantitatively,” he shared.
Additionally, Maloney seeks to impart lessons from his own educational experiences. He noted, “If kids don’t get the right answer, they think they failed. But how many times do you fail at Caltech? Every day? That’s part of the process.”
Senior Mila Burt, a student in Maloney’s Honors Physics class, praised his engaging teaching style and kindness. “Mr. Maloney is so nice and he makes the whole class laugh all the time,” she shared.
Outside of work, Maloney enjoys skateboarding, playing guitar and piano, rock climbing, cooking and spending time with his family.
Born and raised in Vichy, France, Upper School World Languages Teacher Amandine Nélaton brings a wealth of passion for French culture to the Poly community.
An experienced educator, Nélaton served as a teaching assistant at West Virginia University before transitioning to Washington, D.C., where she founded the French program at Washington Latin Public Charter School. From there, she taught French at Harvard-Westlake for 10 years. “Madame,” as she is affectionately called by her students, aims to help her students prioritize progress over perfection.
In her French III, French IV, AP French and French in a Global Context classes, she hopes students will discover a newfound enthusiasm for French books, music, food and culture. Whether it’s her recommendations for a local French bakery or for amazing Francophone artists, Nélaton brings French customs and traditions to life by showing students where to find their own little piece of French culture in their neighborhood.
As Nélaton likes to say, “A language should live outside the four walls of my classroom.”
Nélaton’s students have already shared their appreciation for her teaching style. Sophomore Abby Cunningham, a student in Nélaton’s French III class, commented, “Madame Nélaton brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to her teaching. It is evident that she is passionate about the French language and culture.”
When Nélaton is not in the classroom, you may find her hiking in Fryman Canyon, making Einkorn flour bread or enjoying the unique geology in southern France.
Poly is excited to welcome Becky Weinstein-Sanders as the new Upper School Learning Resources Specialist at Poly. Her work consists of supporting students with problem solving and planning, as well as coaching faculty in special education matters. She also serves as a 10th grade advisor.
Weinstein-Sanders grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, originally planning to major in music. Before college, she spent her time learning instruments, joining choirs and performing onstage.
“It was my whole life, and then at the last second I decided to do social work,” Weinstein-Sanders explained.
Yearning for a more diverse educational experience, Weinstein-Sanders went to New York University and majored in social work. Later, she joined Teach for America, a two year program that recruited students from top universities to become teachers. She earned her masters in education at Loyola Marymount and a masters in social work at the University of Southern California. Before coming to Poly, she worked at KIPP SoCal Public School in Los Angeles.
“She cares a lot about her students, and she notices what we’re saying and tries to remember,” shared sophomore Calla Sim, a member of her advisory.
Off campus, Weinstein-Sanders enjoys playing pickleball and competing in tournaments with her husband. She recommends the author Fredrik Backman to any students or faculty members in search of a good story.
你们好! [Hello, everyone!] The Poly community is excited to welcome Upper School World Languages Teacher Yolanda Wu, who is teaching Mandarin II and III.
Wu earned her bachelor’s degree at the Shanghai International Studies University and her master’s degree at the University of Hong Kong. She then earned her Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Hong Kong. Before coming to Poly, Wu taught at a secondary school in Hong Kong called Ho Fung College.
“A big factor for coming to Poly was due to the students,” Wu noted. She mentioned when she was interviewing for the job, she was lost and nervous; however, a student approached her and helped her find Upper School Director José Melgoza’s office.
“Students represent a school’s culture,” Wu said. “If they are welcoming, you can tell a lot about how good of an education this school provides.”
Wu said her favorite parts of teaching are forming bonds with students, learning their stories and helping them improve their Chinese speaking and writing skills. “One of the things that makes Wu such a good teacher is that she makes Chinese feel [like] more than just a class. She helps us understand the language and culture while making class fun and welcoming,” noted sophomore Chloe Shyu, a student in Wu’s Mandarin III class.
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