1-2 Faculty

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Selma Neel

First and Second Grade Teacher

Selma is originally from the Asheville area, and her teaching style is inspired by the nature, magic, and creative expression that characterized her own childhood. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education from UNC Chapel Hill and completed her student teaching in North Carolina and in Hamburg, Germany. She taught kindergarten on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba before returning to the mountains and and working in first grade at Black Mountain Primary School. She joined the Odyssey community, teaching first grade, in 2017.

Outside of school, she likes to read, hike, sew, and paint. She takes any opportunity she can to share her interest in the arts with her students. She also loves to travel and explore different cultures and seeks to bring a multicultural perspective into the classroom.

Craig Deutsch

First and Second Grade Teacher

Craig moved to Asheville from Atlanta, GA. He is passionate about emerging mathematics and early childhood development. His professional development projects have focused on cultivating grit and empowering students to develop strong self-organizational skills using visual organizers and cues.

Craig enjoys spending time with his daughter, reading, gardening, listening to vinyl records, and spending time in nature. He collects artwork to mat and frame as a creative outlet.

Craig received a B.S. in Early Childhood Education at the College of Charleston. He has worked in the preschool at the Early Childhood Development Center at CofC as well as at Etz Chaim Synagogue’s preschool in Roswell, GA. Craig has been teaching in Odyssey classrooms since 2013.