The MSS teachers are adept at finding fresh and creative ways to deepen understanding of class material, which has a profound impact on our students’ abilities to thrive at school and beyond.
Dawn McGee
head of school
Dawn McGee has lived on the coast since 2003 and feels very blessed to have raised her four children in this community. She has been an active volunteer in the local school district, in her church and in the HMB area. She truly enjoys building connections and helping others.
Dawn graduated with a degree in Biology from Grinnell College. She earned three Masters degrees in the areas of Biology, Business Administration, and Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Iowa. She believes that a strong educational foundation is critical to future success and that education should be fun and active for children. She is especially interested in math and science and loves learning alongside children and watching their interests grow and develop.
Ashton Hacke
Photography — Graphic Design — Public Speaking
Ashton Hacke has spent the last few years attending college and completing several internship experiences in Wyoming. His adventures included reporting on the activities of local legislators in Wyoming and freelancing his photojournalism skills across the state's newsrooms. Ashton recently returned to the coast and is currently a writer and photojournalist with Coastside News, where he continues to pursue his passion for storytelling in written and visual forms.
Ashton graduated from Half Moon Bay High School and earned a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Wyoming. During his senior year in college, he served as a teaching assistant in the journalism department, where he discovered his love for teaching and the joy of seeing others appreciate the art and documentation of photography as much as he does.
When Ashton is not helping students with Adobe software or teaching them how to control exposure on a camera, you can find him enjoying the coastal sunsets, spending time with his family or finding some well-deserved downtime with his cat, Dump Truck.
Ellen Harding
Online only — College Essay Writing — High School English — Reading Comprehension — ACT/SAT English
Over the last twenty years, Ellen has worked as an English instructor in a variety of settings with K–12 and undergraduate students. Since 2017, she has had the pleasure of coaching at Main Street Scholars, helping students to improve their reading, writing, critical thinking, and test-taking skills.
Ellen is also an experienced College Essay Specialist. She offers workshops and 1:1 sessions, both in person and online. It’s her belief that the process of applying to colleges can be filled with self-discovery rather than dread, and she genuinely enjoys mentoring students at this time. Ellen’s students have been accepted to the top 20 Universities, including the Ivy League.
Ellen earned her M.F.A. in English and Creative Writing from Mills College, where she received the Ardella Mills Prize for graduate composition in 2001, and her B.A. in American Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1994.
When she’s not teaching, you can find her hiking with her dog Hal or working on the next chapter of her novel.
Julian Salkin
Algebra I, II — Astronomy — Calculus I, II, Pre-calculus — Chemistry — D&D — Physics — ASVAB test
Julian is a Half Moon Bay native, graduating from HMB High School. He earned an AS in Physics at the College of San Mateo along with a certificate in Observatory Operation and is currently working on a Bachelor’s in Astronomy / minor in Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 2021 is his sixth year working in education, and he has experience tutoring and teaching elementary, high school, and college.
Julian loves amateur astronomy and can often be found taking pictures through his telescopes. His hobbies include film and digital photography, as well as amateur video editing and music transcription.
After graduating, Julian plans to become either a high school teacher or a science educator to help expand students’ knowledge of how the world works.
Gail Stevens
french
Gail Stevens teaches French and Ballroom Dancing. She served as French teacher and Department Chair of the Department of Modern Languages for Newark-Unified School District during more years than she cares to list here, until her retirement.
Her academic degrees include a B.A. and M.A. in French Language and Literature, as well as an M.A. in Educational Administration and Supervision, all from San Jose State University. She has ballroom dance certification through DVIDA and the National Dance Council of America. Gail taught at Cheryl Burke Dance in Mountain View from its opening until it closed last year; she now teaches privately in Redwood City. Gail loves teaching, dancing, and traveling. She has been a group leader for student and adult tours to Paris and other regions of France. She considers it an honor and a pleasure to be part of Main Street Scholars and truly cherishes the opportunity to guide students to a better appreciation of themselves through her passion for and expertise in French language and culture.
