Teachers

Linda Dimeo

Visual Arts

Ms. Dimeo graduated from FAU with a BA in English Literature. She is state certified in Art grades K-12. Her certificate includes: Esol, Middle School endorsement and Gifted endorsement. She has 30 credits toward a master’s degree in Literature and has been at Parkway for 22 years, teaching the Visual Arts for the last 21 years. She serves on a church restoration committee in Italy (GRUPPO PER RESTORAZIONE DELLA CHIESA DI SAN GREGORIO ITALIA, PROVINCIA DE CASERTA) where she often spends her summer vacations.

Jan Leykauf

Visual Arts

I graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a BFA in Photography. I then taught for 3 years at the Supplementary Education Center in Cleveland, the first magnet program in the country. I taught HS through 5th grade...multi-media, ceramics, enameling on copper, claymation and photography. 1978-80 I completed on a Masters in Art Education at Case Western Reserve University and began teaching at University School which was the oldest private boys' school in Ohio. I taught color and black & white photography, 2D design, enameling on copper and textiles. I was also a practicing artist, doing art fairs through Ohio Designer Craftsman and exhibiting at the Cleveland Garden Center. I had a 150 piece commission through the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Art Society, at the same time working for advertising firms doing textile illustrations. I taught for 9 years at the University School and then secured a position at Booker HS in Sarasota teaching regular HS 2D and 3D classes, 1 middle school class. The afternoon was a magnet program. I worked there for two years. I was then appointed as a board member of the Florida Art Education Association and subsequently secured a magnet teaching position at Charles R. Drew MS in Dade County. I taught there for four years before coming to Parkway where I've been teaching Visual Arts for 15 years. I have been awarded many Citibank grants since arriving in Broward County. I also received a $2500 Jordan Grant and a Kids in Need grant. I have been a studio lesson consultant for Glencoe/ McGraw Hill publications working with Rosiland Ragans who is the author for their art textbooks. My students have work in the latest edition of Introducing Art that became available last year.

Nancy Terner Nussbaum

Dance

Ms. Nussbaum received her Bs in Physical Education-Dance at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She received her M.Ed. in Dance Education from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Her Master Thesis was “The Growth and Development of the Modern Dance Curriculum in the Detroit Public Schools, 1939-1965. She holds a Florida Professional Teaching Certificate in Physical Education and Dance. Instructional Experience She was a Dance Teacher at Murray-Wright High School in Detroit Michigan. She was a Dance and Science Teacher at Myer Levin Junior High School in Brooklyn, New York. She was also a Dance Teacher Deerfield Park Elementary School in Deerfield Beach, Florida. She went to work at Parkway Middle School of the Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1996 and continues there as senior Dance Instructor.

Mary Meillier

Artistic Director

Mary Meillier first began her "second life" as a teacher in 1988. Her first position was as the Social Studies teacher in the new High Tech Magnet Program. She taught computer applications before we had Windows and before there was an internet. She moved to Dillard High as the Magnet Coordinator for the Emerging Computer Technology Magnet Program for 5 1/2 years. She was then appointed as a District Magnet Coordinator for the Magnet Programs Office. She returned to Parkway in 2008 where she is currently the Artistic Director. Her degrees include a BA in Political Science and an MS in Computer Science. She is also the author of Education and Other Lies, published by IUniverse. All royalties are earmarked for Parkway School of the Arts. The book may be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Michelle Teri

Drama

Michelle has been teaching and directing theatre in the public & private schools (grades 4-12) in Broward County, FL for 12 years. Currently holding both her Florida Professional Certificate in Theatre and English (grades 6-12) and her National Board Certification in English/Language Arts for Adolescents/Young Adults, she is the Theatre Director at Parkway Middle School of the Arts in Lauderhill, FL.

Melton Mustafa

Band and Orchestra Director

Melton Mustafa was born in Atlanta, GA. and raised in Miami, Fl. where he started playing music in high school under the direction of Mr. Frank Neal at Miami Carol City HS. He received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Florida A&M University where he served as Section leader of the saxophone section and head of the Dance Routine committee for the Legendary Marching “100”. While at FAMU Mustafa performed with the FAMU “Strikers” at the Apollo theatre and traveled the world with the Marching “100”. After undergraduate school Mustafa received a Masters Degree in Education from Florida International and is currently working on his Doctoral Degree in Leadership. He currently works as professional music educator at Parkway School of the Arts as well as performing, directing and producing music professionally. Mustafa has studied and performed all over the United States. As a director he has conducted the Star Spangled Banner for the Junior Olympics, written and directed a show for the Super Bowl entitled “Global Rhythms Local Beat,” served as the Musical Director for the Show “From the Porch” featuring Danny Glover, directed the band and choreographed Little Romeo’s and Master “P’s” music video “It Takes Two”(which was featured on the show TV Show Access Granted- the making of the video). A couple of years ago Melton Mustafa wrote and received a grant to start a community band at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. The grant was to service community members who played jazz or classical music and wanted to play and perform professionally. Melton has been featured on the following: Butterfly CD (poetry and sax), St. Louis Blues CD (Big Band), Sea B Marrah (Reggae), Betty Pageant (Blues sax) CD, Ike and Val Woods CD (sax). He was a Guest Artist for the show “By Kids for Kids” (Channel 10). He acted in “Tom Dowd” (Film), “The Buddy Holly Story” Actors Play House (off Broadway), and danced at the Apollo Theater (Striker dance troupe). As a producer Melton Mustafa just released “Scenes From Miami,” Vol. 1 and “The Softer Side” CD. He has just returned from New York recording his latest CD, “The Traveling Man.” Melton Mustafa is currently working on adapting his original score, “Shalom Salaam Serene” into an audio book to be used in the public school system.