Middle School Leadership Team

The Middle School leadership team works together to provide students with a sense of safety and belonging so they can explore their interests, define themselves, and lean into personal and academic growth.

Headshot portrait of Michele Roberts Head of Catlin Gabel Middle School wearing scoop neck blue short sleeved shirt with a green bokeh effect background

Michele Roberts

Middle School Head

Michele joined the Catlin Gabel community in 2024 after serving for over a decade in education leadership positions. Most recently, she was Elementary Principal for Shawnee Local Schools in Lima, Ohio, where she led a team of educators in implementing evidence-based instructional practices, developed a comprehensive curriculum framework, and launched a school-wide positive behavior management system. She has also been Assistant Principal for Napoleon Junior/Senior High School in Napoleon, Ohio, and Title One Reading Teacher for Lima North Middle School. A native of Portland, Michele attended Grant High School, and holds a B.A. in English Literature from Mills College and an MBA from George Fox University.

Beth Vallarino

Assistant Head of Middle School

Beth came to Catlin Gabel in 2023 after serving as Head of Middle School and 6th Grade ELA Teacher at Sage Ridge School in Reno, Nevada. There, she worked with the Academic Leadership Team to ensure strategic planning between the lower, middle, and upper school. Beth has almost two decades of experience in middle and high school education, including as an ELA and Humanities teacher at Tahoe Expedition Academy in Truckee, California; University Prep in Seattle; Modern English School in Cairo, Egypt, and Balboa Academy in Panama City, Panama. Beth has a B.A. in English, M.A. in Education, and M.A. in Teaching from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

Megan Mathes

Middle School Academic Dean

Megan joined Catlin Gabel as an instructional coach in 2022, but has been connected to the Catlin Gabel community for much longer. Before becoming an instructional coach, she taught English for 24 years, most recently at Jesuit High School.  As an instructional coach, she planned and led professional learning for faculty, worked with teachers on curriculum, assessment, and best practices, and supported divisional and program initiatives. Megan hails from Pennsylvania and lived in FL and NY before moving to Portland in 2009. She earned her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College and her M.A. in English from Middlebury College. 

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