Carolina School for Inquiry

Tony Thomas is a recently retired Physical Education teacher. Mr. Thomas earned his B.S. degree in Health & Physical Education from SC State University, and his Masters degree in Education from Cambridge College. He spent 30 years teaching on all levels; elementary, middle, high, and three years on the college level. Mr. Thomas was nominated "Teacher of the Year" in 1984 at W.A. Perry Middle School. Mr. Thomas and his wife Brenda opened a martial arts training facility called "Tony Thomas Family Karate, Inc." in 1997 to teach self defense skills. Most importantly their goal is to help students develop and improve in the areas of self-discipline, self control, focus, concentration, balance, coordination, and many other traits to help them achieve success. He is also a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame.

Jackie Sawyer started her teaching career at the Carolina School for Inquiry in the fall of 2009. She is a member of the National Art Education Association, South Carolina Art Education Association, and Palmetto State Teachers Association. She also, won “Teacher of the Year” for the 2010-2011 school year at the Carolina School for Inquiry. She graduated December 2008 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art Education from the University of South Carolina.

Mrs. Sawyer grew up in Newark, Delaware where she did karate and played field hockey in High School. She lives with her husband Mark Sawyer, who is a lawyer for Richland County, her dog, Virginia and cat, Sophie. Mrs. Sawyer also likes to read, walk, camp, and draw.

Miss Melody Bolinger graduated with honors from Lee University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She is a member of the National Association for Music Education. Miss Bolinger believes in being a lifelong learner, effective educator, and ethical practitioner. She aspires to pursue a graduate degree in Music Education, and later become an educational specialist in the same field. Her current goal is to help students become lifetime lovers of music, good stewards in the community, and encourage students to always make good choices. In her spare time, Miss Bolinger likes to work on her photography skills, practice piano and voice techniques, participate in community service activities, go hiking, and play sand volleyball. Miss Bolinger is very excited to be a part of the CSI family, and looks forward to a wonderful school year