Carbon Valley Academy Faculty and Staff
[top of page]
 Tony Carey—Executive Director
"Mr. Tony" was a founding Board member and is our school's current Executive Director. Originally from England, Mr. Tony was transferred to the United States in 1978 by Swiss multinational AGIE s.a. He brings more than 30 years of business and managerial experience to our school.
The Careys are long term residents of Frederick where Mr. Tony also serves as Mayor Pro Tem. Along with 7th grader Nick, the Carey family likes to travel, and are long time Rockies fans.
 Jere Pearcy—Elementary Principal
Ms. Pearcy has over fourteen years experience serving charter schools in Colorado as both a teacher and administrator. She had the privilege of serving as principal of two other Colorado Core Knowledge schools. Additionally, she was a consultant and trainer for the National Core Knowledge Foundation and has presented at numerous national conferences. Ms. Pearcy currently serves as a consultant to the Colorado Department of Education as a team leader on school site visit teams.
Ms. Pearcy is a fourth generation Colorado native who earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Elementary Education from Baylor University. She has her master’s degree in educational administration from University of Phoenix. Ms. Pearcy is blessed with two beautiful daughters and loves the Denver Broncos!
She is thrilled to be joining the CVA team and leading the school in curricular implementation and development. Her passion is helping teachers become better at their craft and thereby impacting students and their achievement.
[top of page]
 Brandi Wilson—Business Operations/Human Resources
Mrs. Wilson worked almost 8 years at the Denver 7UP Bottling Company as an Operations Assistant which included everything from cashier and receptionist to ordering product and Human Resources. She took 6 years off to raise her three children, two of which attend CVA. She loves her job at CVA, (there’s never a dull moment), and has so much respect for the whole staff and faculty, she truly feels blessed to be a part of the CVA family.
Mrs. Wilson, her husband Lee and their kids enjoy going fishing and exploring Colorado during the summer. They’re also big NASCAR, Av’s and Bronco fans.
Neisha Dabney—Receptionist/Secretary to Principal
Ms. Dabney graduated from Ute Creek Secondary Academy in 2004. She attended Front Range Community College and LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has lived in Longmont for 10 years and enjoys the activities Colorado has to offer. She loves to play sports along with fishing, camping, horseback riding, and spending time with the people she loves which includes her Border Collie, Cabela! She is very excited to be a part of the CVA family.
 Stephanie Kajcienski—Student Services
Mrs. Kajcienski is a native of Colorado and attended Metropolitan State College for Marketing. Before coming to Carbon Valley Academy, she spent five years working in Children’s Ministries. Her past experience also includes customer service, office administration, and sales. Mrs. Kajcienski takes care of CVA’s Student Services. She tracks attendance and enrollment, heads up the lunch program, and is our health clerk.
 Louis Baca—Maintenance
[top of page]
 Dr. Carol Marsh—Coordinator of Special Education
Dr. Marsh has extensive experience at all levels ranging from preschool to college in a variety of roles and settings. She has a Ph.D. in Teacher Education/Staff Development from Colorado State University, a Master's Degree in Special Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science from San Jose State University. She has professional licensure in both elementary education and special education (moderate needs).
Dr. Marsh was born in Palo Alto, California and moved to Colorado with her family 17 years ago. Prior to teaching at CVA (beginning February of 2007), she taught at Niwot High School, Aurora Public Schools, and the University of Northern Colorado. She has many years of teaching experience, particularly with students with learning disabilities in a resource room setting. Dr. Marsh especially enjoys helping parents and teachers promote math understanding for all students. In addition to teaching in CVA's Resource Room, she coordinates special education services for all three CVA campuses.
Dr. Marsh has three adult children who live nearby. She also enjoys reading, logic puzzles, playing with her dogs, and trying to keep up with her children's busy lives. If she had a bumper sticker, it would say, "I'd rather be teaching."
 Kelly Kurz—Counselor
Mrs. Kurz has served as the school counselor at CVA since the spring of 2006. She has eleven years experience in Hospice Social Work and was a part of a "pediatric team" that worked primarily with kids and families in Hospice. She was humbled by the kids ability to cope and thrive through difficult situations and was thrilled when the opportunity to work with kids was available at CVA.
Mrs. Kurz is a Colorado native and grew up in Erie. She attended CSU and received a Bachelors degree in Social Work. Mrs. Kurz lives with her husband, a Science Teacher, and two young daughters in her hometown of Erie.
 Tina Steen—Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Steen graduated from Skyline High School in 1990. She holds an Engineering Degree from Front Range Community College and is currently pursuing an Accounting Degree online with Penn Foster.
Mrs. Steen lives in Frederick with her husband of 14 years and their 3 daughters, ages 9, 6, and 3. All of her children attend Carbon Valley Academy. She enjoys camping and boating with her family. Working at Carbon Valley Academy for the last 3 years has been wonderful and she looks forward to many more wonderful years.
[top of page]
 Kathy Stephen—Kindergarten
Mrs. Stephen has been teaching Kindergarten at CVA since it opened in 2005. Prior to that, she taught for 3 years at Meritor Academy in Westminster. She received a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from St. John's University in New York. After teaching for 3 years, she took a leave to raise her family.
Mrs. Stephen moved to Colorado with her husband and 3 children in 1975. In 1980 she took a position with a credit reporting agency in Denver. She worked in this field for 22 years before returning to teaching. Mrs. Stephen enjoys spending time with her children and 10 grandchildren. She also likes to go camping, travel, and garden. She feels truly blessed to be teaching Kindergarten and see the world through the eyes of a 5 year old on a daily basis.
 Adrienne Clay—All Day Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Clay comes to Carbon Valley Academy from North Carolina, where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mrs. Clay spent a year teaching First Grade in the North Carolina school system and is in her fourth year teaching Kindergarten at Carbon Valley Academy. Her inspiration as a teacher is the joy on her students' faces as they begin to experience the exciting world of learning. Though not quite used to the snow, Mrs. Clay loves the varied beauty of Colorado and the West. She lives in Longmont with her husband, Andrew.
 Amy Itani—Kindergarten Aide
This will be the 4th year Amy Itani has been teaching in the Kindergarten classroom with Kathy Stephen. Ms. Itani received her bachelor degree from Washington State University in Human Development with an emphasis on Early Childhood. She taught in a pre-school classroom for a few years in the Pacific Northwest before returning to Washington State University to obtain a degree in Elementary Education. Ms. Itani moved to Colorado six years ago and loves it! She was married over a year ago and now lives in Ft. Collins. Ms. Itani was drawn to the small, friendly, community atmosphere at Carbon Valley Academy. She truly enjoys teaching young children, especially kindergarten age. Their energy and excitement is contagious.
 Sandra Valdez—Kindergarten Aide
 Hannah Fassett—First Grade
Miss Place was just married on July 24, 2010 so her name is now Mrs. Fassett! Mrs. Fassett grew up in southern Indiana and earned her BA degree in Elementary Education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. This will be her fifth year teaching first grade at CVA, and she is so happy to be a part of CVA's team. She is very passionate about teaching children and watching them grow throughout each year. She is looking forward to another great year at CVA!
Mrs. Fassett loves being outdoors and always enjoys time spent with family and friends. She lives in Denver with her husband and their dog.
[top of page]
 Rosiemarie Rullo—First Grade
Mrs. Rullo was born and raised in Colorado. She graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. After obtaining her teaching license, Mrs. Rullo substitute taught for a year in the Poudre and Thompson School Districts.
 Cate Schoenherr—First Grade
Mrs. Schoenherr has been in the education business since she was 18. She got her start in a child care center working as a teacher's aide. She then began to climb in positions and was completing college courses as she went. She graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver and her preschool experience led to an opportunity to work in a charter school. She fell in love with the Core Knowledge curriculum and continues to be impressed with the high level of enthusiasm children express when learning. She has been working in charter schools ever since and is glad to be part of CVA's team. She is a Colorado native and loves the outdoors. She is happily married and has two wonderful sons who are attending CVA.
[top of page]
 Sheila Romero-Bisgard—Second Grade
Mrs. Romero-Bisgard lives in the community with her husband and son. They have a small farm with a pet pig, four chickens, one dog and two cats.
She taught Core Knowledge at Lafayette Elementary School for 10 years before coming to CVA. She has enjoyed being at Carbon Valley Academy and watch it develop since it opened. She was a member of the Academic Lead Team, the Curriculum Committee, and the Accountability Committee at CVA. She is the "Junior Achievement" Coordinator and a mentor for teachers in the induction program within our school.
Mrs. Romero-Bisgard has a Bachelor's of Arts degree with a major in Behavioral Science and minor in Early Childhood Education. She also has a Master of Arts degree in Education from Regis University. She is also certified to teach English as a Second Language. Mrs. Romero-Bisgard brings vital experience as well as passion and enthusiasm to CVA.
 Jessica Swires—Second Grade
Mrs. Swires is very excited to be teaching second grade in the fall. This will be her second year at CVA but her first year as a classroom teacher. She graduated in 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Wheaton College in Illinois.
In August of 2009, Mrs. Swires moved to Colorado after marrying a native-born Coloradan. Originally from New Jersey, she sometimes misses the ocean, but she has yet to miss the humidity. Mrs. Swires has thoroughly enjoyed living in the beautiful state of Colorado and has taken full advantage of being so close to the mountains. She and her husband Justin enjoy skiing on the weekends during the winter and hope to spend a lot of time hiking and biking this summer.
 Cindy Biggs—Third Grade
Mrs. Cindy Biggs is excited to share her love of teaching and dedication to students with Carbon Valley Academy. Since 1996, Mrs. Biggs has enjoyed serving as a classroom teacher. She has taught various grade levels in public, private, and charter schools. Mrs. Biggs is pleased to be a part of the Carbon Valley Academy family and is grateful for the positive learning experiences her children receive here at CVA.
Mrs. Biggs also serves as coordinator for CVA's Odyssey of the Mind program. This valuable program allows students to tap into their creativity while developing self-confidence and problem-solving skills. Mrs. Biggs is amazed each year by the students' creative solutions.
Mrs. Biggs and her family moved to Colorado in 2006. Her husband, Dana, serves as the Assistant Band Director for the University of Colorado at Boulder and her children attend Carbon Valley Academy. Mrs. Biggs holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University.
 Sandi McPeek—Third Grade
Learning has always been a passion for Mrs. McPeek, and she is dedicated to sharing that excitement with her students. From fostering an atmosphere that promotes respect to utilizing diverse strategies to address student needs, Mrs. McPeek ensures all her students are supported and guided to success.
Mrs. McPeek grew up in Illinois and received a B.A. in English with a minor in Psychology from Columbia College. She then moved near San Diego and began a career in marketing for a computer company. Although she enjoyed the challenges of the business world, she realized that she really wanted a career that involved helping people. Mrs. McPeek decided to go back to school at California State University to obtain her teaching certification. After completing the program, she moved to Longmont, where she currently lives with her husband and son.
Mrs. McPeek has continued her education by taking several graduate level classes in Gifted and Talented Education at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Prior to joining the CVA community in 2007, Mrs. McPeek taught third grade for three years at Pinnacle Charter School in Federal Heights. Each year, her goal is to use her experience and love of learning to inspire students to become lifelong learners.
[top of page]
 Anna Boatman—Fourth Grade
Mrs. Boatman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Colorado State University, as well as a Master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. The 2010 - 2011 school year will be her fifth year of teaching at CVA. Having previously taught second grade, Mrs. Boatman is excited about transitioning to fourth grade this year, as she is looking forward to new challenges. She thoroughly enjoys teaching at CVA, and is a tremendous asset to the school.
Mrs. Boatman lives in the community along with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat.
 Ed McCray—Fourth Grade
Mr. McCray is entering his third year (his second in fourth grade) at Carbon Valley. He and his wife moved to Colorado almost seven years ago for her to take her dream job at CU Boulder. Mr. McCray then took the occasion to return to school and get his teacher's license (to go along with his Bachelors in English Literature from the University of Washington).
Mr. McCray is grateful that his journey has led him to this extraordinary learning community at Carbon Valley, of which he is honored to be a part of, and is thrilled for the opportunity to get to work in creating a dedicated and passionate classroom community that is alive with a zest for knowledge, thinking and life.
Fourth grade is an especially wonderful time in the lives of our students and is especially full of much social, emotional and academic growth; Mr. McCray's hopes are that when your children look back it will have been an extraordinary time in their journey as a student.
Besides working with children, Mr. McCray's passions include being a dad (to a three year-old daughter) writing (children's stories and poetry), painting, and digging around in their yard. He has a tremendous weakness for dark chocolate which he tries to balance with much running and hiking.
Mr. McCray is excited for the adventure ahead and looks forward to getting to know you all as the school year unfolds.
[top of page]
 Matt LaJeunesse—Fifth Grade
I was born and raised in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. This is also where I completed my elementary through college education. After high school, I took a few years off from formal schooling to explore the world on my own. In between biking trips to Europe and guiding whitewater in Alaska, I found myself lucky enough to secure a job with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia education department. It was then that I realized that educating children can be an unbelievably rewarding experience for teachers and students alike. I later graduated from Temple University with highest honors and degrees in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. After graduating from college, I knew that I was not done exploring, and therefore moved to Colorado in the May of 2008. I spent my first school year in Colorado working as a substitute in three local school districts. After a few days at Carbon Valley Academy, the school and I agreed that this school seemed to be an excellent fit. This is my second school year at CVA and I am extremely excited about it.
Chelsea Mayer—Fifth Grade
This is Ms. Mayer's first year at Carbon Valley Academy and she is extremely excited to be a part of such a wonderful school! She grew up in Colorado and could not see herself living anywhere else, so she attended Colorado State University where she received a Bachelor Degree in Human Development and Family Studies.
Ms. Mayer always knew that she loved working with children, and after interning at a local elementary school, tutoring middle school students, and exploring various jobs working with children, it really hit her that teaching was where her heart was. Ms. Mayer decided to go on to grad school to the University of Colorado at Denver to get her elementary teaching license (those who are aware of the rivalry between CSU and CU…GO RAMS!) She spent a year student teaching in kindergarten and fourth grade, and a year substitute teaching in all grade levels in three different school districts. Ms. Mayer has extremely high expectations for this year, and is really looking forward to her first year at Carbon Valley Academy!
In her free time, Ms. Mayer loves traveling, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and canoeing. She also enjoys playing piano, reading, and gardening. She looks forward to a challenging year, full of learning and fun in the fifth grade!
Colleen Grotzky—Sixth Grade
This is Mrs. Grotzky's first year at Carbon Valley Academy and she is thrilled to be a part of a wonderful school. She grew up in Woodstock, New York till the age of 12. That's when she moved with her parents, brother, and sister to Boulder, Colorado.
As an elementary student Mrs. Grotzky wanted to become an art teacher. After graduating high school she went to an art college in upstate New York to peruse her dream. However, after a year she moved back to Colorado, changed her major, and attended Colorado State University. Upon graduating she went into real estate, but soon realized she should have followed her childhood dream. She enrolled at Metropolitan State College of Denver where she obtained her elementary teaching license. Now she can't imagine herself in a better career than teaching.
Mrs. Grotzky lives in Boulder with her husband and two cats. She loves traveling, scuba diving, rock climbing, hockey, and is looking forward to a great year in sixth grade.
Michelle Dong Anderson—Literacy Teacher
Mrs. Anderson strives to perfect her skills in the craft of teaching with, thus far, 8 years of experience. After attaining a B.A. in Human Development at University of California, San Diego, Mrs. Anderson began teaching preschool in Lake Tahoe. She then attended University of San Francisco where she received her Masters of Art in Teaching Reading and concurrently taught several different grade levels at a private school. Mrs. Anderson quickly realized that no matter at what age, having strong skills in reading and writing was one key to developing passionate learners. After moving to Colorado, she began looking for a school with a solid academic curriculum combined with one that values the development of citizenship skills in its students. CVA seems the perfect match. She is looking forward to working with students in a small group setting where she can assist them in developing the skills necessary to become excited and thoughtful learners.
During her free time, Mrs. Anderson enjoys exploring Colorado through camping, hiking, snowboarding and river rafting with her husband, Eric, and dog, Neo.
[top of page]
Donna Hardy—Technology
Mrs. Hardy is thrilled to join the Carbon Valley community as the new technology teacher. She has been teaching for 20 years and has taught computers to elementary, middle and high school students. She grew up in California, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Humboldt State University. She later earned a master's degree in Educational Technology at San Diego State University.
Mrs. Hardy lives in Longmont with her husband and two teen-aged sons. In her free time she enjoys watching her sons play soccer and run track. She tries to stay fit by jogging, hiking, skiing and chasing after her Jack Russell Terrier, Striker.
 Charles O’Connor—Music
Mr. O’Connor was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. There were seven children in his family. At a very early age Mr. O'Connor dreamed of becoming a teacher. As a boy he studied cello with the first chair cellist of the Chicago Symphony and later became a member of their youth symphony. He also studied conducting with several renowned symphony conductors. While in high school his parents died. He put himself through college. Mr. O'Connor earned an Associate’s Degree from Chicago City College, a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola University, and later this year he will be earning his Masters Degree from Regis University.
This is his 19th year of teaching. Mrs. O”Connor is a registered nurse from Ireland. The O’Connors have been married for 16 years. They have a 13 year old daughter who is a ballerina and a pianist. Mr. O'Connor loves hiking with his family. He has climber the 50 highest peaks in Colorado. He also loves to read classic literature and play chess.
Karen Henson—Art
Ms. Henson holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She also attended The University of Houston where she received her Teaching Certificate in All Level Art. Her teaching experience includes 6 years teaching elementary art for Boulder Valley Schools at Lafayette Elementary. This is her first year at CVA and she is looking forward to it!
Before she began her teaching career, she spent 14 years in advertising as an art director, illustrator and graphic designer in Houston, Texas. She moved to Colorado from Texas in 1995 and now lives in Longmont with her awesome dog, Ruthie, a border collie retriever mix. When she's not walking the dog, she spends most of her time tending to her garden.
 Monica Kalina—Spanish
Sra. Kalina was born in Colombia, South America, where she taught several years of Spanish Language Arts and Latin American Literature. She has a bachelor’s degree in Modern Languages and holds a professional teacher's license from Colorado Department of Education.
She moved to the United States (Colorado) in 1998 when she married her husband Jim, a meteorologist who works for NOAA. They have two kids, David in 4th grade and Luisamaria in 2nd grade, both who are attending CVA.
Mrs. Kalina and her family like to travel around the USA and play with their new dog named “Papi” (that means daddy). Sra. Kalina loves to sing and dance with the “chiquitos” (the little ones) and share her Hispanic heritage with all of her students.
 Jared Hansberry—Physical Education
Coach Hansberry is in his third year at CVA. He is a graduate of Longmont High School and the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Exercise Sciences.
Before coming to CVA, Coach Hansberry was a substitute teacher in the district for a few years. He is the Freshman Football Offensive Coordinator as well as the Drama Director at Longmont High School. In his free time, Coach is heavily involved with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as Scoutmaster, member of multiple committees, and a Camp Director during the summer. This past summer, Coach had the great honor of serving on the staff of the 100th Anniversary National Jamboree in Virginia.
 Shirley Tompkins—Special Education Aide
Mrs. Tompkins was born in Iowa and moved to Colorado while in high school. She is married and has a son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. Her bachelor's degree is a double major in Education and Fine Arts. She did extensive volunteer work in her son's school district while he was growing up.
Mrs. Tompkins worked four years at Mountain View Elementary as a para with students with severe needs. After taking additional coursework, Mrs. Tompkins has worked as the Resource Aide since last school year. She enjoys seeing the progress with her students and is always looking for ways to challenge them.
Mrs. Tompkins enjoys traveling, reading, baking, and keeping in touch with former exchange students from Germany and Finland.
[top of page]
 Maureen Connelly—1–5 Aide
Mrs. Connelly, her husband of 12 years, their daughter, and two dogs moved to Colorado in 2007 from Arizona. Her husband Alan is the Regional LEED Commissioning Agent with Wells Fargo. They have a beautiful 9 year old daughter that attends Carbon Valley Academy. Mrs. Connelly enjoys taking day trips and camping with her family. She also enjoys sewing, gardening and quilting.
Mrs. Connelly’s education and previous experience is in property management where she managed approximately 100 single-family homes in Arizona. Since moving to Colorado, she has had the opportunity to teach in Children’s Ministries and has since been blessed with the opportunity of being part of CVA. She loves working with the children and enjoys supporting the teachers leading to the success of every CVA student.
 Camilla Rosenberger—1–5 Aide
Mrs. Rosenberger is a licensed teacher who holds the degree of M.Ed, and
has a B.A. in English. She previously taught Kindergarten and was a substitute teacher for many
years. She has also worked in higher education.
This is her third year at CVA, and she loves working with the kids and
teachers as an instructional assistant.
Mrs. Rosenberger has lived in France and New Zealand, and enjoys
traveling in the U.S. and abroad with her husband.
 Sharon Smith—1–5 Aide
Mrs. Smith has been an instructional aide for four years in Colorado (3 of these at CVA) and three years in Southern Arizona. She really enjoys working with students and helping them develop learning skills to help them in life.
Mrs. Smith's husband, Dane, works for Ball Aerospace as an electronic test engineer. They have three daughters - Jennifer (22 1/2 yrs) graduating from UNC in December 2010; Haylie (17) graduating high school in 2011; and Lindsey (12) going into 7th grade at Coal Ridge Middle School. They have lived in Colorado for 5 1/2 years and have really enjoyed it.
Mrs. Smith's college education was focused on medical secretarial science and liberal arts and her career background, before going into the education field, was medical secretarial oriented - everything from office manager for cardiologists to executive medical secretary for neurologists. While her children were growing up, she was able to work from home full-time doing medical transcription. She really enjoyed this field; however, her true enjoyment comes from working with elementary aged children in the school setting.
Mrs. Smith is originally from Northwestern Florida and still has trouble getting used to the snow. Over the past 25 years of her marriage, she has lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; Atlanta, Georgia; Tucson, Arizona; and now presently in Firestone. She loves working at Carbon Valley Academy and enjoys greeting everyone in the morning during her duty as cross-guard. Carbon Valley Academy has a great team and Mrs. Smith is happy to be one of them and to work with the children.
 Casey Means—1–5 Aide
Mrs. Means was born and raised in Colorado. She graduated from Colorado State University (“Go Rams”) in 2009 with Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. While in college, she spent her internship working at an expulsion school and that is when she realized she wanted to work with children in a school setting. She gets so much joy from children’s humor and she is extremely passionate about helping children in need.
Mrs. Means loves to travel and her favorite spot to vacation is Mexico. She also loves movies, spending time with her huge family, and, of course, dogs!!! She lives in the community with her husband, and her two Boston Terriers, Zeke and Zoey.
This will be Mrs. Means’ second year at Carbon Valley Academy. She feels privileged to work with all the amazing teachers at CVA and such a great group of students!
[top of page]
|
