About Us

Sydney Schoonmaker, ECE Teacher

I am a Colorado native, born in Boulder and raised in Littleton. In addition to teaching preschool, I have worked with children in many capacities, including children who have suffered abuse, and being an in-home nanny to infants and toddlers. I finished my masters in Early Childhood Education in August of 2010, and am thrilled to be working in education. I am so excited to be at DGS where I can be a part of a community that is embracing a positive view of children and realizing that we must give them the tools to lead us to a bright, green future. I feel lucky to be a part of such a dynamic, supportive staff, and to be given the opportunity to teach children in such a wonderful, hands-on environment.

Aylane Dibildox, ELA Teacher

I was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, but I have lived in Austria and the United States. This will be my thirteenth year with Denver Public Schools.I am passionate about languages and fostering cultural pride in children with diverse backgrounds. I have a son and a daughter who, just like their mom, are very excited about attending DGS! In my spare time I enjoy any activity that will take me outdoors. I look forward to working with you and being part of such an awesome community!

Darcy Walters, Mild Moderate Special Education

I am entering my 5th year of teaching and I couldn’t be happier to join the DGS team! I am originally from Michigan but have been living in Denver since 2006. I have always been passionate about working with children and it made sense to enter a profession that allows me do what I love most. Watching children experience success gives me such a great feeling. When I am not doing something child-related, I enjoy spending time in the mountains, riding my bike around Denver or just walking around my neighborhood with my husband, Josh, and two dogs, Monte and Tino.

Jennifer Bane

I am thrilled to be a member of Denver Green School as the Autism Classroom teacher. As a student I was lucky to have some truly gifted teachers, who changed not only the way I saw the world, but also the way I saw myself. I was not always the best behaved student, and these teachers saw past the surface, and allowed me succeed in an environment that isn’t always welcoming to kids that are different. It is because of them that I went into teaching. I have been teaching for 10 years, starting my career in Washington, D.C. I have an M.Ed in special education from George Washington University and I received professional training in adaptive technology for students with physical disabilities and learning differences from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Technology in Education.

Mandy Lover, 2nd Grade Teacher

I have been a 1st grade teacher for 5 years. I first taught in Summit County at Breckenridge Elementary School for 3 years. My husband, our young daughter, and our 9 year old black lab then moved to Denver and I spent a year teaching in Golden. As an educator, I love learning from students and guiding them towards new experiences. As a learner, I love traveling and learning from other cultures. I am currently working on receiving my National Board Teacher Certification. This year I look forward to exploring the world around us with 2nd graders.

Andrew Aranow, Music

I am a music educator with a sincere passion for fostering creativity and development through music. I believe all students should have the opportunity to express themselves in an artistic, imaginative manner and I provide hands-on, brains-on musical instruction that serves as an outlet for such expression. With a nineteen-year piano and fifteen-year percussion background, music has been an integral part of my life, and I share this passion with my students everyday. I graduated with a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Florida School of Music in 2008, where I was educated in the Orff-Schulwerk methodology of music instruction. This form of teaching enables the mind and body to simultaneously engage through a mixture of singing, dancing and acting alongside the use of percussion instruments. I can’t think of a more positive and dynamic environment for students to harness this creative energy than Denver Green School, whose core values are centered around educating the whole child through relevant, student-directed learning. I look forward to working with your child and hope I can bring the love I have for music into their lives as well.

Brian Rendon, Visual Arts/ Gifted & Talented Coordinator

I am a Colorado native, born in Denver, raised in various parts of Colorado and Virginia. As a youth, I would rather and frequently play with dirt and twigs, draw imaginative places, make sculptures from cereal boxes, cardboard and tape then play with toys from a box. Throughout most of my K-12 education I loved and thrived in the art room and I was well supported by nurturing art instructors. Which lead me to have a deep-rooted passion for the arts as a creative and profound means to communicate ideas and so much more. After focusing on my development as an artist, I graduated with a BFA with an Emphasis in Sculpture from Metropolitan State College of Denver, I returned to obtain my Art Education credentials. This will be my first year of teaching and to be a part of the Denver Green School community for our first year is fantastic. I am excited to guide and be guided by our students through the universe of possibilities of art along the creative process for our students to be confident critical thinkers, innovative problem solvers and be willing to get your hands dirty and take part in some playful/mindful learning.

Megan Putnam, Sustainability Coordinator

Education and learning have always existed in a foremost part of my psyche, but it is only in the past couple of years that I have felt a passion to pursue a career that brings them to other people in meaningful ways. After graduating from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2007 with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies, I spent two years discovering what it means to feel truly inspired in and at work. My personal quest for this inspiration led me to Nevada City, California where I have worked intensely for the past two years in outdoor and experiential education settings. I am incredibly eager to be a part of the DGS community, contributing to a collective discovery of how we can engage in learning as a both a skill and a lifestyle.

Billy Wurthmann, Special Education Student Mentor

My name is William Wurthmann, I have the students call me Mr. Billy. Ever since I was in 3rd grade I thought being a teacher would be a fun career, however, my high school experience stunted my view of teachers and I decided to take another path. After a few years in the working world I was noticing the same lack of enthusiasm in my younger sister as well as many of her friends. This is what made me decide to change what ruined my view of school and to become involved myself by becoming the person I always wanted as my own teacher. I am currently working on a degree in teaching while working as a Student Mentor for Denver Public Schools. My focus is on autism due to an increased desire to learn more about the condition as my younger cousin was diagnosed in the early 1990s. Since being involved in the public schools I have felt much more fulfilled with life. My passion is for the students no matter their strengths.

Connie Klepper, Kindergarten Student Mentor

I grew up in Michigan and have a BA in Journalism from the University of Michigan. After working as a research associate on a National Science Foundation grant and as a developmental writer for the Engineering College, I moved to Boston where I started my waitressing career! I ended up working in the graphic arts/advertising field for many years. Whenever I had the opportunity, I volunteered as a reading/writing mentor at various elementary schools. After moving to Denver, I decided I wanted to work in education on a full-time basis. I love working with children and helping to create a joy of learning that will last a lifetime. I am very happy to now be part of the Denver Green School community!

Dahlia Mills, Special Education Student Mentor

Hi, my name is Dahlia Mills and I am working as a Student Mentor in the autism classroom. I have worked with Denver Public Schools in the special needs classroom for 8 years. My passion for special ed and kids with autism started when I was very young. I grew up around kids with disabilities and made it my goal to spend as much time with them as I could. I felt an overpowering need to make them as a part of our school and community as possible. As I grew older I realized that we all needed to make a change, that our kids with special needs were just as important as any other child and deserved the same education. Coming to the Denver Green School has been such an amazing adventure and I am so excited to have a staff that supports our class and share the same dreams and ideal as I do for our kids. I am proud to be a part of this community and can’t wait to see what wonderful things this school will do!

Amy Sakuda, Speech-Language Pathologist

This is my second year working in DPS as a speech-language pathologist. I love working with children and teaching them how to be effective communicators. I believe that communication is a right that each individual has, to be able to understand language and express themselves so they can be clearly understood by others. I am excited to be a part of such a dynamic staff and contribute to the learning environment!

Letishia Wilson, Special Education Student Mentor

Hello DGS families and friends! I grew up in Pueblo Colorado in a single parent household with two brothers, one older and one younger. I love to read, spend time with family and friends, as well as travel and try new things. After graduating from high school I moved to Fort Collins, CO where I attended Colorado State University and earned a bachelors degree in Social Work. From there I moved to Heidelberg, Germany for a year, where I was introduced to childcare as a profession while working in a child development center. After enjoying the "European Experience" I returned to Colorado and started working in Special Education, loving every moment! I’ve learned so much, and I can’t wait to continue growing and maturing throughout my journey here. I am so excited to take part in this groundbreaking educational experience that is taking place here at the Denver Green School!

Alicia Smith, 1st Grade Teacher

Originally from Kansas, I studied photography, Spanish, and creative writing at Prescott College. The ecologically inspired mission of Prescott College along with the majestic natural surroundings of Arizona invoked in me the responsibility to live a healthy and sustainable life in order to protect both the planet and the health of our future generations. Since then many diverse and fateful steps have brought me to my current position as a Student Mentor at The Denver Green School where I hope to inspire and support both the love of learning and ecological stewardship among our students. In addition, I am extremely honored to be a part of such a dedicated and unique team of educators who truly care about making positive change in the lives of our youth.

Erin Pattishall, Kindergaren Teacher

I am excited to be joining the DGS community!   A graduate of the University of North Carolina, I have spent the past 9 years educating youth as classroom teacher, environmental educator, and Outward Bound wilderness instructor.  I have seen the power of project-based learning and I'm passionate about inspiring students to better understand and improve the world around them.  I am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with an M.ed in Curriculum and Instruction and a graduate certificate in Education, Environment, and Community from the University of Washington.   After 7 years of teaching 4-6th grade,  I am looking forward to bringing my creativity, energy, and love for life-long learning to the kindergarteners at DGS! 

Ally Shea, Kindergarten Teacher

I was born and raised in California but at 18, Colorado called to me.  I moved to Durango, where I attended Fort Lewis College and received a bachelors in English and a K-6 Teaching License.  After 8 years of playing in the mountains, I moved to Portland, OR where I taught 2nd grade.  After one year of teaching in a traditional classroom, I felt the pull toward informal education and I moved to Bainbridge Island, WA, where I taught outdoor and environmental education at Islandwood.  During that time I earned a masters degree from The University of Washington in Curriculum and Instruction and certificates in Restoration Ecology, Master Gardening, and Ecology, Education, and Community.  I am overjoyed to be abandoning the NW winter rain and joining such a fabulous team of dedicated educators at DGS. My dog Sienna will be joining me while my fiance and turtles will remain in Seattle for one more year.  When I am not teaching you will find us playing in the river, climbing on rocks, or getting to know our new beautiful city.
Cheers,

Kristen Wagner, Kindergarten Teacher