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I am an Arizona native and Summit has been my second home for over 20 years. I have had a passion for young children and families since high school and received my BAS in Early Childhood through NAU.  I also received a Speech and Language Pathology Assistant Certificate and hold an Early Childhood teaching certificate. I have presented at both national and state conferences on woodworking and cooking with young children.  I am thrilled to be teaching in the toddler classroom this year. 

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I grew up in Ahwatukee where I attended Desert Vista. I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education: Severe and Profound Disabilities. I have taught in the Flagstaff and Deer Valley School Districts. When I am not teaching, I enjoy hiking, swimming, and playing with my dog, Murray!

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I have loved teaching preschool at Summit since 2004. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Interpersonal Communication from The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, I also completed coursework in the field of Elementary Education. I student-taught in a second-grade classroom, but discovered that my true passion is teaching young children! In 2014, I completed the required coursework to achieve an Early Childhood ‘Academic Certificate in Child and Family Professional Development.’ Each year, I attend continuing education training classes and seminars. Currently, I am pursuing the completion of a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education.

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I had a career in the semiconductor industry before making the switch to education.  After having two sons, I discovered a love for working with children.  I thrive on the creative thinking and joyous energy of being in the classroom.  I currently teach first grade, but I have also taught preschool at Summit and worked previously in the Kyrene School District.  I am happy to be part of the Summit team. 

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I have been an elementary school teacher for 25 years. Although born in Tucson, I moved around my entire life throughout the midwest. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education. My professional certifications include Early Childhood Endorsement, Structured English Immersion, and Gifted and Talented Endorsement. I began my teaching career in Dallas, Texas as a first and second grade looping teacher. I made my way back to Phoenix 22 years ago where I joined Gilbert Public Schools as a second grade teacher. In 2015, I resigned from teaching to stay at home with my newborn twins and homeschooled them all the way through kindergarten. In 2021, I began teaching second grade again at a private school in the Awhatukee area. My twins will be entering fourth grade at Summit School for the 2024-2025 school year and we are all excited to be part of the Summit community! Go Sabercats!!

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I graduated from Boston College with a degree in English and Philosophy. I went on to earn my Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Lesley University. As a public school teacher in Connecticut, I also worked at the Connecticut Department of Education as a trainer and evaluator. An avid learner, I have continued my education by participating in many literacy intervention trainings  and professional development courses. During my 29 year career as a teacher, I have been a reading specialist and taught every grade from kindergarten to seventh. 

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I obtained my Bachelors in Elementary Education at ASU and began my teaching career as a preschool teacher at a small charter school in Queen Creek, AZ.  In 1996 I found my way to TesseracT School where I taught  toddlers, preschool, kindergarten and led summer camp.  In 2001, I became a part of the Summit Community teaching kindergarten.  My time at Summit has provided me with opportunities to teach kindergarten, first grade, technology, and 18 years of K – 5th grade science.  I have been on several committees including the Principal Advisory and the Health & Safety Task Force, and was an integral member of the team that developed the CARE system at SummitI have also worked with the Arizona Department of Education to help develop state science standards.  I am in my 22nd year teaching at Summit, and am currently teaching kindergarten.

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I began my career as an educator in 2000.  I have had the pleasure of teaching first grade and Enrichment in an independent school in New Mexico, Manzano Day School, and at Knox Gifted Academy in Chandler.  In addition, I taught second, third and fourth grade.  I graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BS in Elementary Education and a Language Arts endorsement. I am also SEI endorsed, Teaching Reading Effectively (TRE) certified, and a Google Certified Educator.

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I joined Summit’s faculty in 2012. I have taught 5th grade math, social studies, and ELA. In addition, I have taught 6th grade math and 6th grade literature. My teaching has been greatly enhanced through the fifteen years I have devoted to coaching, including middle school and high school basketball and golf teams. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. I have earned a full SEI endorsement, and expanded my knowledge through numerous Kagan cooperative learning trainings and Arizona Association of Mathematics conferences.  I also have a sixth through eighth grade math endorsement in Michigan. 

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I have had the pleasure of teaching middle school for 25 years, with 20 years of teaching at Summit.  In addition to teaching, I am Summit’s middle school coordinator.  My passion for teaching stems from the importance of providing an engaging, energetic, and rich learning environment for all students. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Millsaps College and am a member of the National Middle School Association.  I have been the recipient of a “Golden Gator, Excellence in Teaching Award” from Xavier College Preparatory High School. This award recognizes junior high teachers who have been inspirational to Xavier’s freshmen students. I  spearhead two instrumental programs designed for Summit eighth grade students, “ROPES” and “SERVE”, which teaches leadership, confidence and community service. 

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I graduated from Adrian College with a bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education. After receiving my degree, I taught 9th grade and Honors American Literature in South Carolina before returning to Michigan to teach 9th, 11th, and 12th grade English. While back in Michigan, I returned to Adrian College and earned my Masters in Education in Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction and coached collegiate hockey. Seeking a change, I moved to Phoenix and taught 4th-6th English at BASIS before moving to Summit. I love furthering my education through various professional development opportunities throughout the entire year. I am the  advisor of Summit Middle School’s National Junior High Society (NJHS).

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I began in the field of education by working in the library at St. Mary-Basha Catholic School. After five years of library experience, I began at Summit School. The following 11 years were as an instructional assistant in kindergarten, and receiving my teaching certificate.. I spent the Covid years teaching small group reading and presently I am in the IDEA Lab as a library supervisor.

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Upon my return back to the US in 2012, I started my Spanish program.  This program offered small-group Spanish teaching for children 3 and up, private one-on-one tutoring, and international Spanish summer camps in Costa Rica.

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I joined Summit’s faculty in 2007 and have over twenty years of teaching experience in 1st through 3rd grade. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Gonzaga University, and a Master’s Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. I also received  a reading endorsement from Arizona State University.  In 2005, I expanded my teaching skills in the area of mathematics.   I have taken additional training in Cognitively Guided Instruction, Intel Math, Math Recovery, DMI (developing mathematical ideas), and I am currently working on a math endorsement. My biggest accomplishment in my career was when I earned my National Board Certification in 2007 and 2014.

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Mr. Douwstra has an extensive background teaching and serving as a technology coach that spans over 20 years. He has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. As a former district trainer and a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Jeremy is dedicated to staying current with emerging technologies. Mr. Douwstra joined Summit’s faculty in 2016.

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I came to Arizona 25 years ago and will never leave! My husband of 40 years and I love to hike, read and travel. I grew up as a Army brat and moved all over, including Hawaii and Germany. My 3 young adult children went to all 3 Arizona state universities. I earned my BA at Old Dominion University, my post-baccalaureate for education at Rio Salado college and my fine arts associates at Mesa Community college. My career started in advertising in New York City and Philadelphia and then I transitioned to teaching art. I have taught art to preschool through 8th grade students for 21 years. My philosophy aligns with this quote: “Art has the role ineducation of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.” S.G. Clemens

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Born and raised in upstate New York, I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at State University of New York College at Potsdam. I have taught general, instrumental, and vocal music at all levels, preschool through collegiate, during my 21 years of experience. Recognized for my expertise in encouraging creativity through music education, I was invited to co-create Music, Meaning, and Imagination, an elective music course for undergraduate non-music majors at Arizona State University, which I taught for three years. I also play flute, piano, sing, and have a basic proficiency on guitar, ukulele, and most wind instruments. I am currently in my 15th year at Summit School, helping children dig deeper into how music works and setting them up for a lifetime of musical engagement. 

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I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Arizona State University and a minor in literature. I hold an additional certification as a Reading Specialist, and endorsements in English as a Second Language and Early Childhood Education. I have been teaching for 23 years with the last 17 at Summit. My desire to grow professionally has led me to teach at multiple grade levels, focusing on the primary grades of kindergarten through fourth grades. Teaching is an endeavor that requires constant devotion to the craft. Throughout my teaching career, I have pursued many professional development opportunities, and I spend much of my time away from the classroom reading professionally and researching new and innovative ideas to enhance my skills.  Most recently, I have narrowed my study to current research on the best practices for teaching reading. I am excited to have the opportunity in my new role to apply scientifically based instruction to support students and teachers.  

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Hi my name is David Preston. I am a born and raised Phoenician and have two wonderful kids that also attend Summit. I graduated from NAU with my BS degree in Elementary Education and have been an educator for 17 years. Many of those years were spent teaching middle school science where I developed a passion for integrating STEM into my curriculum. I love learning and continue to develop as an educator by taking professional development courses, with a particular interest in STEM education. My goal as an educator is to help students reach their full potential by providing a safe, risk taking, collaborative environment. I also believe education should help students develop positive character and leadership traits so that all students can be productive citizens in our community. When I am not teaching you can usually find me coaching sports, mentoring middle schoolers to develop scaled models for our NASA HUNCH program, reading, woodworking, or climbing on big rocks! 

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I hold a Master’s Degree in Library Media Science with a certification in School Library Media. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Human Development and a minor in English. My Library Sciences teaching experience spans preschool, elementary, middle and high school.
I am married and have two adult children and I have partial custody of a crazy dog named Jack.

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Brady Wald serves as the Head of School at Summit, overseeing educational strategies and student development. With a background in educational leadership and a passion for fostering innovative learning environments, Wald is dedicated to cultivating a community where students thrive academically and personally. His leadership emphasizes collaboration, student, family, and community relationships, and a commitment to preparing students for future challenges.

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I was the Financial Analyst at Summit School for the past several years.  I am responsible for our school’s financial reporting, budgeting, accounts payable, and payroll.  I have a B.S. degree in Finance and over 25 years of accounting management experience with both corporate and non-profit organizations.  

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I hold a Master degree in Community Psychology from Michigan State University, where I assisted youth at risk and worked in program evaluation.  Besides my 18 years of business management at Summit School, I managed a busy medical practice and co-owned a specialty catering company. In addition, I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Benin, West Africa (1991-1993) where I worked with women in development groups, Co-ops, and assisted small business development.

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Ms. Nicholas holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University. She has worked in the area of Youth Development for over 30 years, and she is a former Facilities Manager for the American Cancer Society. Ms. Nicholas oversees building development, vendor selection and management and implements safety protocols here at Summit. She ensures that our campus is safe and that all operations are in working order.

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I have experience in the field of education for 30+ years, initially as a K-8 Special Education teacher, moving on to be trained and serve as a School Psychologist. I received a B.A. in Special Education/Psychology from the University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa. My graduate degrees were obtained from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. and includes a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology and a Specialist degree (Psy.S.) in School  Psychology. I have additional specialized training in working with Deaf/Hard of hearing students, certification from Harris Institute for Early Childhood, and  Diplomate status in School Neuropsychological assessment. I have worked at Summit since 2014 and love the community of this school!

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My education journey began back in my home state of Wisconsin, where I earned my B.A in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and an M.A in Special Education from Walden University. Helping students push through challenges they face and helping them reach their full potential is the reason I am in education. My role as a PE teacher here at Summit allows me to have a positive impact on students daily.