Heather Perez – Preschool
Hello, my name is Heather Perez and I am a preschool teacher at Reunion Elementary.
Teaching has always been a passion of mine and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the new
Reunion community. As a preschool teacher I have the unique opportunity to help set children up
for success in the rest of their school career by instilling necessary social, life, and academic
skills. I received my bachelor's degree in Human Development with a focus in early childhood
education from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Previously, I have taught
kindergarten, 1st grade, and preschool in the private sector for 8 years.
My husband and I live with our fur baby Nala who is a Corgi-Husky mix. I absolutely love
the outdoors and spend as much time out there as possible. I can often be found either running
or volunteering at many of the local running events.
I am very excited to partner with you and your child this year!
Jennifer Hufnagel – Preschool
Hi! My name is Jennifer Hufnagel (Ms. Jen). This is my third year teaching
in the district. I have a master’s degree from the University of Northern
Colorado in Early Childhood Special Education. I taught kindergarten my first year
teaching and have been teaching preschool for the past year. I am thrilled to be
teaching preschool at Reunion! I am looking forward to a year of learning, fun, and
adventure!
I am a Colorado native and enjoy all Colorado has to offer. When I am not
teaching I spend my time horseback riding and hiking. I challenge myself to hike a
different 14er each summer. So far I have hiked 4. My husband and I live on a
small farm in North Brighton. We have horses, chickens, 2 cats, and 2 dogs.
Jaclyn Chavez – Primary
Hi, my name is Jackie Chavez. I have been teaching for 12 years. I taught preschool for 1
year and have been teaching kindergarten for the last 11 years. I love teaching kindergarten
and helping students get their education off to a great positive start! I have spent the past 3
years teaching at Northeast Elementary school and before that I was teaching in Aurora Public
Schools. I have degrees in both Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Hastings
College in Nebraska. I am very passionate about giving students a strong start in their
education that helps them develop a love for learning and sets them up for success in school and
life.
Outside of school I love spending time with my family and being outside. I have three
little kids that keep me busy with their activities and interests. We love going to the zoo,
science museum, and children’s museum as a family. We also enjoy running and going for
bike/stroller rides to all the different parks in our community. My own personal hobbies are
running, playing soccer, and playing games or cards with friends.
I am so excited to be a part of Reunion Elementary School. I can’t wait to help build a
school where all students can be successful, happy, and feel valued. I am excited to help start
traditions and build a wonderful school to be a part of the already wonderful community of
Reunion. I look forward to working with all of your to build the school of our dreams.
Marcie Johnson – Primary
My name is Marcie Johnson and I have been teaching in the Brighton 27 J School District
for eleven years where I have taught Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. I am married and enjoy
spending time with my husband and my two dogs. I have three grown children and one beautiful
granddaughter. My husband and I spend a lot time in the mountains camping and fishing. We
also enjoy playing golf!
I love so many aspects of teaching and being in a classroom with all of my students. I am
excited to be moving to Reunion Elementary next year! I look forward to meeting all of the new
families along with being involved in planning and creating a wonderful learning environment for
the students.
April Bartashevich – Primary
My name is April Bartashevich and I am thrilled to be joining the Reunion team and meeting all
the wonderful families that will make up this learning community! I am coming your way from
New Hampshire where I have taught for the past nine years. I have spent the last four years
teaching second grade and taught kindergarten for the first five years of my teaching
career. I think being a teacher is one of the best jobs around! Children have a wonderful sense
of curiosity and watching their brains grow each year is amazing.
Sometimes students think that their teachers live at school. When I am not at school I love
spending time with my dog Wheezy, as well as friends and family. Wheezy is a wonderful
companion for walking and hiking, which we cannot wait to do out in Colorado! I also love to cook,
kayak, read, stay active and I am working on learning the ukulele.
Starting this wonderful journey at Reunion and building a learning community with all of you is
beyond exciting. I cannot wait to dive into creating, exploring and navigating the many firsts we
will experience together this fall!
Stephanie Flynn – Primary
My name is Stephanie Flynn and I am thrilled to be a team member at Reunion
Elementary! I have been a proud member of the 27J community for the last ten years and
couldn’t imagine being anywhere else! Teaching is my passion. I love working with students and
helping them reach their goals. I have experience teaching 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade. I earned my
Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a major in American History
and Elementary Education. I then went on to graduate from the University of Colorado, Denver
with my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a K-6 reading endorsement.
I moved to Colorado 19 years ago from Pennsylvania. Like everyone else, I came to
Colorado because I love Colorado and the outdoor lifestyle it offers! When I’m not teaching you
will most likely find me in the mountains hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing with my family and
rambunctious dog, Cooper. I am a proud mama of two children: Molly, 6, and Jameson, 4. I also
love to read, work on art projects, play cards, and do DIY house projects with my husband, Eric.
I am honored and excited to be a part of Reunion Elementary! I am looking forward to
building strong relationships with the students, families, and staff members of Reunion and I
am excited to help solidify a school culture that always puts kids first. I believe all students can
learn and I am committed to helping each and every one of them reach their full potential. This
will be a very exciting year full of firsts and excellence. I can’t wait for the journey to begin!
Corrie Sahling - Primary
My name is Corrie Sahling, and I am so excited to be a part of the Reunion community!
I come from a background in journalism; I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in
Journalism and Media Communications from Colorado State University. After several jobs and
internships with major newspapers and magazines in Denver, I finally gave into my passion for
teaching. I am currently working towards my Master’s Degree in Education through Adams
State University and the Boettcher Teacher Residency. I am wrapping up a year of residency at
Southeast Elementary School, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue my teaching career at
Reunion!
I am a Colorado native, so I’m pretty sure I never had a choice in my obsession for the
outdoors! I love to go camping, hike 14ers, and ski in the winter. I am extremely close to my
parents and my younger brother, so I spend most of my weekends with them — we can often be
found riding and racing dirt bikes. Some other pieces of my life include knowing nothing other
than spending Sunday’s cheering for the Broncos and getting lost in every book I can get my
hands on!
I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the Reunion community as a teacher, and I cannot
wait to see Reunion Elementary become a place that our students and families are proud to be a
part of. I believe in creating a safe environment where all students can push their thinking to go
beyond their goals. I look forward to getting to know all our families, and being a part of the
amazing place Reunion will become!
Sarah Iversen – Intermediate Teacher
I cannot wait to get started on this adventure with each of you. My name is Sarah
Iversen and I am so thrilled to be a part of Reunion Elementary. I am currently teaching fourth
grade at Landmark Academy. I have been at Landmark for eight years and have gotten to know
this community very well. I graduated from the University of Wyoming (Go Pokes!) with a
Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and an emphasis in Cultural Diversity. During my eight years
at Landmark, I have been awarded CCIRA’s Past President’s Memorial Award and National
Heritage Academy’s Diamond Award. Currently, I am researching universities and Masters
Programs to further my education.
In my free time, I love spending time with my husband, two children and our Golden
Retriever, Murphy. We love going to the mountains for a weekend and exploring different
mountain towns and eating at new restaurants. When we’re not exploring new places in Colorado,
we love traveling out of state. Some of our favorite places to travel to are San Diego, CA and
Mexico. Other than traveling, I enjoy baking sweet treats for my family and myself, reading,
watching movies and getting out of the house on the weekends!
As part of the Reunion Community, I am excited for the opportunity to give our
neighborhood children a great education. Being able to build positive partnerships with the
families of Reunion Elementary is one of my biggest goals for this school. By creating positive
relationships between school and home, our children will have the ability to achieve any of their
dreams and be successful moving forward in their lives. I am looking forward to helping create
and maintain a safe, caring and academically excellent school for our children.
Brenda Haffner – Intermediate Teacher
I am Brenda Haffner and this is my 24th year teaching mostly 5th and 6th grades. There
is nothing in the world that I would rather do than teach. This has been the most rewarding
career I could have asked for. I love developing relationships with my students and their
parents, and the best thing is for former students to allow me to be a part of their lives long
after they have left my classroom! My husband and I live in rural Weld County on a few
acres. We have 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and one more in June and 5 grandchildren, which
are the light of our lives. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with our growing
family, traveling, and playing. I can’t wait to be a part of the Reunion Elementary Community
this fall and getting to know all the families and staff!
Rayna Delvalle - Intermediate
My name is Rayna DelValle and I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with the
Reunion Community. I have been teaching in the District for the past eleven years. I have
experience teaching third and fourth grade as well as middle school. I graduated from the
University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences in Elementary
Education. My goal as a teacher is to help each of my learners reach their fullest potential and
to instill in them a love for learning.
I am a proud Colorado native! I have a strong connection and respect for our district
because I myself attended and graduated from Brighton High School. I have a wonderful son
who is in the fourth grade. He takes up most of my free time, but some hobbies I enjoy are
traveling, reading, and hiking Colorado’s beautiful mountain trails. My husband and I also enjoy
cooking delicious peruvian dishes from his home country Peru.
I strongly believe in the importance of cultivating respectful supportive relationships
among students, teachers, and parents. I am honored to be part of a community that will work
together to create a school culture that will center around student achievement and success.
Kristin Morin – Intermediate
I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have the opportunity to meet and work with you and
your children in the coming year! My name is Kristin Morin and I’ve had the pleasure of teaching
intermediate students for the past 5 years. I have bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and German
from Michigan State University and spent 6 years as a photojournalist before getting my
teaching license from the University of Colorado Denver. After that, I completed my master’s
degree at UCD, concentrating on teaching in diverse contexts and cultures.
As a gal originally hailing from sea-level, I still love spending time with my family on the
Great Lakes. Summertime, for me, often looks like Michigan fun in the sun with my folks,
siblings, and the three cutest nieces/nephew that you’ve ever seen! Here, at elevation, I love
photography, rec softball, reading for pleasure, hiking, camping, and doing projects around my
house.
I’m so excited to see the visions for Reunion Elementary becoming a reality! I feel so
fortunate to be in on the ground floor of this project and integrating with the families and
students in the community. Together we can create a safe space that encourages students to
take-risks, build authentic relationships, and aspire to be lifelong learners. Here we go!
Jean Meakins - Intermediate
Hello Reunion families! My name is Jean Meakins, and I am so excited to be a part of
Reunion Elementary and the group of individuals who are committed to the community. I
finished my undergraduate work at Colorado State and Regis University. I earned my master’s
degree in Elementary Education at the University of Colorado.
This year marks my 15th year in education. I love teaching and believe in creating a
comfortable community with students and parents. I have worked as a first grade and second
grade teacher. I have also taught math and ELL interventions. In 2009, I was fortunate
enough to teach Kindergarten outside Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
When I am not in the classroom, I love to spend time with my two elementary aged
children. We love to swim and enjoy the outdoors. My boys and I love to cook and they also
devour our great creations. Spending time together is precious for our family.
My favorite quote from Roald Dahl is, “Every child has a spark in them; it just needs to be
lit."
Rachel Strayhall – School Psychologist
Hello everyone, my name is Rachel Strayhall! I first began working in schools as a
paraprofessional in Kansas. I then went on to earn my degree in School Psychology from the
Chicago School of Professional Psychology. During that time, I worked in the Chicago Public
Schools system followed by Niles Township High School in Skokie, Illinois. For the past three
years I have worked in a therapeutic day school for students with emotional and behavioral
difficulties.
Some of my favorite things to do are follow Royals baseball, go hiking, practice yoga, do
crafts, and bake.
I’m very excited to be making the move out to the Denver area from Chicago in the fall
and to be part of the first group of people to work at Reunion. I’m excited to bring some of my
experiences into a new building.
Carrie Ellis – Special Education Teacher
My name is Carrie Ellis, and I am so excited to be part of the Reunion community and
team. I am completing my 17th year of teaching. My experiences include grades 3-6, in both
general education and special education. I have worked in 27J for the last ten years at
Southeast Elementary School, and most recently at Turnberry Elementary School. I received
my bachelor’s degree from California State University in Psychology. I went on to continue my
education at National University in California to receive my teaching credential with an
emphasis in Cross-cultural Teaching. Several years ago I finished my master’s degree at Grand
Canyon University with a degree in Cross-Categorical Special Education.
When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my family. My husband (who also works
for the district), and my two sons ages 8 and 13. We love to vacation both near and far, and
visit our family members on the East Coast. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, we try to get back
to see the scenic beaches, visit friends and family that still remain, and eat a delicious “real”
Philly cheesesteak. On the weekends you may find me at one of my sons’ sporting events
cheering them on.
I look forward to meeting the family and community members who will make Reunion
Elementary School an amazing place to be. I believe together, we will strive for greatness while
creating an atmosphere where all students are valued, respected and encouraged to be a part of
the learning process. I cannot wait to begin building relationships with our students while
providing them with a safe environment to ensure we grow together as a team.
Sara Prue – Special Education Severe Needs
My name is Sara Prue! I was born and raised in Oregon. I received my bachelor’s degree
from Oregon State University in 2007 and my Master’s in Special Education from Pacific
University in 2008. I have taught students with significant needs for the past 10 years. I have
taught students from kindergarten all the way to age 21. I believe in teaching the whole child
and that every child has the capability to learn! Teaching diverse learners has become my
passion and I’m so excited to work with the students of Reunion Elementary School!
My husband and I moved to the Reunion area in 2011. We welcomed our son Liam to our
family in October 2015. When I am not teaching, I love spending time with my family and
friends. We like to go camping, cook yummy foods, go to the Denver zoo and cheer on the
Oregon Ducks!
Monica Griffin – Speech Pathologist
Hi! My name is Monica Griffin. I am excited to be your speech-language pathologist at
Reunion Elementary! This is my seventh year at School District 27J and my twentieth year of
providing intervention for students with communication needs. I have a master’s degree from
Baylor University in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a bachelor's degree from
Ouachita Baptist University in Speech-Language Pathology. I look forward to being in the
Reunion Community.
I grew up on a farm in Arkansas and enjoy going home to see my family. They enjoy
coming to see me in Colorado, too! We like riding bikes; going swimming and playing games. I will
be getting married on December 30th, and my new last name will be Petersen.
Josh Linville – Physical Education Teacher
My name is Josh Linville and I am very excited to teach Physical Education at Reunion
Elementary. I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2007 with a Bachelors in
Sport and Exercise Science with an Emphasis in Physical Education and again in 2010 to receive
a Masters of Arts in Teaching. I have been with Landmark Academy for the past 10 years as
the Athletic Director and Physical Education teacher.
I am a Colorado native originally from Colorado Springs. In my spare time, I enjoy
spending time with my wife Jessica and my 2 sons; Timmy is 6 years old and Eli is 3 years old. I
also enjoy wood working, DIY projects, CrossFit, hunting, and other outdoor adventures. One of
my summer passions is to hike 14ers. So far I have hiked a total of 18 summits.
One of my favorite parts of teaching Physical Education is challenging students to
achieve success outside of their comfort zones. My purpose is to guide students in the process
of becoming physically active for a lifetime. I am looking forward to creating lasting
relationships with each student that enters my Gym doors.
Ben Leavitt – Music
My name is Ben Leavitt, I’m a musician and educator currently living in Aurora, Colorado.
Before working at Reunion Elementary, I taught general music and band to students in grades K8 in the Denver metro area, since moving to Colorado in 2014.
From 2006-2014, I worked for the Brockton, Massachusetts, Public Schools as Instrumental
Music Teacher. Working with students in grades 4-8, I taught woodwind, brass, and percussion
classes and directed large ensemble rehearsals in multiple schools at the elementary and middle
school levels. I have taught private saxophone lessons for over a decade to students of all
levels.
Outside of school, I can be found performing on saxophone with the Colorado Wind Ensemble.
In the Boston area, I was a member of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, playing principal
saxophone and serving on the Board of Directors, performing regularly with the saxophone
ensemble, Sultans of Sax. With equal training in classical and jazz saxophone, I have performed
with various groups including musical theater, saxophone ensemble, community concert band and
jazz big band, and have shared the stage with industry giants including Branford Marsalis, Clark
Terry, and Benny Green.
I hold a Master of Music from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University and
a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire.
I live with my wife, Jackie, and our dog, Coltrane. I enjoy hiking, mountain biking, skiing, yoga,
and quiet walks with the dog.