We take great pride in introducing you to our
Exceptional Elementary Instructors
Literacy
Faith Angelakis, Literacy Specialist – Preschool through Fourth Grade
Faith Angelakis contributes significant experience and education to supporting students and teachers in Summit's exceptional reading program. She works directly with students in grade level classrooms, teaching reading to small groups of students, where each student is instructed at his or her individual reading level.
Using her twenty years of teaching experience, Ms. Angelakis works with teachers to help them continue to develop professionally, modeling lessons for teachers, or team-teaching units. She helps teachers plan literacy instruction for the year, and provides professional reading materials about the most recent teaching techniques. Through collaborative efforts with grade level teachers, she leads the school's literacy team to continually update and enhance our literacy program.
A graduate of Boston College with a BA in English and Philosophy, Ms. Angelakis continued her education, earning a Masters Degree and a teaching certificate in Elementary Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ms. Angelakis began her teaching career as a classroom teacher for second, third, and fourth grades in Connecticut. This is her seventh year at Summit and fifth year as a Literacy Specialist. She has a Reading Specialist endorsement and a full Structured English Immersion endorsement. Additionally, she is CLIP (Collaborative Literacy Intervention Project) certified. Throughout her career, Ms. Angelakis has been dedicated to her continuing education and has attended and presented at many professional development workshops.
Faith.Angelakis@summitschoolaz.org
Grade Level Teachers
Danielle Petroniero-Klein, Kindergarten Teacher
Danielle Petroniero-Klein is beginning her nineteenth year in teaching. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a BS in Education majoring in language arts and minoring in social science. Danielle began her teaching career on the Navajo Reservation. After three years, she moved to the Kyrene School District and taught all-day and half-day kindergarten for eleven years. She has an Early Childhood Endorsement, her SEI endorsement, and is working toward a Masters’ degree. She has been happily married for fifeteen years to a fellow teacher. Danielle is also the mother of four boys who attend Summit, and range in age from preschool to Middle School. She enjoys spending time with her family and relaxing when she can find time!
Danielle.Klein@SummitSchoolaz.org
Erin Vosseller, Kindergarten Teacher
Erin Vosseller is in her thirteenth year of teaching and her eleventh year at Summit. She graduated from the University of Arizona (Go Wildcats!) with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and has minors in French, Social Studies, and Fine Arts. She has an Early Childhood Endorsement and a full SEI endorsement, is CLIP (Collaborative Literacy Intervention Project) certified, and is working towards earning a Reading Endorsement.
Outside of school, she volunteers with Camp Sunrise, a camp for children with cancer and their siblings sponsored by the American Cancer Society. She also loves the performing arts and spending time with friends and family.
Erin.Vosseller@SummitSchoolaz.org
Marsha Casey, Kindergarten Assistant
Marsha Casey’s experience includes working as a library aid for nine years at St. Mary-Basha Catholic School in Chandler and as a substitute teacher for the last year at Summit and St. John Bosco Catholic School. She earned a BA in Marketing Management from the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, and is presently taking classes to earn her teaching certificate in elementary education from Rio Salado College.
Mrs. Casey moved to Arizona from the Midwest in 1982, and is an active volunteer for Girl Scouts; supplying cookies to all the local troops and teaching archery to young girls. She has two daughters, one attending Seton Catholic High School in Chandler and the other attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. She enjoys spending her free time volunteering and traveling.
Marsha.Casey@SummitSchoolaz.org
Tera Dahl, Kindergarten Assistant
Tera Dahl’s commitment to educational excellence is demonstrated by her sixteen years of teaching her five children in a home school environment. Three years ago her knowledge and passion became her official profession, when she joined a Kyrene school to work with Kindergarten, Preschool, and special needs children. Last year she brought her talent to Summit, assisting the kindergarten teacher with reading and math groups, writing projects and more. Mrs. Dahl attended Arizona State University, studying nutrition.
Tera.Dahl@SummitSchoolaz.org
Christine Odenkirk, First Grade Teacher
Christine Odenkirk has been an educator for thirteen years. She taught second, third and fourth grades in the Scottsdale Unified School District for the first six years of her career. This is her seventh year at Summit. The first two years she taught the beautiful and inspiring kindergartners. The Summit first graders have captured her heart the last four years.
Christine graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Elementary Education. She also minored in language arts and reading and has an English as a Second Language Endorsement, Reading Endorsement, as well as an Early Childhood Endorsement. Additionally, she is CLIP (Collaborative Literacy Intervention Project) certified. Mrs. Odenkirk is passionate about continuing her education and attends conferences and trainings to further her knowledge of child development and curriculum.
Christine.Odenkirk@SummitSchoolaz.org
Lisa Rubin, First Grade Teacher
Lisa Rubin has taught kindergarten, first grade, and second grade at Summit. This is her eighth year teaching first grade and eleventh year as a teacher. She did her student teaching in second grade at Kyrene de la Mariposa. Lisa brings a positive attitude and a smile. She is dedicated to make learning fun and to help every child reach their ultimate potential. She is a Certified Elementary teacher and a CLIP Reading Specialist. She has an endorsement in Reading, Early Childhood Education, and Structured English Immersion. Mrs. Rubin attended the University of Phoenix for her teacher certification. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southwest Missouri State University.
Lisa.Rubin@SummitSchoolaz.org
Molly Danforth, Second Grade Teacher, Mathematics Peer Leader
Molly Danforth has seventeen years of teaching experience, and has taught first through third grades. She loves to teach all subjects and has a passion for teaching Geography! Her first degree was a Bachelor’s in Education from Gonzaga University. She then went on to earn a Masters’ in Education in 1997 at Northern Arizona University and a Reading Endorsement in 2002 from Arizona State University. Her biggest accomplishment was becoming National Board Certified in 2004.
Ms. Danforth also serves a leadership role in Summit’s preschool through fourth grade math curriculum; supporting teachers in the use of research based best practices, differentiating instruction and challenging students.
She loves teaching children and couldn’t imagine having any other job. Ms. Danforth feels very lucky to be a teacher at Summit School of Ahwatukee and looks forward to a fantastic school year.
Molly.Danforth@SummitSchoolaz.org
Dawn Anderson, Second Grade Teacher
Dawn Anderson has over twenty-nine years of teaching experience. She earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Education from Southwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and holds a lifetime teaching certificate in Missouri. In 1983, she received a Masters degree in Reading.
Mrs. Anderson has taught first through third grades. Teaching has been her passion and her life. She attends many teacher workshops to enhance her second grade curriculum, including: Marilyn Burns’ Teaching Mathematics, Teaching Reading and Writing Workshops, and a conference for first and second grade teachers about enriching the classroom’s Language Arts program. She enjoys working with her students and watching them grow physically and academically. The second grade team has many wonderful thematic units that engage the students to be creative, work together cooperatively and to be successful problem solvers. Let the learning begin!
Dawn.Anderson@summitschoolaz.org
Cathy Reardon, Third Grade Teacher
Cathy Reardon has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona and a Masters in Elementary Education from Chapman University. She has attended various workshops that have allowed for her ongoing growth as a teacher, including various workshops in teaching math, poetry, writing and reading. Mrs. Reardon attended a four-day workshop in California, where she continued her learning about gifted education and then returned to Summit to share strategies about accommodating for the gifted learner in the regular classroom with the faculty. She also recently went to a workshop on making accommodations for dyslexic learners.
Mrs. Reardon has taught for sixteen years, in grades one, two and three. She taught Second Grade here at Summit School for four years before making the switch to Third Grade for the past five.
Cathy.Reardon@summitschoolaz.org
Ashley Burbach, Third Grade Teacher
Ashley Burback grew up in Arizona and graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Early Childhood Education. She is currently attending Walden University to earn her Masters in Education with a specialization in reading and math for kindergarten through sixth grade. Ms. Burbach enjoys reading novels, hiking South Mountain, adopting/sponsoring elephants, and being in the sun. This is her third year teaching third grade at Summit and she looks forward to another fantastic year!
Ashley.Burbach@summitschoolaz.org
Kyle Allen, Fourth Grade Teacher
Kyle Allen graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education. He majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Language Arts. He has participated in and directed numerous professional development trainings, conferences and seminars during his nine years of teaching, and has earned a full SEI endorsement. He is always anxious for new opportunities to learn.
Mr. Allen’s experience ranges in a variety of subjects, grades and levels. He student taught in fifth grade and has extensive experience in kindergarten and eighth grade Math. Early in his career, he substituted in second, third and fifth grade. He has spent the past seven years teaching 4th grade. Kyle’s first love was sports, playing in high school and college, including soccer, basketball, football, tennis, and volleyball. He still participates in indoor soccer, and is one of Summit’s soccer team coaches. He thoroughly enjoys working with children; being able to see their faces light up with accomplishment truly makes his day.
Kyle.Allen@SummitSchoolaz.org
Kelly Makay, Fourth Grade Teacher
Kelly Makay is beginning her seventeenth year as an educator. She earned her teaching degree from Northern Illlinois University. Her first teaching job was at a private school in Evanston, Illinois, where she taught fifth and sixth grade and coached girls' softball. After moving back to Arizona, Mrs. Makay taught in the Kyrene School District for several years and earned her Masters degree in education. She led staff trainings on differentiation and assisted in developing the district-wide report card.
Mrs. Makay joined Summit School of Ahwatukee in 2007, and has taught sixth and seventh grade language arts as well as the middle school publishing elective. This year, she is thrilled to teach at the fourth grade level. Kelly loves reading, hiking and water skiing, and says Summit is the best place to teach and learn!
Kelly.Makay@summitSchoolaz.org
Lori Christianson, Fifth Grade Language Arts and Literature, Sixth Grade Language Arts, Sixth Grade Social Studies, Literacy Peer Leader
Lori Christianson's teaching career has focused upon students in grades five through eight. Prior to coming to Summit, she worked as a gifted resource teacher in the Kyrene School District and has taught self-contained fifth and sixth grades in addition to seventh- and eighth-grade language arts, speech, and debate in both Wisconsin and Hawaii. She is in the process of completing her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and has a bachelor’s degree in middle grades and secondary-level English.
In addition to an Arizona teaching license in elementary education, she holds special endorsements in gifted, sheltered English immersion, and middle-level education as well as a Wisconsin teaching license in grades 5 – 12 English. Recent professional development includes graduate courses in linguistic diversity, curriculum design, assessment, and counseling of the gifted. Additionally, Mrs. Christianson has attended the Literature and Language Arts Advanced Placement Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin, the National Council of Teachers of English National Convention, and the Arizona Association for the Gifted and Talented 2010 State Convention. Utilizing her extensive experience Mrs. Christianson serves as Summit’s Literacy Peer Leader for fifth through eighth grade supporting teachers in the use of research based best practices, differentiating instruction and challenging students.
Lori.Christianson@SummitSchoolaz.org
Mathematics
Melissa France, Fifth Grade Mathematics
Mathematics Peer Leader, Student Council Advisor and Life Skills Instructor
Melissa France brought her mathematic and leadership skills to Summit in 2000. She teachers fifth and sixth grade math, and instructs classes in life skills to seventh and eighth grade students.
Mrs. France serves as Summit's Student Council Advisor, guiding students in leadership roles for school wide community service projects and spirit building activities. She also serves a leadership role in Summit’s fifth through eighth grade math curriculum; supporting teachers in the use of research based best practices, differentiating instruction and challenging students.
Mrs. France earned a B.S. degree in Education in 1998, with a minor in Psychology from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Melissa.France@SummitSchoolaz.org
Margaret Rodriguez, Mathematics - Fifth and Sixth Grade
Margaret Rodriguez has been an educator for seven years. Her experience includes teaching first, third and seventh grades in the Laveen Elementary School District. Mrs. Rodriguez graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She also holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. In addition to an Arizona teaching certificate in elementary education, she holds a special passion for teaching and is always looking for new ways to grow as a professional.
Margaret.Rodriguez@summitschoolaz.org
Special Instructors
Art
Kathleen Kupper, Art Teacher - Kindergarten through Eighth Grade
Kathleen Kupper is Summit School's Specialist in Art and Design. Her education includes a Master of Architecture degree from UCLA and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the Southern California Institute of Architecture [SCI-Arc] and the ASU College of Architecture. Mrs. Kupper developed and taught architecture, art, and design programs in the United States and Switzerland. She is Director and co-founder of the Vitruvius Program, having received major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. In 2000, she brought The Vitruvius Program to Summit School of Ahwatukee, which now serves as the school's art curriculum.
Student work has been published and exhibited internationally and recognized by Phoenix Magazine as one of the top five education programs in Metro-Phoenix. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has displayed 280 architectural works that describes the design education work of Summit's preschool through sixth grade students in an exhibit entitled Bridges: Connecting Earth to Sky, in their young@art gallery.
In 2011 the Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO) selected Summit’s innovative Vitruvius art program as the best Architecture, Art and Design school program in the United States!
Mrs. Kupper co-teaches with daughter, Selene. Together they present integrated design exercises and art principles to the Summit School students, and relate their work to community and global issues, embodying scientific, artistic and spiritual narratives.
Kathleen.Kupper@SummitSchoolaz.org
Selene Kupper, Art Specialist - Preschool through Eighth Grade
Selene Kupper has been an art specialist at Summit School for the past five years. She develops and teaches the Vitruvius Program curriculum that serves as the art program for the school. In 2010, Ms. Kupper and her co-teacher Kathleen Kupper collaborated with the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, providing the museum over 280 art works created by Summit School of Ahwatukee students. Ms. Kupper developed and facilitated preschool through sixth grade architectural and design projects for the exhibit, titled Bridges: Connecting Earth to Sky. The Vitruvius Program was recognized by Phoenix Magazine as one of the top five education programs in Metro-Phoenix.
Ms. Kupper has developed projects and taught in the Vitruvius Program at the ASU Center for Academic Precocity, Design Discovery at the ASU College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Tesseract School Paradise Valley and North Scottsdale, and the University of Wisconsin.
In 2011 the Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO) selected Summit’s innovative Vitruvius art program as the best Architecture, Art and Design school program in the United States!
Ms. Kupper studied graphic design at ASU. She has worked as a general manager, buyer, and designer for a five store corporation. As an artist and designer, her work has been exhibited internationally and she continues to create design work in the area of textiles and graphics. At Summit, she presents integrated design exercises and art principles to the students.
Selene.Kupper@SummitSchoolaz.org
Library
Martha Mriss, Library Specialist – Preschool through Fifth Grade
Martha Mriss is an Arizona native and a third generation Arizonan. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and Master of Arts in Educational Supervision from Northern Arizona University. She has over 25 years of teaching experience with fourteen years as a library specialist and seven years of classroom teaching. She also worked as a Human Resources Coordinator for four years and one year as a reading specialist before retiring. Her love of the library helped to draw her out of retirement to be the library specialist at Summit where she expands student’s love of books by teaching a library class to preschool through fifth grade.
Martha.Mriss@SummitSchoolaz.org
Music
Jennifer Horne, Music Teacher - Preschool through Fifth Grade
Jennifer Horne was born and raised in upstate New York, about three hours northwest of New York City. She has lived and taught in various places, including London, England and Chicago, Illinois.
Ms. Horne earned Bachelor and Master degrees in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at State University of New York College at Potsdam (SUNY College at Potsdam) in Potsdam, New York. She continually engages in professional development through attending conferences, reading professional books and journals, and discussing current issues and trends in music education with colleagues.
In addition to her music teaching skills, she plays flute and piano, sings, and can play a variety of concert band instruments proficiently. Her teaching experience includes teaching general, instrumental, and vocal music, mostly at the elementary and preschool level, but also at the middle/secondary level. Ms. Horne loves listening to live or recorded music, as well as reading, baking, going to museums and cultural events, watching movies, traveling, and hiking. Spending time with family and friends is also important.
Jennifer.Horne@SummitSchoolaz.org
Physical Education
Kathy Dean, Physical Education and Wellness Specialist, Kindergarten through Eighth Grade
Kathy Dean attended Indiana University and Indiana State University where she completed a BA degree in health, physical education, recreation and dance and music education. She has a Master’s degree from Indiana State in Exercise Physiology.
Her first teaching job was in a small, rural town in northern Indiana where she taught Kindergarten through twelfth grade swimming and lifesaving. Mrs. Dean taught at Indiana University – Purdue University in Indianapolis while her kids were growing up, and worked as a wellness consultant for the Indiana Department of Education. She has also worked in Corporate Wellness as a Wellness Director for the Wayne Township School Corporation in Indiana and the Medtronic Corporation in Tempe. In 1997 Mrs. Dean and her family moved to Phoenix, where she taught physical education and music in the Kyrene Schools. She started St. John Bosco School in 2001 and was instrumental in developing the athletic program and the athletic facilities. She has coached just about every sport and volunteered as well as taught fitness classes for the YMCA’s since she was 16 year old.
Mrs. Dean is currently the President for the Arizona Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and serves on several committees including Action for Healthy Kids and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This is her fourth year teaching at Summit School of Ahwatukee.
Kathy.Dean@SummitSchoolaz.org
Science
Lori Phillips, Science Teacher – Kindergarten through Fifth Grade
Lori Phillips majored in Elementary Education at Arizona State University. She has taken various continuing education courses throughout the years, including the opportunity to become a Master Teacher in the Intel Teach to the Future program, and the National Hands-On Science Institute where she shot potato cannons and made slime and 74 other hands on experiments!
Lori is in her 11th year at Summit School, and has been a classroom teacher for preschool through second grade, and as well as Kindergarten through third grade technology instructor. Mrs. Phillips has been teaching science at Summit for eight years. She enjoys children and the smiles they bring every day to her life.
Lori.Phillips@SummitSchoolaz.org
Spanish
Elsa Conti, Spanish Teacher - Preschool through Fifth Grade
Elsa Conti called Mazatlán, México home until arriving in Phoenix in 1990. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Universidad de Occidente in México, and is a native Spanish speaker. This year she plans to attend the University of Phoenix for advanced classes in Spanish, and expanding her knowledge in teaching methods involving “(TPRS) Total Physical Response System.” TPRS uses games, activities and large group projects that engage students in having fun as they learn the second language.
Throughout her eleven years teaching at Summit, she continues to create opportunities for children to interact and experience the Spanish language through stories, songs, poems, puppet play; always enhancing their vocabulary and their talents for a second language. Older students create videos in Spanish, research and create models and reports in English and Spanish, learning to read and write and enjoy their new found abilities.
Elsa.Conti@SummitSchoolaz.org
Andrea G. Gonzalez-Cantwell, Spanish
World languages are her passion; Mrs. Gonzalez is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese. A native of Mexico, she has taught in public and private schools, with age levels ranging from elementary students to university pre-service teachers and professionals.
Mrs. Gonzalez is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where she earned a Masters Degree in Spanish with a concentration in Linguistics, Curriculum and Instruction. She enjoys challenging students to rise to their greatest potential, by acquiring fluency in a second language.
Andrea.Gonzalez-Cantwell@summitschoolaz.org
Technology
Gail Soderquist, Technology Teacher – Kindergarten through Eighth Grade
Gail Soderquist was born and raised in Minnesota. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education from Minnesota State University, and a Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix. Her teaching experience includes classroom teaching in kindergarten through eighth grade, and as a technology teacher at several charter and public schools in Arizona.
Mrs. Soderquist is a member of AzTEA (Arizona Technology in Education Association) and regularly attends technology workshops. She loves working with students and using technology as a tool in the learning experience! Gail expands students’ knowledge in Summit’s dedicated technology lab. She instructs kindergarten through sixth grade classes, and the seventh and eighth grade technology elective.
Gail.Soderquist@SummitSchoolaz.org
