Tollgate Elementary School of Expeditionary Learning

Shanna Martin
Principal

Shanna Martin has been a public educator for 23 years and this will be her 12th year as an elementary school principal. She is excited to join Aurora Public Schools this year as the principal of Tollgate Elementary. Prior to being a principal, she was an assistant principal, instructional coach, and classroom teacher in 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th grade. All of her experiences in education have been focused on the elementary level.

She is originally from Washington state and received her undergraduate in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Development from Western Washington University. She met her husband, Josh, at Western and they are both Western Washington Alumni. In 2003, Shanna and her husband moved to Colorado where she taught and attended the University of Colorado, Denver to earn a masters in Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies. They have called Colorado home for the last 20 years.

Shanna has two high school children and a little Havanese puppy named Ollie. Her family loves to travel around the country and world. They love beach and lake vacations the most. They also enjoy a family game or movie night. She also loves the Colorado outdoors and takes advantage of our trails to take long walks!

Shanna loves working as a principal and is excited to join Aurora Public Schools this year. She looks forward to connecting with the Tollgate Elementary community and her goals will focus on ensuring all students feel safe and supported as well as challenged with learning they attend Tollgate Elementary.

Email: [email protected]

Sarah McCaskill
Assistant Principal

Sarah McCaskill has been in public education for 14 years and this will be her 3rd year as an elementary school Assistant Principal. Prior to being an Assistant Principal she served in various roles both in school buildings and at the district level. She was an Improvement and Leadership Specialist, a School Innovation and Implementation Partner, and a K-12 ELD classroom teacher.

She grew up in Englewood, Colorado and then moved to Nebraska where she received a bachelor's degree in International Business and Spanish from Doane University. Sarah continued at Doane University to obtain her master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She moved back to Colorado in 2016 and attended Regis University to earn another master's degree in Educational Leadership.

Sarah has two children, both boys, one in middle school and one in elementary school. They love to spend their time being active and playing sports. They also enjoy staying home for a family movie night or game night with a big bowl of popcorn.

She is excited to serve as Tollgate's Assistant Principal and work collaboratively with staff, families, and the community to create lifelong learners.

Email: [email protected]

Dan Whalen-Valeriano
Dean of Students

Dan Whalen-Valeriano (Mr. W-V) is originally from Charles Town, West Virginia, and he has spent the last decade working in schools in Washington, D.C. In his time in education, he has worked in Spanish dual-language and Reggio-Emilia public schools. Dan earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Dartmouth College, a master’s degree in Elementary Education from George Washington University, and a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia. In his free time, Dan loves reading, traveling, and spending time outdoors. He is excited to move to Colorado with his family and explore the beautiful Centennial State. Dan can’t wait to join the Tollgate Crew and be a part of creating a positive, child-centered culture for all learners. He looks forward to connecting with the entire Tollgate community to ensure that every student experiences joy, belonging, and success.

Email: [email protected]