Kindergarten & 1st Grade

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Wanda Ellis
Kindergarten

Bio coming soon!

Email: coming soon!

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Katelyn Ryan
Kindergarten

Katelyn is excited to be teaching Kindergarten at Tollgate! Katelyn is originally from the northeast suburbs in Illinois and moved to Colorado in 2004. She graduated from Barat College with her B.A. in Psychology and graduated with her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix. Before staying home to raise her boys full time for the past several years, Katelyn was a first grade and kindergarten teacher for 7 years. She also has experience as a teaching partner in preschool, a teaching assistant in a day treatment center and working with children on the spectrum. She previously taught in APS at Vaughn Elementary. When she is not teaching, she loves to spend time with her 2 boys (ages 7 and 10) and husband being outdoors in Colorado. They spend time in the mountains camping and skiing and she enjoys jigsaw puzzles, games, movies and time gardening in her yard. She is thrilled to be back in the Kindergarten classroom supporting students in becoming lifelong learners! 

Email: kryan@aurorak12.org

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Nyah Sims
Kindergarten

Ms. Nyah Sims, born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, is a dedicated and passionate kindergarten teacher with over 4 years of experience in early childhood education. As of this year, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Inclusive Early Childhood Education/S.E. from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Throughout her career, Ms. Nyah Sims has been committed to creating a nurturing and stimulating learning environment where young children can thrive. She believes in the importance of play-based learning and incorporates a variety of hands-on activities to engage her students and foster a love of learning. In addition to her teaching experience, Ms. Nyah Sims has participated in numerous professional development workshops and conferences to stay current with the latest educational practices and methodologies. She is also an active member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Outside of the classroom, Ms. Nyah Sims enjoys spending time with her family; being an active role model to her three younger sisters, cooking, the art of music/fashion, and exploring the great outdoors. She is an avid reader and loves to share her favorite children's books with her students. Ms. Nyah Sims is excited to be a part of the Tollgate community pursuing her first year in teaching, and looks forward to helping her students grow and succeed in their first year of school as our future world changers. 

Email: [email protected]

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Bernadette Donovan
Kindergarten

Bernadette is originally from Phoenixville, PA. She moved to Colorado in the summer of 1999. Bernadette is a graduate of Kutztown University with a BFA in Literature and Writing. She worked in Early Childhood Education for 20 years before transitioning first to a Kindergarten Paraprofessional and then to a Kindergarten Teacher in 2022. Bernadette loves working with our littlest learners. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her teenage son, camping, movies, being around any body of water, and sitting outdoors in warm weather. Bernadette is very excited to join the Tollgate Crew!

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Sarah Mills
1st Grade

Bio coming soon!

Email:[email protected]

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E. Marisa Powell
1st Grade

Marisa Powell has spent 16 years serving elementary school learners and their families. Most recently she was the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at The Knox School of Santa Barbara. Prior to that she was Advanced Academic Resource Teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia, where for five and a half years, she taught a diverse range of primarily multi language learners and worked with families to support their children’s unique learning and social emotional needs. Before moving to Virginia, Marisa taught 1st and 2nd grade and developed curriculum at The Ricks Center for Gifted Children at the University of Denver and at the Logan School for Creative Learning. During her five years at Logan, she designed and implemented individual, integrated curriculum based on student abilities and interests as well as a class unit. She is passionate about staying on top of new research and practices in education. She delights in philosophical discussions on education and in implementing best practices.

Email: [email protected]

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Marquita Hall
1st Grade

Marquita was born and raised in Colorado as the oldest of four children. During her high school years, she began working with students every summer at the middle school she had attended. As an adult Marquita attended Colorado Christian University where she earned her B.A in Early Childhood Education. She is excited to be joining Tollgate this year!

Email: [email protected]

Eunice Yoo

Eunice Yoo
1st Grade / TOSA

Eunice is a proud Colorado native with a Korean heritage. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Psychology along with her teaching licensure. Recently, she got her master's degree from the University of Colorado Denver in Human Development and Family Sciences. This will be her eighth year teaching. Eunice is very honored to be at Tollgate and believes in the expeditionary learning she gets to guide students through. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and loves trying new foods in our local area.

Email: [email protected]

Kristin Bacheldor

Kristin Bacheldor
1st Grade / TOSA

Kristin grew up enjoying the lakes and super chilly winters of Minnesota. After attending Crown College and getting married, she moved out to Colorado with her husband, Chris. She now has four amazing boys--being a boy mom is just the best! Together they love enjoying the outdoors and spending Friday nights watching movies together and laughing together.

Kristin has a love for the youngest learners. She has taught preschool through second graders. There are many reasons why she loves Tollgate: she enjoys the students and families here so much! She also thinks Tollgate has the best staff—they work hard, have fun, and always take the time to help each other out. Last, Kristin really enjoys teaching the curriculum: Expeditionary Learning is so fun and meaningful for the kids!! Kristin is honored to be apart of such an amazing school.

Email: [email protected]