Katie Christensen joined Mack in February 2022 as our Interim Head of School. Katie brings a decade of experience consulting for and serving in leadership roles at a variety of independent schools. She is thrilled to join the Mack community and finds herself continually inspired by its amazing students and Mackulty. She loves that Mack is a place where kids can be kids, free to pursue their passions and follow their curiosity, in a setting grounded in authentic relationships with devoted teachers, a safe and inclusive culture, and a curriculum that promotes the development of the whole child and prepares students to contribute to the world beyond our walls.

Katie grew up on a farm and ranch in the Oklahoma Panhandle working shoulder to shoulder with multiple generations of family. She is an attorney by training and an alumna of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Outside of school, she loves spending time with her husband of 25 years and her three daughters, who are in various stages of launching into adulthood. When she’s not traveling, you can find her obsessed with a new board or card game, listening to a podcast, snuggled up with a good book, cooking or trying new restaurants with her family, or hiking mountain trails with her dog, Hamilton.

Libbi Peterson came to Mack in January of 2021 as the 5th – 8th learning support specialist before she transitioned into the role of Middle School Director. Prior to Mack, she served as the Middle School Assistant Principal at Peak to Peak Charter School for nearly six years where she led efforts in restorative justice and social emotional learning. Libbi also taught middle and high school language arts and literacy intervention in Denver, Loveland, and Broomfield and has worked in the roles of teacher-leader, classroom management coach, and adjunct professor. As a youth instructor for the Boulder Writing Studio, she designed curriculum, led summer programs, and mentored students. Libbi double-majored in German and Communication at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and earned her M.A. in Education from the University of Colorado-Denver with a certificate in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. In 2019, she earned her principal licensure from Colorado State University – Global. Her teaching career began in Houston where she was a corps member with Teach for America. Also a writer, Libbi was published in The Denver Post as a member of the Colorado Voices Panel, in issues of the literary magazine, Motherscope, and is a 2022 cast member for the show, Listen to Your Mother.

Originally from Nebraska, she loves corn on the cob and fireflies. Outside of school, Libbi enjoys spending time with her husband, Ben and two daughters, Linnea and Willa. Together they love to ride bikes, hike, read, and garden.

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Jenny had a successful first career in sales where she rose to the level of corporate management. Her work with the park district helping to build after school and summer camp programming sealed her love of working with children. She served as the Administrative Assistant and dorm parent at Oregon Episcopal School for over ten years. Jenny moved to Boulder in 2015 to join the Mack team and assumed the position of Admissions and Operations Director a year later. She loves meeting so many amazing families and bringing them into the community.

Outside of work Jenny is an avid photographer and loves to experience the beauty of Colorado off roading in her Jeep with her beloved chihuahua, Twig.

Planted in the Rocky Mountains, Virginia native Margot, MEd, has educated children and adults for over two decades, using an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based approach. Margot thrives in collaborative, creative, start-up spaces. In Jackson, WY, Margot was Head of Middle School as well as an inceptive faculty of the Journeys School (now Mountain Academy), guiding and building the school through its first 10 years.

In 2015 Margot helped Teton Science Schools start the Place Network, a network of rural schools committed to increasing student engagement, academic outcomes, and community impact. She developed innovative, place-based curricula that promote core academic content, design thinking skills and community engagement. As a coach, she provided teachers with the tools and training to leverage the power of place to drive student growth and learning.

Featured in a number of local magazines and blogs, Margot decided to cast her net further and in 2020 published Let the Kid Guide: Putting Nature Back into Our Lives, her first book. In this creative guide for kids, both young and young at heart, she shares her mud and boots approach for connecting with people and place.

Jess Dauchy (she/her/hers) is thrilled to have joined the Mack Boulder community. A cheerful math nerd, Jess holds a BS from Haverford College, She started her professional career as a high school math teacher; teaching in public, independent, and charter schools in the Washington DC area as well as in the Front Range. Struck by the increase in charter schools and seeing a need for school expertise in financial and operational planning, Jess left teaching and earned an MBA from the University of Colorado.  She then spent 6 years at the Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS), where she designed systems and structures that allowed the school to grow from a start-up middle school into a fiscally-sound CMO, with a sister school in Los Angeles.  Most recently, she has served as the Director of Operations for Access Fund, a national nonprofit organization based in Boulder, CO that protects and conserves nationwide climbing areas. Although she has loved working for an organization focused on conservation, Jess remains passionate about education and is excited to return to a role where she can work closely with a vibrant school community. When not at work, Jess loves to hike, climb, and ski in the mountains with her husband Nate and her two Labradoodles, Ada and Copper.

Jaime came to the United States from Santiago, Chile as a baby and grew up in New York. Younger years were spent in Queens until his family moved to Eastern Long Island for 20 more years. He moved with his family to Colorado in 1991 where he jumped into the residential construction business. He operated his own business for 25 years until the floods of 2013 brought him to Mackintosh Academy to rebuild the lower part of the building. Now, we can’t get rid of him. He’s applied his love of children and his love of working with his hands to the Mack family. On any day we can find him unplugging toilets or building decks, teaching kids about reptiles or filling in on carline, working with outside contractors or vacuuming floors. All he does, he does for the sake of the kids  –  to provide a cool environment for them to learn.

Kelsey first fell in love with Mackintosh while working as an after-care assistant during college. After she graduated she joined the Mack faculty as an assistant teacher in 4th grade. Kelsey has found her home in the wonder and magic of the kindergarten classroom. When not teaching, Kelsey can be found snuggling up with a good book, taking a dance class, or nurturing her adventurous spirit with travels (just visited her 30th country!). Kelsey grew up in Kansas City and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with degrees in psychology and business in 2020.

Melissa comes to Mackintosh Academy as a Teacher Candidate enrolled in the Friends School Teacher Preparation Program.  Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, she moved to Anishinaabe territory in Northern Wisconsin along the shores of Lake Superior, to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Science and Native American Studies from Northland College. After graduation she bought a farm in Wisconsin where she opened a nature- and farm-based childcare center for children aged 2-12 years Old.

Melissa moved to Colorado 4 years ago, where she’s been able to explore her passion of Regenerative Agriculture, working as a land steward and farmer as well as a nature-based educator.  Outside of school, you can find her adventuring with her dog Luna, cooking food, making papercut art, baking and taking care of farm animals and gardens.  She is inspired by the great poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou who said; “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Amy taught in Florida and Boston before moving to Colorado where she taught kindergarten for seven years. The majority of her teaching was in Denver Public Schools at Carson Elementary, a school that serves gifted students. She earned an English degree from Michigan State University and completed a graduate teacher certification program at Grand Valley State University. While staying home with her sons the past eight years, Amy has pursued her passion for teaching as a reading tutor. The enthusiasm, fun, and compassion that kindergartners bring to the classroom every day make kindergarten her “happy place.” Reading inspired children’s stories with her boys, decorating cookies, and traveling to her native state of Michigan are some of her most enjoyable experiences outside of the classroom.

Brooke is excited to join the Mackintosh community this fall. She is a Colorado native who returned to her home state to raise her family after graduating with a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Elon University, NC and living in Portland, OR. She received her MA in Educational Psychology from CU Denver and is a graduate of the Stanley British Primary teacher preparation program. She has 12 years of experience in progressive education classrooms ranging from preschool to fourth grade, the majority of it spent at Horizons K-8 charter school in Boulder. She is passionate about mindful practices, green smoothies and Colorado skies. She is known to get obsessive about what to pack for her next travel adventure. Spending time with her husband and two teenage children is a joy, and she always feels a great sense of accomplishment when they are all home for family dinner.

Shadden was raised in Potomac, Maryland, of North African and Anglo-Southeast Asian descent. Fluent in French, she attended French immersion schools before graduating from the Ohio State University with a degree in World Economy and Business and Economics. 

After working in marketing for a time, she decided to pursue her passion for teaching. While studying education at Capital University, she worked as a job coach for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Shadden moved to Colorado in 2016. She taught at an International Baccalaureate (IB) accredited school where she found a love for inquiry based learning. In addition to IB, Shadden has spent much of her teaching experience learning and educating based on the science of reading. Additionally, she has worked in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with a focus on social justice and awareness.

When she’s not teaching, Shadden enjoys traveling, hiking, cooking, reading, and spending time with her husband, Mark and daughter, Alia.

Natasha received her BA in Psychology from Dartmouth College and her Master’s Degree in Education from Fordham University.  She began teaching in New York City in 2007 and taught in NYC public schools over the next decade – second grade for two years and fourth grade for seven years.  She also taught a mixed-grade class in a small Waldorf-inspired private school in Costa Rica for one year.  In 2017 she relocated to Boulder, drawn to the possibility of adventures in the mountains and connection with fellow nature-lovers.  In Boulder, she returned to her first career in journalism and for the next five years produced educational/documentary content at a local production company but dreamt about teaching at least a few nights a week.  

Coming to the realization that teaching was her true calling, Natasha decided to return to the classroom and began to explore the educational landscape in Boulder.  She heard about the amazing community at Mackintosh Academy and felt an immediate resonance.  Natasha sees her principal role in the classroom as being a nurturer of her students, not only cognitively, but also emotionally and socially.  She believes in fostering an environment where students can experience the joys of learning through inquiry and active discovery and be guided to live thoughtfully and compassionately.  To this end, she involves her students as co-creators of a tight-knit community where their voices are honored, while maintaining a loving and restorative approach to classroom management.

She has been dedicated to facilitating social-emotional learning since the start of her career as it has always been so clear to her that this is the foundation for all growth.  She is particularly drawn to working with gifted students and believes that her highly personalized, child-centered approach to teaching is particularly well-suited to creative learners. 

When not teaching, Natasha loves to hike, sit by creeks, go to concerts, dance, and do yoga.  She’s hoping to pick back up her studies of the guitar so she can play for her students at Mack this year.  Natasha was thrilled to accept the invitation to join Mack and is very excited to become a part of the Mack family!

Janine was born and raised in colorful Colorado. She has recently returned to her home state with her family after spending time living abroad. Janine has taken the last ten years to be home and grow with her own three children. It was in the time of teaching her own children, navigating the educational opportunities for her children locally and globally, and homeschooling her children that Janine realized her passion for teaching. Janine earned her Masters in Education with a focus on Globalization in Education, earned her teaching license, and has since has taught in both local public and international private schools. Janine is excited to merge her love for culture and curiosity with her teaching career and to nurture creativity, collaboration, and courage for all students. When Janine is not in the classroom, she can be found with her family doing outdoor activities like riding bikes, camping, hiking, and running. Janine also enjoys riding her horses, reading, gardening, and refinishing furniture.

Ben joined Mackintosh Academy- Boulder in 2019. Ben was born and raised in Colorado where he graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism. Ben has pursued education through the vast majority of his career. He has spent time working at various summer camps, international teen service trips, directing and leading wilderness programs, coaching climbing, and teaching english as a foreign language in Peru. After some years of seasonal outdoor ed. work, Ben is very excited to begin the next path of his education career, as the second grade assistant teacher, working towards his Colorado teaching license with Friends School Teacher Prep Program. When not teaching Ben spends most of his time climbing, travelling internationally, backcountry skiing, backpacking, canyoneering and searching for the perfect curry recipe.

Nicole was born and raised in Wisconsin and has been enjoying life in Colorado for three years now. She loves visits back home spending time on the lake with her close family and friends. Nicole settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Marquette University. After graduating from the school of Health Science in 2018, Nicole started her own business where she delivered caretaking with a play-based therapy approach to children with social, sensory and behavioral needs. Nicole has a strong passion for meeting each child where they are at and working as a team to meet their goals. She moved to Colorado in search of adventure, skiing and most importantly, furthering her education through the CU Denver masters program. As a recent graduate from the Friends School Teacher Preparation Program, Nicole is thrilled to be starting her next chapter at Mackintosh. Although Nicole will now be a teacher, she likes to consider herself a “forever student,” meaning there is always more to learn!

Addison grew up right here in Boulder, Colorado. He has been in an educator role since he was a teenager and has known that his life’s work would involve teaching in one form or another. He first discovered his love for teaching by leading young students into the local hills and discovering the wonders of nature in their backyards. Growing up, a teacher once sent home a report card that read “asks a lot of  He studied philosophy at CU Boulder and as a result has brought that learning into his own classroom; challenging his students to think bigger and deeper about the topics they are studying. Some of his other favorite topics include astronomy, math, storytelling, and physics. Outside of teaching, he loves mountain biking, kayaking, skiing, hiking, and playing or developing games!

Jesse Carlucci is a long-time educator with a love for ideas, community, and adventure. During his undergraduate work in History at University of California, Irvine, Jesse worked as a tutor in a local community college writing center. This sparked a passion for education that still burns today. During his time in grad school where Jesse studied Philosophy and Theology, Jesse continued to tutor and teach technology. After his return trip to UCI for a teaching credential, Jesse taught AP US History, AP Language and AP Human Geography as well as British and American Literature. During his time as a High School educator, Jesse also served as a Dean of Students, working with families and other administrators to ensure that students’ educational life was fruitful and healthy, not just “successful”. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jesse stepped down from his career as a high school teacher to home school his son Elijah in Second and Third grades. Jesse loves to read, camp, walk in the woods, ride gravel trails, and spend time with his family doing any of these things…or simply playing video or board games together.

Jim joined Mackintosh Boulder in 2012, its second year. He comes with a deep background in experiential and constructivist education having taught for over five years at The Odyssey School in Denver, CO as a classroom teacher and the Adventure Coordinator providing place-based learning for K-8th graders. Jim graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Environmental Geology in 1998 and is a graduate of The Stanley British teacher preparation program. Jim’s passion in education is creating memorable experiences in which his students can construct their own understanding of the world and their place in it. When not in the classroom, you can most often find Jim out in the mountains and deserts of Colorado and Utah. His love of climbing, backpacking and travelling takes him and his family into the outdoors to explore, learn and adventure.

Sarah joined Mackintosh Academy – Boulder in 2017 as a Teacher Candidate through the Friends School Teacher Preparation Program and graduated with her Elementary Education teaching license. Prior to working in Boulder, she taught in various capacities in science and environmental education in the Denver Metro Area. After earning her BS in Environmental Studies at Southern Oregon University, Sarah spent nearly a year working and traveling in Central and South America. She also spent several years working on small farms and at farmers markets in Oregon. Sarah is thrilled to be starting Mack Boulder’s new farm program as the inaugural Mack Farmer! Outside of teaching and farming, Sarah enjoys dancing, cooking, hiking, and spending time with her loved ones.

Anna comes to Mack Boulder after 17 years of teaching middle and upper school math to students in independent schools in the Bay area and Chicago, developing a pedagogy steeped in fostering student exploration, aha moments, and creative problem solving. Anna graduated with a Masters in Math Education from Stanford University and a Bachelors in Mathematics and Molecular Biology from Northwestern University, where she realized she had a passion and love for math teaching. When she’s not working with students in the classroom, Anna is busy running, climbing, doing yoga, reading, or cooking new recipes with her family. She’s excited for the next chapter of her teaching journey at Mack!

Brenda joined the Mackintosh Community in 2016. She has been working with middle school students in the Boston and Denver area for twelve years teaching all subject areas. She moved into leadership positions in the last two schools she has worked and is now a Middle School Co-Director at Mackintosh. Brenda graduated from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH with a degree in Natural Science. She completed her teaching program at the University of Denver in 2008.

Brenda started her teaching career at an outdoor education center in Peterborough, NH. She delighted in teaching middle school students environmental education and guiding students through adventure elements and ropes courses. Wanting to have a larger impact on children at this age, she took her craft in to the classroom.

Brenda lives in Lafayette with her husband, Jim, and their two daughters. The whole family are avid rock climbers and spend weekends working on or living in a Sprinter van which they converted themselves. Recently they acquired a raft and are now spending time taming the rivers of Colorado.  Summers you can find them on the road somewhere in America – looking for adventure in the rivers, mountains and canyons.

Sean comes to Mack as a 5th – 8th grade Design and Math specialist. Prior to Mack, he worked at Colorado Academy teaching Design, AP Computer Science, Robotics, and as a fellow in Colorado Academy’s innovative, experiential Design Thinking program:  REDI Lab. Sean has also taught middle and high school Algebra, English Literature, History, Economics, Religion, Geography, and French. While in college, Sean volunteered for a year teaching in a prison.  

Sean double-majored in English and History at Wesleyan University, earned his M.S. in Computer Science at New York University, and a Master of Education at Regis University Denver. Sean served as the Head of the Board of Summit Middle Charter School in Boulder.  Sean also enjoyed a 25-year career in financial markets in which he launched his own private equity funds, worked for startups, designed interest rate derivatives in London, wrote financial models, published market research, and was the senior manager of the residential Mortgage-Backed Securities division at Nomura Securities International in New York City.

Originally from New Orleans, he loves skiing the steepest slopes in Crested Butte, running marathons, paddleboarding, and riding his mountain bike. Outside of school, Sean enjoys spending time with his wife, Lizbeth and daughter, Madeleine. Lizbeth works for Boulder County protecting seniors from physical and financial abuse and Madeleine is completing her final semester at Middlebury College where she has majored in Arabic and Geoscience.

Katelyn is delighted to be returning to Mack after living and working in Sweden as a teacher librarian at the International School of Lund Katedralskolan for the last three years. Originally from Durango, Colorado, Katelyn moved to study ballet at University of Utah and began her professional life as a ballet dancer performing and teaching with Boulder Ballet. 

It was teaching ballet that led her to the Friends School teacher preparation program where she earned a teaching license and a MA in Educational Psychology from University of Colorado Denver. Katelyn began her teaching career at Mack in 2012 teaching in the primary grades and then remained in first grade for eight years. She is looking forward to working with the incredible students and staff once again in this new role where her love of books and reading can take center stage.

Angelyn “Ang” Barrington (she/her) is beyond excited to begin her journey with Mack as the K-8 Performing Arts teacher! After receiving her vocal performance degree from Belmont University in Nashville, Ang spent a year traveling the U.S. performing in schools for children. She then moved to Florida, leading music and drama in various faith communities, where she met her now husband, Bo. Ang missed her life in the theatre and began teaching at Riverside Children’s Theatre in Vero Beach for kids from aged 2 through high school. With the welcoming of their first child, Olivia, Ang chose to be a full time Mom and worked alongside Bo in a college setting in Charleston, SC. There, Ang was asked to be the vocal director at the Charleston Youth Company. However, after a year in Charleston, life called the Barrington’s to Wales, UK. While there, two more Barrington’s were added to the crew, Noah and covid baby Luke. When the community they were leading in Wales decided to not embrace full inclusion, Bo and Ang made the tough decision to move back to the states, and wanted to be in an area where inclusion and diversity were welcomed. When the opportunity at Mack was offered, Ang and her family felt they had hit the jackpot! They are all beyond excited to immerse themselves within the Mack family, and use Ang’s love of performing arts to walk alongside kids and their families to discover identity, find passion, know they belong, and have fun!

Ang was born and raised in upstate New York before getting the traveling bug. She loves candles, essential oils, and spending time with her husband and three children. Outside of Mack, you will find Ang with her family at playgrounds, museums, or playing/watching basketball or football (the correct name for soccer) with Bo and kids. Go Leeds!

Mike is excited to return to the Mack family after a three year stint teaching PE and coaching at the Tower Hill school, in Wilmington Delaware. Prior to this 3 year period, Mike was the PE instructor and coach at Mackintosh for 5 years. After teaching over 20 years and working at several schools, Mike can say there is no school as special as Mackintosh! Mike is a graduate of Elon University in North Carolina, earning a bachelors degree in K-12 Physical Education. Mike enjoys running, hiking, crossing 14ers of the list, and spending time with his wife Katie and young daughter, Lucy.

Heidi was drawn to education because of her passion for building relationships and connections with people – especially children. Heidi got her B.S. in Genetics from University of Wisconsin Madison. She LOVES science (and Wisconsin!). But, in the biotech and research world, the relationship piece was lacking. Heidi found her way to the Friends’ School Teacher Prep program in Boulder and got her teaching license in 2010. She completed her M.A. at CU Denver in Educational Psychology in 2012. Heidi has taught at Mack Boulder since the beginning in 2011. She has held many roles from lead teacher (grades ⅔ and 3) to assistant to now K-4 Science teacher. What keeps her going is the energy of our amazing kids, the fun we have learning together, the creative and unique path we are chartering and the support of our amazing staff and community. Her other passions include cross-country skiing, running, mountain biking, and spending time with her family.

From an early age Stan has followed an insatiable interest in the beauty and complexity of the world. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Drew University. After working as a polymer chemist for two years, he went on to the University of Wyoming, earning his PhD in Molecular Biology. His doctorate focused on cancer biology, specifically the role of the infamous tumor suppressor gene retinoblastoma/pRb in cell cycle regulation. During the third year of his graduate research, life threatening blood clots formed in his leg and abdomen. This experience inspired Stan to prioritize joy and service, which for him meant teaching. He graduated and took a position at Loveland Classical Schools where he taught elementary and middle school science for four years. Stan’s high classroom engagement, innovative curriculum, and high academic standards have earned him both local and national recognition. He has now been a part of the Mack family for two years and he enjoys challenging Mack’s young scientists to push their academic limits through curriculum focused on experiential learning and hands-on experimentation. In his spare time, Dr. Polley and his wife Dana enjoy traveling the world, running, hiking, cooking, geocaching, writing music, and volunteering.

Anabelle grew up in San Antonio, Texas before moving to Colorado to pursue her master’s degree in Social Work. At the University of Denver, she concentrated in Children and Youth, with a certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work. Throughout her education, Anabelle has been passionate about creative and experiential therapies that help utilize people’s interests in their social-emotional learning. She has worked in a variety of settings working with children and their families, and is excited to continue doing so on the Mack team as the new School Counselor. After hours you can find Anabelle reading, baking, or playing with her pet dog and bunnies!

Carolina has an on-going love affair with languages. She has been a joyful teacher for 19 years and holds a Baccalaureate Degree in Spanish and English Philology from the University of Valencia, Spain. She has been writing poetry and literature for more than twenty years, and has been an art and literature critic and a free-lance journalist. Carolina has taught Spanish in Colorado at High Peaks, Foothill, Bear Creek, Crest View, Eisenhower and Flatirons elementary schools. She has been teaching in Front Range Community College in the evenings  since 2010. She came to Mackintosh Academy Boulder in 2011 and immediately fell in love with the school. Carolina comes from a small town in the Mediterranean sea, her valley surrounded by orange trees and rice fields. Her passion for languages started at age 7 when she learned Latin by herself. That has led her to enjoy and share different cultures and countries. She speaks seven languages and still wants to learn many more. When she is not teaching, you can find her reading or writing under a tree, hiking in the sun, dancing in the rain, telling stories under the stars and cooking for friends and family.

Since early childhood Mary Anne felt a strong connection for creating art. She persistently sensed a calling towards the teaching profession. Mary Anne grew up in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Marquette University. Then traveled Europe extensively as an exchange student and earned her B.A. in Advertising and Marketing. She continued her passion for art and photography at the Maine Photographic Workshops and received a M.F.A. at Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia. In 1996 Mary Anne moved to Boulder, CO but her Colorado adventures were cut short due to a teaching opportunity in Bridgeport, Connecticut where she taught high school Art, Photography and Ceramic classes for 5 years. Mary Anne’s heart longed to go back west, and in 2002 she accepted a teaching position in Shonto, Arizona located in the heart of the Navajo Reservation as the Talented & Gifted coordinator and lead instructor. It was here that she met her husband and had two daughters. She received her full endorsement in Gifted Education and spent 9 wonderful years in Shonto teaching K-8 GT and Art classes but she and her husband felt a strong desire to raise their young family while living the Colorado dream.  In 2011 Mackintosh Academy announced a school in Boulder, Colorado and Mary Anne immediately recognized the lifelong opportunity to teach at such an exceptional school, with outstanding children and in a stunning location. These extraordinary aspects magnetically drew her here and she couldn’t be happier!

Liz joined the Mackintosh faculty in 2014 as a Fourth Grade teacher. After a few years in the classroom, Liz moved into our Literacy Specialist role, coaching teachers and supporting students. Before moving to Colorado, she spent eight years inspiring young minds in North Carolina and Georgia.  She received her BA from Loyola University in Baltimore, MD and her MAT from Queens University in Charlotte, NC. With a passion for literacy, Liz furthered her training in Readers’ and Writers’ Workshop at Teachers College of Columbia University in NYC and with Orton Gillingham training in Charlotte, NC. Her love of teaching continues to go beyond the classroom as she has presented at several conferences including The International Reading Association, Palmetto Reading Council, and GISA. She is also a founding faculty member of the Trinity Teaching and Learning Center. When she’s not at school, she can be found spending time with her three daughters and her husband, Kyle.

Cailen joined the Mackintosh faculty in 2021 as the fourth grade Orchard Center teacher, and she is thrilled to be returning again to also teach second, third, and eight grade. Prior to Mackintosh, Cailen guided young learners for four years in grades K-2 in Georgia, Colorado, Thailand and online to ESL students. Her passion for literacy started at a young age, but it wasn’t until her first year teaching where she felt empowered to support her students with learning differences. She received early intervention training, which helped target her instruction by assessing and monitoring student growth throughout the year. She also received Orton Gillingham training to learn how to best support her students. By applying the Orton Gillingham principles, she saw tremendous success in her learners with dyslexia. With this passion, she continued her training in literacy with the Kendore Kingdom certification with a focus on phonemic awareness and spelling. Since joining The Orchard Center, Cailen has received advanced Orton Gillingham training in Morphology to support students in Grades 4-12. Her experiences working as a classroom teacher at a private, alternative school in Thailand, shaped her vision for her teaching. This is to foster a safe learning environment, nurture compassion and empower students to advocate for themselves and the world. When not in the classroom, you can find Cailen sipping tea, practicing her dancing skills, or enjoying nature. Cailen loves The Orchard Center’s model and what it’s doing for students.  She is looking forward to partnering with her new students and families this year.

Elizabeth is thrilled to be joining the Mackintosh faculty as one of The Orchard Center teachers! Elizabeth has worked as an educator for the last seventeen years in public and private schools, as well as in private practice. She is a licensed K-12 Special Education Generalist and has a Masters degree in education. Elizabeth has had extensive training in research-based literacy and math interventions, with an emphasis on Structured Literacy (Orton-Gillingham approach, IMSE, Wilson reading systems) and multisensory math. 

In addition to literacy, Elizabeth is passionate about bringing social emotional wellness programming and executive function skills support to kids.  She has attended several trainings on executive function, and is currently completing an Executive Function Mastery Course with top leaders and researchers in the field. 

Elizabeth’s adopts a holistic approach to working with children. She helps students develop strategies to manage anxiety and stress, build self-confidence, and embrace a growth-mindset. She supports kids in discovering how they learn best, and strives to tailor instruction according to each individual student’s learning style and needs. When she isn’t teaching, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, skiing, reading, and meditating.

Whitney Johansson is a lifelong educator. She earned her Elementary Education Teacher’s License from CU and was recognized for being in the top of her class. Whitney went on to study the Orton-Gillingham approach extensively, finding gems in the different approaches from different organizations. Through this training, Whitney witnessed the remarkable impact that multi-sensory, direct, explicit instruction can have and how through this instruction, students’ brains can be activated in varying ways so that their learning and processing style is honored and attended to, whether the subject is literacy or math or beyond. As a Literacy Specialist, she aims to connect with the whole person and hold them and their learning in the highest regard. Whitney is a nature and art enthusiast, so you will find a trail of paint smudges and plants following her, inside and outside of the classroom.

When she is not teaching, you will find her frolicking in her garden, playing the ukulele, sewing up a storm, reading about literacy, hugging her dogs and cats, smooching her daughters, and dreaming of their next adventure.

Cassidy joined Mackintosh Academy in 2021 as our 5-8 Learning Specialist. She graduated with a Masters in Education for Literacy from Colorado College in 2021. For the past three years, Cassidy has worked with children 1:1 with reading struggles. She is passionate in meeting a child where they are at and empowering them to become their own teachers as her teachers did for her. Cassidy was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child but through her teacher’s work and encouragement, she found success in school and became an avid reader. School has always been one of Cassidy‘s favorite places and while working on her undergraduate in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics in New York City, she volunteered as an English teacher for an Arab American friendship center. Her love for school and teaching eventually evolved into her masters where she learned the science of reading, gained Orton-Gillingham tools, and is nearly there to becoming a Certified Academic Language Therapist. For her thesis, Cassidyreceived the 2021 Dyslexia Specialist Graduate Research award for her work on how dyslexia and ADHD interact in the brain and its effects on a student. When she is not at school, you will find Cassidy reading, playing board games with friends, or off hiking in the mountains.

Keely was welcomed into Mackintosh Academy as a Literacy Learning Specialist in 2021. Prior to Mackintosh, she taught 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grade in both public and private schools in three different states and abroad. Her passion for literacy and quest to find the very best instruction and environment for students began at the beginning of her teacher career while student teaching in New Zealand, a country with a long history of literacy rich learning environments. She received her BA in elementary education from the University of Kansas and her Masters of Education in Literacy Studies from the University of Colorado. Her experiences working as a classroom teacher at the International School of Prague and The Nueva School in California truly shaped her vision of education, which aligns perfectly with Mack. This is to provide meaningful experiences to nurture the hearts and minds of our children and create a joyful learning environment. Keely has furthered her literacy training with Readers’ Workshop at Teachers College of Columbia University, Orton Gillingham Academy Associate Level Coursework, and ongoing Structured Word Inquiry courses with former colleagues at The Nueva School. When she is not at school, Keely can be found skiing, rafting, backpacking, camping, or hiking with her three children and husband, Cameron.