Special Programs
Shasta Monique Leonhardt
5th and Middle School Art--Middle School Health
Interests: Interior design, new recipes, animals, camping, and running/hiking outdoors.
Things that make me smile: children’s art..I love the simplicity, the use of colors and joy of how kids express their world through art.
Educational Philosophy: Art should be messy. If you are not covered in glue, paint and glitter then you are holding yourself back from the creative process. I encourage mixed media pieces. I love to see my students making good use of every medium I have available.
Favorite Part of My Job: Watching my students grow up. It’s a privilege to be a part of their lives. To see them grow a little more every year, to see their personalities develop more and more. I am extremely proud to be a small part of an amazing school that is raising kind and open minded human beings.
My Hero: Women. Women who are teachers, mothers, married, single, stay at home moms. Women have the unimaginable ability to do it all. We are often the heartbeats of our family. We support, heal, fight, protect, encourage and provide without hesitation.
What I value Most: Kindness
Jill Salley
K-4 Art teacher
Interests: Music, camping, reading, playing cards, games
Things that make me smile: My children, the funny things my students say, listening to my kids play guitar and bass
Educational Philosophy: Perfection is never the expectation, 100% effort is the goal. I also believe in “happy accidents”
Favorite Part of My Job: Interacting with my students
My Hero: My mom and Ted Lasso
What I value Most: Family time
Iman Babaa
Arabic Instructor
I was born and raised in the Middle East. I migrated to the US in 1993, where I got married. I have been living in Albuquerque since then. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Literature and Morphology. I have been teaching at a private school for more than 11 years. I enjoy what I do and strive to enhance my teaching methods.
Esraa Elisdawy
Arabic Instructor
Bio Coming Soon!
Nomi Gallo
Music Teacher
Interests: global traditional music, culture, anthropology and migration, all arts and traditional crafts, fabric, women’s soccer, musical instruments, building things
Things that make me smile: All things beautiful… nice walk, smiling face, sunset
Educational Philosophy: The job of the educator is not to fill the cup, but to make the cup bigger. I strive to offer agency and relevant, collaborative learning so that collaborators can teach the skills that are inherent to them and refine other skills from collaborators.
Favorite Part of My Job: Paperwork! kidding, collaborative learning. This can happen in meetings, teaching small groups, and pushing into colleagues classrooms.
My Hero: Mother Earth
What I value Most: Natural Laws
Eugenia Kuajara
Violin Instructor
Bio Coming Soon!
Libia Sugar
PE/Health Teacher
Bio Coming Soon!