​Hello, I’m Belle Newman and I am the ECE-PreK teacher here at Park Hill. I have been teaching for 13 years in DPS and I came here to Park Hill Elementary in the fall of 2017.I have lived just across the blvd for 22 years with both of my children graduating from East High. My goal as an educator is to provide a loving, safe, and respectful environment for all students and their families. I believe that all cultures, life experiences, identities, and belief systems should be honored and cherished. I am honored to and love teaching in such a wonderful and caring school community. When I’m not teaching I love to spend time with my family and friends in our beautiful state. We love to camp, ski, and partake in all that our Rocky Mountains provide us.

Hello! I have been in education for 6 years with two of them being a teacher at Park Hill. Before moving back to Colorado, I had been working in outdoor education working with students on recreation skills like backcountry skiing, rock climbing, and more. My classroom works off of a mutual love and respect for learning, with a focus on positive relationship building each day. My favorite part about teaching is being present for the tremendous growth in which our students go through in their academic careers and personal lives; they bring such creativity and light to every interaction and it is genuinely inspiring. Outside of school you will mostly find me playing in the mountains and rivers with my dog, cooking, or going to shows. I am so grateful to be a teacher at PH and have the opportunity to work with such wonderful families and their students. 

​Hello! I'm Gabrielle Hurley and I am a Kindergarten teacher at Park Hill Elementary! I have been a kindergarten teacher for 6 years! In my opinion, there is nothing better than that! My goal every year is to create a classroom of community, kindness, and to instill the love of learning. I am originally from Knoxville, Tennessee but moved to Denver 2 years ago with my husband, Cody! In my free time, I love to explore the beautiful mountains with my dog, riding bikes, or cooking a new meal! I am always up for all of the adventures! I am so excited and grateful to work at PHE and to invest in this incredible community! I can not wait for a very special Kindergarten year! 

My name is Bernadette Miller.  I have been teaching for 25+ years in DPS, this will be my 13th year at Park Hill.  I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado and Master’s of Art in Education – School Counseling Degree from the University of Phoenix.  I am a Denver native.  I have 4 children and 10 grandchildren.  A few things I enjoy are spending time with my family, reading, and traveling (cruising).

Hello!  I feel blessed to be a part of our school community and to live in the same community where I work. I have been an educator for 23 years, and this is my eleventh year at Park Hill Elementary. I love teaching kindergarten, watching the joy of learning, and utilizing each child’s individual gifts to help them be the best they can be. I have a M.Ed. in  Integrating Arts into Education and have also been trained as a classical singer.  My classroom is filled with lots of opportunities to make art, sing, and be creative. I believe that the arts are a powerful tool for learning, creating, and bringing our community together. In addition, I love learning about other cultures, creating an inclusive classroom and teaching students about the world around them.  In my spare time, I enjoy singing, cooking, hiking, and spending time with my husband and children.

I started teaching at Park Hill in 2022 and I love the community and families I serve! I have been in education in various forms (Autism consultant, elementary teacher, paraeducator, and preschool teacher) for 9 years. I was born and raised in California, but my family and I have been enjoying the Rockies since 2016. My favorite part about teaching is the relationships I build with students and watching their confidence and skills grow throughout the year. I foster a safe and encouraging learning environment for ALL students. Outside of school, my husband, dog and 2 children enjoy camping, watching movies, and going to dinner.

Hi! I am Deb Peterson and this will be my 27th year teaching at Park Hill. I love teaching reading and writing to first grade students, and sharing my love of books with them. I enjoy building relationships with Park Hill students and families, and the strong sense of community at our school.  When I’m not reading, I like to hike, travel, watch movies and hang out with my husband Andy and our two chiweenies, Chloe and Stella!

Hi Panthers! This is my 16th year at Park Hill and my 22nd year in education. Whew! As a first grade math teacher, I encourage you to try to do the math on that one!

My favorite part of teaching is supporting kids to learn to persevere through hard things both in and out of the classroom.

Outside of school my life is full with traveling to visit my two older kids in college and keeping up with our 3rd grader on the volleyball court.

This will be my third year teaching, all of which have been at Park Hill! 

My favorite part of my job is spending my days with my students and seeing the joy of their learning. I also love making memories as a class to cherish forever. 

Outside of school I love to spend time with my husband and son. We usually spend our weekends outdoors - hiking, camping, rock climbing, or skiing! 

​Hello! Let's get the burning question out of the way first: I'm 6'7" and yes, I played basketball in high school! Beyond that, I have been teaching first grade at Park Hill since 2010. My talents (if you ask my first graders) are shooting dried up markers in the trash can from across the room, touching the ceiling, punting a soccer ball to the clouds, and (most importantly) being the tallest person in the school. I am so fortunate to work at such a great school with such amazing, supportive families and staff! When I'm not shooting markers into trash cans I can be found hanging out with my family, writing music, playing basketball, working out, and eating Lamar's donuts (in no particular order).

I am excited to be starting my 15th year teaching at Park Hill and my 2nd year on the 1st grade team. I love being outside, walking my dog, and hanging out with my family!

Hi, I am Holly Bauchert. I have been teaching for 2 years and have been at Park Hill that whole time! I even did my student teaching here as well in 3rd grade. I really love being a part of a strong community and something I deeply love about this job is seeing the growth kids have from the start to end and having the opportunity to learn from them as well! Kids bring such a pure joy with them that is so special to be around.

Some things I enjoy doing outside of school are really anything outdoors. I enjoy camping. biking, climbing, hanging out with family and friends. I am so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to teach here at Park Hill!

This is my 13th year teaching, and my 8th year at Park Hill, I started in 2015. I enjoy working with children and seeing the world through their eyes; they are curious, enthusiastic, and confident. I have a passion for children's literature and believe there is a picture book for anything and everything. I love bringing books to life for my students.  Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my husband Daniel and our son George. My hobbies include cooking, hiking, and traveling. I love trying new things and saying "yes" whenever possible!

My name is Sharyn and I go by Ms Kline in the classroom.  This will be my 8th year teaching 2nd grade at Park Hill and my 23rd year in DPS! 

I live in Denver with my family- my son is 15 and my daughter is 13. They are both DPS students.  I also have 2 dogs that I adore, Samson is a 10 year old black lab and Luna is a 3 year yellow lab.  

I am originally from Minnesota.  SKOL!  I started Kindergarten and graduated from college in my hometown.  My mom still lives in the house I grew up in.  I moved to Colorado the day after I graduated from college and haven't looked back.  I enjoy doing just about anything outside, but I don't love water sports.  I had some pretty traumatic boating/ water skiing/tubing/canoeing incidents as a child and prefer to stay away from freshwater.   Ha!

I love working with the students and families at Park Hill.  I am honored to be a part of such a strong community.  

I have been teaching in DPS for 20 years and this is my fifth year at Park Hill.  Teaching has been my passion ever since I was a kid.  I love watching the students grow as learners, foster deep and meaningful connections, and maintain a sense of community as we grow together. When I'm not teaching, traveling and getting outdoors are some of the things that I value and try to do as much as possible. I also enjoy camping, hiking, attending music festivals, and spending time with my 3 kids and dogs. 

I have over 20 years of experience in education.  I was a Paraprofessional at Park Hill for 2 years then went to get my teaching license.  I ttaught for 10 years in Aurora, and then finally came "home" to Park Hill Elementary in 2015.  I live in the neighborhood and am excited to be a part of this amazing community.  My favorite part of my job is creating meaningful and trusting relationships with our students.  Also, I always tell the kids that if I didn't make them laugh that day, then I didn't my job. Before teaching I had a 15-year career in the music business.  I worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Colorado in publicity, marketing, artist relations, talent buying, radio DJ, and concert promotion. Music will always be a big part of my life.  I am in a rock and roll choir, and I love to go to as many concerts as I can around Colorado. In the late 1990s,  I was also able to be a stay-at-home mom (who somehow never stayed at home) to my son who attended Park Hill, Polaris, Morey, East High, and CU Boulder.

I’m looking forward to a wonderful school year ahead! This is my 24th year teaching and my 12th year at Park Hill. I love being part of this amazing community. My son will be in 7th grade at Bill Roberts this school year. This summer we spent time mountain biking, paddle boarding and taking our pup out for adventures on the many trails near our cabin in Silverthorne. My favorite aspects of teaching are developing positive relationships with students and their families as well as working together to help all students succeed!

I'm Katie Main, this is my 6th year teaching at Park Hill Elementary School.  I teach reading, writing and social studies.  I love seeing students be creative and meet their goals.

Before working in the Denver Public Schools, I was a children's ski instructor in Steamboat Springs, CO. I still love going up to the mountains every chance I can, especially with my dog Libby. 

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https://sites.google.com/dpsk12.net/ph3rdgrade/home

I'm Meredith Strumor and this is my 7th year teaching at Park Hill Elementary. I will be teaching 3rd grade math and science this year. I have been teaching for 14 years and feel so grateful to be a part of the Park Hill community.

I love working with students and strive to support them in reaching their goals and aspirations. Outside of school I like to read and travel!

II started teaching in 2019 and will begin my 5th year this school year.  Teaching has so many perks and joys, and I believe that the students can be so inspirational for us as adults. They have creative thoughts, can work hard, and are able to be flexible when needed. I love to teach and live for those "Ah-Ha" moments. The moments in which the learning clicks for the students and they know they have grasped the material. The joy on their faces make it worth it! I love being a part of a close knit community such as Park Hill and find happiness each day I am at the school. One other thing I love is building relationships, not only with my current students, but their families and siblings too! Outside of teaching, I love to attend concerts, enjoy arts and crafts, reading, and when the weather is nice, a good little hike to enjoy our beautiful state. I am so happy for another year at Park Hill, and know it will be great!

I love watching students grow and learn in all areas- academically and socially. I enjoy building relationships with students and helping them succeed in the real world.

I have been a teacher for 17 years and have taught 2nd-5th grade. I have been at Park Hill for seven years. Before that I was at Swansea Elementary for two years and started my teaching career at Side Creek Elementary in Aurora for eight years.

I enjoy spending time together with family and friends, Going to the mountains- my family owns a 150+ year old Victorian home in Fairplay that has been written up as one of the most haunted houses in Colorado.  I love to go to concerts and enjoy all types of music!  I garden, crochet, and do diamond painting!

Graduated with a BS in Education/Psy in 1999

Started teaching at Park Hill in 2001

My favorite part of my job is working with such great people and seeing the older kids come back to visit.

I love 9/10-year-olds!!!

Outside of school, I love to snowboard and roller skate.  I'm back on a Derby team!!!

12th year in education, all at PH. Started in 2012

- I love building a classroom community that works and plays well together. I love teaching math and introducing students to new concepts. The staff at PH is fun, silly, and a group of extremely talented, passionate teachers.

- I love that my students from previous years still give me all the hugs and love when they did when they were in my class. These little humans are exactly the reason I come to work every day. 

- I love watching my son and daughter compete in gymnastics, playing with my feisty dog Kane, camping and playing outdoors, and snowboarding with the whole family! Freshie pow pow bro brah!

With thirty years of education under my belt, twenty of which have been at Park Hill as a 5th-grade teacher, I am a true member of the Park Hill community.  Astronomy/Astrology are my passions along with birding. Although I still use a chalkboard, I am proficient in White Board. As assistant to the team lead, I am always looking for new avenues of exploration to keep the students engaged. When I am not teaching, I enjoy fishing, gardening, skiing, and spending time with my two awesome kids. I look forward to partnering with you and although I prefer carrier pigeon or a handwritten note, emails work as well.

11 years in education/Started at Park Hill in 2017

My favorite subject to teach is math and I am always trying to improve my practice in restorative justice. I love building students' confidence in themselves and building a great classroom community. My favorite part of the job is partnering with my 5th grade team and parents to make sure that every student thrives.

My family and I spend a lot of time in our backyard enjoying the Colorado weather and watching the NFL and scary movies. Also, I recently started playing hockey again and really enjoy playing a round of golf at City Park. 

I have enjoyed 23 years working as an educator. This is my 5th year at Park Hill, although I also taught for two years here 15 years ago.

Lucky to be working with such an amazing, supportive Park Hill community.  Love building a class that values creativity, critical thinking and inquiry.  Favorite part of my job is getting kids out into the community to see all the amazing opportunities we have in Denver, and Colorado.

Outside of school you will find me hanging out with my family, taking advantage of the Colorado mountains by camping, mountain biking, fishing and hiking.  If not, I'm home reading, cooking or trying somewhere new and delicious for a meal out.

Teaching for 10+ years at Park Hill Elementary continues to fill my soul. With 22 years of education under my belt, I could think of no better place to add to my notches. The families, students, community, and fellow educators make this elementary school the BEST place to work! Whether, working, dancing, collaborating, or actively listening, my students and I fill our days with active learning. Although math tops the charts, I also enjoy teaching reading, writing, and mindfulness. When not teaching I thoroughly enjoy, reading, gardening, traveling, photography, and hanging out with my three awesome kids!

• I have been teaching art for 19 years - teaching at Park Hill since 2017.  

• My favorite part of the job is working with kids during studio time, seeing the most magical creations come to life and the joy creating brings to them.    

• Hobbies outside of school:  Painting, sculpture, turning trash into treasure, bike riding, gardening, reading, riding my scooter with my granddaughter, and believe it or not prepping the art room and supplies for the kids.

Hi, I am Mrs. Horeis (pronounced “Hor-ice”)! I have taught PE for 20 years in Denver Public Schools and 11 of those at Park Hill. I love to be teaching only 10 blocks from home in my own community.  I have a Master of Science: Sport Pedagogy and a National Board Certification for teaching. I love to be active and have participated in a wide variety of sports and physical activities over the years. Current interests are skiing, paddle boarding, hiking and biking. My husband is the STEAM teacher at Montclair Elementary and I have one son attending Park Hill Elementary and one son at McAuliffe.  I love to travel and spent 17 months working for the U.S. Antarctic program (played in a sweet dodgeball league down there) and spent 5 months at sea, crewing on a sailboat. I also worked a ski season at Breckenridge ski resort, which caused me to uproot and leave my home state of Oklahoma to move to Colorado!

I have been teaching for 19 years (I was an elementary school classroom teacher before I started teaching Dance and Drama.  My first teaching job was teaching fifth grade in India!)

6th year at Park Hill 

Interests in Teaching:  Dance, Drama, Yoga, Cultural Competence and learning about World Arts and Cultures, Healthy Lifestyle

Favorite part of my job is that I get to teach creativity, storytelling and movement.  I love working at Park Hill.  The staff, students and parent community are just the best!  The building is also beautiful!  I especially love the stage and the auditorium!

Interests outside of school:  East Indian Classical Dance (Odissi), singing, sewing, yoga, being in nature, traveling

This is my 19th year teaching music in the Park Hill neighborhood. I'm very excited to start my seventh year at Park Hill Elementary School and I look forward to creating music with all of you! I am an Orff-Schulwerk certified teacher through the University of Northern Colorado and Metro State University, which means I will teach music in a way that is fun and natural for children.  This approach seamlessly integrates music, movement, drama, speech, play, and collaboration in Music instruction.  My primary instrument is the piano which I studied at Butler University in Indianapolis. My love for the arts goes far beyond music, inspiring my master's degree in arts integration in instruction from Lesley University.  I am a mother of 2 beautiful boys and 2 crazy dogs.  My husband and I enjoy doing fun activities as a family, especially if it involves sports or the mountains.  I'm looking forward to a musical year with all of you!

This is my 9th year at Park Hill, 13th year of teaching.

I  love the spirit and collaboration at Park Hill and my favorite part of my GT role is time spent directly with my students/teaching my pull out groups.

My interests apart from school are spending time with my family, being outdoors and sunshine.

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This will be my 17 year of teaching, 3rd year at Park Hill Elementary. I enjoy teaching as it is fun and rewarding to be part of the learning journey with students.

I grew up in Incline Village, Nevada, a small town on the north shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe. I graduated from the University of Nevada in Reno and earned my masters degree from UNLV. I've taught in Nevada, Arizona and now Colorado. 

When I am not at school, you can find me coaching and watching sports of all sorts. I also love pulling weeds and working in my garden. I have a wonderful husband, James, a rambunctious 6 year old, Owen, a sassy 18 month old, Adeline, and two two very active dogs who love to run.

I’m Monica Serianni and I am proud to be a Special Education teacher at Park Hill. For the past seven years here, I’ve watched the students in my math groups and in classrooms grow more confident, self-assured, and more courageous. Witnessing that transformation is why I became a teacher and I feel so lucky to be a part of my students’ journey and the Park Hill community.When I’m not explaining to Ms. Natalie the difference between a numerator and a denominator, you can find me chasing down my three kids, my husband, and our new puppy. Sometimes all at once. We love to ski, play sports, go to concerts, frolic in the mountains, and travel. My favorite movie is The Goonies and I am obsessed with crossword puzzles.

Hi I’m Jenny Higgins I am one of the special education teachers here at Park Hill. I am a native of Denver and have lived in this part of Denver for most of my life. I started teaching a little over 24 years ago and have had the privilege of working all over the Denver area. I started working as a special education teacher 10 years ago. This work brings me a lot of joy and happiness. I have twins who graduated from East High in 2023. Since then my husband and I keep ourselves busy with traveling, listening to music, hiking and walking the neighborhood with our dog Enda. This is my first year at Park Hill and I am so happy to be here.

¡Hola! My name is Lorena Otrera and this is my 5th year as the ELD teacher at Park Hill and my 9th year in DPS. Before moving to Denver, I  worked for 7 years in North Carolina, and another 7 years as an English Teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I am originally from.

What I love most about my job is connecting with our multilingual and multicultural students and families, and ensuring they are supported academically and that they can access all the resources they need. I am passionate about bilingual education and heritage language preservation!

In my free time I like to relax by going on walks and traveling, but I also enjoy staying at home and playing board games and video games with my kids. I love doing jigsaw puzzles and collecting indoor plants, too!

My name is Mary Hanisch and this will be my 5th year at Park Hill as a reading teacher.  I am originally from Chicago, and have lived in Colorado now for 21 years.  I have three kids and love to bake, travel and spend time with my family.  

My name is Jenny Hekkers and I am a reading support teacher and a Senior Team Lead at Park Hill. This is my 12th year teaching, and my 8th at Park Hill. I am excited to support our students in reading, and to support our teachers to be the best teachers they can be! My favorite part of teaching is empowering students to master the tricky parts of the English language so they can read, write, and hopefully use their voices to advocate for themselves and others. In addition to teaching, I love to read, travel and am learning to play the guitar. 

Hello! Welcome to Park Hill. I am Dorsey Davenport and I'm hoping to inspire the next generation of bookworms! I am the Kindergarten Reading Teacher and a Senior Team Lead, coaching and supporting teachers. I love working with teachers and students to foster a love and confidence for reading in our youngest learners. I have been a teacher since 2008 and have been a part of the Park Hill team since 2013. I've taught ECE through 1st grade. My own two kiddos attend Park Hill and we are proud to call this neighborhood home!

I have been a teacher in DPS for 13 years now, spending the majority of my time in kindergarten, first, and second grade. This is my third year at Park Hill, and I feel so grateful for this supportive, caring community. I have the best job ever as a reading teacher for first grade.

When I'm not reading with PH first graders, you can find me chasing around my own first grader and third grader along with our two dogs. My husband and I control our chaos by taking advantage of all the wonderful things the Colorado outdoors has to offer.

This is my 6th year at Park Hill

-10+years in education

- favorite part of my job is making strong connections with students in our small groups

-Interests include fostering animals, traveling and anything that allows me to be outdoors