Junior High 7th – 8th

San Tan Charter School was created in 2008 as a new type of free public school in Gilbert, AZ. Developed as a K-6 Inquiry Based Learning Curriculum model incorporating applicable Montessori concepts and materials for a Public Charter School program. In 2014, our curriculum expanded its model through the 8th grade and in 2016, we expanded again, through the 12th grade.

With our 2018 $19M campus expansion, our new Power Campus at Power Rd. and Elliot Rd. houses our Junior High and High School programs. As a College and Career ready school, we are dedicated to academic excellence and an accredited member of Cognia; a non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts rigorous, on-site reviews of educational institutions and systems to ensure all students realize their full potential.

Students are made responsible and held accountable for their learning at every stage and level. All grades include a Roadrunner Roadmap™ which addresses the specific academic and emotional needs of each student. Each students’ roadmap is discussed during the quarterly parent-teacher conferences, which include parent contributions surrounding homework levels and character goals. Visit our Learn Happy page to find out more about the Six Pillars of Character.

Students are all in different places at this very important time in their lives. San Tan’s mission is to offer social and academic choices that inspire happiness and support success for all students. Academic excellence is more than just achieving good grades, it’s about maximizing a student’s intellectual development through a strong course of study, and vast opportunities to participate in Honors, Advanced Placement™, Dual Enrollment, and other enrichment programs.

Our highly effective teachers genuinely care about our students and their individual success. Our Junior High program offers access to High School and College level curriculum, a minimum of two college/university tours per year, additional math and language periods as well as core content focus with content experts.

Beyond the classroom, elective opportunities abound for students to develop their talents and step outside their comfort zone. From State Champion Athletics to community service, to fine arts programs and clubs, San Tan provides a safe, supportive environment to develop their passions and leadership skills.

Our Junior High athletes have a variety of sports to choose from each season. We are continually evolving our athletic offerings to meet the interests of our students.

Fall Sports: Flag Football, Girls Volleyball,Co-Ed Swim, Color Guard, Cheer
Winter Sports: Boy’s Basketball, Girl’s Softball, Color Guard, Cheer
Spring Sports: Co-Ed Soccer, Boy’s Baseball, Girl’s Basketball, Co-Ed Golf

To learn more about our Junior High program, visit our Power campus site.

My “Why” Story

Rita Sippel
Chief Customer Officer / Assistant Superintendent
I desired to fulfill a personal dream to open a school of my own in order to have more influence in creating a child-centered thriving school environment conducive to learning I co-founded a small school in Gilbert, Arizona in 2005 with my husband Kris when our first son was entering Kindergarten. San Tan Montessori opened its doors with almost 40 students as a preschool through Kindergarten private school and expanded through 4^th grade before the elementary school was converted into a charter school in 2008, which was the beginning foundation of San Tan Charter School’s currently thriving K-12 charter school. I have worn many hats over the years to support the success of our private Montessori preschool and charter school including teaching, grant writing, and administration.

Lisa Cordova
ESS Teacher (Recker)
I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I would set up my living room as a
classroom and play for school for hours and hours. My mother was wonderful enough to let me leave
my classroom set up for days. I adore children and could not think of a better way of working with
children than to teach. To be a teacher means to touch lives. As a teacher, you have the ability to
educate and mold children into capable and intelligent members of society. As a teacher, I am able to
provide students with the essential building blocks they need to begin their lives. To me, there is no
more rewarding career than that.
I have always loved children. I also strongly care about those who less fortunate than I am and those
who struggle with daily hardships. Because of this, it seems only logically that I would want to teach
students with disabilities. In today’s society, those who are mentally or physically different are frowned
upon and deemed inferior. However, students with disabilities are not something to be ashamed of or
taken lightly. Students with disabilities should not have to face this hardship alone. Disabilities can
easily be overcome with the proper love, care and instruction that only a special education teacher
can provide. By becoming a special education teacher, I will have the humbling opportunity to teach
these students to the best of my ability. I will give them the support, patience and care they deserve.
By encouraging these students and believing in them, I will give them the chance to believe in
themselves. I will encourage them the face their disabilities and hardships they will face and tackle
them head on.
My mother was a special education teacher for many years. She is a great influence and a large
reason why I also want to teach students with disabilities. My mother would come home from a long
day at school, sit on her bed, make lesson plans, create worksheets and even design new techniques
for her students. This is an expectation for any teacher, but the amount of work, dedication and love
she put into her career was extremely inspiring for me to witness. Her loving, caring and sincere
personality captured the hearts and minds of her students. My mom fell in love with each of her
students and figured out a way to teach each one in their own way. Not only did she love her job, but
her students loved her. To this day, she is still in contact with several of her students and their
families.
The most rewarding career in the world is to be an educator. But to be a special education teacher is
even more rewarding. Every student has a right to an education and has a right to thrive in their
educational career. Every student has the potential to make their dreams come true. No disability
should ever prohibit a student from the very best education possible. I would like to be a special
education teacher because I want to make a difference. I want every student to feel that they are
worth they are with it and that somebody will always believe in them be his or her number one fan!

Fancy Simister
Montessori Assistant (Kinder)
I have a passion working with children and helping to support and encourage them in their educational
journey. After a long career in fashion and managing a hair salon, my move to Arizona sparked an interest to make a career change. I volunteered throughout my children’s time in school and loved it. I had wanted to be a teacher when I was younger but life came along and I switched courses. My last two years of being in the classroom have brought great joy and I have loved helping the children to grow socially as well as academically.

Kevin Hadley
Science Teacher
When I was a sophomore in college, I ran teaching workshops for Calculus as a side job. I have always like helping students learn. I had this one student who failed the prior semester. Not only did I see tremendous growth by her, but I actually saw her enjoying the learning process. She made note of how I actually made things make sense and she was so grateful. That was the moment I knew I wanted to be an educator versus just an engineer. I spoke to my advisor the next week to figure out what I had to do to teach.
While I earned my PhD, I took any education workshop or training session I could. I was the first participant in the future faculty preparation program to publish an educational research study in a national peer-reviewed journal. When I transferred to NASA, I took part in as many education outreach activities I could.
I finally got to achieve my goal to become an educator at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Teaching college engineering there and at Arizona State University did not feel right. As such, I left academia. I tried some other opportunities, but then I saw an application to become a substitute at STCS. I have always loved teaching, I just was not happy with the politics of university life. I saw this as a nudge to re-enter education, but to target students before they are part of the politics of university academics. I still love teaching and I am glad I get to bring that love to kids who love learning.

Natassia DeWyke
Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)
As a child, my choice of play would lead one to believe that I was destined to be a teacher. However, my artist heart led me to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. While I have no regrets about this choice, another itch in my heart guided me to pursue Montessori education and it is as if it was always meant to be!
After making the decision to shift my life/career path, the stars seemed to align and confirm that Montessori is my true calling. The stars continued to align when I met Dr. and Mrs. Sippel who so tenderly welcomed me to San Tan, first as an assistant in the new Montessori Elementary classroom, then as a lead for the past 9 years, less a year for maternity leave. Even while on maternity leave, I continued to be part of this wonderful community I hold so dear.
I have found my “Cosmic Task” in being a Montessori educator and hold great hope for the future lead by children who grow in this methodology.

Halia Brenklin
Montessori Assistant (Toddler)
The amazing opportunity to work at a Montessori school with my Montessori skills has been a great blessing to help me strive in my career to become a teacher in 5 years.
I was born and raised in California. I grew up raising my siblings since I was 12. I have had experience with infants and toddlers for quite some time. I have taught and worked well with toddlers for 2.5 years now. I adore working with children. It brings joy to me to see them learn new things each day and watch them grow. I am so happy to have this opportunity in my classroom at San Tan this school year!

Tina Lebedies
English Teacher
I enjoy inspiring kids by teaching English and enabling them to communicate and learn anything that their hearts desire. San Tan has been a great fit for my family due to its uniqueness and gifted program. I am proud to be a part
of the San Tan family!
While teaching ESL to kids in China I saw how my support and knowledge helped each student with their language and communication skills. I saw their confidence and personality grow. My goal is to continue honing and improving those skills with my students at San Tan. I strive to be someone that the kids can come to for anything, be a constant cheerleader for them, and to help them improve their reading, writing, and vocabulary skills to be great communicators and lifelong learners. Hopefully they will learn to love reading and appreciate literature along the wa

Holly Witte
Gifted 1st and 2nd Grade Teacher
My goal as a teacher is to teach the whole child. I get to know each student so that I can meet his/her academic, social and emotional needs. I build a relationship with each of my students that is based on mutual respect and trust. I love to encourage the students to love to learn.

Stefany Camba
1st Grade Teacher
I am thrilled to be teaching 1st grade for another year here at San Tan Charter. I love the family like feeling at San Tan Charter School and love how each individual child is important.
I am a teacher because I have a passion for learning.
I am a teacher because I want to grow lifelong learners.
I am a teacher because I love to laugh and kids are hilarious when free to be themselves.
I am a teacher because I have many talents and teaching allows me to use them all.
I am a teacher because I want every child to have a positive school experience.
I am a teacher because I had great teachers who inspired me.
I am a teacher because I know that a true understanding of life isn’t measured on a test, but in the way we treat others.
I am a teacher because watching a child’s growth from August to May is unlike anything any other profession can offer.
I am a teacher because although it’s far from the perfect job, it’s the perfect job for me.

Michelle Myers
Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)
From the moment I became a mom 21 years ago, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My first child struggled to speak and I spent years working with speech pathologists at Duke University to help him overcome the challenges of Apraxia of Speech. The day he read the first page of Harry Potter aloud to me, I developed a massive passion for helping children learn to read.
I homeschooled my children supporting their passions for exploring the world around them as we traveled the country. I have taught reading support for over 10 years. Last year I was an assistant kindergarten teacher and a substitute.
I have studied at Grand Canyon University to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education k-8 and I’m in the last couple of credits to adding a reading specialty. I have taken courses with AMI and NAMC for Montessori education.
This will be my first year at San Tan Charter School teaching in the Montessori program.

Peter Dudek
Electives Teacher
I did not decide to become a teacher until several years after graduating in 2011. I wanted to be a journalist but had trouble finding work after graduation. I bounced around retail jobs, rather unhappily, for about five years until a friend planted the idea in my head that I’d be a good teacher. After thinking about it, I realized I found the most joy working with youth in some capacity. So, in 2016 I got hired as a full-time teacher at Madison Highland Prep in Phoenix while taking 12 credit-hours of courses for two years at Rio Salado to complete my education certification. I taught English, journalism, and yearbook while coaching the boys and girls volleyball teams for four years. These past six years as a teacher have been the best, most joyous of my life and I look forward to continuing my career at San Tan Charter.

Crystal Claytor
ESS Teacher (Power)
As a small child I have always wanted to be a part of life and what makes it happen, empower, enlighten and encourage. As I grew older I realized I wanted to be apart of lives that would appreciate what you do for them no matter how big or small. I found that I could do that in Education and even more so with the special population. Joy in watching others reach achievement they never though they could.

Stefany Gustafson
5th Grade Math & Science Teacher
This is my 12th year at San Tan Charter. I love the philosophy of the school and the opportunity to be true to myself and what kind of a teacher I want to be.
I worked in real estate and taught piano lessons from my home for many years while my kids were little. I went back to school 13 years ago and received my Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education. I have been a long term substitute in the Gilbert school district, Intermediate Resource aide, 6th-8th teacher at San Tan Learning Center, 5th grade teacher, Jr High Math and now headed back to my favorite grade 5th. I love my students and teaching.
In my time of substitute teaching and being an aide, I realized that I don’t fit into the typical district teacher mold. I have chosen to stay at San Tan because they have recognized, embraced, and valued that about me.

Sarah Edam
Montessori Teacher (Primary)
Ever since I was a child in elementary school, I have always wanted to be an elementary school teacher because I admired my mother, grandmother, and my teachers for their passion in the teaching process. I enjoyed helping them clean up the classroom, passing paper for my classmate, and helping my classmates to finish their work. When I graduated from high school I decided to study in the Teachers Training Institute.
When we moved to the USA, I worked as a student teaching in Los Medanos college childcare. I worked with kids ages between three to six years old. I had the opportunity to work and teach in different school settings based on a variety of cultures. I created a project and hands-on activities for the children. I felt so happy when I saw the excitement and joy in the children’s eyes when I presented my activities. The children and myself learned a lot in three months. At that moment, I promised myself that I will continue to learn and follow my role model, my mother whom I will always be thankful for giving me and my siblings all the love and care that we are able to give to other people, and everything around us.

Bobby Davis
Strength and Conditioning Teacher
I have selected teaching/coaching as my career choice to further give back and to make a positive impact on young student athletes. Once I finished college and wrestling was over for me, my focus shifted, and I wanted to mentor student athletes to be the best version of themselves and to be able to make an impact on my athletes, that some of my coaches had on me. I want to inspire young men and women to do things they didn’t think they could and gain a newfound confidence in their day-to-day life. There is a great statement I was once told by a fellow coach Bobby Smith: Be the coach for your athletes, that you always wanted yourself.

Katelyn Cabrera
Music Teacher
I chose teaching as a career because It allows me to share my musical knowledge with all of my students. I have taught music ever since I was in High School and loved all the team building and ensemble work music creates. Teaching allows me to show music through different cultures and influences. We as an ensemble get to pick our repertoire to help motivate and make practicing more fun.

Nathan Hemingway
Social Studies Teacher
Why I chose San Tan was because it allowed me to teach High School kids again and advanced classes. I enjoy the mission and vision of this school.

Sophia Langworthy
Montessori Teacher (Primary 4)
I am an Minnesota native, born and raised in the small town of Pine Island. I grew up there until 18 when I left to attend school in San Diego. Soon after, I completed my MACTE infant and toddler training, and most recently I earned my Primary teaching certification through NAMC. I have taught school for 7 years now, 5 of them being in Montessori education.
This is my first year at San Tan Montessori School. I am so excited to get acclimated and get to know my students and co workers!

Last

Junior High 7th – 8th

Chief Customer Officer / Assistant Superintendent

ESS Teacher (Recker)

Montessori Assistant (Kinder)

Science Teacher

Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)

Montessori Assistant (Toddler)

English Teacher

Gifted 1st and 2nd Grade Teacher

1st Grade Teacher

Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)

Electives Teacher

ESS Teacher (Power)

5th Grade Math & Science Teacher

Montessori Teacher (Primary)

Strength and Conditioning Teacher

Music Teacher

Social Studies Teacher

Montessori Teacher (Primary 4)

SCHEDULE A TOUR OR CONTACT US

Recker Campus (Pre K – 6th)

3959 E Elliot Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

Phone: 480-222-0811

Fax: 480-471-5990

Email: Email Us

Power Campus (7th – 12th)

3232 S Power Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

Phone: 480-222-0811

Fax: 480-809-6467

Email: Email Us

SCHEDULE A TOUR OR CONTACT US

Recker Campus (Pre K – 6th)

3959 E Elliot Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

Phone: 480-222-0811

Fax: 480-471-5990

Email: Email Us

Power Campus (7th – 12th)

3232 S Power Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

Phone: 480-222-0811

Fax: 480-809-6467

Email: Email Us

SCHEDULE A TOUR
OR CONTACT US

SCHEDULE A TOUR
OR CONTACT US