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

Britnie Thrift
Preschool Administrative Assistant
Having a strong passion for children I knew I wanted a career working with them. I went to Cal State University and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development. After I graduated I got a teaching position in Newport Beach at a Montessori school. I worked there for three years until I was expecting my first child. After taking time off and raising my family I found San Tan Montessori, where I am now working the Front Office. I still enjoy the everyday interactions with the children as they come and leave for the day and all the hugs and interactions in between.

Priscilla Alfafara
Social Studies Teacher
Growing up, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. The organization and creativity of this occupation is one of the many reasons why I always wanted to become a teacher. The main reason why, was the relationships/friendships you make with the kids. These are the reasons why I’ve always strived to have an occupation like this.

Talia Polk
English Teacher
This is my first year at San Tan Charter School, but I can already tell that this is a community that values education and learning. I am grateful to be a part of this staff and have the opportunity to work with our student body, parents, and administrators.
Since my senior year of high school I knew I wanted to be an educator. Many of my most prominent role models were my teachers and professors and I want to be that for the upcoming young minds at San Tan Charter School. I taught math for one semester at Heritage Academy in Mesa and English for 7th grade for one semester at that same school. I also taught dance for a school year at Heritage Academy Gateway. This is my first year teaching 8th and 9th grade English.

Shannon Yocklin
Gifted 4th Grade Teacher
Raised by a teacher and coming from a family of people involved in community involvement and service, teaching was a natural progression for me. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in 2006 and started teaching in elementary positions.
This will be my 12th year teaching and my third at San Tan. I really love teaching upper elementary and refining skills and seeing the lightbulb moments when students are able to connect all of their previous learning.

Jutem McCollum
Electives Teacher
From the first moment we stepped onto San Tan’s campus and had our tour for my children, we decided to jump in and become a part of the school. I absolutely love the support and family feel with not only the staff but the students as well.
I am not native to Arizona, but between California for half my life and Arizona for half my life aside from a short stint in Germany – I consider Arizona home. I have a Major in Communication, Minor in Business, and Minor in Spanish from Arizona State University. I have owned and operated several businesses, throughout my life and still continue to run them. This is my second-year teaching at San Tan since I was a long-term guest teacher last year. I am happy to be sharing some of my expertise to the students who dare to stretch outside their comfort limits.

Marty Stevens
School Nurse
I have been a part of the San Tan family from the beginning when it was just a dream. It has been amazing to see it grow from the rooms in a church to the two campuses of today. I love being around all the kiddos and helping them through their days with a band-aid, ice pack, and sometimes with only an extra hug.

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!

Megan Hubbard
Montessori Adolescent Teacher
As a child, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I started teaching preschool at the age of 20, I knew that working with kids was my calling. After ten years of teaching in outdoor classroom schools, I decided to go back to school and pursue higher degrees in order to further my career and be able to incorporate my love of nature with the growing need for technology in the classroom. I fell into the world of Montessori when I realized that I wanted a more holistic approach to education for my own children- I am so excited to be able to follow my passion and continue to grow and learn alongside my students every day.

Erica Sibley
2nd Grade Teacher
I was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Arizona in the beginning of January 2021. I attended Chapman University and graduated with a degree in the Bachelor of Arts – Theater and a Minor in Leadership. From there, I followed a path into event planning and hospitality, where I really focused on creating strong relationships with clients.
I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn’t until my daughter was born and Covid hit that I really got to follow through with that dream. When I was laid off due to Covid and events in the hotel being required to cancel, I worked diligently to earn my teaching credential and apply for jobs. I was ecstatic when I got the call that my passion and dream was going to become a reality. I absolutely love working with children and thrilled to work with 2nd grade students. Teaching is where my heart is and I’m so excited to begin my 3^rd year at this amazing school.

Kristofer Sippel Jr.
District Athletic and Facilities Director
It’s awesome to work at a place where there is a family atmosphere, it makes it easier to show up to work every day with a smile on your face! I was born and raised here in Arizona; I grew up in Gilbert until I took an academic/athletic scholarship to play football at Webber International University in Florida. I have been around San Tan Charter School my whole life and have always worked to make the campus better. I started in Facilities and have worked my way up to the Athletic Director position. Giving back to the kids make life/work easier, at the end of the day I want to see kids graduate and go to the next level whether that be academically or athletically.

Melinda Hatch
Montessori Assistant (1st – 3rd)
I have a passion working with children and love making differences in their lives by inspiring and motivating them with positive learning experiences.
Being a part of San Tan Charter School has been an honor and a blessing to my life. I always love being an inspiration to the children.

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.

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.

Monica Dippre
3rd Grade Gifted Teacher
I grew up in the PNW where I got my teaching degree and my Master’s in Education. I taught for 10 years until left teaching to own/operate restaurants with my husband. During that time, we began fostering and adopting children, and when we welcomed our third child into our home, we left the restaurant business and I stayed home to raise our kids. We now have 5 adopted children and I have spent much of my time volunteering in areas that allow me to be with my own children and work with other kids as well I have been a substitute teacher. I have planned and executed preschool classes and preschool religious education programs. I have volunteered as a library aide at school and be involved in may other child-centered activities. I am intrigued and impressed by the commitment to the individuality of the child a STCS. I am looking forward to growing here, as an educator and as a parent, and am excited to lead my students to discover their personal successes.

Kyli Crooms
Science Teacher/Head Boys Basketball Coach
I chose to be a teacher because it came natural to me. I have been an athlete my entire life playing basketball from grade school all the way through college. Growing up I got to see how important it was to have great coaches on and off the court if you wanted to continue to move to the next level. As I transitioned from high school to the college ranks I was pushed the hardest off the court by my teachers. I did not realize the impact they had on me until I graduated from college and realized half of the scholarship money I obtained was academic. From that point on I realized that I wanted to teach the next generation of students rather it was on the court or in the classroom.
2018-19 was my first year being a head teacher at San Tan Charter School. I’ve learned a lot from my colleagues over the past two years at them elementary and I am looking forward to teaching the 2020/21 school year at the high school Power campus.

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.

Michelle Tischer
Academic Achievement Coordinator
While I was born a Nebraskan Corn Husker, I was raised in the beautiful Sonoran Desert in Scottsdale and Tempe. I matriculated through the Arizona State public school system, which includes the Kyrene School District and Corona Del Sol High School. I continued to the University of Phoenix for my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and continued to Arizona State University for my Masters in Gifted Education. I have been teaching for 21 years now, 21 years as a professor at Rio Salado College, eight years with gifted self-contained classes, and 7 years here at San Tan with our amazingly creative gifted students.

Brandon Tauscher
Power Campus Principal
Providing service within the community is an important part to my family’s philosophy. Young people need caring adults and sometimes those outside of the home to help them with an encouraging word, motivation to help them through difficult times, or someone to help with advice or general guidance. Working in education provides an awesome opportunity to help hundreds of students a year, and thousands of students over the course of a career.

Last

Junior High 7th – 8th

Preschool Administrative Assistant

Social Studies Teacher

English Teacher

Gifted 4th Grade Teacher

Electives Teacher

School Nurse

ESS Teacher (Recker)

Montessori Adolescent Teacher

2nd Grade Teacher

District Athletic and Facilities Director

Montessori Assistant (1st – 3rd)

Strength and Conditioning Teacher

Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)

3rd Grade Gifted Teacher

Science Teacher/Head Boys Basketball Coach

Electives Teacher

Academic Achievement Coordinator

Power Campus Principal

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