Preschool Works

Live Stream Chicken Coop Cam

See more of the Montessori children’s adventures in our Outdoor Environment here.

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Call us at 480-222-0811 or email your student’s teacher directly.

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My “Why” Story

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.

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.

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.

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.

Christopher Newton
Science Teacher
Why do I teach? Out of all the things that I have done in life, I enjoy teaching the most. I hear so many people that are intimidated to teach Jr. High and High school. But I love these kids! They are my “why”. I enjoy seeing them succeed and grow academically and in life. I am so very proud of all my past students who have gone on to achieve great things. I regularly hear back from students that I once taught that are now in successful careers and have grown into amazing adults. You can’t beat that.

Carol Berhost
Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)
I have wanted to be a teacher since I was five years old. I was on that path when I decided to take a year break from college. During that time, I found a job with a great company in the corporate world. I started making much more money than a teacher would. As a Corporate Training Manager I felt I had somewhat satisfied my dream of being a teacher. I quit that job to start a family and with three boys attending STCS I volunteered multiple times a week and served on every committee I could. During this time, I realized what incredible people work at STCS. When offered a job here, I jumped at the chance and I am blessed to be able to spend time with amazing children and work toward fulfilling my dream of being a teacher.

Merrick Hermann
Math Teacher
Both of my parents were teachers. My dad taught English and my mom taught art. People always marvel that such a creative pair of people managed to produce a mathematician. They would be less surprised if they knew that mathematics is an art: the art of explanation. All the best mathematicians I know are intensely creative, artsy people. One of my favorite things about teaching is that I get to show kids—especially creative ones—that they really are math people, despite what they’ve been saying for years.

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

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.

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.

Jimmy Ray
Math Teacher/Head Golf Coach
I was born in California, but grew up in Apache Junction, Arizona. I attended school there from kindergarten through graduation. I received my Associates degree while attending both Mesa Community College and Phoenix College. I transferred to Arizona State University to complete my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. During this time I was employed through the Maricopa Community College District teaching math programs to minority students as well as the athletic department at Arizona State.
My first teaching job was back in Apache Junction in 1996 where I taught junior high and high school math for 15 years along with coaching football, girls basketball and track and field. In 2011, I transferred over to Williams Field High School continuing to teach math and coach football and track.
I am starting my 28th year this school year as a teacher and coach. I am looking forward to a great experience.

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.

Dr. Kristofer Sippel
Chief Executive Officer/Superintendent
Dr. Sippel has been with San Tan Charter School since its inception back in 2005 serving as the Principal of San Tan Learning Center. He believes that it is his life mission and calling to provide an amazing education experience to all students.

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!

Kylie Sippel
Community Outreach and Special Events Director
Ever since I was a little girl, I loved planning and organizing everything. I am very thankful for the opportunity to work with a lot of great people! I have had two years experience with being an assistant to a wedding coordinator and five plus years with office organizing. You can count on me to get things done! Again, I am very thrilled to be back at the school that I graduated from!

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.

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.

Last

Preschool Works

Live Stream Chicken Coop Cam

We are here to support you.

Social Studies Teacher

Science Teacher/Head Boys Basketball Coach

Electives Teacher

1st Grade Teacher

Science Teacher

Montessori Teacher (1st-3rd)

Math Teacher

English Teacher

Chief Customer Officer / Assistant Superintendent

Academic Achievement Coordinator

Math Teacher/Head Golf Coach

Power Campus Principal

Chief Executive Officer/Superintendent

Montessori Assistant (Toddler)

Community Outreach and Special Events Director

ESS Teacher (Power)

ESS Teacher (Recker)

Montessori Assistant (Kinder)

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