Being a part of such an innovative school as Garden City Community School is a very gratifying and exciting adventure! We truly believe children learn best through interactive, experiential processes. My educational background includes 18 years as a visual arts teacher at Kuna Middle School, 4-H leader, youth summer-camp director for the University of Idaho Extension system, and facilitating various adult courses throughout the NW in the areas of art and leadership.

I grew up in Lewiston and received both my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture and my Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Idaho. I obtained my Arts Education K-12 Specialist Certification from Boise State University, though – I cheer for both Idaho teams! In addition to education, I have owned several businesses, including a purebred cattle ranch and a graphic design company. Sage (26) and Remington (23) are my two fantastic sons. They are successful business entrepreneurs in addition to being avid hunters and fishermen while continuing to run their cattle ranch. A special honor was receiving the National Art Education Association’s state art teacher of the year. When I can find spare time, I love to paint, garden, travel, bicycle, read, white water raft, and explore as many new places and activities as possible. My favorite adventure to date was parapenting off the Southern Alps in New Zealand!

As the GCCS director, I am a member of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce and am now serving as secretary for the Idaho Charter School Network. I enjoy participating in every educational opportunity possible - especially if it will help continuously improve our school and get the word out about what a fantastic place we are creating for children!

We welcome you to our incredible school and staff!

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Federal Lunch Program Supervisor
michele.roth@gardencityschool.org

It's a pleasure to be working at such an innovative school! I grew up in Phoenix, Oregon and attended Southern Oregon State College for accounting. I have a wonderful husband, Joe, two incredible sons and two very spoiled Australian Shepards. We are a very outdoors family and enjoy kayaking, skateboarding, camping, hunting and fishing.

I have been in education for more than ten years. My educational background includes six years as a bookkeeper/registrar at Kuna Middle School, one and a half years as a Business Analyst for the ISIMS (Idaho Student Information System) project for the State of Idaho/Albertson’s foundation and three years working for Schoolmaster as a trainer for their student information system.

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Cyndi Groth-Landis
Counselor
cyndi.groth-landis@gardencityschool.org

This is my first year as a school counselor, and I love it. I am a graduate from Boise State University with a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Last school year, I did my counseling internship at Galileo Math and Science School. I had the opportunity to work with many students in the classroom, small group and one-on-one. I truly enjoyed this experience and it inspired me to want to continue working with students in grades K-8.

As well as being a school counselor, I have been teaching at Eagle High School for thirteen years. During that time, I spent nine years as the Science Department Head and I have taught Earth Science, AP Biology, Honors and General Biology, as well as Anatomy and Zoology. In addition to those academic pursuits, I was an Assistant Varsity Girls Basketball Coach and Assistant Varsity Softball Coach. I was also an advisor for Student Council, Earth Club, Ski Team, and contributed to many aspects of the development of the school and staff through active participation on many different committees at the building level and for the district office.

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Angela Banning
Special Services Coordinator
angela.banning@gardencityschool.org

After a year away from education, I am looking forward to being back in school and working with children. I am a recent transplant to Idaho, the Boise area, and love it. The family and community focus the towns have makes it all the more inviting. My family consists of my husband, Kevin, and our two dogs, Ralph and SoHo.

My education consists of a BFA from West Texas State University;
chosen because I could take my horse and earn class credit. My summer
job working at a state hospital made me realize my calling of working
with people, especially children and young adults. Certifications I
hold are a bachelors in both Art and LD (Language and Learning Disabilities) - in addition to a Masters of Education in Counseling, Special Education Counseling, and Exceptional Child. I look forward to getting to know and care for the students at GCCS just as I have for the students that I have worked with for the last twenty-three years.

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Susan Mills
Certified Teacher/Paraprofessional
susan.mills@gardencityschool.org

Hello my name is Susan Mills, and I come to Garden City Community School with over 18 years of teaching experience. I love being involved in the learning process. There is a great deal of satisfaction in seeing students get excited about learning. It is my pleasure to assist teachers here at GCCS this year. I am an Idaho native and love this great state and all it has to offer us. I have been married to my husband, Harold, for 30 years. He is a design engineer with HP. We have two children, Jon, an environmental engineer living in Miami, Florida, and a daughter, Stephanie, who is a student at BSU. When not working in the classroom I love reading, traveling, playing with our Jack Russell Terrier, and hanging out with family and friends.

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Pat Griffin
Paraprofessional/Safety/Marketing/EMT
pat.griffin@gardencityschool.org

This is my second year working at The Garden City Community School. I have really enjoyed the positive and uplifting environment that both the staff and the students create here. I attended the University of Wyoming and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Communication with a Minor in Marketing. While in college, I spent my summers working as a commercial whitewater rafting guide and am continuing to do so here in Idaho. I am also a certified Emergency Medical Technician and worked for an ambulance service here in Boise. My wife and I were married this past September. We spend our summers rafting, camping, and hiking and in the winter we like to snowboard and snowshoe. I look forward to another great year and continuing to be a positive influence in our students' lives.

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Linda Selby
Paraprofessional/Certified Teacher
linda.selby@gardencityschool.org

Hi. I'm Linda Selby, mother of five children currently 23, 21, 17, 16, and 5. Kurt and Daniel have finished college and Kurt is married to Noemi who is a junior in college. Daniel is in his first year of medical school, Jonathan is in his first year of college, Andrew is a junior at Boise High School, and Kaitlyn is in kindergarten at GCCS. The kids, my husband Ken and I enjoy skiing/snowboarding, biking, camping, and just hanging out together. In the 1980s I taught elementary school students for five years and preschool children for two years. In the 1990s I primarily parented my children and did community volunteering. For most of the current decade I've taught preschool children, plus finished up my master's degree at BSU. Several years ago I started tutoring part-time at a local learning center and particularly enjoyed that part of helping kids learn, so am excited to join the staff at GCCS to assist in student learning.

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Shana Freedman
Kindergarten Aide
shana.freedman@gardencityschool.org

My name is Shana Freedman. After graduating from Lehigh University, located in Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Art History, I spent the next 8 years working in advertising and marketing in New York, Boston, and then Boise. In addition to this experience, I have worked as a Psycho-Social Rehabilitation (PSR) therapist with children in the Treasure Valley over the past 6 months.

Finding my time as a PSR therapist extremely gratifying and heartwarming has prompted me to reconsider my career direction, and after much thought I decided to transition into the field of teaching. I began the process of acquiring my teaching certification in Elementary Education and Special Education this summer, and plan on completing this process by next summer. I’m very excited to be a teacher aide at the GCCS -- I cannot think of a better way to spend my hours while working towards this certification! From the moment I stepped through the doors of the Garden City Community School, I became excited and inspired and feel very lucky for this opportunity.

Outside of work, I can be found backpacking and camping in the summers, and skiing and snowboarding in the winters. As a transplant from the east coast about 3 years ago, I am endlessly amazed at the beauty that Idaho has to offer and seem to never get bored exploring the west.

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Elizabeth Sackman
Kindergarten Teacher - Morning
elizabeth.sackman@gardencityschool.org

I am very excited to be teaching kindergarten at the Garden City Community School and look forward to meeting you and your children. We will have a lovely, spacious, and bright new classroom where your children will explore, investigate, and discover in a hands-on, rich, and stimulating learning environment. It will be fun for you to visit, volunteer, or just quietly observe your child in this warm, safe, respectful, and cooperative classroom.

My name is Elizabeth Sackman and I have been in early education for more than nine years. I was raised in Texas, graduated from Texas A&M University and fortunately found myself in Boise, twenty-four years ago. For the past three years, I was the lead teacher for both the early childhood and the pre-kindergarten classes at The Cooperative Preschool at St. Michael’s, a school also dedicated to the educational philosophy of self-directed learning.

During the years I was not teaching in the schools, I was raising and facilitating the growth of five children. The boys, now men, are 19 through 26 years old. The youngest brothers are in college and the older three have graduated and moved on their chosen paths. Although my husband and I are considered “empty-nesters,” our home is full of delightful chaos created by our three cats and two goofy dogs. In my sacred spare time, you can find me fishing, skiing, cycling, or being “walked” by my two large canines.

I look forward to meeting you and your child very soon. Ahead of us is a most wonderful year!

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Marin Ramey
1^st - 2^nd Multi-Age-Group Teacher
marin.ramey@gardencityschool.org

I am incredibly excited to be teaching at Garden City Community School. When I read the vision of GCCS, I was thrilled to know that something so innovative was happening in education here in the Treasure Valley. I previously taught Kindergarten in Gresham, Oregon. I received my Master of Arts in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College, in Portland. My Bachelor’s degree is from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, the town I grew up in.

I’m really excited about integrating the arts throughout the entire curriculum. I especially love learning and teaching with music; I’ve played the piano since I was 8 years old. Throughout college, I taught music lessons and accompanied a choir. I am lucky to have a wonderful husband, Bill, and an incredible dog, named Harvey. We like to go running, and last year we joined a curling club. I also enjoy knitting, reading, listening to music and NPR, and playing the piano.

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Marti Hinckley
1^st - 2^nd Multi-Age-Group Teacher
marti.hinckley@gardencityschool.org

My name is Marti Hinckley, and I am excited to be teaching at Garden City Community School. I am a proud single mother of four children. I have two boys: Decker, 15 and Dawson, 9 and twin girls that are 13, Holly and Haley. I graduated from BSU and love the Broncos and BSU. I have been fortunate to student teach in a third/fourth combination class. I was also able to direct four plays during my student teaching, as my pre-endorsement is in Theatre. I am finishing my endorsement within the next year or two.

My past experience in the schools started as a PTO/Art Parent Coordinator in Meridian in 1998. When my family moved to Boise eight years ago, I immediately was involved in implementing an Art Parent Program at Valley View Elementary. This led to serving as Vice President and President on the PTO. In 2003, I went to work part-time for Boise School District as a School Support Assistant where my duties included playground, lunchroom, and library work. Soon, I went full-time and worked in the preschools at Riverside and Garfield and in an extended resource room for two more years with 13 children, K-6.

When I am not learning in school or teaching in school, I love to just be a mom. Part of being a mom for me is cooking. I am writing my own cookbook. I also love performing in musicals with my children. We have done Boise Music Week performances. Every Sunday, I am the chorister in primary at my church. Needless to say, I love teaching the academics with art integration.

Through all my experience, the greatest reward has always been to help children realize they can do more, never to give up, and reach for the stars. We can all reach for the stars if we have the desire that is the first very important step to great success! I am so happy to be teaching at Garden City Community School. I want all my students to look forward to every school day with the feeling, “There’s No Place Like School.”

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Lisa Link Courchane
3^rd - 4^th Multi-Age-Group Teacher
lisa.courchane@gardencityschool.org

http://lisacourchane.edublogs.org

I have been working with children - newborns to college students - for about seven years now. I enjoy children’s curiosity, honesty and natural love of learning and continue to seek out opportunities to discover ways of helping kids learn and grow. I graduated from BSU with honors as a Bilingual/ESL Education major with an endorsement as a Reading Specialist, and I’m now pursuing graduate studies in curriculum and instruction. My hobbies are painting, drawing, gardening, jogging, reading and spending time with my husband, our four children and all our pets.

My belief about how kids learn was greatly influenced by working at a Montessori school. The independence and sense of true accomplishment fostered by this kind of specially prepared environment is truly remarkable. I strive to create a similar environment in which teaching is for deep understanding and where, in addition to a commitment to academic excellence, students honestly enjoy school and feel good about themselves as learners. This is possible because together we continually foster relationships based on mutual respect, caring, and partnership. When students feel safe and feel like they matter, they do their best learning. I will be team-teaching with Tawnia Santos, a partner teacher that shares similar passions and views of teaching and learning. We are all invigorated by the dynamic leadership of our Director, Cindy, and our dedication to building a strong curriculum and compassionate school culture.

Our hope is that all our students will be enthusiastic about learning, gain lasting knowledge, have a sound sense of self-confidence, and feel closely bonded to their teachers and classmates. It will be an honor to have your child in our classroom family!

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Tawnia Santos
3^rd - 4^th Multi-Age-Group Teacher
tawnia.santos@gardencityschool.org

Hi, my name is Tawnia Santos, and I had the good fortune of teaching at Garden City Community School when the school first opened. I taught a 2nd/3rd grade class. I delight in teaching Geography, Social Studies, and Linguistics, as I have traveled a good deal. I have lived in France and Sweden, as well as five states other than Idaho. I have also visited 25 other countries.

GCCS is very close to my heart, because I was raised in Garden City.

I now live in Boise with my awesome husband of twenty years, Derek, and our wonderful son, Micah. Micah attends Centennial High School.

Teaching at GCCS is natural for me, because I am very enthusiastic about a hands-on approach to education. In addition to traveling, I have been a volunteer with Animals in Distress and Northwest Animal Companions. Therefore, animals, science, and the environment are a big part of my curriculum. I am also a Junior Master Gardner, which means I am trained to teach gardening to children.

I am very proud of being part of the excellent staff at GCCS and look forward to another exciting year.

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Benjamin Miller
5^th - 6^th Multi-Age-Group Teacher
ben.miller@gardencityschool.org

A long long time ago, I was born to Bruce and Benita Miller in Bremerton, Washington then moved to Homedale, Idaho in third grade. I graduated from Homedale High School where I was an OK student and played football, wrestling and golf. After High School, I went to U of I to become a teacher. During my years at U of I, I participated in intramurals and was the vice president of my fraternity. I discovered my passion for teaching in high school while participating in a reading mentor program. In college, I volunteered for many programs but the one that was the most rewarding was Moscow Reading Mentors.

Teaching at GCCS has been challenging and rewarding at the same time. My teaching experience consists of student teaching in second and fourth grade, subbing throughout the Boise School District, and teaching a 3-4 multi-age-group class here at GCCS. If you ever hear the Beatles rocking down the hallway, hear a class singing, or just plain old goofy you’ll know that Mr. B. and his students must be having a great time.

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Brenda Miller
7^th - 8^th Multi-Age-Group Teacher
brenda.miller@gardencityschool.org

Greetings GCCS families and community members. My name is Brenda Miller, and I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing school. I moved to Idaho from Wisconsin in 1979 and consider myself an Idaho native. I graduated from Boise State University in December 2007, and even though this will be my first year as a certified teacher, I come into the profession with over thirteen years of classroom experience as a special education para-professional.

I am married to a loving and supportive man named Mike and am the proud parent of two talented and thoughtful children, Jenny and Dean. When I’m not contributing to my community, I enjoy cooking, reading and many outdoor activities, of which hiking is my favorite. Travel plays an important role in my life as well, and I love to hear other people’s adventure stories.

Being able to teach 7th and 8th graders is like a dream come true for me. I will work hard to establish a strong community in the classroom and beyond its doors into the world around us. I believe that GCCS is a gift to the community of Garden City and deserves to be nurtured just like the children that walk through its doors. I’m looking forward to sharing my passion for service, public education and the arts with each member of this valuable community. Please come by and share your stories with me.

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Rebecca DeMeritt
Arts & Community Integration Consultant
rebecca.harris@gardencityschool.org

I grew up in Boise then went to school at University of Oregon, graduating with a degree in English. Loving to get my hands into everything, I studied many subjects, mostly creative writing, visual arts, and performance arts. I moved to Maine to start an organic farm with Belgian draft horses. After living in Maine for nine years, I returned to Boise. I worked for two years at my daughters' school as Art Parent Coordinator and also started the After School Circus Theater Workshop with one of the teachers. I am a certified yoga instructor and have taught Iyengar yoga at the YMCA. I have always been interested in working within innovative educational environments with children and was thrilled to be hired at Garden City Community School.

I have two beautiful teenage daughters and am recently remarried and expecting a baby boy. I will be on maternity leave for the 2nd semester of 2009. Life is full. I am never bored. My philosophy is that when a child acts bored, let them sit with it. Don't rescue them. In no time, they'll rescue themselves. Their mind will wander into the realm of creativity. All of us want to express ourselves, our deepest desires, our grandest ideas. I try to reach out to my students and offer them ways in which they can find this authentic voice that is uniquely theirs. As an Arts Integration Coordinator, I feel that my job is to listen to the students and hear what they are trying to express and to introduce them to tools, materials, and people who might help them. I encourage them to share their ideas and inspire each other, stepping forward into the world with the confidence that they are an integral part of their larger communities.

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Linda Buczynski
Part-time Art Consultant

Hello there!

My name is Linda Buczynski (pronounced Boo chin skee), and I am the new addition to GCCS for spring semester 2009. As understudy art teacher and community collaborator for Rebecca while she’s on maternity leave, it is my honor to serve the students, faculty and families of Garden City Community School. My goals for the semester are to get to know everyone, spread around as much visual arts education as I possibly can, and introduce outlets for student artwork into the community and bring outer resources into the classroom whenever possible.

Sixteen years ago I came to Idaho to visit a boy I graduated from high school with in Erie, PA. He was living in McCall after serving in the Air Force at Travis AFB in California.

Living up in McCall was lovely, but moving to Boise eight years ago changed my life. Boise State University has filled much of that time here in the valley. BSU has not only trained me as a certified K-12 art educator and provided rigorous studies in the M.A. program, (I have recently graduated with a master’s degree in Art Education) but has also invited me to return as an adjunct instructor!

My Thesis project: Community Gardens Don’t Grow on Trees: Blurring the Boundaries with Inquiry Based Art Education, provided the vehicle to drive my passions into a paper including student projects and my own goal to celebrate the spaces between the roles of an art teacher as Artist, Researcher, and Teacher.

Professional passions are based on people of all ages, the connections between us all, and the role that visual arts provide as a language for us to understand, interpret and answer the world!

I love freelancing in our local community. Some recent projects before GCCS:

Facilitating the Boise Urban Garden School Mural on 8th and Main Streets downtown

Working in diverse classroom environments in public and private settings utilizing the arts

Collaborating with local green businesses to organize a city-wide Kid’s Recycled Art Contest

Working with our local faction of the American Cancer Society to assist young people to record their best Camp Rainbow Gold memories in original and collaborative canvases

Thank you for welcoming me into the family fold here in Garden City.

I love it here and look forward to getting to know you!

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Administrative & Support

Teachers

Revised: 02/04/10