SCIENCE & PUBLICATIONS

Hi! I am Amy Vander Kooi! I have taught at Summit Academy South for the past 3 years. I am passionate about teaching and enjoy learning from my Summit students! In our free time, my family enjoys visiting National Parks, camping, fishing, hiking, reading books, and visiting historical sites. This summer I am visiting my dream destination, Saguaro National Park! I also have plans to ride in a real Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail! Find me at school- I can’t wait to tell you all about it! See you in 2022-2023!

Email Mrs. VK Amy.VanderKooi@jeffcoschools.us

SCIENCE & SHAKESPEARE

Ms. Kern has been teaching at Summit South for two years. She is married to Scott and has 4 children between the ages of 7 and 22. She loves playing in the outdoors, reading, skiing, walking, baking, traveling and the beach. She has a degree in Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Refining from the Colorado School of Mines and enjoys sharing her love of learning with her students.

Email Mrs. Kern

152160e@jeffcoschools.us

MARTIAL ARTS

Mr. Gallegos is the martial arts instructor/coach at Summit Academy South. He is a lifelong student of martial arts and has enjoyed sharing some of what he knows with the Summit community for the past several years now. His greatest joy as an instructor is seeing his students accomplish their goals after making a determined choice to persevere.

Email Mr. Gallegos

anegalle@jeffcoschools.us

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Hello, I am Lori Berhow. I teach PE, dances around the world, and stretch and breathe. I have been teaching for 16 years. I love teaching students fun ways to be physically active, increase skills, work as a team, and focus on overall wellness.

Email Mrs. Berhow

lberhow@jeffcoschools.us

SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES

My name is Nicole Dow. I teach a wide variety of classes at Summit South including US History, Robotics, Brain Power, Grit and Gameschooling. I have three kids. Two attend Summit and one attends a school for kids with special needs. We live on and own a horse boarding facility and Ranch in Conifer. When I am not watching my son play baseball, my daughter riding, or tending to all my critters, I enjoy hanging with friends and reading. Have a book you love? Let me know I would love to read it!

Email Mrs. Dow

171648e@jeffcoschools.us

MUSIC & MATH

Debra Hansen, also known as Dr. Fun, is a confirmed music and math lover. After beginning her career as a music teacher, she went on to become CFO of Quark, Inc., an international software firm. Even though business was her main gig, she kept her musical soul alive by conducting children’s choirs at local churches. Later she provided STEM workshops for the Jefferson County Public Library, various

Jefferson County and Denver public schools, and the Scholars Unlimited program. She developed the math game, “Who’s Counting”, that won the Parent’s Choice, Brain Child, and Math Game of the Year in 2012. She sings in the Colorado Chorale and continues to study guitar and piano. Dr. Fun believes that music is best learned by performing rather than spending hours on drills. Likewise, she thinks math should be fun and practical so that kids push themselves to learn more.

Email Dr. Fun

168765e@jeffcoschools.us

ELEMENTARY & BALLET

Mrs. Lynn, a Colorado native, was homeschooled K-12 and graduated from Rock Solid High School (a private charter school for homeschoolers). She obtained her B.S. in Elementary Education and taught K/1st grade in the public schools for 4 years until her firstborn came along. She began teaching at Summit South in 2018 and loves that she gets to homeschool her own kids and be a part-time SAHM, yet still follow her passion to teach in a classroom setting! Outside of school, Mrs. Lynn enjoys visits to Elitches, the zoo, the library, DMNS, and alllll the best playgrounds with her husband and their daughters (Alexis and Madison)--she also volunteers at church, and continues a lifelong pursuit of excellence in dance by taking regular ballet classes.

Email Mrs. Lynn

aelynn@jeffcoschools.us

SOCIAL STUDIES & COOKING

Hi, my name is Jenny Matthews and I have been teaching at Summit for 4 years now. I teach geography, cooking, and book club and love sharing things I am passionate about with my students. I live with my husband and 2 kids in Lakewood, and we love to spend time together outdoors doing lots of activities.

Email Mrs. Matthews

jtmatthe@jeffcoschools.us

ART

Clarissa Montoya has been Summit Academy South's Art Teacher for two years. She enjoys working with all ages on being creative and expressive in art. She and her children love being a part of our homeschooling community.

Email Mrs. Montoya

camontoy@jeffcoschools.us

SCIENCE

Ms. Sprik has been teaching at Summit Academy South since 2019. She has been married to Sam for 27 years and together they are raising 6 children ages 10-20. When she is not teaching, driving, and tending to kids she enjoys mountain biking, hiking, camping, playing on the water, and sitting on the beach with her family. She has a Bachelor of Science and Nursing from the Hope-Calvin Nursing Program in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ms. Sprik loves classroom hands-on activities, making science messes, and teaching kids how to do new and hard things.

Email Mrs. Sprik

168759e@jeffcoschools.us

SECONDARY ENGLISH & ATTENDANCE

A little over ten years ago my son and I began our "practice" year of homeschooling, "just to see if I could do it." Add four more kids, five moves within three different states, and twelve years to bring my home-educating journey to present day. About four years ago we moved to Colorado, my home state, and found Summit South, just as it was beginning.

As a self-proclaimed "English nerd," I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching writing and literature, two subjects that shaped me profoundly as a middle and high school student. Growing up, I constantly heard, "You should be a teacher!" from those who knew me best. I thought I didn't want to be a teacher and so got my degree in counseling instead. As it turns out, they were right! I love teaching!

Outside of school, I am a mom to five kids, ages 7 to 16, the wife of an archaeologist, an amateur gardener and DIY project enthusiast, a pianist, and a very part-time homeschool curriculum consultant.

Email Mrs. Rodriquez

Kiersten.Rodriquez@jeffcoschools.us

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

Teaching is a passion of mine! I love learning alongside my students. In my classroom, I strive to make sure everyone is challenged, supported, and successful! I am a Colorado native and have two girls, 6 and 3 years old. Outside of teaching, I enjoy playing tennis, mountain biking, snowboarding, and gardening.

Email Mrs. Schneider

Rachel.Schneider@jeffcoschools.us

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

My name is Lisa Kamicar. I have been teaching Kindergarten here at Summit South for four years. I truly enjoy teaching and watching the students grow throughout their Kindergarten year. I am excited to meet and teach my new class this coming year!

Email Mrs. Kamicar

lsingerk@jeffcoschools.us

REGISTRAR AND STUDENT COUNCIL TEACHER

This is Ms. Schulz’s 3rd year at Summit Academy South where she will be teaching and working in the office. She is a former middle school Language Arts teacher turned homeschool mom. She enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 kids, and extended family, taking care of her 18 farm animals, doing house projects, and archery with her kids.

Email Mrs. Schulz

Aspin.Schulz@jeffcoschools.us

SECONDARY SCIENCE & CE

In 2004, my middle school children needed someone besides me to teach them, so we joined a homeschool charter. In 2006, I started teaching for that charter. Since then, I have relearned physics and chemistry, improved my essay format, dissected too many animals in my kitchen (much to my husband’s dismay), and searched out the most engaging, critical-thinking lab experiences for my students. I have a master’s in genetics and worked for years with families with babies with severe birth defects. Now I enjoy gardening, backpacking, rock climbing, mountain biking (Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail in 12 days), skiing, and feeding my backyard flock of 20 magpies. My son, the troublesome middle schooler from 2004, is now a nurse practitioner specializing in an ENT group and with his wife chasing 4 fantastic sons around. My daughter is a top notch consulting accountant married to a chemistry professor hoping to “stop working ridiculous hours and relax and have babies”.

I love teaching complicated concepts with humorous sayings, puns, hands-on activities, and lab experiences. I believe in good writing, in striving for improvement, and in creating an environment where students feel they have accomplished more than they thought they could.

Email Mrs. Sweeney

jsweeney@jeffcoschools.us

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Hello, My name is Julie Jordening. I currently serve as the Vice Principal of Summit Academy South.

I was born in New Mexico but spent most of my childhood in the Houston Texas area. I had the privilege to live overseas in Scotland in middle school. I was an athlete in my younger years, playing as many sports as I could: soccer, golf, track, volleyball and basketball.

I attended Texas Woman's University where I received a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science with a minor in Business. I then attended University Of North Texas and pursued a masters in Gerontology with an emphasis in exercise.

I have been married for 29 years and have 4 boys, and now have two wonderful daughters through marriage to my older sons. In my free time, I love spending time with my family, exploring new areas of the country, camping, hiking and reading.

julie.jordening@jeffcoschools.us

PRINCIPAL

Hi! I am Allycia Taussig, and I am the Principal of Summit South. I have been Principal for 4 years, and it has been such a crazy but amazing ride.

I have 4 kids -- 2 girls and 2 boys. I have an amazingly supportive husband who puts up with my crazy schemes.

I am passionate about education, especially homeschooling. I love working with kids, especially when I get to be a coach or a teacher. I feel so alive when I am able to watch kids learn, grow, and develop into the best people they can be.

If you ever have a question or just want to talk schooling, please send me an email!

ataussig@jeffcoschools.us