INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING

English Second Language (ESL): Cece Garza

Hi! My name is Cece Garza and I am the ELD teacher at Legacy Point. I have been teaching second language learners for 15 years. Before moving to Colorado I taught 3rd grade in California. I graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Masters Degree in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and a Bachelors degree in education.

I am married and have triplet boys that are now 23 years old. I am a huge animal lover, so I currently have 4 dogs, 4 cats and 2 geese. We love spending our time on the lake skiing and just having a great time.

I love teaching and feel that all students should have the same opportunities to learn to the best of their abilities. I meet students in small groups, independently or in the classroom - it all depends on their needs.

Contact: cygarza@dcsdk12.org

Sheri Searwar

My name is Sheri Searwar. This is my first year working as a learning specialist at Legacy Point. I earned my special education degree in Canada and have taught in both Canada and the USA. I am so excited to be joining the Legacy family and getting to know this community. I want the very best for your child and look forward to a year filled with excitement and learning! I have a .5 position and I will be at Legacy every morning. The best way to reach me is by email at ssearwar@dcsdk12.org.

I have 3 kids, Jordan, Keira and Chase as well as a dog named Toby. We moved here this past year from California and have been loving the gorgeous outdoors that Colorado has to offer! We enjoy hiking and paddle boarding and just exploring new places.

I wanted to share a favorite quote. As a teacher, I feel this is so true. "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

PERSONALIZED LEARNING:

Meet the Team

Literacy Specialist: Kim Nelson

Hi! My name is Kim Nelson and I am a Literacy Specialist here at Legacy Point. I have been a literacy specialist here in Douglas County for 22 years.

Before moving to Colorado, I was a Special Education teacher for eight years in the deserts of California. I am married and have a wonderful 19 year old daughter. We also have a 4 year old Golden Retriever, an 8 year old German Shepherd and a very shy cat.

My job here has two parts. I work individually with four first grade students, meeting their individual needs. I also meet with kindergarten through second grade Booster Groups for 20 to 30 minutes a day, four times a week to provide targeted, systemic literacy instruction for those students who need a little extra boost to help them become more proficient readers. This instruction is in addition to their reading instruction in the classroom.

Contact: kanelson@dcsdk12.org

Learning Specialists:

Learning Specialists work with students who qualify for special education services and are on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Targeted interventions are implemented in individual or small group settings to help students meet their personalized learning goals.

Occupational Therapy: Sharon Fisher

I am a licensed Occupational Therapist that specializes in pediatrics. I graduated from the University of Hartford in 1996. I have worked in a variety of therapy settings including Early Intervention, the schools and outpatient rehabilitation. I have worked with a wide variety of patients with orthopedic, neurological and developmental delays. This will be my 16th year working in the schools and my 6th year at Legacy Point. I am excited to work with my kids and love watching them grow from year to year! My husband and our 2 boys (Matthew and Max) moved to Colorado in 2013 from Atlanta, Georgia. Both my boys have attended Legacy Point and we truly love the community and sense of family at Legacy Point. We love the outdoors and spend our weekends hiking, biking, camping, traveling, playing with our dog, and skiing.

https://sites.google.com/d/1wYq6u5L3qYBvaVpH67xEWphlgDi9R0jt/p/1B-Ysi7ERmCCZq1LPHEkHTb3Y5rTNDsuh/edit

Contact: sfisher@dcsdk12.org

School Counselor: Sarah Sanniola

Hi, my name is Sarah Sanniola and I joined the Legacy Point family as the Elementary School Counselor in February 2019. I earned my Masters degree in School Counseling from Adams State University in 2007.

As a School Counselor, my primary responsibility is to promote the academic, personal, and social development of all students. I look forward to offering support to the students, staff, families and community. I have the privilege to work with every single student in the school. I will be working with students at the classroom level, small group level, as well as at the short-term individual counseling level. I would like the students here to think of my office as a warm and friendly place, where they are always welcome. My office is also a safe haven – a place where they can get help if they feel confused or worried.

My husband and I have two little kiddos, a 2 year old son and a 3 year old daughter. I love that LPE is our home school and my two kids will become legacy leaders, not only because I work here but because it's such an amazing school and community.

School Counselor Website: Mrs. Sarah Sanniola's Counseling Resources

Contact: ssanniola@dcsdk12.org

To Schedule an Appointment With Me: Mrs. Sarah's Appointment Calendar

Gifted and Talented: Jill Beyer

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” ~Carl Sagan

Hello Legacy Point Family! My name is Jill Beyer, and I will be the GT Facilitator for 2021-2022. I can’t wait to lead children

into something incredible and just waiting to be known. I have an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado

and earned my masters in Diverse Learning from The University of Phoenix. Children have been a love of mine for as long

as I can remember.

I taught for 10 years in the Cherry Creek School district. Over the last 5 years I have been tutoring high school students

through the AVID program at Legend High School. I so enjoyed working with teenagers, but am thrilled to be working with

young, flexible, sponge~like little people!

I’m a Colorado native, and my family has lived in Parker for 27 years. My husband, Chris, and I raised 3 kids who have

so far proven to be successful human beings :) All 3 of our children graduated as Titans (but I have plenty of heart available

to cheer for the Mustangs!) One of our kids had an ALP, so I know what it’s like to be the parent of a specialized learner and

look forward to helping your learners grow!

My office is right outside of the library and will hopefully be a place for kids to gather in groups, or by themselves when

needing some quiet time in a cozy spot.

Hours: Monday~Friday; 9:30~1:30

Contact: jabeyer@dcsdk12.org

Links:

DCSD Gifted Education Page

CDE Gifted Identification Fact Sheet

CDE Gifted Education Parent’s Corner

Lori Woodling: RTI

Hi my name is Lori Woodling and this year I will be the RTI (Interventionist) teacher. I have been a classroom teacher for 17 years, where I've taught Kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. This will be my sixth year at Legacy Point, I taught 2 years of kindergarten and 3 years in second grade. I look forward to this new experience and working with small groups of students where I will have the opportunity to provide interventions with targeted instruction to bring students up to grade level.

I got my Bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University and I also have my Master's degree in Elementary Education with a Reading Emphasis. I've been married to my husband, Scott, for 21 years and we have three wonderful boys, Noah, Cameron, and Owen. Noah, my oldest just graduated from Ponderosa High School and will be attending GCU in the fall, Cameron is 16 and a sophomore at Ponderosa, and my youngest, Owen, is 14 and a freshman at Ponderosa. We are busy with their sports and activities but when we have down time, we like to hike, watch movies, and cheer on the Broncos! And when I have some time to myself I love to read, and get lost in a book!

Jess Schmitz: Psychologist

Traci Bertram - Voyager

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Traci Bertram and I work in the affective needs program also known as the Voyager classroom at LPE. I have worked with children my entire life. I did daycare in my home for 10 years while my kids were young and I joined the LPE family in 2012. I love my job as an Educational Assistant and enjoy my daily interaction with the students, they teach me so much! I have been married for over 20 years to my best friend and I have four amazing children, that range in age from 19 to 13. They have all attended LPE and are now in college, Ponderosa and Sagewood. We love Colorado and my most favorite thing is to be with my family! Contact: traci.bertram@dcsdk12.org

Emily Montgomery- School Social Worker

I am the mental health provider for the Voyager program. This is my 12th year as a school social worker (10th in DCSD). I've served elementary schools the entire time, as well as several years in affective needs programs. I love my job and I love working so closely with the AN program. I graduated from CSU with my Bachelors in Social Work in 2011 and graduated from DU with my Masters in Social Work in 2013.

I fell in love with Legacy Point as a parent and am so happy to be a part of the Legacy Point family! Our family adopted our dog, Maggie in 2023 and were determined to train her to be a therapy dog, which has been a goal of mine since my Masters program. We were able to get her certified in August of 2024 with both her Canine Good Citizen Test and her Therapy Dog test. You will see her with me at school a few mornings a week, helping me regulate students and teach social and emotional skills.

Contact: Emontgomery@dcsdk12.org