Meet the Team

Mr. Patrick Sawyer- Secular

Mr. Sawyer is excited about starting his 11th year teaching at DJDS and tenth year in elementary education! He loves teaching at DJDS because the community is very supportive and feels like a big family. Mr. Sawyer holds a Master’s Degree in Education and an undergraduate degree in Theater. Before teaching, he worked as a professional actor  living in many different places within the United States performing for multiple theater companies. He loves being able to bring his passion for drama into the classroom especially when teaching readers' theater and creative writing. Mr. Sawyer is a native to Colorado and grew up right down the street going to Regis High School. He now lives near downtown Denver with his husband, Tyson and their dogs Ellie and Dillon. During his free time he loves to travel, ski, and hike. He also thinks he is an amateur foodie often pretending to be a Top Chef judge while trying out the Denver restaurant scene. 

Ms. Lily Haugan- 3rd Grade TA and Aftercare 

Lily is excited to begin her second year at DJDS in her new role as the third-grade Teaching Assistant, in addition to continuing her work in After School Care, after previously serving as a substitute teacher. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, she spent every summer since age seven with the JCC's Camp Shai, with several of those summers taking place on the DJDS campus. Outside of school, Lily is pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Relations at CU Denver. She is a nature and animal lover who enjoys traveling as well as spending time with her friends and family (and their dog Tilly—who shares her birthday!). Lily also enjoys listening to audiobooks while doing arts and crafts, and keeps her weekends busy with concerts and community events.

Morah Elaina- Judaics

Morah Elaina is originally from California, lived in Israel for 7.5 years and has been in Colorado since 2017. She studied Art Education at San Francisco State University and earned a Master's in Experiential Jewish Education from the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University). Morah Elaina has been working with children and in education for 20 years and has been at Denver JDS since 2018 and excited to be part of the Third Grade Team since 2018! She loves DIY crafty projects, gardening, snowboarding, live music, and being in nature and spending time with her husband and 3 kids.

Morah Lena- Hebrew

Morah Lena was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to Israel at the age of ten. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Israel before relocating to the United States, where she later met her husband. For the past 20 years, she has lived in Colorado, 19 of them as a Hebrew Teacher at Denver JDS. Morah Lena has taught third-grade Hebrew for over 15 years and recently expanded her teaching to include second grade. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters. In her free time, Morah Lena enjoys traveling and exploring new places.