Meet the teachers
4th Grade
4th Grade
Sullivan
Sullivan
This is my first year as a part of the Edison Elementary community and I’m already so happy to be here. While this is my first year as part of this spectacular team of teachers, families and students, this is my 11th year teaching! I am from Rochester, NY and began my teaching career there. I taught 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade while in Rochester. My next stop was our Nation’s capital. I taught 3rd grade at an all girls elementary in Washington D.C. for 3 years. I then coached teachers in Uganda for a summer and truly was able to define who I am as an educator. From there, I moved to San Diego, CA where it’s always sunny and 75 degrees. I was a 6th and 5th grade teacher for 2 years. This experience led me to Denver, CO. My new home. I am fortunate to have 4th/5th grade literacy this year!
Lainey girl is my Boston Terrier pup! She is my world and makes me smile all day long. You will see many videos and photos of her. She is sassy, social and the friendliest little girl! I am SUPER close with my family and very thankful for FaceTime! I am the youngest of 3 girls. I have 1 niece and 3 nephews! My parents and sister live back home in NY and my other sister and kiddos live in Newport Beach, CA. I am looking forward to their many adventures in the mountains with Auntie Manda! I love to snowboard, drink coffee and listen to audiobooks! I look forward to hearing all of your likes and dislikes soon!
Lainey girl is my Boston Terrier pup! She is my world and makes me smile all day long. You will see many videos and photos of her. She is sassy, social and the friendliest little girl! I am SUPER close with my family and very thankful for FaceTime! I am the youngest of 3 girls. I have 1 niece and 3 nephews! My parents and sister live back home in NY and my other sister and kiddos live in Newport Beach, CA. I am looking forward to their many adventures in the mountains with Auntie Manda! I love to snowboard, drink coffee and listen to audiobooks! I look forward to hearing all of your likes and dislikes soon!
My name is Julie Pollack, soon to be Puglisi. I am getting married in September, and will start the year with my new last name. I am so excited to be part of the Edison community. I would love to tell you a bit about myself. I am a Colorado Native and love all things Colorado. I spend as much time as I can out doors hiking 14ers, fishing, skiing, biking, and introducing my new puppy, Louis, to as many adventures as possible. I am a graduate from the University of Colorado, Boulder and received my Masters for Curriculum and Instruction for Reading and Writing from the University of Colorado, Denver. Go Buffs!. Previously I taught 1st grade for five years and made the switch to 6th grade Language Arts last year at Lincoln Academy Charter School in Arvada. The switch from early elementary to middle school was a big change, but this switch solidified my belief that strong classroom management is transferable to all age groups, and most importantly how much I love teaching students of all ages.My philosophy of education is that all students are capable of success and it is my job to provide my students with opportunities to succeed. I am so excited to begin this new chapter at Edison!
LAura Benninger
LAura Benninger
5th grade
5th grade
Teaching is an absolute passion of mine! I am so excited to work with you and your child this year! It is going to be a year full of fun, learning, laughter, and lots of adventures. I can’t wait to see what the year has in store for us! I have lived in Denver, Colorado my whole life. I graduated from Regis University with a bachelors in Elementary Education. My son and I have two fur babies named Kenai and Caleb. They are brothers and spend all their time together! We like going out and hiking new trails or being lazy on the couch.
his is my fourth year being a teacher, but my third year at Edison (Go Eagles!). I taught 4th & 5th literacy last year but with the crazy times of last year, we shifted so I get to call myself a 5th grade teacher! It is my goal to instill a love for learning in my students. I teach with passion and excitement so my students develop a desire to become life-long learners. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. It is very important to keep communication open between us and I promise to always respond as promptly as possible. I would love to talk with you whenever you feel the need. I look forward to the best year ever together!
his is my fourth year being a teacher, but my third year at Edison (Go Eagles!). I taught 4th & 5th literacy last year but with the crazy times of last year, we shifted so I get to call myself a 5th grade teacher! It is my goal to instill a love for learning in my students. I teach with passion and excitement so my students develop a desire to become life-long learners. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. It is very important to keep communication open between us and I promise to always respond as promptly as possible. I would love to talk with you whenever you feel the need. I look forward to the best year ever together!
Greetings! My name is Gracen Porreca (Poor-EE-ka) and I am honored to be your math/science/social studies teacher at Edison Elementary for the 2019-2020 school year. We are going to have a fabulous year and I can’t wait to get started. I would like to tell you a bit about myself. I grew up in Rochester, New York, but I have lived in Colorado for the past 27 years. I went to the University of Northern Colorado and finished my Bachelor of Arts degree in History at Metropolitan State College of Denver. I earned my Professional Teaching License and a Masters of Arts degree in Special Education from the University of Colorado-Denver. This will be my 19th year teaching for Denver Public Schools. For the past 10 years I worked at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy and was one of the founding members of the newly created arts integration K-12 school. At KCAA I taught 5th grade, 3rd grade, and Drama. Before that I worked at Force Elementary for 8 years and taught 5th grade, and was also a special education teacher for students with mild/moderate needs. This will be my first year at Edison Elementary and I am thrilled to be joining such a vibrant and dedicated learning community. When I am not teaching I spend my time with my wife Heather and our daughter Sophia. Heather and I have been married for 18 years and Sophia turned 15 this summer. She will be starting her sophomore year at KCAA this year. I also like to do some theater when I can, especially Shakespeare. This summer I will be in a production of Hamlet. I love to snowboard, workout, and read fantasy/science-fiction novel series. (This summer I started reading the Dune series!) I am positive that we can build a strong relationship between teacher, parent, and child to achieve student success. I will certainly foster high expectations and classroom traditions that will include all learners. I love teaching math and science and I look forward to spreading that enthusiasm I have to all my students. I am especially excited about teaching social studies and engaging students in their community. I look forward to learning from all of you and creating a fun environment that will foster a love for learning.
My name is Jamie Davis and I am very excited to join the Edison team! I'm a Colorado native and have fifteen years experience teaching upper elementary grades. I received my B.A. in Humanities from Western Washington University, and before going back to school to become a teacher, I was an Americorps volunteer in the area of adaptive recreation. I completed my teaching license and some graduate work at CU Denver. I love playing outside, going on adventures, and exploring new places whenever I can. When I'm inside, my favorite adventure is reading a great story. For me, the best thing about teaching is living curiously with my students. I love to ask questions and try different and creative ways of learning and solving problems. I believe that the best learning happens when we are invested in what we are discovering, and when we are given time, guidance, tools, and sometimes space, to practice and make meaning for ourselves. To the left is one of the only fish I've ever caught on a Fly Rod. It took me over a year of learning and practice to catch that fish. What's awesome is that I loved every minute of that learning. This was because I had a teacher who encouraged me to love the practice and concept of fishing as much as the actual act of catching a fish. He supported me without doing the work for me and he didn't let me give up. I strive to be that kind of teacher. I have high expectations of my students and myself. I ask students to work hard and take responsibility for their own learning. I work diligently to give them the right guidance, tools, and support to help them succeed. I find it essential to work collaboratively with my students to build a classroom community that promotes confidence, independence, resilience, and cooperation. My goal is to create learning experiences that are challenging, meaningful, and of course fun!!!!!