Colleen Welch

This is my 31st year of teaching, 30 of those years have been in 1st grade.

I have been teaching at Ryan Elementary for 27 years.

I absolutely LOVE 1st grade!

I grew up in Arvada and went to Jefferson County schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development with a concentration in Child Development. I also have a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

My family includes my husband and 2 daughters ages 24 and 21.

My favorite things include mexican food, reading, paddleboarding, watching movies, and just hanging out with my family.

I am looking forward to an amazing year together!

Mrs. Quillin

I’m so excited to be part of the 1st grade team! I have been teaching for 19 years and 17 of them have been at Ryan.

I have lived in Colorado for most of my life and got my bachelors degree at CSU. I continued my education and received my masters in curriculum and instruction.

I have been married for 17 years to my husband Adam and we have two boys, Caden (14) and Bray (12) and our sweet dog Peach!

When I'm not teaching I love to be outside paddle boarding, hiking and exploring Colorado. I love to travel and cook as well.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic year in 1st grade!

Kim Kauffman

Hello First Grade Families! I am excited to be your child's teacher this year!

This is my 26th year of teaching. I have taught various grades from Kindergarten to 5th grade. I am SO happy to be part of the Ryan Elementary Community with amazing colleagues and supportive families! I live in this community and my children went to Sheridan Green Elementary, Mandalay Middle School and Standley Lake High School.

Between my first school and teaching at SGE, I stayed home for 9 years with my own children. Courtney is now 27 and married. She's an engineer and lives in Castle Rock. Tyler is now 25 and works at the Broomfield Airport. Time has flown. So believe me when I say… Treasure each day with your child(ren)!!!!!

My husband, Tim, and I have loved raising our kids doing many of our favorite activities. We enjoy skiing/boarding, golfing and CU football and basketball events together. We love to travel, hike and eat good seafood as well. I also enjoy scrapbooking and attending musicals. I am passionate about teaching, and my family would consider teaching to be another hobby for me.

I look forward to partnering with you this year, as we bring your child a year of excellent education!

Gina LaChapelle

Welcome to another great year at Ryan Elementary! This will be my 13th year teaching, and I am thrilled to be working alongside such a wonderful team of educators. I started as a student at Ryan which makes me an original HawkSTAR! I am so grateful to be part of such a dedicated and supportive community.

My path to become an educator started at the University of Colorado Denver where I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. I continued my passion for education by going back a second time to receive my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Aside from teaching, I love spending time with my husband, my son Liam, and our energetic Lab Retriever, Bentley. Being a Colorado Native, I love experiencing what our beautiful state has to offer. I enjoy spending time outdoors, going fishing, and attending sports games.

I look forward to another great year at Ryan!