Elementary Spanish Program

1919 14th Street, Suite 421, Boulder, CO 80302
303-440-7196
kidsspeakspanish@gmail.com

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The ESP's mission is to bridge cultural barriers, educate young children, and prepare them for life in our world community through teaching Spanish.

Faculty

	Juan Acosta West Woods Elementary
	Omar Antonio Anduaga Bocanegra KidsSpeakSpanish@gmail.com Lafayette	ESP Program Administrator. He was born in Perú. Graduated with honors from Law School at the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú. Worked for several years in the Superior Court of Justice as the Judge´s Assistant and studied Diplomacy while writing his Thesis to become a certified Lawyer. He was also a Professor for International Relations in the University he was graduated from. Teaching languages is his passion. This allowed him to understand different cultures when working as an International Lawyer, and now working with people from all over the world in ESP. His native language is Spanish but he also speaks English, Portuguese, French, Latin and some Japanese. In his spare time he likes to travel around the world and enjoys drawing, reading biographies from French State men, and writing articles about royalty for a magazine in Spain. Currently he is also the Spanish III teacher at Shining Mountain Waldorf High School.
	Paulina Arce-Forttes Lafayette Louisville Jefferson Academy
	Maria Bell Aspen Creek West Woods Elementary Excel
	Chelsea Blake chelseaablake@gmail.com Shelton Elementary	Chelsea has her B.A. in Latin American Literature from Reed College (’04). Her deep passion for Spanish and Latin American literature, culture and language was sparked after reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude when she was 16. After college, Chelsea became deeply involved in the Latin American Solidarity movement, which she still supports today. She currently nannies, pet-sits, provides Spanish tutoring to young people, and is working on her Masters in Holistic Nutrition. Her goal with Spanish remains to use her language skills to build bridges of understanding between people.
	Gewoo Blinkey Flatirons	Hi, my name is Gewoo but my students call me “Gee.” I was born in S. Korea, however, I moved to Mexico City as a child. As a young adult I moved to New York to attend college, where I concentrated in Spanish and Political Science. I have worked in an embassy, a British elementary school in Mexico City and as a freelance translator. I love the charm of Boulder and am working on making it my home-city.
	Ana María Botero anitabothe@hotmail.com Niwot Lyons Hygiene	“I’m a wife, mother, architect and artist. I was born in Bogota, Colombia. Where I lived and worked on architecture until 2001 when life brought me to Florida, United States. I worked there for Vigneault & Hoos Architecture Inc. until 2005 when I moved again, this time to Colorado when I started to paint, although I love architecture, my heart is currently won over by art. It has always been a hobby of mine but is now my passion. I'm a professional abstract painter”
	Morgan Brungard mbrungard@hotmail.com Heatherwood High Peaks	I am a home-grown, Boulder County native who LOVES the Spanish language and is fascinated by its many cultures. I have a BA in Spanish and a post-graduate degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). I have lived and taught in the Dominican Republic, and I have years of experience teaching language-learners of all ages here in the US in large groups, small groups, and one-on-one settings. I love to dance, be physically active, and most especially be a mommy to my daughter. This is my first year teaching with the Elementary Spanish Program, and I am excited to be part of this program as we experience again the wonders of the Spanish language along with your children!”
	Lynn Buhlig BCSIS
	Carolina Carter Eldorado K-8 Superior Louisville
	Julieta Yesenia Cortes Juliettitaa@hotmail.com Niwot	My name is Yessy, (nick name) I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. There I got my degree in Business Administration. I used to work with adults who didn’t know how to write and read, and it’s amazing when you can see their faces when they could read and write those first letters to their families. Teaching is amazing, because I have fun teaching. And learn from everybody too. Since 2011, I’ve been having the opportunity to share my culture, my traditions and my native Spanish language, working as a Spanish teacher in the Elementary Spanish Program.
	Luz Marina Dakin luz@rmsbconsult.com Stober	My name is Luz Marina Dakin. I am from Colombia and my native language is Spanish. I have being teaching for ten years with Elementary Spanish Program (ESP). I have experience working in different levels like pre-kindergarten to 8 grade at private and public schools in Denver-Colorado. Right now I am teaching at Stober Elementary School with ESP, Spanish Club Fall- Red Rocks Elementary, and tutoring Spanish for children and adults in groups and for individuals.I love to help people to have a new vision in their lives. Learning a foreign language opens doors. It is best for the future to be bilingual.
	Julia Daly julia.daly@colorado.edu Foothill High Peaks	Originally from the Bay Area, I've transplanted to Colorado and absolutely love it. I'm currently a senior at CU Boulder where I study Psychology and Spanish. Last year I lived in Madrid, Spain for a semester where I enjoyed absorbing a new culture and also tutored native-spanish speaking children in English. I'm beyond excited to have the opportunity to combine my two passions, Spanish and children, while working at ESP.
	Sandra Diaz Community Montessori
	Isabel Enright isabelenright@yahoo.com.mx Eisenhower Douglass Mesa	I discovered my love of teaching Spanish to children in 1995, just when I started teaching with the Elementary Spanish Program in Boulder. I have tremendously enjoyed the opportunity to share my native language and culture with all my students. I believe that learning a language should be fun and before they know it, the children are speaking and singing in Spanish. I like to plant the seed of joy for the language. I came to this country in 1994 and spend my free time with my husband Jerry, and my two children who are bilingual.I became naturalized US citizen in 2008. I love listening to all types of music, dances from all over the world, scrapbooking and Jazzercise, but most of all spending time with my family.
	Yuris Feliz Balbuena Niwot Lyons
	Claire Findlay Louisville Superior Jefferson Academy
	Corey Garretson Jefferson Academy Coal Creek
	Adrian Gomez Louisville
	Andrew Gordon Douglass Community Montessori
	Ana Guttridge kena@ollinfarms.com Flagstaff Academy Hygiene Niwot	I believe that when we give someone the gift of learning a language, we are opening opportunities for the understanding and respect of other cultures, and breaking the barriers to give them the key of the door that will open incredible journeys. This is what drives my passion for teaching Spanish to student of all levels. Originally from Mexico City, I am a member of the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers. I also offer Spanish Summer classes through my organic farm in Longmont. http://www.ollinfarms.com/classes.html
	Seanna Hartman Aspen Creek
	Megan Hoeppner West Woods Elementary Crest View
	Lauren Ivison livison@gmail.com Louisville	My name is Lauren and, when I'm not teaching Spanish, I am an investment banker, an attorney, and a competitive triathlete. I lived in Bolivia many years ago and have spent time working in Santiago, Chile and Barcelona, Spain. I love to travel, cook, and play outside.
	Kim Kalinski Niwot Hygiene Lyons
	Pamela Kemp Heatherwood Douglass
	Dianne Ladd dianne@laddholland Bear Creek West Woods Elementary	I moved to Colorado from the east coast over thirty five years ago and have lived in Boulder for over thirty one years. I enjoy the friendly people here, hiking in the mountains, riding my bike all over the front range, playing tennis, gardening, skiing, photography and videography, reading, and hanging out with my husband, Bruce, our son Hobie, and our two cats. Colorado is the perfect place for all these activities.! I have been studying and speaking Spanish for over twenty years, as well as teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to Spanish-speaking adult immigrants for the past ten years. I also have taught children’s religious education and been a reader with Reading to End Racism in Boulder Valley schools for many years and am now a school coordinator for RERB. I have traveled extensively in Spanish-speaking countries and enjoy experiencing the culture, natural beauty, and friendliness of the people in all these places.
	Marco Longo BCSIS Eisenhower Community Montessori
	Rossana Longo Crest View Foothill
	Yulianna Maksymenko Rooney Ranch Elementary Steele
	Bertha McShea mcsheab@comcast.net Flagstaff Academy	BA in Management. Native Spanish Speaker. Originally from El Paso Texas. She has experience with special needs children, ESL as well as regular classroom K-2. Raising grandchildren. She loves to work in her garden, travel, read and spend time with her family.
	Gloria Miller Bear Creek High Peaks
	Carol Miralles Salines Bear Creek Foothill
	Ann Morrill KidsSpeakSpanish@gmail.com High Peaks	I am a writer and editor of educational materials, including high school and college Spanish ancillaries and texts and two grade school Spanish phonics readers. In the last four years I have written four books for a New York publisher--three on holidays around the world for the middle school market, and one on non-profit careers. Since 1995 I have also taught Spanish and Latin American Studies in public and private K-12 schools and at the community college and university level in California and most recently Colorado. I am very excited to be working as the Education Director for the Elementary Spanish program, as it is a job that combines so many of the things that I love to do. If you would like to contact me, please write to me here at kidsspeakspanish@gmail.com, or for more information about my writing and editing work (and samples of my writing), go to my website www.writerannmorrill.com.
	Veronica Munive Niwot Heatherwood Flagstaff Academy
	Jessica Munoz jean85co@gmail.com Niwot	Jessika is a native Spanish speaker from Colombia, She has been in the United States for the last 4 years, and she has a wonderful 2 year old daughter. She has worked with kids of all ages in Colombia and in the United States and it is something she really enjoys and loves to do” “Personally, I know how challenging can be to learn a second language. Therefore, I try to have dynamic and easy classes, so the children can learn playing and having fun
	Devin Obrien Kyffin Elementary Shelton Elementary	Devin received her B.A. in Liberal Arts – The Great Books Program from St. John’s College in 2007. She is currently working on her second bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and plans to graduate in May 2012. She learned Spanish during a year-aboard in Spain in 2000 and has been teaching and tutoring Spanish ever since.
	Maria Rieder Mesa
	Carlin Rosa carlinrosamorales@gmail.com BCSIS	Carlin Rosa, who grew up in the Dominican Republic, enjoys teaching Spanish to students of all ages. After earning her Bachelor’s Degree in architecture, Carlin moved back to New York City, her home for the first eight years of her life. She now resides in Boulder, where she teaches Spanish to adults, and also teaches children at the Elementary Spanish Program. Carlin has also been tutoring low-income children in Denver using personalized lesson plans that incorporate creativity and imagination. She is an enthusiastic and patient teacher who will make sure that students are not only having fun, but absorbing the Spanish language. Carlin is also passionate about music, art, and dancing
	Danid Karim Sanchez danidksanchez@yahoo.com Community Montessori	I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. Shortly after graduating from High School, I came to the U.S. to pursue studies in Journalism. I went to Aims Community College (Greeley, Colorado) where after a year, I completed an Intensive English as a Second Language Program; subsequently, I studied for two more years and obtained a degree of Associate of Arts Liberal Arts. I continued my undergraduate studies at the University of Northern Colorado where I obtained a degree of Bachelor of Arts, with a Minor in Visual Arts. While living in the U.S., I had the opportunity to travel throughout the country and was able to visit and explore many beautiful and unique places, such as The Grand Canyon, Death Valley, The Florida Keys, The Sierras, Alaska, just to mention a few. Back in Venezuela, I worked for a major TV and Radio network, Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) writing and editing for the Evening T.V. news. Also, I had the opportunity to work for two local newspapers where I covered a variety of subjects.
	Lauren Tauchman Excel
	Audrey Truesdale audrey.truesdale@colorado.edu Excel	“I am currently in my final year at CU Boulder studying Elementary Education and Spanish. I have a passion for the Spanish language, and last semester studied abroad and traveled around Peru, which was an amazing experience. I have volunteered in many schools over the past few years, and am looking forward to soon being in my own classroom. When I am not in the classroom or teaching Spanish, I enjoy going on hikes and spending time with family and friends”
	Elvia Villalobos Lyons
	Katherine Wedum Kyffin Elementary Rooney Ranch Elementary
	Benjamin Westlund benjaminwestlund@gmail.com Jefferson Academy Steele	ESP Denver Representative. A lover of the Spanish language and of education, Ben Westlund is ecstatic to be a part of the ESP team for the 2011-2012 year. He received his B.A. in Elementary Education from The College of Saint Benedict/St. John's University (Minnesota) in 2007, and has since worked as a teacher with Denver Public Schools and as an English teacher in Santiago, Chile. He enjoys playing guitar and other stringed intruments, singing, playing sports, making fun of local news programs, and cooking delicious food. He greatly appreciates the opportunity to share his love for learning Spanish with this flagship organization!

Substitutes

Marcela Blanco
Kevin Crouse
Jael Cunningham
Angela Gerardi
Maria Vargas

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Please send comments or suggestions to Elementary Spanish Program at kidsspeakspanish@gmail.com.