An Official Core Knowledge© School and Model Visitation Site
Enrolling Kindergarten - 8th Grade
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Our Faculty And Staff!

• School co-founders, Ron and Paula Drossman are highly credentialed educators with a combined fifty years experience in working with children. Their areas of expertise include classroom teaching, program and curriculum development, and school administration. Ron Drossman, M.A., N.C.S.P. is the Program Specialist. He is an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University and is certified as a classroom teacher, Special Education teacher, Recreational Therapist and School Psychologist. Paula Drossman, M.Ed., The PEAK School Superintendent spent many years teaching in the early childhood education field. She is certified as a classroom teacher and Principal. The Drossmans have been involved over the last ten years in several programs encouraging educational reform in Arizona. Their experiences in the charter school movement and in traditional public education have provided them with a wealth of information and skills making The PEAK School a unique avenue for parent choice. Their focus is to know every child and every family in order to make all members of The PEAK School community welcome participants in the educational process.
  
  
• Susan Burdick is the PEAK School’s Director. She has made Flagstaff, Arizona her home the past 10 years. Although originally from Athens, Georgia the intrigue and beauty of the west has won her heart! Susan graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University in 1989 and completed her Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 2000. For 17 years she worked on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Utah and Arizona. During these years she served in various capacities such as classroom teacher, head teacher, grant writer, program specialist, and principal. She enjoys putting her skills to work as the Director at The Peak School. In her free time she enjoys doing crossword puzzles, reading, listening to music, hiking with her dog, working on family history, and being together with friends and family.
  
  
• The cheerful smile in the front office belongs to The PEAK's office manager, Mary Foley. Ms. Foley really enjoys working with students and their families. She coordinates and organizes many special events throughout the school year in addition to her normal office duties. She earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration from NAU. Mrs. Foley and her children love to camp out in Arizona and Utah.
  
  
• Tracy Braatz has been a resident of Flagstaff for over 25 years. In the fall of 1993 she graduated from NAU with a dual degree in Elementary and Special Education. Her love of teaching was temporarily put on hold by her desire to be a stay at home mom to her children Andrew and Morgan. Tracy and her husband Kurt, found The PEAK School when they began the search for a quality education for their children. After such a wonderful education experience for her own children, Tracy knew there was no other place she'd like to teach, and accepted a teaching position at The PEAK School in the fall of 2005. Currently Tracy teaches kindergarten and helps facilitate special education services. When she's not teaching, she can be found with her family, enjoying camping, fishing, and hiking in Flagstaff's beautiful surroundings.
  
  
• PEAK School parent, Mari Soliday, directs The PEAK School Before/After Care program. She holds a degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Northern Arizona University. Ms. Mari's warmth and enthusiasm ensure that students at The PEAK School have organized, creative enrichment activities before and after school, including homework help, tutoring and computer time. Additionally, Ms. Mari teaches Physical Education classes at the school.
  
  
• Tammy Eubanks is our combined 6th and 7th grade teacher here at The PEAK School. This is her 5th year with us and she looks forward to many more years in the future! Tammy was born in Utah then moved to a little town called Concho, Arizona for a few years before her dad was sent to Alabama for military training. After a year there, her family relocated to Flagstaff when Tammy was 10 years old. She attended Killip and Christensen Elementary School, East Flagstaff Junior High and Coconino High School. Tammy went on to get a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from NAU. She is married and has a nine year old son in 4th grade. She enjoys fishing and camping with her family, shares a love of books with Ms. Burdick and is busy on the weekends taking her son to his football games.
  
  
• Sherrine Short is very excited to be teaching first grade at The PEAK School and is looking forward to a great year working with the staff and students! She is a Flagstaff native and a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, emphasis in Bi-lingual Multicultural Education and has an ELL endorsement. Sherrine is a creative teacher and believes that every student has special gifts and talents. The Short family, which includes her husband Jerry, her two children Dylan and Gabby, and their two beagles Trixie and Dixie share a love of the outdoors, basketball, baseball, dance, music, creative projects and gatherings with family and friends
  
  
• Elii Chapman comes to The Peak School with a very diverse background working in the community- primarily with and for youth. Her experience ranges from serving as a Family Builders Case Manager to developing projects for the children’s museum, and volunteering in the Audubon Education Committee. Her undergraduate education brought her profound consciousness in art and sociology. She recently completed a graduate degree at NAU that resulted in state certification to teach general education K-8 and endorsement for teaching art K-12. Elii is thrilled with the opportunity to teach 7th and 8th grade at The Peak School. Elii enjoys spending her time reading, producing art, writing, traveling, as well as being a mother and an aunt.
  
  
• Joel Rieck has been playing music all of his life. At 4 years old he began playing the violin, eventually performing in school orchestras. In his teens he picked up the guitar working his way toward countless performances in Arizona with different bands and as a soloist. In 2002 he was the first place winner of the Outstanding Music Performers Competition for Maricopa County in the category of solo guitar. Mr. Joel holds both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Performance from Northern Arizona University. He has been with the PEAK School since 2005 and enjoys teaching young students the art of music and performance.
  
  
• Karen Harper is coming back for her second year with us. She is very excited to be doing something new this year. She will be teaching PE for Upper Campus grades, while still continuing to help in Aftercare and going to Nursing school. In her free time she spends time with her daughter Shawnie and takes care of all her farm animals.
  
  
• Chelsea Leonard is excited to begin her second year at the PEAK School as well as the opportunity to teach Second grade this year. Chelsea graduated Northern Arizona University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and her Early Childhood Certificate. Chelsea has had the privilege to grow up and live in Flagstaff for over 16 years and enjoys hiking, swimming, fishing, playing in the snow and spending time with her family and friends. Chelsea has a passion for education and children. Teaching is not just a career but a lifestyle and passion she loves!
  
  
• Melissa Stroud began volunteering with us in After-Care in 2003. She now works with us as a teacher's aid and After-Care worker while attending NAU. Although she stays pretty busy with full-time school and working with us part time, she also enjoys church activities and hanging out with her friends.
  
  
• Kaci Heins, 5th grade Teacher
  I have lived in Flagstaff for 3 years and I love teaching all subjects but especially science! When I became a teacher I made a commitment to become a lifelong learner and I enjoy every second of it. I received my undergrad and masters from Southeast Missouri State University. My husband is the Director of the Track and Field and Cross country programs at NAU. We have a son, Chase, who is 2. I just graduated from the 2010 Space Academy for Educators at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama and I am excited to share what I learned with my students, staff, and the community.
  
  
• Jennifer Thompson has lived in Flagstaff for 6 years and loves it! With her free time, she is an amateur seamstress, sewing mostly bridesmaid dresses and simple wedding dresses. She loves spending time with her husband and hanging out with friends. She and her husband also enjoy hanging out with the junior high students at their church. After graduating from NAU with a K-8 teaching certificate and special area certificate in middle school math, Jennifer continued on to earn a reading endorsement. She has served Flagstaff's students as an 8th grade math and science teacher, 1st grade teacher, and K-3 early intervention specialist. Jennifer is excited to continue to grow as a teacher this year with The PEAK School's fourth grade students.
  
  
• Kristen Smith will be our afternoon teacher in our Kindergarten class. This is her first year working with the Peak School. Kristen received her Bachelor's in Elementary Education from ASU at the West Campus. She loves to teach and especially loves to teach Kindergarten. She is excited to be able to focus on her favorite subjects; science, geography, and art. Mrs. Smith Recently moved from Phoenix to Flagstaff with her two-and-a-half year old son, so her husband can attend NAU and they are loving every minute of it. Their favorite things to do are camp, explore the new city they live in, and anything else outdoors.
  
  
• Aubry Leonard is super excited to start her first year of teaching here at The PEAK School. She graduated from Northern Arizona University in Decmeber of 2009 where she studied elementary and special education. Aubry loves children of all shapes and sizes and looks forward to each individual personality that will grow and learn in her third grade class. Aubry grew up in Southern Arizona, Marana to be specific, but has made Flagstaff her home. She loves to be outdoors, and participate in anything active. Some of her favorite things to do are bike, hike, go camping, walk her dogs Kodiak and Kanyon, and spend time with family and friends. Aubry just got married in June and is very excited to embark on this new adventure.