Meet the NCSA Teaching Staff

Transitional Kindergarten

Nicole Hayes
Dragonfly Transitional Kindergarten

The Transitional Kindergarten year is all about developing the social-emotional skills and self-awareness of each student so that he/she may enter into the Kindergarten year as self-directed and enthusiastic students.
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Shannon Connor
Transitional Kindergarten

The Transitional Kindergarten year is all about developing the social-emotional skills and self-awareness of each student so that he/she may enter into the Kindergarten year as self-directed and enthusiastic students.
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Kindergarten

Rachel Martino
Hummingbird Kindergarten

In Kindergarten we strive to show loving kindness to one another throughout our day.There are 20 students in our morning’s only kindergarten class. We have an aide to help us with small group work and many parent volunteers.

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Shannon Martinez
Butterfly Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a time of boundless wonder. This year I am thrilled to join the children on a journey to discover the intrigue of nature and science, creative expression, books, mathematical thinking and social connections.

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1st Grade

Danielle Morey
1st Grade Helping Hands

In the Helping Hands class, we pride ourselves on our strong sense of family and community. We have virtues that we discuss and practice on a daily basis. We have a small class size of 22 students as well as an instructional aide. In the first grade, students build confidence, critical thinking, and leadership skills.

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MaryLouise Newkirk
1st Grade

First grade will consist of introducing students into learning as they begin to develop a love of stories, children’s literature, reader’s theater, authentic thinking, problem-solving, artistic expression, and compassion. We will learn Sign Language and sing together. We will dance and move together. While students will grow exponentially over the course of the school year in their academics, I place a huge emphasis on students’ social and emotional well-being as well. 1st Grade
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2nd Grade

Brittani Brackett
2nd Grade

There are 20 students in our class. We have one aide who helps throughout our day. We hold literacy reading class in small groups and math in both small and whole group depending upon the activity. We do many science lessons and often enjoy them with our second-grade partner class. We are a class of authors writing daily.

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Hayley Baumgartner
2nd Grade Planet Protectors

There are 20 students in our class.  We have one aide who helps throughout our day.  We hold literacy reading class in small groups and math in both small and whole group depending upon the activity.  We do many science lessons and often enjoy them with our second-grade partner class.  We are a class of authors writing daily.

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3rd Grade

Carrie Morgan
3rd Gryphon Class

By exploring the curriculum in a hands-on manner, academic knowledge becomes more meaningful and more memorable. Our class goes on several field trips each year. Art and movement are incorporated into each and every subject to promote creative, happy and freethinking individuals while also keeping learning meaningful and fun!

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Maria DiCintio
3rd Grade Dragons

This is a year of enormous growth. This is the year the students enter a larger world and take our first overnight field trip the end of the year.

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4th Grade

Mrs. Criss-Harvey
4th Grade Innovators

Welcome to fourth grade! We are going to have a great year, full of learning and fun.

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Lori Spencer
4th Explorers

We are a class of 26 students who enjoy exploring our world. This year we are exploring the 5th-grade social studies curriculum of the United States.  We learn about the geography and the historical events that shaped our nations through hands-on and interactive studies. As an art school, we incorporate the arts in social studies, language arts and science.

Learn more about Lori’s class

5th Grade

Mr. Martinez
5th Grade

My name is Jeff Martinez and I am thrilled to be joining Nevada City School of the Arts this year as part of the fifth grade team.  Over the course of my career I have taught kindergarten through twelfth grade in diverse learning communities in schools located in Malaysia, Italy, Indonesia, Austria, the Caribbean and California.

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Mrs. Yzaguirre
5th Grade

Welcome to 5th grade! My name is Danielle Yzaguirre (Is-a- gear-ee) and I have been a teacher for over 16 years. My teaching experience has included teaching both art and elementary school and this will be my 6th year teaching 5th grade.

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Middle School

Mr. Justin Brown-Woods
6th Grade

Mr. Brown-Woods is a new member to the NCSA team. He has a Masters in Teaching and a multiple subject credential from the University of San Francisco. After graduating, Mr. Brown-Woods spent two years teaching 5th grade at Guerneville Elementary.

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Mr. Cormia
6th Grade

Devin Cormia is joining NCSA as the 6th grade Math and Science teacher in the 2019-2020 school year. Devin has worked as a science educator throughout California (and a short stint in Portland, OR), leading hands-on inquiry-based lessons for students ranging from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade..

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Ms. Hoyt
7th Grade Language Arts and History

Hi! My name is Audra Hoyt and I am excited to be teaching 7 th grade History and Language Arts.

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Mrs. Ellsmore
7th & 8th Grade Science

In 2005, I earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Botanical Sciences from Humboldt State University. I traveled and worked as a field Botanist for several years where I applied my love of the outdoors and affinity for environmental protection.

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Mrs. Lane
7th & 8th Grade Math

Hello and welcome! My name is Lisa Lane and I will be teaching 7th /8th-grade mathematics.

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Mr. Charles
7th Grade ELA and 8th Grade Social Studies.

Hello!  My name is Ron Charles, and I am very much looking forward to teaching 7th Grade ELA and 8th Grade Social Studies.  My family moved to Nevada County in 2007 from Mendocino County, where I was a classroom teacher at River Oak Charter School in Ukiah.

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