Fifth Grade

Our 5th grade teachers!

Ms. Begnel

Hello! My name is Katie Begnel. I originally grew up in southern Illinois. I moved to Grand Junction for college and I have loved being in Colorado. One of my favorite things is the outdoors. I also love spending quality time with my family and friends. A fun fact about me is that my favorite food is tacos!
I am so excited to be at Buffalo Ridge Elementary, where I will be starting my education career. I want to be a teacher because I have a passion for children and growing relationships with them. I can't wait to learn and experience new things this year!

Begnel

Ms. Bethea

Hello Buffalo Ridge Families! My name is Maya Bethea and I am very excited to be teaching 5th grade this year at Buffalo Ridge! I am a Colorado native and grew up in Denver, I moved to Parker when I began teaching 3 years ago. This will be my fourth year teaching!

My experience teaching is in upper elementary. Before joining the Buffalo Ridge team I worked as a 5th grade teacher at Gold Rush Elementary. I also did my student teacher residency in a 5th grade classroom. I graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.

As a teacher I enjoy creating a classroom community with my students. I think this is the most important factor in creating a successful classroom of students who thrive both academically and socially. I am always looking for new ways to engage my students creatively and find what excites them about learning. In addition to relationship and community building I believe in holding students to high expectations, challenging them academically and socially, teaching them to be respectful of the differences of others, and instilling a growth mindset in which students aren't afraid of taking risks and believing in themselves.

My immediate family is pretty small as I am an only child. However, my best friend of 14 years is like a sister to me. We spend a lot of time with our Shih Tzu Lila! I enjoy spending time in and out of the city trying new restaurants, attending concerts at Red Rocks, or going to hot springs pools in the mountains.

I am always open to sharing my experiences with students and families so please feel free to ask. Being in communication with families is important to me and I will be more than happy to answer any questions over the phone or through email. I am looking forward to teaching your students this year and creating a partnership to be the best support system for them.

Bethea

Ms. Garbett

My name is Stacey Garbett. I am 28 years old. I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, for most of my life before moving to Colorado last year. I travel to California to work as an Aquatics Director for a scout camp during the summer. I am currently working on my Master in Educational Psychology, and should be graduating by the end of this year.

While I have only had my own classroom for the last four years, I have been working in schools since 2012. Most of that time was spent as a teacher in the after-school program. When I wasn't tutoring the little ones, I ran enrichment classes which included ballroom dancing and pottery. I also worked as an interventionist, teacher assistant, and as a substitute.

When I'm not teaching I love to go on adventures! I enjoy hiking, paddle boarding, and camping. I love to dance but haven't been able to find a spot to do so in Colorado. Lastly, I have recently gotten into kickboxing, which is so much fun!

Garbett

Mr. Schlatter

Hello! This is my FIRST year as an educator and I could not be more excited to spend my first year with Buffalo Ridge! I received my BA in Elementary Education from IUPUI in Indianapolis, Indiana and I just moved out to Colorado in July. I fell in love with the mountains and the people and knew that this was going to be my new forever home. I have 3 cats named Jasper, Juno, and Link and an amazing fiancee by my side. I left behind my closest friends in Indiana but I'm beyond excited to create more!(: I cannot wait for the school year to start and to begin my passion with some amazing kiddos!

In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 720-433-1083.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.