MSSD14

welcome to MSES staff Page

Russ Vogel, Principal Manitou Elementary School
Prior to his career In education, Mr. Vogel was a writer/editor/adventurer at The Worthington Globe, the University of Minnesota, International Business Information in Tokyo, Wiley Law Publications, UniStar Radio Networks, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and a salmon plant in Galena, AK. He began his education career at Remington Elementary in Colorado Springs, where he taught Fourth Grade and was Vice Principal. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism Degree from the University of Missouri, a Bachelor’s in Education from Adams State College, and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado. Mr. Vogel was The Gazette’s 1999 NIE Teacher of the Year. He became principal of Manitou Springs Elementary in August 2004. He has three wonderful daughters—Kelcey, Kirstin, and Kaitlin—in Manitou Springs schools.
Email Russ Vogel

Mrs. DeLarm
Mrs. DeLarm is in her 4th year of teaching third grade. She has a BA in Bus. Admin(1990), and a BS in Elementary Ed.(2004). She has taught Title, 4th,5th, and 2ndgrade. She and her husband have 3 children (4,8,9) in Woodland Park. She loves reading, hiking and being with her family.
Email Amy DeLarm

 
 
 
 

 

 

Mrs. Marquardt
Mrs. Marquardt is in her sixth year of teaching third grade. She holds a MEd in Elementary Education and a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Communication with a minor in French. She is also a Teacher Liaison Alumna with the Space Foundation. She is married and has two boys at Manitou Springs Elementary. She love Manitou, beauty and nature, books, laughter and reading! Email Christi Marquardt

 Email Christi Marquardt
 
 
 

 

Mrs. Dillinder
Mrs. Lisa Dillinder has taught K-3 for 22 years in Manitou. She grew up in California before moving to Colorado for college and staying in this beautiful state. Lisa has 2 sons and enjoys reading, skiing and photography.
Email Lisa Dillinder
 
 
 
 
 

 

Mrs. McKeeman
I am pleased to teach kindergarten at Manitou Springs Elementary School. I have taught school since 1980 – from preschool to adult education. My teaching experience and background have been shaped by my family’s military service at posts across the country and overseas, including Missouri, California, Germany, Virginia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and, of course, Colorado. My husband, two daughters, and I have lived in Colorado since 1998. I’m an Oklahoma Sooner and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. I have also earned a Master’s Certificate from the University of Southern California in Early Childhood Education. Kindergarten promises to be a year of fun, excitement, and learning. I am eager to introduce our kindergarteners to a new world of friends, exciting experiences, and expansive learning opportunities. I consider myself to be privileged to guide your child at the outset of this amazing journey. My mission is to set the conditions for your child’s successful growth and development – academically, emotionally, physically, and socially. I want to help our kindergardeners sprint like the Manitou Mustang!
Email Dana McKeeman

Mrs. Jennifer Sanders
Mrs. Jennifer Sanders has been teaching fourth grade at Manitou since 2007. Before that she worked as a fourth and fifth grade teacher for five years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Theater from Humboldt State University and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Washington. Her experience includes work in children’s theater, Young Writers’ Workshop, and as a storyteller.
She enjoys exploring the language of mathematics and weaving it into teaching throughout the day.
Email Jennifer Sanders

 

 

 

Ms. Laura McCracken
Ms. Laura McCracken was born in Indiana, raised in New York State and attended college in Pennsylvania. She made it out to Colorado by doing gymnastics camps across the country. When she arrived in Colorado Springs, she never left. Laura holds a BFA in Drawing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with teaching certification and a minor in psychology. Laura was honored in 2004 as the Colorado Elementary Art Educator of the year. Laura has also participated in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program where she went to Japan to study the educational system. Laura enjoys teaching students of all ages. Laura especially enjoys seeing students making connections from one subject or media area to another. Laura's goal in teaching is to inspire creative thinking and appreciation for all forms of art. Laura is a working artist specializing in fused glass jewelry and two-dimensional art media. Laura is a ten year member of The Bridge Gallery in Colorado Springs. Laura also coordinates monthly art shows for Cambio yoga studio. Laura is also a part-time gymnastics coach at Stars Gymnastics. She has taught all levels of women's gymnastics at the team level and now enjoys sharing her love for the sport through coaching recreational level classes and subbing at the team levels. Laura stays fit through soccer, yoga, pilates, and in the summer, long hikes through the beautiful Colorado mountains. Laura also enjoys visiting Colorado hot springs, camping, reading, walking her pug dog, playing with her ferrets, travel, billards, poker and fun with friends and family.
Email Laura McCracken

 

Ms. Danielle Swiontek
Ms. Danielle Swiontek is a second grade teacher at MSES.  She was was raised in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, OK, and moved to enjoy the great outdoors of Colorado Springs after graduating in 2004 with a BS in Early Childhood Education from Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, OK). She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Regis University, though she plans to stay in the classroom as a teacher for quite a while! She is blessed to experience the amazingly challenging and exponentially rewarding career she has pursued ever since she was in the first grade. She loves kids and loves her job teaching them. For five years, Ms. Swiontek taught 1st and 2nd grades in area charter schools; she joined the Manitou Springs Elementary team in 2009 and is proud to be a Mustang! Ms. Swiontek spends as much of her summer as possible in the mountains and doing anything related to the outdoors. She has climbed nearly all of Colorado's 54 "14ers," as well as Mt. Rainier.  She also spends time camping, rock climbing, skiing, reading, and with church activities.
Email Danielle Swiontek

Mark Brost
Mark Brost was born in South Dakota. He studied education at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. Since 1998 he has taught preschool, kindergarten, third, fourth fifth and sixth grades in St. Paul, Minnesota, Rapid City, South Dakota, Denver Colorado and, now, in Manitou Springs Colorado.
Email Mark Brost

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Debbie Heidenreich
Mrs. Debbie Heidenreich is a first grade teacher at Manitou Springs Elementary. Originally from Indiana, Debbie graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She has taught for thirty-one years with twenty-five in kindergarten and first grade at MSES. She gets a kick out of teaching children of students she taught many years ago! Away from school, Mrs. Heidenreich enjoys
spending time with family, traveling, playing golf, hiking, and writing children’s alphabet books with her husband as the photographic illustrator. She has two grown children, loves living in beautiful Colorado, and is proud to be a part of Manitou Elementary. Working with first graders adds extra fun to life!
Email Debbie Heidenreich

 

Sean Patterson, Building Technician
Sean Patterson is a Colorado Springs native, graduate of Widefield High School and current resident here in Manitou Springs. While being a dedicated father of two boys and building technician for Manitou Springs Elementary, he also currently hold valid Colorado State certificates as a soccer coach, Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter I and II and Hazardous Materials operations for this town he calls his own. In his spare time, he serves with the Manitou Springs Fire Department, hikes with his boys and rides Harleys with family and friends.
Email Sean Patterson

 

 

Jeana Farrell Lincoln
I have been teaching Kindergarten since 2001 and have had the good fortune to be a Manitou Mustang since 2008!  After I received my Masters Degree in Education from Colorado College in 2001, I began my teaching career at Canon Elementary School in District 12 and taught there for seven years.

As Manitou Springs residents and parents of two boys in the Manitou Schools, my husband and I value the strong sense of community and small-town atmosphere of Manitou. From a teacher’s perspective, I appreciate the high standards and academic success of the Manitou Public Schools.  I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of the education system in our neighborhood school.

The love I have for teaching is daily returned to me as I see my students acquire new skills, make friends, and gain confidence in themselves.  In creating an environment that encourages students to explore, work cooperatively, and make thoughtful choices, I consistently model the excitement and joy of the learning process.  I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to guide my students on the path of becoming lifelong learners.
Email Jeana Farrell Lincoln

Robin Sokol
Robin Sokol is the literacy teacher for first grade at MSES. She grew up in Maryland, graduating from Towson State University in 1986 with a B.S. in English/Psychology. After graduation, she traveled the country, visiting Manitou Springs; she fell in love with the town and decided to stay! Ms. Sokol worked as a Special Ed. paraprofessional for four years, before deciding to return to school for her teaching degree. She completed her M.A.T. in elementary education from Colorado College in 1994. She taught kindergarten for three years at UPE, then spent several years at home with her children. She returned to teaching in 2007 to work with the first-grade team at MSES. She enjoys music, reading, running, and, of course, hanging out with her two children!

Email Robin Sokol

 

Nancy Moseley
I'm Ms. Nancy Moseley, Title II reading teacher for second grade.  Born in Texas, stayed eight months, and traveled the world with my Air Force family. It was fascinating living in the countries of Germany and Japan, plus several states including Hawaii.  My elementary education degree was received at CU in Boulder, CO.  My masters degree in special education is from Boston College, MA.  The 28 years I've taught have been very rewarding and fun!  I've taught special education, regular classroom, Title I, and now Title II reading.  I'm blessed with two terrific sons. My hobbies include my two pugs, gardening, art, and making jewelry.  My 19 years at MSES have been the best teaching years I've experienced.  I love the students and staff!

Email Nancy Moseley

Randy Niebuhr
Mr. Randy Niebuhr has been teaching since 1975 and at Manitou Springs Elementary School since 1996. He believes in teaching kids to live a healthy lifestyle through a variety of physical activities and healthy eating habits.
Email Randy Niebuhr

 

 

 

 

 

Melissa Loftin
Despite my age, I still feel like a fairly new teacher since I really only got my teaching career going in 1988 after a 15-year break raising 5 children.  I call that getting “life experience”.  Educationally, I hold a BS in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University (1974) and a Masters in Special Education from the State University of New York (1993).  I’ve been with Manitou since 1996 in SPED, Title, and first grade, and love the school, students and staff! Previous teaching experiences include a year of second grade in Kentucky in 1974 and 6 1/2 years teaching kindergarten in Binghamton, NY from 1989-1996.
I love being at home, laughing, singing, reading, and gardening. My husband (since 1973) and I live in Woodland Park and are the proud grandparents of seven beautiful children.  Like I tell my students’ parents every year…” When it comes to children, I’ve seen it all. Nothing can surprise me, so relax. And let’s enjoy the new schoolyear.”
Email: Melissa Loftin  

 

Maria Woytko-Morris
Ms. Maria Woytko-Morris has taught second grade at Manitou Elementary since 1999. Before that she taught three years in California in grades one and two. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) and a Master’s Degree from Lesley University. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, traveling, reading, going to the Renaissance Festival, and sharing her love of the music of John Denver. Ms. Woytko-Morris and her husband have a cockatoo named Ritzi and a Quaker parrot named Gwen. She so happy to be a part of Manitou School District and meeting all the unique students.
Email Maria Woytko-Morris

 

 

Mark Langseth
Born in the Midwest, Mr. Langseth attended Colorado College for his higher education and earned both a BA in Environmental Design in 1976 and a Master of Arts in Teaching in 2000.  Prior to becoming a teacher in 1993, he worked as an architect for 14 years.  In 1996, he found his home teaching 4th graders at Manitou Elementary.  In his free time he  loves to bike, fish, golf, and renovate his century-old log cabin on Colorado Springs' west side.  He also enjoys traveling with his wife to visit their son in California, and he has visited all 50 states, as well as 7 countries so far.

Email Mark Langseth

 

 

Shauna Hoey
Shauna Hoey is a Paraeducator at MSES and enjoys supporting students and staff members.  She spends most of her time assisting Nurse Joni in the health office taking care of students that are not feeling well. She is an early childhood specialist with a BS degree in Child Development and graduated Cum Laude with distinction.  Prior to joining the MSES team she taught 2nd grade for 5 years, Kindergarten for 1 year, 1st grade for 3 years, and preschool for 6 years. She has coached cross country and track for K-6 graders for the Landshark Running Club since 2006 and is the current coach for our MSES team. She is also a published writer, and writes curriculum for 4th and 5th graders monthly, which is published on-line.  She is married and has 2 children that attend Manitou Springs schools and has 4 older stepchildren.  She loves hiking, reading, and writing. 
Email Shauna Hoey

 

Chris Whipkey
Chris Whipkey has been teaching at Manitou Elementary since 2005.  She holds a BA in Psychology and earned her teaching certification through the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.  Chris and her husband are both Manitou High School graduates and look forward to the days when their two sons become Manitou graduates as well. Go 'Stangs!

Email Chris Whipkey

 

 

 

Mr. Ben Lewis has been teaching music at  Manitou Springs Elementary School since 2010. A Manitou native and an MSES grad, Mr. Lewis once learned music in the very room he now teaches in. In 2002, he earned an International Baccalaureate diploma at Palmer High School. Afterward, he attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he earned a B.A. in Music. Mr. Lewis plays numerous instruments including: guitar, mandolin, drums, ukulele, piano, and violin. He is an active musician in the bluegrass scene, where he is best known in his role as “Blackbeard”, the fiddle player for the award winning local band “Grass It Up”.

Ben Lewis
MSES Music
blewis@mssd14.org
www.mssd14.org/mses_music/index.htm

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