Options School and Home School
Meet the Teachers at…
Village OPTIONS
Denise Balatbat
Kindergarten, 1 & 2 Reading , Yearbook
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Hi my name is Denise Balatbat. I am currently the kindergarten teacher, ½ Reading teacher, and head of the yearbook.
This is my 9 th year of teaching elementary education and my first year at Village Options.
I graduated from Metropolitan State College in 1999 and have a Bachelors degree in behavioral science.
I then taught third grade for 5 years. I eventually had to put teaching on hold to be a mom to my wonderful boys.
I began subbing for Aurora Public Schools since then, with long-term assignments in kindergarten, 1 st , 2 nd , and 3rd grades.
I am an active sub at Aurora Frontier. I am married to my wonderful husband Ronald, and we have 5 beautiful, energetic boys.
Caleb-8, Caden -6, Cameron -5, Calen -3 and Carson -7 months old. I am excited to be a part of the Options program, and look
forward to teaching your children. I also look forward to getting to know all the great families that make up our Options program! |
Kate Stapleton
Critical Thinking
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I graduated from Carroll College in Waukesha, WI with a degree in Math and Secondary Education. While living in Wisconsin, I taught for 6 years at a college prep high school and also coached the varsity girls basketball team. I have 3 daughters, Jordyn (10), Miquela (8) and Ashlyn (6). I have been married for 11 years. My husband, Arnie, is a sportswriter for Associated Press and a job transfer for him brought us to Colorado in 2005. I teach at Options and also am the Director of Children's Ministries at our church. I enjoy playing with my girls, fun outings to the zoo and museums, movies and sports. |
Brandi Rojas
Lapbooking, Creative Arts
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My name is Brandi Rojas and I am currently an instructor at Options where I teach Lapbooking and Creative Arts . I am a full time stay at home mom of my three girls! I taught at Elizabeth High School for three years where I taught Drawing, Painting, Graphic design, pottery and sculpture until I resigned to be at home with my family. I received my teaching credentials from Metropolitan State College with my K-12 Licensure with an art endorsement. I also have a Fine Arts degree with an Emphasis in Drawing and painting from the University of Colorado Denver. I have taught art to inner city children, as well as volunteering time to pre-school teaching! I am so excited to be working at Options and have felt at home here! I truly enjoy it here and adore teaching your students and becoming a permanent part of the community here!
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Dave Umphress
PE
| After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado in 2007, I took a wife and we stuck around UNC for 2 years working with a group called The Navigators helping college students figure out life. Now doing a similar thing in Denver, I also get to teach P.E. part-time with Options! I enjoy just about anything active. My favorites though are things I can do with my wife Hannah. We like biking and doing outdoor activities like camping together. I also greatly enjoy soccer and tennis. If it is active and competitive, I'm in!
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Lara McCormick
Science / Robotics
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Hi my name is Lara McCormick. This is my first year with Village Options and my fourth year with the Options program. I spent ten years teaching fifth and sixth grade before coming to Options. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from UNC in Greeley, my Elementary Teaching License from Metro State and my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Colorado Christian University. In my free time I love to spend time with my family, play tennis, and read. I am very excited to join the team at Village Options!
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