NAME

EMAIL: type name and @psdschools.org

Cree Bol

French

Outdoor Living

abol
488-4447

Chris Boyle

High School Social Studies

cboyle
488-4411

This is my fourth year as a high school social studies teacher at PIONEER/Polaris.  I attended Colorado State University for my bachelor’s degree in history and my teaching certificate and I will graduate with a master’s degree in Sport Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in May.  I am a huge sports fan and love any form of competition and in addition to being a teacher at Polaris I coach softball at Fossil Ridge High School.  I’m a diehard fan of Colorado State athletics and spend far too much time and money attending nearly every football, basketball, and volleyball game.  One thing people may not know about me is that I love to color in coloring books, it’s very relaxing.  I love my job at Polaris because I have the freedom to teach compelling and in depth classes rather than skim over everything like most of the districts social studies teachers.  I work with an incredibly talented and fun staff and I look forward to coming to work every day. 

Billy Bromley

High School Math 

wbromley
488-4444

Brenda Cisneros

Educational Support 

bcisnero
488-4446

Bachelor's of Arts from the University of Wyoming with a dual major of special education and elementary education, currently working on a Master's in Education at University of Colorado - Boulder in Language Diverse Education. My hobbies include running, knitting, cooking, reading, hiking, sitting in the sunshine
My favorite thing about Polaris is the community!  I really like the quote by Margaret Mead that states, " Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  To me, that describes our community.
My family includes my husband, Elliott and two daughters, Isabel and Amalia.

Joe Gawronski

Principal

jgawrons
488-4400

Joe grew up in Connecticut where he spent much of his time swimming, playing organized sports and attending Yankee games.  After graduation he moved to Colorado where he began studies within the Psychology program at Colorado State University

He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree and then went on to get his Master's Degree in School Counseling from CSU.  He was lucky enough to have landed a job at a small alternative school in Greeley prior to finishing his degree program.  It was here that Joe learned just how resilient teens are, and he continues to be inspired by this fact on a daily basis.

With some encouragement from a supervisor he then went on to pursue his principal licensure.  
He went on to work at Poudre High School for five years before doing a short stint within PSD's Central Office working for Human Resources.  Although he wasn't exposed to many children within this position he did learn a lot from his colleagues about the complexities of a district the size of PSD. 

Finally, in the latest chapter, Joe has been blessed to be principal of Polaris Expeditionary Learning School.  It's here that he can see the benefits of inquiry-based education, because it prepares kids for the 21st Century while at the same time it boosts their self-esteem.  As the school continues to grow Joe vows to always look at Polaris from the student's point of view, learn from them, and continue to make difficult decisions using the student lens, as well as others.

Ryan Grindel

Art

rgrindle
488-4448

Molly Hallpayne

Middle School Science

mhallpay
488-4448

Clair Kochis

Middle School Math

ckochis
488-4433

Steve Majors

Spanish

smajors
488-4449

Mary Ellen Quinn

Office Manager

mquinn
488-4404

Rhae Reiker

Counselor

treiker
488-4445

Andrea Russo

Office Clerk
Attendance Clerk
Health Tech

arusso
488-4405
Andrea Russo:  bachelor’s degree from Duke University where I majored in Political Science and Women’s Studies.  I have an MA in History from CSU.  I have two children.  My daughter is 8 and my son is 5.   I am the health tech, attendance clerk, and office clerk.  I am a runner and enjoy traveling and hanging out with my kids.  My favorite thing about Polaris is working with such an energetic staff and student body.  Something people don’t know about me is that I have a sister named Andrea!

Kyle Stack

High School Science
Discovery

kstack
488-4412

I am Kyle Stack, the middle school science and Discovery teacher here at Polaris.  I have lived in Colorado since 1988 and here in The Fort since 1990.  My background has included education and experience with NOLS, The National Park Service, Big Thompson Youth Naturally (an outdoor education program for students 7-12th grades), and being a fly-fishing guide on the Poudre and Big Thompson for St. Peter’s Fly Shop.  I graduated from CSU in 1996 with a BS in Natural Resource Management and got licensed to teach in 1999 through CSU.  And I’ve been teaching junior high and middle school since!

Matt Strand

Middle School
Humanities

mstrand
488-4434

My name is Matt Strand.  I am the Middle School Humanities Teacher.  I have a Masters in Education from Texas Christian University; I am currently working toward a PhD in Educational Leadership at Colorado State University.  In my free time I enjoy hiking, cooking, playing mandolin, listening to music, and creating artwork.
People who see me as goofy don't realize that I am serious most of the time; people who see me as serious don't realize that I am goofy most of the time.  My favorite thing about Polaris is that everyone (staff, students, parents) is encouraged to approach our work here in an artistic, personally meaningful way.  I also appreciate the friendly, helpful atmosphere.  It is a truly amazing place!  If you stop by our little campus, feel free to stop in and chat.

Jennifer Todd

High School
Language Arts

jtodd
488-4442

Randy Walters

High School Math
Science

randyw
488-4440

Born in the swamps of Houston, Texas on Mother's day, I spent my entire childhood there getting into some form of trouble.  During high school, I finally learned something about what I wanted to do with my life and got my stuff together.  After earning my B.S and M.S. in Geology at Trinity U. and U. of Tennessee, respectively, I took a job at Exxon to find oil for a better America.  After eight years of being an oil pig, I discovered that my passion was not in oil but, rather, in teaching.  We moved to Colorado about the time my beautiful daughter Erin was born, and I earned my teaching certificate at CSU.  I taught for ten years in Greeley before coming to Polaris and I love it here.  I've always said that I would only teach at the best school that I could find and I truly believe that I have found that school.  These days, I spend most of my free time with my daughter and am looking forward to walking to school with her for the next 4 years (her to Poudre and me here).

Deborah Warshaw

High School Humanities

dwarshaw
488-4441

Pam Webb

Sixth Grade

pwebb
488-4438

Brian Yoder

Counselor

byoder
488-4445

I’m Brian Yoder. I have a BSE degree is secondary social studies education and a masters degree in counseling from CSU.  My favorite hobbies include telemark skiing, camping, whitewater kayaking, and spending time with my fiancé.  What I enjoy the most about Polaris is the atmosphere of respect and the friendliness of the staff and students, in addition to all the adventure opportunities. Something that people might not know about me: I have been avid traveler. I have had the good fortune of being able to explore every continent ~ including a 6 month stint working in Antarctica. I have been teaching for 5 years.