Grades 5-8 Team

I grew up in Buffalo, NY and as soon as I could, went out west and worked in the environmental/recreational field in some of our country's most beautiful places. I have always been passionate about our natural world and becoming a science teacher has been a perfect fit.

I moved back east to be closer to family and to start my own. We moved to Vermont several years ago and it is the perfect place for me. The natural beauty, sense of community and regional values align with mine and it feels more like home than any other place I have lived.

Teaching STEM at the Dummerston School, coaching soccer and hockey for the youth of our area is so fulfilling since I feel like I am giving back to the community I appreciate and love so much. I am also able to enjoy all the amazing aspects of this area and community when not teaching and coaching.

Ellen started teaching in 2004 through a program called the NYC Teaching Fellows. This program provided a 6 week crash course in teaching and then Ellen had her own classes in a high school in Brooklyn called James Madison High School-a school with 4500 students. It was crazy! She would like to think she has learned a lot since then, because the first year was NOT PRETTY!

Ellen moved to VT 11 years ago with her partner Emily. They now have two children, Max and Leanna, who are students at Dummerston School. Oh, and if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks and haven’t heard or seen her ‘mention’ it a million times, they just got a puppy named Phoenix.