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I am excited to be at Odyssey as one of the fifth grade crew leads! Though I was born in Denver, I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin where I enjoyed the great, albeit muggier, outdoors through camping and biking trips with my family. After high school, I studied psychology and poverty studies at the University of Notre Dame. Upon graduation, I found the mountains were calling and I moved back to Denver where I took up teaching as an Associate Educator for 3rd grade at Ashley Elementary.  I have taught 2nd and 1st grade for the past six years in DPS and I earned my Masters from Relay Graduate School of Education in 2018. I am eager to dive deeper into expeditionary learning and the culture of building life-long learners at Odyssey. The curiosities of our primary students fascinate me and I look forward to exploring the natural world with them as they make discoveries about our community and themselves. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my dog, cooking new food, biking, and stand-up paddle boarding. My newest hobbies are watercolor painting and rock climbing. I am looking forward to learning and growing with my third grade crew this year!

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I have been a member of the Odyssey community since 2002!  I'm a Denver native growing up in Park Hill mostly.  I love watching the learning that happens here every day and seeing children grow.  I also love my co-workers!  My kids are also Odyssey students and love it here!

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Howdy! I am so excited to be joining Odyssey as the Adventure Coordinator this coming fall! My name is Olivia Gonzales and my story begins in College Station, TX where I was born, raised, and attended Texas A&M University. I graduated in 2020 with a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Sciences with focuses in Conservation Management and Youth Development. Since graduating, I have been riding out the seasonal job lifestyle and have taught outdoor education in Rocky Mountain NP, river guided in Big Bend NP, backpack/wildlife guided through Grand Teton and Yellowstone NP, taught 6th grade science at Estes Park MS, worked various summer camp roles, and so much more! I am so passionate about working with youth in the outdoors and consider myself extremely fortune to have found my unicorn dream job with Odyssey! When I’m not playing outside, I love to read, cook, listen to Taylor Swift and go to Rockies games! 

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Dawn Loge Greer has been a part-time school psychologist at the Odyssey School since 2021, and a staff representative to the board since 2022. She is a Clinical and School Psychologist who has 30 years experience in mental health and educational settings providing direct care, supervision, program and policy development, and administrative leadership in mental health and special education. She is dedicated to discovering and nurturing the unique needs of each student. Her goal is to be that "one extra adult" in a child's life to ensure they feel seen, valued and empowered to accomplish their goals. Her connection to Odyssey goes back to 2000, when her two daughters began their K-8 journeys at the school, and she believes in the influence of genuine family engagement on the emotional and academic growth for all students.

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I joined the Odyssey community in 2000, as an intern teacher through a University of Denver graduate program.  Since that time, I've been captivated by EL Education schools and the engaging, joyful, and meaningful learning possibilities within their walls.  For the last 20+ years, my education journey has included various teaching and leadership roles at Odyssey, RMSEL, APS, and within EL Education.  I am passionate about helping students see how much they matter in the world- their brilliance and effort are already making our world a better, more beautiful place- and they are capable of more than they know.

At my core, I am an ocean-loving New Englander but have now lived in Colorado longer than I ever lived in Massachusetts or Maine.  I feel equally at home in the mountains and I love adventuring close to home with my wife (MB), daughter (Josie), and our friends.  We’re happy biking, skiing, camping, or paddleboarding, and especially enjoy escapades in our VW camper van.  I also appreciate recharging with a healthy dose of downtime- taking care of my plants, being a bit crafty, playing games, baking, meeting up with friends, and reading.  It feels like a dream come true to be at Odyssey again, and I can’t wait to return to what makes my heart most happy- designing and teaching amazing learning expeditions while building community with students and families.

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I am Emma Pickett and I am incredibly excited to continue my career at the Odyssey School of Denver as one of the 1st grade crew leads. I am a Colorado native and grew up in the town of Castle Rock, Colorado.  I myself have a background in Expeditionary Learning, as I attended an EL school as a K-5 student.  My passions for the outdoors and working with children lead me to become an elementary teacher. Graduating from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2018 with a degree in Elementary Education (Go Roadrunners!) My background in Expeditionary Learning as a child has carried into my adulthood and I couldn't be more excited to give back to your children the experiences that shaped me. My life’s work is to make a positive impact on each child I cross paths with.  I believe in an equitable approach that creates a learning environment that is fun, engaging and full of adventure. Outside of school, I enjoy time with family, my dog Jaxson, mountain biking, or just relaxing with a good book and cup of coffee.

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My name is Jennifer Russell-Bickford and I'm thrilled to be joining Odyssey as a 5th Grade Crew Lead for the upcoming school year! Originally hailing from Maine, I pursued my education at the University of New Hampshire, earning a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed. in Elementary Education. In 2017, I furthered my qualifications by obtaining certification in Special Education. With twelve years of experience in education, I've had the privilege of teaching various grade levels including Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and Special Education. In 2016, I made the leap to Colorado where I discovered my passion for outdoor pursuits. Becoming an avid hiker, I achieved the goal of summiting all of Colorado's 14ers. When I'm not in the classroom, you'll often find me exploring the wilderness through hiking, camping, skiing, and running. My journey in education has also taken me overseas. In 2020, I embraced the opportunity to teach at international schools, venturing to Jakarta, Indonesia, and currently, Quito, Ecuador. Now, I'm excited to return to Colorado and embark on the next chapter of my educational journey with the Odyssey Crew!

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