I have been working in the office at Licton Springs for 10+ years, and was a parent here for several years before that. Before I began working in the school office, I worked as a medical receptionist for 10 years. I am the mother of 3 and grandmother of 2. In my free time I like to be crafty, I always have a crochet project (or 2) in process, I am a non-skating referee for a local roller derby league, and I like playing games; from classic board games to D&D to video games like Animal Crossing and Tetris.

Hello, I am Kendra!  I am a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and former preschool teacher. I love working in the schools and helping students improve their communication abilities. I moved to Seattle from Utah in 2022 and quickly fell in love with Seattle and the PNW! In my free time I love hiking, photography, reading, and baking.

Hello, I'm Teacher Kirsten, our K-1 Teacher! (Se habla español)

This is my sixth year teaching elementary, and my third year at Licton Springs K-8. I have a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Oklahoma and am in my second year of the M.Ed. Program in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus in Language, Literacy & Culture at the University of Washington. 

I am passionate about supporting students authentically in their early learning through engaging with their critical consciousness, multilingualism, multiliteracies, and social emotional development. We learn best in a community that values all members!

I love board games, dancing, food, bird-watching, and cuddling with my dogs! 

Hi, I'm Ms. Katherine. This will be my fifth year teaching at Licton Springs! I love our school because we have such a supportive and welcoming community.

Everyone belongs here!

My favorite things to teach are reading and science. I love to read stories out loud! Outside of school I love to read, be outside, and spend time with my friends and family. I am excited to learn with the 2nd and 3rd grade scholars this year!

Education: MIT University of Washington / BA University of Michigan

Hello everyone! My name is Noemi (Noe-mi). I am excited to join the Licton Springs Team as an IA in the preschool classroom. I have been in the education field for over eight years. I am currently attending University of Washington to obtain my masters in Early Childhood Special Education. I have my bachelors in Early Childhood Education from North Seattle College. I am passionate about creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment that embraces our students and families. I enjoy spending time with my family, trying out new baking recipes, hiking and backpacking in the Olympic National Parks!

I look forward to working together with you as partners in your child’s growth and development!

Hello! This is my second year in the district as a multilingual support teacher and my first year at Licton Springs. I split my time between Licton Springs and Loyal Heights. I completed my BA at University of Washington and my Master’s in Education at Antioch University Seattle, then later went back to school to earn my ELL endorsement. I have been teaching since 2007! In that time, I have been a substitute teacher, a special education instructional assistant, a 4th grade teacher, and now a multilingual learners teacher. I love this position as I can support both students and teachers and watch students grow in their language development. We are all language learners!

When I am not at school, I am busy doing activities with my husband and kids. Our daughter is in elementary school and our son is in preschool. Fun fact: I have lived in Ballard for over 18 years, and our kids are the fourth generation of the family to live in our current house!

I look forward to a successful school year!

Hi, I am Hank. I graduated from the University of Washington's Information School in 2021. I am an avid reader, runner, and yoga practitioner. I speak two languages (English and Spanish).

Education: MLIS University of Washington / BA Emmanuel College

Hi, I'm Haley Mullen and I am new to Licton Springs, but I've taught middle school Social Studies for the past 3 years. I am originally from Washington but grew up moving frequently as the daughter of an Army soldier. I thrive on hanging out with my family, cooking, sharing, and eating good food, and going to see musicals. I am really excited for this upcoming school year!

Hi my name is Aoife pronounced (Eefah).It is my second year at Licton Springs although I missed most of last year.  I'm very excited to come back fully.  I was born and raised in Ireland.  Eleven years ago my husband, two sons and I moved to Seattle for two years and here we are!

I've been an IA for about 10 years.  I love what I do. I love to read, do puzzles and play board games and look forward to the opportunity to share this with you. I love working with kids as every day they teach me something new, during covid they taught me to play Minecraft (I'm not any good!). I look forward to what the Licton Springs students are going to teach me. Education:  AAS North Seattle Community College

I also love to travel, walk/hike, and I'm a big Seahawks supporter.

Howdy! My name is Dante Rhodes and this is my second year as principal at Licton Springs.  I served as the head teacher for the two years before I became principal. I really enjoy working with our students, families, and staff. We are a great community! 

I am from Houston, Texas and taught in elementary schools in Houston and Austin, Texas. I attended The University of Texas at Austin for my undergraduate degree in Education, and Lamar University for my Master’s degree in Educational Administration.

I am excited to be here in Seattle with my two pups, Buddy and Bentley. In my spare time I enjoy playing with my dogs, traveling, and exploring Washington. I look forward to continuing serving our school community!

Education: MEd Lamar University / BS The University of Texas at Austin"

Hi, I'm Emily! I am a contract occupational therapist this year with SPS and have worked as a contract/travel therapist in schools for the past 3 years. I worked in Kansas, North Carolina, and Nevada before coming to Seattle. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and went to Gannon University in Erie, PA for my bachelor's and master's degrees. I love getting to work with new students and experience different cities each year as I travel!

My name is Manju Sharma. I am so excited to be at Licton Springs. I have a master’s in science and MIT. I was born in India, but I have lived in this country for more time than India. This is home now. I have 2 sons. The elder one works for Amazon and the younger is doing CS at UW. I have always wanted to teach, so I went back to school to get MIT and it is a dream come true. I feel that Math and Physics can make one look at the universe in such a special way. I love kids, animals, and trees. When not teaching, I enjoy gardening, yoga, ethnobotany, cooking, sketching on and off, travel (money and time permitting), watching comedies and news, and spending time with my family and the list goes on I love planting trees during winters for a non-profit, Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust, in Puget sound. I look forward to starting and meeting the students.

I am so excited to be working at Licton Springs K-8! I always aim to be fun and laid back with students and letting them take the lead on their learning. Outside of work, you’d probably see me out walking my dogs or in a coffee shop working on my writing.

Hi, I'm Elly!

I am super excited to join the Licton Springs community this year as a school social worker. I moved to Seattle from rural North Carolina a few years ago and have since held many different roles in a number of schools. I have worked at the preschool, elementary, middle and high school levels and I love working with kids at every age! I particularly love when I get to support students through difficult emotions. Outside of school, I like to go on outdoor adventures with my dog.

I've worked in Seattle schools since 2003. I started in my 2nd (and 3rd) AmeriCorps program, Washington Reading Corps and WRCVISTA. I worked at Kimball Elementary and loved the school so much that I decided to keep working in the Seattle Public System. I became a substitute IA, then an IA, and finally got my Masters to become a cert. I was a cert sub until I got my special education endorsement. In that time, I've worked in at least 80 schools within SPS. I love connecting with my students - working one on one and with smaller groups. I feel like that's where the biggest impact is made. I love Licton Springs for the social justice element and the strong community aspects. I play racquetball, am a songwriter and guitar player I also collect a ridiculous amount of music. Education: MA Seattle Pacific University / BA University of Washington