Peg (Margaret) Leshinski holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Wittenberg University and a Masters in Education Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She taught for 2 years at Sandpiper Elementary in the Paradise Valley School District before coming to Sonoran Sky, where she has taught for the last 10 years. Mrs. Leshinski is a National Board Certified teacher.  Email: pleshinski@pvschools.net Voice mail extension: 36528

Helen Maxwell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood education and a Masters degreee in Elementary Education.  Ms. Maxwell has also earned her Reading Specialist Certification.  She has been teaching at Sonoran Sky since 1994.  Prior to that, she taught in the Paradise Valley Unified School District at Arrowhead Elementary. She also serves as the Junior Achievement conact person for the shcool. Email: hmaxwell@pvschools.net Voice mail extension: 36527

Kristin Van Dusen Email: kvandusen@pvschools.net Voice mail extension: 36537

Self Contained Honors Dolores Salisz   Email: dsalisz@pvschools.net Voice mail extension: 36538

Name: Dolores Letendre-Salisz
Current grade level: 5 th grade Self-contained Gifted Program
Grades taught previously, if any: 3 rd through 6 th regular classroom and gifted ed/Honors

Education:
Bachelor’s Degree/University: BS Elementary Ed. for Language Arts/Speech specialization from Rhode Island College.

Master’s Degree/University: MA Ed. Gifted Education/ Northern Arizona University

Certifications/other relevant experience : Part-time instructor for graduate classes at NAU in gifted education. Endorsements in Gifted Education and SEI .

Personal Information:
Where did you grow up? Pawtucket, Rhode Island

What led you to become a teacher? I was heavily influenced by relatives who were teachers, and the schools I attended as a child, were led by teachers I greatly admired. I wanted to be just like them!

How would you describe your teaching style and philosophy, your beliefs about how students learn best, your goals in the classroom? I truly feel that all kids need many opportunities to dialogue about how they relate to the world and what it is they are learning. If given the time, the little philosopher in each child can be developed and celebrated – which in turn, provides rich, rewarding experiences to connect to other perspectives.