Meet Ms. Melissa

Ms. Melissa McQueen joins the Escuela de Guadalupe team next month as our Middle School Lead, bringing with her over six years of lead teaching experience and a passion for Escuela's mission.

WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM?

I am originally from Denver and we still live 2 blocks from my old elementary school. I love Denver and plan to stay here my whole life.

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT ESCUELA DE GUADALUPE?

I heard about Escuela from David Card. I taught his two oldest daughters when I was at Good Shepherd. A few years ago he invited several teachers from Good Shepherd to Escuela 101 to learn about the school. I was so impressed that when I got home that night I told my husband that I would love to work at Escuela some day!

WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU JOINED THE ESCUELA TEAM?

For the last six years I taught 5th grade at Good Shepherd. In addition to teaching I helped the school in many ways including running the school safety program and creating a new teacher orientation. During the last year, I was also going to to school at the University of Denver to earn my principal's license. The program was a wonderful way to learn about school leadership as I looked to expand my work out of the classroom. Prior to Good Shepherd, I was the Technology Director at a school called Montclair Academy where I taught all of the children pre-kindergarten - 8th grade how to use computers and worked with their classroom teachers to integrate technology into their lessons. I also taught Spanish to the younger students which was a fun change from being with the computers all day.

IN THE NEXT YEAR, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST?

There are so many things I am looking forward to in the next year. Getting to know the school and community even more deeply is my first priority. However, I am most excited to help Escuela expand the program to include a middle school as was the original vision of the school founders. The middle school years are a wonderful time of transformation for students and I'm excited to create a program which will continue with all of the wonderful parts of the elementary school while providing new opportunities that honor the students increased abilities.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT OR HOBBY? SPECIAL GIFTS/TALENTS?

Out side of school, my favorite thing to do is spend time with my husband and two children. We love hiking, camping, and rock climbing, and can frequently be found outside enjoying nature. My husband and I have even climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.