This was not the usual Opening Day Assembly, with students and teachers gathered in the Colorado Academy gym to hear Head of School Dr. Mike Davis greet them, introduce new faculty, and engage in the traditional reading of the Class of 2021 names. But some of CA’s beloved traditions continued on video despite COVID-19. Meet the new CA faculty and the Class of 2021!
In addition to the faculty profiled in the video, CA also welcomed additional faculty and staff.
Sydney Finkbohner joins the Upper and Middle School teams as a Math and Science Intern, most recently coming from teaching Chemistry at South Kent School in Connecticut and Steamboat Mountain School in Colorado. She holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Redlands and a Master of Science in Science Education with emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science from Montana State University. Finkbohner likes participating in CA’s outdoor education programs, and she holds Wilderness First Responder accreditation, as well as Level 1 Ski Instructor certification. She’s a trivia whiz, and her other pastimes include traveling, cooking, rock climbing, and mountain biking.
Emily Hariton joins CA’s Lower School as a Kindergarten Teaching Assistant. She has student taught children in a variety of locales, from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Connecticut. She has extensive experience in supporting student social, emotional, and developmental needs, and enjoys promoting learning growth, exploration, play, and curiosity. Hariton holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, an MAT in Special Education from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and licensure in K-12 Special Education in Colorado.
Helen Romero will fill the Administrative Assistant position in the Middle School. She brings a wealth of experience in managing and organizing student records and databases, record keeping, scheduling, and parent communications. Romero most recently worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior, and has held administrative positions in the City and County of Denver and in Denver Public Schools, including the Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design.
Afaf Saoudi comes to CA as a Lower School Intern. A native of Algeria, she is fluent in Arabic, English, and French, and proficient in Spanish, using the latter in her volunteer work with the Horizons at CA program. Saoudi has taught English, social studies, and math, as well as Kindergarten in Turkey and Kindergarten and Second Grade in independent schools in Mexico. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Language, and English and American Studies from the University of Constantine in Algeria. Saoudi enjoys travel, knitting, and cooking, and calls herself a “violin learner.”