Williams Heritage School welcomes teachers back for new year

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Heritage Elementary School put on it's Meet the Teacher night July 24. Parents were able to visit the school and meet with new and returning teachers before school began on July 28. Principal Kaytie Thies introduced this year's teaching staff and opened the school up to visitors.

Krystle Castillo

Krystle Castillo is a new teacher at Heritage. She is teaching in the first/second grade classroom. She grew up in Bakersfield, California and received her teaching degree from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. After college she worked for five years with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and other non-profits as an outdoor science teacher. Heritage will be her first public school teaching position. Castillo has a special interest in technology and in her spare time she likes to hike, paint and drink coffee. She wants to help her students develop a love of learning and expand their wonder of the world around them.

Kimberly Bennett

Kimberly Bennet is teaching in the third/fourth grade classroom. She grew up in Claremont, California and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of La Verne in La Verne, California. She previously taught fifth grade and middle school math and science in Wrightwood and High Desert of Southern California. She has two children, Emily, 14, and Wyatt, 8. She likes to read, cook, camp, fish and snowboard. She hopes to inspire her students to enjoy the learning process and develop a life-long quest for knowledge.

Donya Hadder

Donya Hadder is the fifth/sixth grade teacher at Heritage. She has lived in Williams since 1996 and went to school in the Williams Unified School District. She previously worked at Arizona Game and Fish and she and her husband own Café 326 in Williams. In her spare time she likes to scrapbook, listen to music, drink coffee and read. She hopes to encourage her students and colleagues to do their best. She likes to seek out students' individualism and help them maximize their potential.

Patty Lucas

Patty Lucas is the kindergarten/first grade teacher. She has taught at Heritage since 2007. She grew up in Phoenix and taught special needs students there. She enjoys art, music and the outdoors. She hopes to gives her student a great learning experience and help them develop a love of learning.

Roman Sanchez

Roman Sanchez is the seventh/eighth grade teacher at Heritage. He grew up in Williams and went to school in the Williams Unified School District. He attended college at Northern Arizona University. He previously worked at Excel Education Centers and Coconino Community College Adult Education. He loves the town of Williams and enjoys sports, watching movies and nature. He wants to encourage students to achieve at their highest level and believes that their well being must be achieved before they can truly achieve.