Our Team

Krista Chiaravalle

Middle School Teacher
She, Her, Hers
krista@septemberschool.org

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” - WB Yeats

Krista is our new lead middle school teacher. With over 15 years of experience in education, she wholeheartedly believes that children are hardwired to learn and need to be given a safe space to explore their passions and interests. Like our students, Krista was also educated in a nontraditional setting at the Jefferson County Open School in Lakewood where she attended kindergarten to 12th grade. It was at the Open School where she discovered a true passion for learning and the importance of community.

She began her teaching journey in the San Luis Valley where she helped disadvantaged students in the Upward Bound Program. From there, she moved to the Front Range where she taught biology at Niwot High School. Most recently, she was the STEM coordinator and instructional coach at Sunset Middle School teaching students coding, robotics, and engineering skills.

Krista lives in Lyons with her husband and two teenage daughters. She loves being outdoors, so on any given day you may find her rock climbing, boating, fishing, hiking, or skiing with her family. She also adores traveling and has plans to go to Uganda next summer to help a secondary school set up a STEM lab.

 

Sarah DeSouza

Assistant to the Head of School
She, Her, Hers
sarahd@septemberschool.org

Sarah has doctoral degree in Education Administration and Policy Studies from George Washington University. She also holds a master of science in Health Fitness Management from American University and a bachelor of Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto.
Sarah joined the September School staff in 2020 after spending 25 years working as a policy analyst in Colorado municipal government. She is thrilled to be able to follow her passion by joining the incredible staff at September School where she works in administration.
When she is not at school, Sarah loves to ride horses, hike, and spend time with her husband, dogs, and three boys.

 

Morgan Ferraro

Middle School and ELA
She, Her, Hers
morgan@septemberschool.org

Morgan Ferraro is a Graduate student at Regis University working towards getting her Master's and teaching degree. Her education background is in English/Language Arts but she also has experience tutoring multiple subjects and coaching students of all ages. She is originally from Nebraska but has spent almost a year now in Boulder and has been loving it. She enjoys hiking, running, playing soccer, and just generally being outdoors. As an animal lover she has had many interesting pets over the years. 

 

Eitan Fire

Social Studies Teacher
He, Him, His
eitan@septemberschool.org

Eitan earned his undergraduate degree in liberal arts at St. John’s College, the nation’s third-oldest school. He lived in Israel, where he had the opportunity to solidify his understanding of Hebrew. Eitan pursued his interest in teaching by working first at The Santa Fe Children’s Museum and then at a Boys and Girls Club in Portland, Oregon. He gained critical tools to become the best teacher possible by earning his Masters in Teaching at Lewis & Clark College. Since then, Eitan has returned to his hometown of Boulder and spent five years teaching in the public school system including three years in the Boulder Valley School District.

“I strive to ensure that all of my students feel supported and valued by me regardless of where they are in terms of understanding, their values, and/or beliefs. I work with all of my students to help them grow into confident adults and positive role models.” —Eitan Fire

 

Lindsey Gillette

Social Studies Teacher
She, Her, Hers
lindsey@septemberschool.org

At 5 years old, Lindsey set up her stuffed animals (and little brother) so she could play teacher. Teaching has always been her calling. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in History and Education from Colorado State University. Shortly after graduating from CSU, she embarked on a new adventure and moved to South Korea where she spent a year teaching English and experiencing life abroad. Lindsey returned home to teach for ten years in Denver Public Schools. Her experience teaching has included Math, Student Council, History and Civics, AP Psychology, and Economics of Social Issues.

In August of 2020 Lindsey began teaching at Sept School and despite all the challenges of the 2020/2021 school year, she feels September School is exactly where she belongs.

Lindsey's passions outside of teaching are giving her two dogs and two cats the absolute best life they could imagine and working and fighting for Social Justice, Animal Justice, and Environmental Justice.

 

Jeff Hamilton

PE, Health and Performing Arts Teacher
He, Him, His
jeff@septemberschool.org

Jeff backs up his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Anthropology with a black belt and 25 years teaching martial arts. Our performing arts instructor since 1993, Jeff also teaches basketball and weightlifting along with classes like Chi Kung, Art of the Sword and Human Issues. Jeff’s wilderness and leadership trips often prove to be life changing for our students, and his daily all-school community class is part of the fabric of our school program. “I have the freedom to be who I really am here,” Jeff says, “and I love that I have the opportunity to form real, authentic relationships with my students.”

September School offers the chance to help students establish and solidify their values at a time when they’re questioning the reality of everything in their lives.” —Jeff Hamilton

 

Aimee Herman-Durica

Music and Writing Teacher
They, Them
aimee@septemberschool.org

Aimee studied at Naropa University, where they earned a BFA in Writing and Poetics. They followed that with an MFA in Creative Writing from Long Island University in Brooklyn with a creative focus on queerness, gender and the body. Aimee has taught writing and literature for over ten years in higher ed, building curriculum and being blown away by the beautiful young minds in every classroom they taught. Their favorite part of teaching is watching students find the writer inside them. 

Aimee is the author of two books of poetry: meant to wake up feeling (great weather for MEDIA) and to go without blinking (BlazeVOX books). Their first novel, Everything Grows, was published in 2019 by Three Rooms Press, and received a Golden Crown Literary Society Award for best young adult debut novel. Aimee is also a performance artist and ukulele player and enjoys creating spaces for others to feel wild and free on stage. Aimee is committed to community service and currently hosts a monthly open mic called Queer Art Organics and co-facilitates a bi-weekly writing workshop called Queer Creatives at Out Boulder County.

In their spare time, Aimee can be found walking their dog, going on hikes, writing poems, embroidering, and writing letters to their many pen pals.