Meet our Staff

Welcome back, Tigers! I am excited to begin the new school year and look forward to having you back in the building soon.

This will be my sixth year at Barton Academy & Graded School. It is with great pleasure and honor that I serve and lead this community. Barton administration, teachers and staff believe all children are capable, competent, curious and creative learners. We hold our students at the center of all we do.

Prior to my role as principal, I was a classroom teacher for 12 years in Vermont schools. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family. I am a proud Mom of 3 beautiful children who keep me very busy.

Welcome back, Tigers!

Mrs. Alia here, Dean of Students/504 Coordinator/PBIS Coordinator at Barton Graded School. I am here to support behavioral, academic and medical needs.

This is my third year working within the school and am looking forward to making more amazing memories this school year.

As an FYI, I have relocated my office to the 4th floor with Middle School, which was previously the Student Resource room.

I am so excited for my second year at Barton Graded and look forward to seeing all the familiar faces and getting to know our new students and staff. I'm very invested in the OCSU community leading Orleans' PTCA for the past 8 years (where my three girls have/will attend), previously served the EMS School Board, actively the Secretary of Friends of the Jones Memorial Library, and am co-coordinator for Green Up Day - Barton. I look forward to deepening my roots here in the OCSU community!

I look forward to returning to Barton school and seeing new and returning students and staff. Over the summer I was able to enjoy time with my family, the local lakes and some gardening. I also enjoy reading and crocheting in my free time. I am excited to make new memories this year and look forward to skiing again during the winter activities.

Hi! My name is Macey Brown I am a “dog mom” to 3 energetic dogs who keep me on my toes. I like to spend my summers at the lake with my family or in my kayak. I have been working in healthcare for the last 6 years.

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I am excited and honored to be entering into my 28th year of teaching at Barton Graded School. After 22 years in Special Education, I transitioned to teaching First Grade. I grew up in this community, attended Lake Region High School and Lyndon State College. I have two daughters and 4 grandchildren that I love spending time with. I also enjoy biking, walking and golf (even though my game needs a little work). I look forward to another great year!

I'm Lisa Carole Johnson - and my husband Steve (of 42 years). I have been teaching for 20 years. Before that I was a Head Start/Preschool Teacher. This will be my eleventh year at Barton.

I have 2 grown children, 8 grand -children, and an old dog. They all keep me busy. When I am not at school, we spend all the time we can at our camp. My family and I are also Certified Hunter Safety Instructors. So as you can see, teaching and kids are my life. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones.

I live in Greensboro Bend with my husband, our dog, a cat, two Shetland sheep, and 9 ducks. We have 3 grown sons. During the rare times when I am not thinking about, planning or teaching Kindergarten, I enjoy reading and crochet. This year will mark 18 years of teaching for me. I am looking forward to my teaching math and science this year to second and third grade students at Barton!

I have been an educator in some capacity for over 20 years. I recently moved to Orleans from Ohio to fulfill a long held dream of becoming a Vermonter. I am thrilled to be a part of the Barton Academy and Graded School family for another great school year! I look forward to getting to know my students and their families and becoming a part of the community.

When not in the classroom, I can be found spending time with my family, including deep, philosophical discussions with my cats, gardening, foraging for wild herbs, quilting, crocheting, or just being outside enjoying the beauties of nature around me.

Hello,

My name is Mark Fiorentino. I will be one of the new teachers this year at Barton Graded School. My experience spans 23 years and I have taught from 3rd grade through college prep. I have had much success during this time and I am looking forward to being part of the tiger team and meeting students, parents, and community members as I start this new position.

My hobbies include; raising, showing, and judging rabbits, playing sports (especially golf and hockey), and gardening when the weather decides to cooperate. When I am able to find the time I like hunting and fishing with my son and grandson. My family is a large blended family. We all live in northern New Hampshire and Northern Vermont.

Finally, as you can probably realize I am a little older than most and this has allowed me many opportunities in life. One such opportunity is to continue my education. Currently, I am in the last year of my doctoral program at Southern New Hampshire University and working on my dissertation. This allows me to continue to be a lifelong learner as I would hope for all of my students. It is my belief that we learn about what we are passionate about, and I look forward to the conversations that will come up during this year.

Hello! I am excited to start my third year as the 6-8 science teacher. When not at school, I like working on projects around my yard and hiking, while in the winter I ski and read. This past summer I was able to spend a lot of time on the lake in my kayak and visiting family.

I am Deborah Rossell. I love German Shepherds, riding motorcycles, and embarking on new adventures. One of my most favorite things to do is whistle really loudly. My four children gave me a solid foundation in adolescent development and education which led me to my master’s degree.

I am an experienced educator with a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. With over two decades in education, I have taught Language Arts and Social Studies, integrated learning opportunities, and created engaging curriculum for middle school students. My teaching philosophy centers on fostering strong relationships, student-centered learning, and collaboration. I am dedicated to creating inclusive and dynamic classroom environments that support all learners.

Working at Barton Academy will be a wonderful opportunity for me to embrace.

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I am excited for you to begin this new journey. I am a longtime Vermont resident who has moved to Virginia to be a bit warmer. Currently, I teach full-time for a public school in Vermont and part-time for VTVLC. I have taught internationally as well. I graduated from college with my degree in Elementary education and Middle School Mathematics, only to become certified in High School Mathematics a couple of months later. The majority of my time has been spent teaching MS and HS mathematics, but I have also taught at all levels from kindergarten to twelfth grade. On a more personal note, I grew up on a dairy farm where my passion for family, animals, and gardening all started. In my free time, I like to garden, craft, can and preserve, hike, run, camp, and, most of all, spend time with family and friends. I currently have two cats, four chickens, a rooster, and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi dog!

My name is Emily Corkins. I am the art teacher at Barton Graded School and Glover Community School. This is my 7th year in the district and both of these schools. I grew up in the Northeast Kingdom and graduated from Johnson State College (now NVU Johnson) with a degree in art in 2016. As you would guess, Art is my passion but I also enjoy music, reading, bowling, and water based activities. I look forward to continuing to work with your children and hope for an awesome year!

Hello everyone! My name is Lauren Holder. My husband, Brian, and I are moving from North Dakota to Vermont this summer to be closer to our family and to work with all of you! We are excited for the opportunity to help foster a love for learning music in your district. I have 10 years of K-8 public school music education experience in addition to about 10 years of private music instruction before that. I have taught elementary general music, elementary choir, middle school general music exploration, beginning band, middle school band, middle school world music drumming, middle school marimba band, and private Suzuki violin and viola lessons over the years. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, gardening, swimming, and playing many instruments (violin, ukulele, guitar, and more)! I'm truly excited to bring all of my experiences to the Barton community and beyond and look forward to meeting all of you!

Hi my name is Dana Jacobs and I am the Physical Education teacher at Barton Graded School. I have taught at Barton for 9 years and love being outside. My favorite outdoor activity is golfing. I look forward to this upcoming school year.

In addition to being your school librarian, I am an artist, and I own a small dairy farm in West Glover with my husband and family. I moved to the Northeast to apprentice on a dairy and vegetable farm, and then tried farming around New England before settling in Vermont. After many years in dairy processing, I went back to school to become a library media specialist. I feel very lucky to be working with the great students in Glover and Barton during this golden age of children’s literature. I studied art at Knox College in my home state of Illinois and have also taken classes at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and the New York Studio School. I’m very close to finishing my Master’s degree in Library Media from Plymouth State!

My name is Linda Merchant, I am looking forward to my twenty fourth year at Barton Graded. Prior to working in the school community I worked in a licensed Daycare for fourteen years. I attended BAGS many years ago grades K-8. Both of my daughters were BAGS students as well. Now I am lucky enough to have two grandkids here at Barton Graded with me every day. I live here in Barton with my husband Ellis, two dogs Luna and Conrad and cat Cedar. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and my flower gardens.

Wendy Simpson, food service assistant

Hi my name is Kim Desmarais,I am married, a mom of three and a granny of one. My family comes before anything else in my life.I love German shepherds and have two. I am an avid flower gardener and love finding new flower nurseries with my friends all summer. I have worked in the school system for over 20 years. I enjoy being around the kids. They remind me to stay young. I am looking forward to working with everyone this new year.

This is my sixteenth year at BAGS. I live in Brownington with 3 sons Cody, Conner and Avery. I have many hobbies which include farming, gardening, hunting and ocean fishing.

My name is Joe Bousquet. I am a night custodian of BAGS. I am the dad of my amazing son, Brant. I enjoy the challenge of keeping BAGS clean and safe for students and staff. I'm looking forward to a great year!

Payton Lefebvre, Night Custodian

Orion Dolan, long term substitute night custodian

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Julie Young, School Based Clinician

Hi, I'm Kristen Robinson, this is my second year at Barton Graded School and my 11th year as a special educator. I have a BA in Special Education and Elementary, MS in Curriculum and Instruction and a National Board Certified Teacher in Exceptional Needs.

When I'm not working, I love spending time with my husband, David, my family who live in Maine and 3 our three cats. I like to go hiking, reading books that are great for the imagination, playing flute or listening to music of all kinds, going to concerts and a crafting project or two, including quilting.

I have a Bachelor's Degree in English and a Master's Degree in Secondary Education. Previously taught seven years at Poston Butte High School, San Tan Valley, Arizona, and thoroughly enjoyed working and learning with my students, my colleagues, and the great administrative staff lead by Mr. Lopez, principal. Recently moved back to Vermont from a long hiatus since my husband, Rick, and I decided we really missed the four seasons and all the trees.

Hello! My name is Ms. Garcia. I graduated from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor’s in Hispanic Studies in 2016. While in college, I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, where I worked with native Spanish speakers on the targeted language: English. After graduation, I worked at a school in Chicago called Beard Elementary for seven years as a Special Education Classroom Assistant. At Beard, I worked with a severe/profound population. Later, I decided to pursue a Masters in Special Education at Northeastern University. I completed my student teaching experience at Chopin Elementary where I worked in a resource setting with various grades (K-3rd). I am excited to be joining the Barton community this fall! I am excited to help support the children and grow with the community.

My favorite activity is reading a good book with my dog. I also enjoy a variety of physical

activities: hiking, running, and cycling. Besides physical activities, I enjoy trying new restaurants and finding thrift stores/local shops.

Hi! I’m Kye Randall and I have spent a good chunk of my life in the Barton Graded School building at this point! From attending the school as a student to working as a teacher, paraeducator, and now special educator. As I worked in the school district I found the most joy in working with students whose needs may not be fully met in the general education classroom at this moment in their lives. When I am not working in the classroom I enjoy long walks on dirt roads, board games with friends, and doing my best not to set off the fire alarm while cooking.

Hello everyone! I am the Math Interventionist at Barton Graded School. Last year I was the Math Interventionist and taught grades 1, 2, and 3 Math at Glover School. Prior to that I was at Concord School for 24 years where I was the Math Interventionist for 14 years and taught in the classroom from 4th grade to 8th grade.

I live in Lyndonville with my husband and grandson. I have two cats named Caspian and Sassy. In my free time I like to go kayaking, e-biking, swimming, and camping.

I look forward to working with the children at Barton School on their math skills.

After finishing his freshman year of college in Wolcott, at the Center for Northern Studies, Matthew "Mash" Alexander was hooked on the northeast corner. "It was just a matter of time before returning to this magical place, so wild and authentic!"

He has taught Social Studies in Montana, New York, Oregon, and Costa Rica. He met his wife in Yosemite, where they were working as interpretive rangers. Together they have four dogs and an 18year old cat. They are getting settled in Walden, where they love long walks with the fur-family and taking advantage of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

Two of his favorite quotes include, "Reading is freedom... Writing is rebellion."

When not preparing gourmet meals in the kitchen, hiking, climbing, or biking, Mash is most often making artwork, painting and block printing. He is excited to meet you soon! Please stop by and introduce yourself!

Hi my name is Cathy. I am excited to start my third year as the Social Emotional Learning Specialist in OCSU. This year I will be the SEL for Barton Graded School. I have worked in education for the past 22 years in different capacities. In my collective experience I have found a love of children and a strength in myself in being able to help kids learn and be strive to succeed.

Sue Kopec, Speech and Language Pathologist

Brianna Stuart, Speech and Language Pathologist

Angie Rutherford, After School/Summer Program Site Coordinator

My name is Sierra Martin, I am so excited to continue to be a part of Barton school community this year. I have 2 amazing children and love to travel and have family time. I have worked the last three years as an assistant pre school teacher and prior to that worked with many other grades.

Hello my name is Donna Arnold. I have worked at Barton School since 2002. I live in Glover with our 2 large dogs and 12 fish. I have four children and three grandchildren. I like outdoor activities, basketball, reading, puzzles, animals and plants. I have also worked at the after-school and summer programs for many years. This past January we started the Joy Club after-school program at my church on Fridays. I am excited to see who will join this year.

It has been an honor to be a part of the Barton Graded School team for the past 30 years. I started out as a Classroom Instructional Aid at Hilltop View and Albany Village Schools, from 1984 to 1986. From 1986 to 1989, I provided Math and Reading Intervention as a Chapter I Tutor for the Village and Hilltop View Schools. I then moved to Newport, and spent the next three years as a bank teller and waiting tables. Finally returning to the Barton area in 1993, I began my thirty year journey as a Paraeducator at Barton Academy, supporting students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade in Math and Reading. Although my title has changed through the years, my goal is still the same, and that is to provide Social Emotional and Academic Support for our students. I am looking forward to a new school year, and helping our students and staff achieve their goals and objectives at Barton Academy & Graded School.

I am excited to start my 11th year at Barton. I have worked in OCSU for over 20 years in many roles. I have lived in Barton for over 23 years and have 3 children and 1 grandson.

Hello everyone, my name is Sasha Prue. As a mother of three - two girls and one boy - I cherish spending time with my family and enjoying outdoor activities. I thrive on staying busy and making the most of every moment. I have over 10 years of experience working with children in preschools, daycares, and schools. My passion for education has only grown stronger over the years. My long-term goal is to become a teacher. I'm very excited to start this new chapter at Barton School as a para educator. I'm looking forward to meeting the students and parents as well as the staff! I wish everyone a wonderful school year.

Hello, Fellow Tigers.

This is my ninth year at Barton. Time flies when you're having fun.

I am a mother of 2, who are now adults. My son is 21, and my daughter is 23. we like to go kayaking and game nights on the rare chance that everyone is at home at the same time. My husband and I have been perfecting our gardening skills over the last few years; even though I don't eat 70% of the yucky green things that grow in it, I love watching the progress, and my new favorite thing to grow is peas. (I DON'T EAT THEM)

I also love to read, do puzzles & sudokus, and hang out with our 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 lizards, and 2 snakes that also reside in our house.

Can't wait to start the year and meet all the new staff and students.

Hello. I am an Albany resident and live with my 2nd husband Dennis and our two cats Spirit and Meow Meow. Between us we have five children. Tyler, Jake, Derek, Jordyn and Corey. We have two grandchildren Howlan and Mayvorie.

I retired from Price Chopper in Derby after 17 years working as a Price Accuracy Coordinator. Some of you may recognize me from there. I love spending time with our family and friends.

In my spare time I enjoy camping, crocheting, quilting, cooking, reading, traveling, bingo and watching Netflix series. I have a great love for children and am looking forward to the new adventures that await me at OCSU.

Sincerely,

Kelly

Vicki Oftedall, paraprofessional

Wendy Burkewitz, paraprofessional

Patty Welton, paraprofessional

Lisa Hurd, paraprofessional

Roberta McCormack, paraprofessional