"Hi Everyone! I am Mrs. Todd, one of the kindergarten teachers. I have been teaching since 2002. I LOVE being a Raptor, and all five of my kids attended Thunder Ridge!
I grew up in Emery County and have lived in this area for 22 years. Between my husband and I, we have 10 kids ages 23-11, and 3 grandkids. I enjoy cooking, reading, camping and I LOVE family time!
I am so excited for the new school year and all of the fun we will have!"

My name is Natalie Hepworth. This will be my 16th year teaching special education. I taught for 11 years in Provo School District, and spent the last 4 years at Barratt Elementary in American Fork. I am excited to be a Raptor and work with all the wonderful teachers, students, and parents at Thunder Ridge. I have been married for 16 years and have one son who is 7 years old. My husband is also a teacher, and we love having all the same breaks and days off! Outside of school, I love to cook and try fun new recipes, read books, take naps, watch the same TV shows over and over, and spend time with my husband and son. In the summer we like to travel to visit family, go camping, and relax at home with each other. I grew up in Colorado and am the youngest of 5 kids. I'm excited to get to know everyone and have a great school year!

Hi Thunder Ridge Raptors! My name is Tom von Gostomski and I am looking forward to another year teaching third grade at Thunder Ridge Elementary. I love being with your kids. As your student's teacher I will do my best to help them progress both academically and socially. I am originally from Orem, Utah. My wife and I have three kids--2 girls and a boy. We enjoy traveling, playing games together, going to museums and generally just being together. I look forward to a great year with all of you!

Hi, I am Angela Byrne. This is my 4th year teaching kindergarten and my 1st year at Thunder Ridge. I am new to Utah and moved here this summer from Omaha, Nebraska. I love to do anything outdoors so if you have any suggestions send them my way. I just recently got a new puppy and his name is Koda. I am so excited for this new opportunity in Utah and to make a fun and impactful learning environment for these new Kindergartners. Lets have a great year!

My name is Sierra Grooms and this will be my second year as a speech-language pathologist at Thunder Ridge! I absolutely loved getting to work with the students at this school last year, and I am SO excited to have more wonderful experiences with them this year! I earned my master's in Speech-Language Pathology from Ithaca College in upstate New York, and before that, I attended BYU for my undergraduate degree. I grew up in central Connecticut (yes, I am a HUGE Gilmore Girls fan). I love and miss the East coast, but it has been so fun to be surrounded by the beautiful Utah mountains here--this is definitely a great place to live! My husband and I are celebrating 5 years of marriage this month--we love to play board games, watch movies, bake, and play tennis. He and I are also musicians--he plays the French horn, and I play piano, flute and sing. I am looking forward to another great year! Go Raptors!

Hello Raptors, my name is Wayne Murray, and, I'm excited for the school year to be starting up again. To give you a little background about me, this will be my 12th year of teaching mostly in 5th grade. I've been married for 23 years and have 3 children Nicholas, Gwenyth, and Thea. I graduated from UTAH STATE.(GO AGGIES) Me and my family are all big fans of Utah State. If any of your student wants to get on my good side, they can greet me in the morning with a Go Aggies! That should do it! I love being outside, biking, hiking, kayaking, but what I enjoy most is searching for wildlife. I'm a fan of all sports and enjoy playing most games. I'm very excited about this year.I believe that it will be awesome and that we will accomplish some amazing things. Now I have a little message for the students.I need you to do a few things for me. First, bring a positive attitude. Second, I need YOU to communicate with me. You need to let me know if your struggling, if you have questions ask them. I'm here for you. It is my goal to provide each of you with a positive and productive learning experience this year. In order to make that happen I'm going to ask you to do two things. Participate, learning isn't a spectator sport. Get involved please. Ask questions, join in the discussions, share how you solved the problem. When we are all engaged we can learn from each other. Second I need effort. Try do your best. If we can do these things we will have a great year. GO RAPTORS. (and Aggies)

"Hi, Raptors! My name is Suzanne Schiess, and I am excited to teach 1st grade! I am starting my 13th year of teaching, all at Thunder Ridge! I graduated from Western Governors University with my Bachelor's and Master's in Curriculum and Instruction. I'm currently working on becoming a Certified Academic Language Therapist. I love watching and helping students learn to read.
My husband and I have been married for 26 incredible years; we have four children and a dog. We enjoy visiting Disneyland and Disney World as a family, visiting Major League Baseball stadiums, and traveling together.
I'm looking forward to a magical year in first grade!"

Hi! My name is Elizabeth Simpson. I am a 6th grade teacher at Thunder Ridge and I LOVE teaching upper grades! Each student that walks through my door will feel valued, loved, and cared for emotionally and academically. We work hard in my class and push ourselves to be our best but we also make sure to take time to have breaks and do fun things to remember life is GOOD! We recharge and dive back into academics as we continue to strive to be our best selves and reach our full potential. Character is of huge importance in my classroom as it is our home away from home. Everyone is expected to be kind, supportive, patient, work hard as well as communicate and collaborate respectfully and effectively. As for a little background about me, I'm mostly from San Diego, California but I have also lived in Michigan, Colorado, Idaho and Utah. I am married with 4 children ages 15-21. I love hiking, boating, playing games, reading, movies, and family time! I have previous work experience as a City Sports Coordinator, Marketing Specialist, Youth Program Director and Grant Writer. Additionally, before becoming a teacher, I volunteered at elementary schools and worked with teachers and students in Idaho and Utah for over 10 years. Then I finally became a teacher in 2018 and I love it! My favorite thing about teaching is seeing all the growth my students make by the end of the school year and when former students come back and let me know how their lives are going. I'm a life long cheerleader for them!!

"Hello, Raptors! I am so excited to be part of the Thunder Ridge community as a 1st grade teacher. I’m in my 25th year of teaching; I’ve taught K, 1st, and 2nd grades in Utah, Virginia, and Oklahoma. I look forward to my eighth year of teaching here at Thunder Ridge, Go Raptors! A little about me… I was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the second oldest of nine children. Outside of school, I like to sleep, look at art, Amazon shop, visit the theater, and hope to get back into my former hobby of ice hockey. I enjoy spending time with family, and spoiling my 23 nieces and nephews. They range in age from a few months to 27 years-old. I’m proud to be their aunt, they are all very thoughtful, talented, intelligent, kind, and super cute.

"My name is Lisa LeFevre. I grew up in a small town by Flaming Gorge. I am married and have two girls, one five years old, and one 15 months old. I enjoy the outdoors by going camping and going to the beach. I also enjoy gardening and it is my summer hobby. I love spending time with my kids and my husband. I enjoy crafts and one of my favorite things to do is to read or listen to books. My favorite book is still all of the Harry Potter books. When I was little, I always wanted to go to college and become a teacher and it is one of the best choices I have ever made. I love teaching! I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a minor in Human Development, an ESL Endorsement, and during my first year of teaching I decided to go back to school and get my Masters. So, I also have a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I am going into my 5th year of teaching. I have taught 1st grade, 3rd grade, and now I will be teaching 5th grade. I am passionate about teaching and about having fun while helping my students learn. I will do anything to help my students be success and have a great learning experience. I am really excited about this coming school year!

Hello Thunder Ridge! My name is Summer Endsley. I have been teaching for 14 years! I have taught K, 2nd grade, reading recovery, art, and most recently computer technology. One of my favorite parts about teaching specialties is that I get to know and teach all the students in the whole school.
I have been married to my husband for 25 years and have 3 children and an awesome daughter in law. I love riding my bike, hiking, gardening, playing any sport, and traveling with my family. A bucket list item for me is to one day play basketball or volleyball in the World Senior Games!
I love our Thunder Ridge Community and am looking forward to an awesome year in computers!

"I am beyond excited to join the Thunder Ridge school community this school year! Becoming a teachers has been my dream since I was in kindergarten, and I am thrilled to continue this journey with you all. I have been teaching over 20 years mostly in first grade. Teaching is my passion, and I am always looking for ways to improve and make learning fun for my students.

I have three amazing children who I love deeply: Sofia (college), Joseph (college), and Sam (senior at Westlake). My husband and I recently celebrated 11 years wonderful years of marriage in June. We love spending time together hiking, traveling, and just hanging out.

I'm eagerly looking forward to the new school year and can't wait to meet everyone! "

"Hey Raptors! My name is Tim Stokes and I am in my fourth year in education, all of which have been at Thunder Ridge. I love helping kids to become the best versions of themselves as they discover what they are passionate about in learning. Some background about me, I was raised in Orem where I grew up loving sports, especially running cross country and track. I met my wife in high school and we have two amazing kids. We love spending our time hiking, camping, playing games, watching movies, and playing and watching sports (Go Jazz!). I am excited for this school year where I will be teaching 6th grade and serving as an administrative intern. I look forward to working with our awesome students and parents. Let's Go Raptors!"

"Hi Raptors! My name is Kaliann Vander Wilt. I am so lucky to be teaching my 4th year here at Thunder Ridge!
A little bit about me, I was born in Payson, and have lived in Utah my entire life. My husband and I have been married for almost 7 years and had our first child last year. In my free time I enjoy playing games, spending time with family, playing with my dog, and watching movies. I love teaching and am ready for the school year to get started! Thank you for sharing your kids with me! I'm looking forward to a great year together!"

"Hello, Thunder Ridge Raptors! I am Mrs. Salvania, but most of my students call me Mrs. S. I graduated from BYU in Early Childhood Education and have been a teacher for 9 years. I have taught preschool, kindergarten and first grade. This is my 7th year at Thunder Ridge. I was born in Utah and moved A LOT when I was younger. I have lived in Utah, Michigan, California, Texas, Oregon, Canada, Idaho, and Maryland. We have lived in Eagle Mountain for 18 years. I have been married to my husband (Gil) for 25 years and we have 3 children (Anna-24, Gracie-14, Sam-12 and one awesome son-in-law, Javi). Teaching children how to read and love great books is one of my life’s greatest passions. I also love walking my dog while listening to podcasts, hiking in the mountains, swimming in the ocean, paddle boarding, doing yoga, playing board games that make me laugh, going to the movies, going out to eat, thrift shopping, reading, and learning how to be a better teacher and parent every day. I am always excited to teach my students and to learn and progress together! Hooray for a new school year!"

My name is Kathy Loveridge. I have been with Alpine School District since 1996. The first four years I worked at Lehi Elementary doing playground, classroom and office aide. In August of 2000 I started working at Aspen Elementary as the Administrate Secretary. I worked there until 2007 and then opened up Sage Hills Elementary as I followed the Principal from Aspen to Sage Hills. In 2011 I opened up Thunder Ridge, so I have been at Thunder Ridge the whole time it has been opened. I love working at Thunder Ridge!!! I have lived in Lehi my whole life. My husband and I have 4 wonderful kids and 2 grand kids, that also all live in Lehi! As a family, we love going on Disney vacations and cruises. I love spending time with my kids and grand kids going on bike rides, playing games and watching movies.

Hi, my name is Debbie Denton. This is my 15th year teaching elementary school and my 3rd year as the Thunder Ridge art teacher. I love providing a place for students to be creative and try new things. Here is a little bit about me...I was born and raised in central California which gave me my love for fresh fruit right out of the orchard. I went to college in Idaho and then settled in Utah after I graduated. My husband and I have 3 kids, aged 10, 8, and 4. They keep me busy and bring me so much joy. As a family we love to ride bikes, swim, read/listen to audiobooks, camp, go 4-wheeling and play in any water we can find. I'm excited for the upcoming year and all that we can accomplish together!

I am going into my 6th year of teaching 4th grade and my 11th year of being an educator. I absolutely adore working with this age group! It is so rewarding to watch students improve on their math reasoning skills, writing ability, and hearing of their wonderings about the world around them! I have the best gig, spending my time with 4th graders. 🙂 A little bit about me. I live in Eagle Mountain, with my family. I have an amazing, supportive husband of 25 years. We have four daughters. Our oldest is starting her career in Elementary Education this upcoming year! She and her husband live in Cedar and she will be an Art Specialty teacher in the Iron County school district. My second daughter is serving a mission in Seattle Washington. She is coming up on her one year mark end of August. She gets to learn Chinese while she is out there. My third daughter graduated from Cedar Valley High School last year and gets to continue with her education at UVU studying nursing. My youngest daughter is a junior at Cedar Valley High School and is taking concurrent enrollment classes to earn her Associates degree when she graduates in 2026. This is a wonderful program that Alpine School District partners with UVU to offer college classes while still in high school! I hope my students get to take advantage of that when they reach that stage in their public school education. In addition to teaching 4th grade, I also like working with students on the school play. We are looking forward to finalizing our selection on the musical for next year and unveiling it to the school body soon! New this year, I get to work with students (some of them my former students, YAY!!) on the Kindness Squad! I am excited to get started working with that crew! When I am not working with students I like to spend time with family, diving into books, being outside, running, hiking, camping, and playing board games. I am looking forward to this new year!!! Go Raptors!!

"Hello Raptors! I feel so lucky to be a teacher and a part of this wonderful community here at Thunder Ridge. I have experienced many grade levels, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. I have appreciated the knowledge, skills, and experience I have gained from each of these grade levels. I love teaching. The best part for me is when students have what I like to call, ""light bulb moments"". When a student accomplishes or learns something new. These moments are what drive and inspire me each year.
I also love my family. I am a wife, mother and grandmother. I have three children, two wonderful son in laws and five amazing and adorable grandsons! They bring me so much joy and keep me on my toes. We enjoy a very close relationship with each other. We like to hike, play pickle ball and volley ball, play games, watch and attend sports, and most of all the laughs we share. I am so blessed.
I look forward to a new school year each summer and cannot wait to meet my new students! "

"Hi Thunder Ridge Raptors! My name is Jeff Shirley and I am excited to be the new Principal at Thunder Ridge Elementary! I am in my 23rd year in education and could not be in a better school! As Principal, I will continually strive to make each school year engaging, impactful, and memorable to all members of our school community. To give you a little background about me, I was born and raised in Rexburg, Idaho, and have lived in Utah for 24 years. My wife and I have 4 wonderful children ranging from 14 to 4 years in age. As a family, we love spending time together swimming, camping, biking, fishing, watching movies, playing card games, and watching and playing sports. We love living in Utah and can't wait for an amazing school year with so many great students, parents, and community members! Go Raptors!"

Hi! My name is Emilee Hastings and I am excited to be at Thunder Ridge Elementary! I am from Dallas, Texas and just graduated from BYU majoring in Family Studies. I am starting my Masters of Social Work at UVU, and am excited to learn more about how to help improve the lives of individuals and families in this community. I recently got married this past December and have absolutely loved it!! We love cooking together, traveling, playing games, and watching movies! I can't wait for this school year and am looking forward to learning from each of you. Let's go Thunder Ridge!

I love being a Raptor and teaching at Thunder Ridge. This is my fourth year at the school and it is a great community! I have taught 5th grade now for 7 years with a Covid year of 6th grade. Before coming to Thunder Ridge I taught at a charter school in Herriman where I enjoyed volunteering on a weekly basis with our school's Breakfast and Books. I loved developing a character program known as the Trident Challenge based on the ethos and excellence of the Navy SEAL program. (I’m a Navy daughter, niece, and cousin and Army granddaughter). I’ve worked in the S portion of STEAM at Nelson Laboratories in the Pharmaceuticals section where I worked with many different organisms and saw amazing medical devices and innovation. I love books, and history-especially US History- is my jam. I’m originally from Colorado and my family has all migrated to Utah. In my free time, I read voraciously, paint, craft, garden, and cater to a Beagle and a German Shepard. I am a fan of old Disney animation. I love all things Christmas. I am also a born & raised Denver Broncos fan--though the payoff in recent years has been less than optimal. I’m excited for another great 5th grade year!

Hello Thunder Ridge! My name is Kade Senter and am going into my 4th year teaching and second year at Thunder Ridge. A little about me, I was born and raised in Mossyrock, Washington, and moved to Utah after graduating from college 5 years ago. My wife and I have two amazing dogs that we rescued named River and Banks. Our family loves spending time together hiking, biking, playing card games, listening to live music, and running races! We love living in Saratoga Springs and are very excited to be apart of the community!

Hi! I'm Mrs. Bitter. I graduated from BYU with a degree in Elementary Education and taught 5th grade for four years. I have taught Specialty classes for the past 2 years. In my spare time I love spending time with my family and friends, watersports, swimming, vacationing, exercising and finding yummy places to eat. I'm so excited to teach your children in Computers this year. It's going to be a great year!

Hello :). I am a second grade teacher who loves teaching about the world and our great country and how to be a good citizen. I love reading and my students and I love our read-alouds! This year, we will be learning a little more about cultures and languages, interspersed with our core subjects. I love to travel, read, and write and married my best friend a year ago. Thunder Ridge is an amazing school and I love the children and families of this community!

"Hey Everyone!
My name is Skye Staley and I am the Head Custodian. This will be my third exciting year here at Thunder Ridge Elementary!

I have four other siblings and I am the fourth in the line up. I have a variety of hobbies that I do, but my favorite is crafting. I also enjoy playing video games and watching movies.

I have worked with Alpine School District for nearly five years now. I enjoy and passionate of the work that I do everyday! "

"Hello Raptors! I love our wonderful and supportive Thunder Ridge community and I am very excited to be teaching Second Grade this year. I do believe I have found the perfect place in all the grade levels. I have been working in the field of education for several years and have taught Special Education, 3rd & 2nd grade, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I just love seeing students' faces light up with a smile as they realize that all the hard work that they have put in has paid off. It’s the best!

To give you a little background about me, well I am a multi-citizen (German, Dutch, and American), therefore speak several languages and have lived all over the world my whole life. I have a wonderful husband from Venezuela, and we have two amazing boys. We love to spend time as a family going camping, watching movies, swimming, spending time at the beach, and visiting family in Europe and South America. We love traveling as the world is such a fascinating place.

I look forward to another great year here at Thunder Ridge elementary and working with you and your children! Go Raptors!!!!!!
"

"Hello!
My name is Jannelyse Allred (AKA Miss Janna) and I am the new speech-language pathologist at Thunder Ridge! I’m a Utah native, a recent graduate, and looking forward to making the speech room everyone’s favorite place to be (after the playground, of course). Speech therapy is my dream job because I love watching students learn through play and overcome challenges they never thought they could. Outside of the speech room, I love to read, travel, play pickleball, bake, and camp. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store! See you soon!"

My name is Heather Reed. I am the Inclusion Preschool Teacher here at Thunder Ridge. I have been in Education for 15 years teaching preschool and working in Special Education at the high school level. I have three grown kids. Two that live here in Utah and one in Idaho. I love to spend as much as time with them as possible. I also love to travel, read and garden. I am a huge holiday fan, especially Halloween. I love everything fall!!! I am looking forward to meeting all my sweet Preschoolers' and having a wonderful year here at Thunder Ridge.

Hello! My name is Sandy Bastian and I have been at Thunder Ridge since it opened in various capacities but mostly as the PE teacher. I have taught for over 20 years 12 of which have been in PE. I have a passion for sports and exercise and hope that your children feel that. I have been involved in so many sports throughout the years but most of my time has been in soccer. I have 4 kids , 2 boys and 2 girls and am having the best time being grandma to my 1 baby grandson, Noah . I have been a sports mom my whole life to all 4 of my kids who have each been multi sport athletes. All 4 of my kids have been collegiate athletes but as of now I have my oldest son, Blake playing D1 soccer at UVU and my youngest son, Bryce will play at snow college when he comes home from serving a mission for our church. Since I’m not running around like a crazy person going to games and practices anymore I have recently started to help coach the boys team at Westlake high school. My husband and I have also started to bike and travel. I also love to watch all my Thunder Ridge kids playing all their sports out in the community and also as they grow up and play at Westlake . It gives me so much joy to watch them try new sports and having fun developing their skills. Hope to see you on the court and on the field this year. Go Raptors!

Hello! My name is Natalie Chamberlain and I am proud to say that I have been a Thunder Ridge Raptor for 10 years! I currently teach 2nd grade and I love my students! I am passionate about reading, and I love how a good book can take you away to anywhere in the world at any point in time. One of my goals each year is to share that passion with my students. I like to connect with each of my students and I always do my best to communicate with my parents each school year. My husband and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary in August! We have 2 amazing children, 1 awesome son-in-law, and 1 spunky mini schnauzer, and we love them all dearly! When I’m not teaching or enjoying a great book, I love spending time with my family in the mountains, at the beach, or at home. I’m so grateful to be a part of this Thunder Ridge community and I am looking forward to another fantastic school year!

Hey! My name is Genny Wood. I was born and raised in Orem Utah. This will be my fourth year teaching. I've been a kindergarten teacher the whole time and I love it! Right now I love playing disc golf. Some of my other hobbies are hiking, volleyball, and rock climbing. I also just learned to crochet. I love working at Thunder Ridge and I'm excited to work with your students this next year!

Hello! I am so excited to be at Thunder Ridge for another great year! A little about myself, I am married and have three children, 2 daughters in college and a son in middle school. I was born in Springville, Utah and went to Snow College and BYU where I received a bachelors degree in choral and vocal music. I originally intended to teach high school choir, but I absolutely love teaching elementary music. I have taught music for 8 years, the first 6 years in Lehi and this year is my 3rd year at Thunder Ridge. My hobbies are gardening, traveling, crafting and karaoke! I am so excited to work with all my friends, big and small at Thunder Ridge again this year!

Hi! I’m Kynsie Raymond, one of the Special Education teachers here at Thunder Ridge! I have worked here for 4 years and I love working with student and watching them make progress no matter how small! I graduated BYUI in 2019 and have worked here since. I was born and raised here in Utah County and have 9 siblings! I love the mountains, doing puzzles, watching shows, reading books, and crocheting! That’s a little about me! 🙂

"I grew up in Wellington, Utah. I received my Associates degree from the College of Eastern Utah, my Bachelor’s from Utah State University, and my Master’s from the University of Phoenix. I have taught 4th grade, 2nd grade, Resource and I am returning to Resource this year since being a special education coach in the previous years.
I currently live in Lehi and I have been married for over 23 years and we have 4 girls (ages 21, 18, 16 and 15). We love to spend time laughing together and exploring new places. l enjoy hiking, cycling, sewing, teaching, fixing things and spending time with my family."

"My name is Travis Thomas and I am excited to be teaching fourth grade at Thunder Ridge. I've been in education now for several years, all in fourth grade. I love teaching and working with students on all subjects. I also really enjoy doing art projects with students in the classroom.
To give you a little background about me, I was born and raised in Utah county. My wife and I have two beautiful children. As a family, we love spending time together, camping, fishing, spending time outdoors, and also staying home and watching shows.
I look forward to a great year at Thunder Ridge. Go Raptors!"

Hi! My name is Jenna Berry. I worked as a teacher for Alpine School District teaching 3rd and 5th grades. I'm currently the PLC coach. I help with data, interventions, team goals, professional development and our multilingual students. I enjoy hiking, reading, travel, and spending time with family. Hablo español.

Hey Thunder Ridge Raptors! I’m Mrs. Jackson and I have been working at Thunder Ridge Elementary for 5 years. I absolutely love the Thunder Ridge Community! This will be my fourth year teaching 2nd grade. I have also taught 3rd grade and preschool. I grew up in Soda Springs, Idaho. I attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2008. I am married and have four daughters, a stepdaughter, + son in law, and a stepson. I love spending time with my family, all things BYU, the beach, watching movies, traveling, listening to books, and playing games. I am looking forward to another awesome year in 2nd grade!

I graduated From UVU in 2019 with a bachelors in elementary education. Prior to teaching 2nd grade, I taught preschool for 3 years. I love being a teacher and I have known I wanted to be one since I was 8 years old. I am a 3rd generation teacher. I also am a Disney loving teacher! Disneyland is my happy place. I have a little dog named Penny and I love being a dog Mom.

"Hello, my name is Molly Chew! I'm from Orem, Utah. I enjoy doing yoga and spending time with my family. I love the arts, especially music and theater. I enjoy traveling when I have the time, resources, and funds available to do so. I've taught 2nd grade, 4th grade and am now an Innovative Learning Coach. I love learning new things, especially when it's related to technology and math.

If you want to learn more about me, check out my website: bit.ly/mollychew"

My name is Natalie Scow and I am so happy to teach here at Thunder Ridge! I have been teaching for three years and I love every second of it! I strive to make sure that each class becomes a family and each child feels like they have a place where they belong. I have a one year old son who I spend all of my free time playing cars and trains with. I love playing soccer and I have played since I was 5 years old. I enjoy being outside hiking, biking, and exploring.

Hello! My name is Morgan Wachter and I am the Special Education Teacher here at Thunder Ridge. This will be my 3rd year as a Special Education teacher and I have loved every minute of it! A little bit about me, I was born and raised in California and moved to Utah 3 years ago. Along with being a Special Education teacher I also teach dance to dancers of all ages. I teach ballet and jazz. I danced my whole life growing up so I love being able to be in a studio and watch other dancers grow! Some of my hobbies include cooking, hiking with my dog, line dancing, and traveling. I have loved my time at Thunder Ridge and am excited for another amazing year!

"I am school registrar by day, my role at the heart of school life entails managing schedules, records, and ensuring each student's journey is smooth and successful. With an unwavering commitment to our educational community, I am as tenacious as I am approachable. I have been working in the school system since 1994, most of that time in SPED classrooms. In 2014 I started working in the office at Thunder Ridge and have loved every moment of it.

I was born and raised in Detroit as was my husband (except he was born in Jersey) My husband and I moved to Utah so he could continue his education at BYU. We have 4 children (2 boys, 2 girls) and 6 grandchildren (all girls) that we adore. When not at work we enjoy hiking, exploring new place, visiting National Parks, reading, road trips, cruising in our Mustang and spending as much time as we can with our children and grandchildren. In addition, my biggest hobby is knitting things out of yarn I dye myself."

Hello Thunder Ridge tribe! My name is Heather Gurney Bayless and I teach 5th grade at Thunder Ridge Elementary!! I am so lucky! This will be my 7th year teaching 5th grade, and 12 years within Alpine School District. As a 5th grade teacher - my mission is to help our sweet students become successful, ecstatic, and expand their passion for learning. I grew up in American Fork, Utah where I was the 6th of 7 children. 🙂 I have been married for 22 years and I have three awesome kiddos of my own. Tylo (21), Liam (19), and Aiden (17). We are a Utah Utes family and we enjoy all sports all the time, four wheeling, everything outdoors, cooking, movies, and University of Utah Football. We are going to have such an incredible year here at Thunder Ridge!! Go Raptors Go!!

"Hi Thunder Ridge Raptors! My name is Lacy Mickelsen and I am excited to be teaching 4th grade at Thunder Ridge Elementary! I am in my 21st year in education with Alpine School District. I have also worked with teachers in third world conditions on 4 humanitarian trips to the Mayan villages of the Polochic Region of Guatemala. I have also taught swimming to the blind, paralyzed, and those that just wanted to learn. Teaching is definitely a passion of mine. I am so excited to team together to create an amazing 2023-2024 school year!
To give you a little background about me, I grew up among the Amish and Mennonite communities in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. I love spending time with friends and family traveling, experiencing different cultures, swimming, snorkeling/scuba diving, cooking, house projects, enjoying the chaos of my dog Sage, new adventures, gardening, reading, watching movies, and playing games/sports. Life has so many flavors to enjoy!
I am excited to discover our 2023-2024 adventure!
"

My name is Lily Bodhaine and I am from Las Vegas, Nevada. I studied Elementary Education at San Diego State University. This is my 2nd year teaching at Thunder Ridge and my 6th year teaching Third Grade. My favorite subject to teach is Math. I love seeing students use their strategies and problem solving skills to solve problems. My Hobbies include cooking, playing board games, traveling, kayaking, camping, playing volleyball and pickleball with friends.

My name is Ashlee Allred. This is my 13th year teaching 6th Grade here at Thunder Ridge Elementary. I grew up and live in Orem, Utah. I am the favorite aunt to 3 nephews and 2 nieces. Some of my favorite things is spend time with family and friends, THOR, to go the movies, read, go camping, and play games. I am so excited for another great year here at Thunder Ridge!! Go Raptors!!

Hey Raptors,
My name is Becky Layne. I grew up in St. George, UT and attended Dixie College and then SUU. I have a Masters Degree from the University of AZ in Language, Reading, & Culture. I am in my 24th year as an Educator with 18 years in the classroom and 5 years as a Partnership Facilitator or Intern Coach. The past 13 years have been here at Thunder Ridge.

Outside of school I love to spend time with my family, especially my nieces and nephews. I love to read, be in the mountains, cheer on the Jazz, watch movies, play cards, and do Humanitarian work. I have traveled with the Youthlinc organization to Thailand, Kenya, Peru, Costa Rica, and Fiji. I enjoy learning about and spending time with people from other parts of the world and learning about their stories.

I am excited to join the third grade team and work with them and your third graders! I look forward to a great year and new adventures. Go Raptors!

Hello Friends! My name is Kelly and I am the Kitchen Manager at Thunder Ridge & Horizon Schools. As of this year, I have been working here for 5 years. I absolutely love this school and all of its kiddos. My favorite part has been to watch them all grow from little 1st graders to huge 5th graders and everything in between! I was born and raised in the Chicagoland Area and moved to Utah 10 years ago. My husband and I have been married for 30 years and have 3 amazing children ranging in age from 26-18. One graduated College and the other two are currently in college. It has been really fun to start our empty nest! When we all get together we love playing games and doing escape rooms. We are escape room experts! We have done so many its hard to find ones we have not done yet. Every school year get better and better, cant wait to see what this one brings!!!

"Hello! I’m Andrea Durrant. This is my 3rd year teaching kindergarten at Thunder Ridge. I graduated from BYU with a degree in Early Childhood Education and I have taught 1st grade, preschool, and kindergarten. I enjoy hiking, photography, and spending time with my family. My husband and I have 5 children (2 girls and 3 boys) ranging in age from 9-21 years old. All five of my children have attended Thunder Ridge! I love this school and community. I look forward to working together to make this a successful and memorable year!
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My name is Mrs. Bezzant. I love reading and helping ‘“raptors” discover their own love of reading. I was born and raised in American Fork, Utah. My grandfather was a principal many years ago at Greenwood Elementary and my dad was a science teacher at American Fork High School for 46 years. I decided to follow their example and become an educator. I earned my degree in elementary education but have never been a classroom teacher. Instead I have been an elementary computer specialist, piano teacher, fitness instructor, and an elementary math aide before becoming an elementary librarian. This will be my 7th year at Thunder Ridge Elementary.

When I am not at work or reading, I love being in the mountains, exercising, playing the piano, working in my flower beds, doing anything and everything with my family. I live in American Fork with my husband and yorkie/mini schnauzer dog named Zander. We have 6 grown children (4 sons and 2 daughters), we also have 5 granddaughters and had our first grandson this past summer.

I love my job and am excited to share some amazing books with you this year.

Hello! I’m Mrs. Fowler. My family and I have lived in Saratoga Springs for 16 years. I have been married to my husband, Ben, for 22 years and have four kids who have all attended Thunder Ridge. I love spending time with them camping, watching movies, and playing games. I delight in a good pedicure or cozying up to an interesting book, but am also up for a fun adventure. I enjoy spending time in the mountains, hiking, and paddle boarding. I also enjoy the beach and soaking up the sun. I graduated from the University of Utah in Business Administration in 2003 and worked in the mortgage industry for several years. In 2012 I became a stay at home mom and taught piano on the side. Now that my kids are older I decided to go back to work. I love working at Thunder Ridge and interacting with the fabulous students, parents, and staff.

Hi Thunder Ridge Raptors! My name is Alexa Parkin and I am excited for my first year at Thunder Ridge Elementary! I am from St. George, Utah, and moved to Orem in 2018 to attend college at UVU. My childhood was spent immersed in performing arts, particularly dance. I am currently living both my dreams as a dance teacher in addition to teaching here at Thunder Ridge! This will be my second year teaching, and I have a passion for creating a safe learning environment for all students and promoting a growth mindset. I live in Draper with my two rambunctious cats, Ash and Loki. I love to dance, paint, spend time outdoors, and read read read! I am so excited to be a Raptor, and I’m looking forward to this year’s new adventures!

"Hello Thunder Ridge, my name is Kara and I am one of the secretaries at the school. I love seeing all the kiddos when they come into the office. This is my 9th year working at the school, I was a teachers aide for the first several years and moved to the office full time last year.
I grew up in Provo and after getting married we moved to Arizona and then to Texas before we made our way back home to Utah. I have 4 daughters ranging from a Senior at BYU to an 8th grader. All 4 of them graduated from Thunder Ridge where we have been Raptors from the time the school opened.
I love to bake and I can often be found in the kitchen whipping something up on the weekends or after work."

Hi students! I'm excited to be your nurse for another year. I have been a Registered nurse for over 21 years doing all sorts of things like working in hospitals, rest homes, treatment facilities...you name it. I love working with kids and helping you learn how to take care of yourselves in a happy and safe environment 🙂 Though I have lived in several states I grew up in Utah and have lived here most of my life. I have 6 kids, some in school and some graduated. I really love teaching people how to help others, whether that be teaching CPR or why not to do drugs or do things like vape. Education is the key!! Looking forward to seeing you throughout the year!!