Coral Community Charter School

 

 

 

Ms. María Nieves Bascur
Pre-K Boys Teacher 

Favorite Quote: “To be or not to be." ~William Shakespeare

Ms. María Nieves Bascur has her Bachelor degree in Early Childhood from ages 3 to 8 and graduated with honors. Ms. Bascur has been teaching for 17 years in Pre-K, and was an Assistant Director at the Children Learning Center. She is always smiling and punctual.​​​

 

Ms. Elena Munoz
Pre-K Boys Educational Assistant

Favorite Quote: “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Ms. Elena Munoz is pursuing her Associates in Early Childhood Multicultural Education, and has been teaching for 8 years. She is very patient, thoughtful, and loves to work with children. Ms. Munoz is married and has two children of her own, and enjoys crafting and baking. 

 

Mrs. Brittany Ocheltree
Pre-K Girls Teacher

Favorite Quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~Dr. Seuss. 

Mrs. Brittany Ocheltree graduated Cum Laude from UNM with her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. She taught PE for 2 years at Manzano High School and 1 and a half years here at Coral. She then went back to school and got a second Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education from WNMU, graduating with high honors. Mrs. Ocheltree has been teaching Pre-Kindergarten at Coral for 2 years now and loves it because she feels she is a kid at heart. She is a mom to a spunky 2 year old little girl, a dog mom, loves to travel, be outdoors, and believes there is no such thing as bad pizza.

 

Ms. Ora John
Pre-K Girls Educational Assistant

Favorite Quote: Let all that you do be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

Ms. Ora John has an Associate degree in Fine Arts. She is currently working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and hopes to one day become an Art Teacher. She loves camping, fishing, hiking, and painting.

 

Ms. Hannah Bimmerle
K/1 Boys Cohort Teacher 

Favorite Quote: “When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.” ~John Greenleaf Whittier

Ms. Bimmerle moved to Albuquerque a little over a year ago from Indiana, where she received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University. Since beginning her career as a teacher, she has had experiences in Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 4th Grade settings. She loves working with children as she feels they bring out her creativity and child-like heart. She enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, yoga, painting, reading, and spending time with her cats!

 

 

Mrs. Elizabeth Alvarez
K/1 Boys Cohort Educational Assistant

Intelligence plus character is the goal of true education ~ Martin Luther King Jr. 

Mrs. Alvarez was a stay-at-home mother for 3 years. She was a nanny and helped care for 4 children under the age of 5, including her two children. She volunteered to coach toddlers in basketball and soccer though I-9 sports. She is a co-leader for the Girl Scout Troop 10810 here at CCCS. She has also worked with the elderly as a nursing assistant, in assisted living and memory care settings. Mrs. Alvarez is a certified Nursing assistant through te state of New Mexico, and she recently finished the Patient Care Technician certification program through CNM. Mrs. Alvarez is working towards her Associates of Applied Science in Nursing at CNM.

 

Ms. Vanessa Grose
K/1 Girls Cohort Teacher 

Favorite Quote: “We can complain that roses have thorns, or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

Ms. Grose has obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation & Sports Management. She plans to get her Master's in Education and Administration from ENMU. For the past 4 years she has been working on a cruise ship where she was the Youth & Family Programs Manager. Ms. Grose is passionate about outdoor & environmental education directing resident camps for many years. She enjoys spending time with her dogs, the ocean and any kind of sports.

 

Ms. Christina Lauritzen
K/1 Cohort Educational Assistant

Favorite Quote: “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” ~ Ignacio Estrada

Ms. Christina Lauritzen attended New Mexico Military Institute her junior and senior year of high school and graduated with honors. She stayed for the junior college and graduated with an Associate's of Liberal Arts. Mrs. Lauritzen transferred to Adams State University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology with an emphasis on social welfare. She has experience in the college admission process and recruiting. Mrs. Lauritzen has been able to travel all over recruiting for NMMI. She managed the incoming recruited athletes and the academy prep program. Mrs. Lauritzen worked for New Mexico Army National Guard Family Programs and oversaw the southeastern part of the state, providing local resources to New Mexico Army National Guard families. She has been involved in CCCS's PTA since 2018 and is very excited about being an Educational Assistant. Mrs. Lauritzen owns a home business, Just for you Designs by Christina LLC. She is a mother of two awesome kids who keep her busy (with sports and dance) and a wife to an Army National Guard Soldier. ​​

 

Ms. Jill Urban
1/2 Girls Cohort Teacher

Favorite Quote: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~Aristotle

Mrs. Urban graduated with High Honors from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology with her Bachelor’s degree in University Studies. She has been in the Education field for 19 years. She worked at Cottonwood Valley Charter School for 16 years prior to Coral Community Charter School. Her service includes K-8 librarian; middle school electives teacher; coordinator of Big Idea, Art, and Book Groups; special events coordinator for the Spring Fling, Talent Show, Winter Crafts, Winter Concert, Fall Festival, bake sales, 8th grade trip, and too many more to list. Prior to her employment in schools, Mrs. Urban worked for architects, a gym, and even a burger stand. She has a cat rescue called Claws and Paws. In her free time, she loves to read, do puzzles, garden, play games, travel, spend time with her family, make paper crafts, crochet, watch cooking shows, and make movies.

 

Ms. Barbara Brech
1/2 Boys Cohort Teacher

Favorite Quote: "When you play, play hard. When you work don't play at all." ~ T. Roosevelt

“When you play, play hard. When you work don’t play at all.” ~T. Roosevelt

Ms. Barbara Brech has her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Relations, and a Master’s Degree in Education. She has 9 years of teaching experience in 1st and 2nd grade and 5 years of Pre-K. Ms. Brech worked at Rio Rancho Public Schools for 9 years prior to Coral Community Charter School. Her service included being a general education teacher, coordinating the Community Involvement team, and facilitating the school community food pantry. Ms. Brech loves to read, hike, travel, and spend time with family.

 

Mrs. Rebekah O’Rourke
2/3 Boys Cohort Teacher

Favorite Quote: "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It's the courage to continue that counts." ~Winston Churchill

Mrs. Rebekah O'Rourke has her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Western Governors University, as well as her Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. Mrs. O’Rourke has worked with children in various settings for the past 15 years, with 3 years at another charter school in Albuquerque. This is her second year at CCCS. She loves cooking, baking, camping, and spending time with her family, friends, and dogs.

 

Mr. Harold Thompson
2/3 Boys Cohort Educational Assistant

 

Favorite Quote: “The harder I work the luckier I get.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Mr. Thompson has coached JR Tennis full time since 2001. He has also coached at the private sector and college level where he was the Head Coach of the Men’s Tennis team at Erskine College. Hal Graduated at Erskine College with a degree in History. He has been a EA at CCCS for 1 year.

 

Ms. Sarah Nielsen
2/3 Girls Cohort Teacher

 

Favorite Quote: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ~ Helen Keller

Ms. Sarah Nielsen has her Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts. Sarah has spent most of her working career in education. Whereas her experiences have been blended, she has spent the past few years as a Special Education Teacher in the Charter sector for middle school and high school aged students. Sarah loves children, active learning, nature, the outdoors and all creatures great and small. She is very excited to make this magical transition into an elementary classroom and also in joining the Coral Charter Community School family!

 

 

Mrs. Jodie Clarke
3/4 Boys Cohort Teacher

Favorite Quote: “Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect.”

Mrs. Jodie Clarke has her bachelor’s in Physical Education from UNM and her master’s in Instructional Leadership from Wayland Baptist University. Mrs. Clarke has been in education for 17 years, working with kindergarten to high school seniors. She has 3 kids and spends most of her free time at her kids sporting events.

 

Ms. Jessica Schiffman
3/4 Girls Cohort Teacher

Favorite Quote: "Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory." ~Dr. Seuss

Jessica Schiffman is in the process of completing her Bachelors in Elementary Education. She spent 2 years as a Pre-K Assistant Teacher, 1 year as a Substitute Teacher, and 3 years as an Educational Assistant. Ms. Schiffman has worked with children from Birth to 5 years old at La Petite, and ran a daycare out of her home for many years, teaching 3 and 4-year old children. She has two children, ages 5 and 10. In her spare time, she loves to read books. She has a love for teaching and working with children.

 

Ms. Mikayla Martinez
Upper Girls Cohort Teacher

Favorite Quote: “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Ms. Mikayla Martinez is pursuing licensure in Elementary Education, and has previous experience teaching elementary students. She has also worked at the Boys and Girls Club where she spent a lot of time with children of various ages. Ms. Martinez was a Keva Juice mug designer where she was employee of the month. Her favorite hobby is to dance.

 

Ms. Rachel Slagle
Special Education Teacher

 Favorite Quote: “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by his ability to climb a tree it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ~Albert Einstein

Ms. Rachel Haysley completed her undergraduate degree at the University of New Mexico with Bachelor’s in both General and Special Education, and an emphasis on Science and Social Studies. She has worked as an EA in both Special Education and 1:1 behavior redirection. Rachel is currently in training to become a CALT (Certified Academic Language Therapist) taught by Dyslexia Specialists of New Mexico. She enjoys seeing the individuality and creativity of kids and loves to learn from her students. In her free time, Rachel loves to create sculptures from recycled and found items. She also spends much of her time hiking and running with family and friends.​

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Ms. Cynthia Redner
Reading Support Teacher

Favorite Quote: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ms. Redner has a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Ladycliff College in Highland Falls, New York. She has her Masters of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, and her Ed. Specialist Certificate in Multi-Cultural Education from UNM. Her teaching experience includes first grade for seven years in Hinesville, Georgia, and 28 years with APS in grades K-5 at Sandia Base Elementary School. She has also mentored many new teachers through the APS/ATF/UNM Mentor Program. Ms. Redner loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her two beautiful grandchildren.

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Mr. Kevin Urban
PE & STEAM Teacher

Favorite Quote: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” ~Unknown

Mr. Kevin Urban is working on his Associates in Biology at CNM, and holds a New Mexico Public Education Educational Assistant license. He has spent a lot of time in the past working with students at Coral Community Charter School while substitute teaching in different classrooms from Pre-K through 6th grade. Mr. Urban has previously been a lifeguard and serving food in the restaurant industry. He formerly held the title of all district and state high school soccer player, and he loves to garden, backpack, animals and sports. ​

 

Ms. Alexa Grodner
Art Teacher

Favorite Quote: “Life is what happens to you, while you’re busy making other plans”. ~John Lennon

Ms. Grodner studied Fine Arts at the University of Illinois, and sculpture at the Academy in Florence, Italy. She studied marble carving and foundry work in the studios of Carrara and Pietrasanta Italy. Ms. Grodner says, “After 40 years as an artist, educator, chef, parent, grandparent and ever-creative spirit I have found that no matter where I am or what I am doing, the creative process is always in some way involved. I feel that art is a ‘collaboration’ with what surrounds us at any moment in time.” Having her own two children brought her to her present interest of working with and supporting children in education. Ms. Grodner has worked with APS and charter schools for the last 20 years, as well as private summer school programs including Albuquerque Academy, NM Jazz Workshop, Sandia Prep, and the Menaul School. Her interests are art, cooking, travel and connecting with Nature.