Tointon Academy of Pre-Engineering

Hi! My name is Stephanie Lara. This will be my third year at Tointon Academy. I am a busy mom of 3. I enjoy taking them to sports activities, mini trips around Colorado
and visiting different lakes! We love going camping, having picnics and having family time. Hope you enjoyed your summer, can’t wait to see everyone back!

Hi Tointon! My name is Martha Rivas and I am the Health Clerk at Tointon Academy. This is my fifth year working for District 6. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my grandkids going camping, attending their sports activities and going on road trips with my family. I am excited for another year, can't wait to see everyone!!

Hi everyone! I'm (Ina Jones) excited to be starting my first year as the office manager and can't wait to meet all of you! I'm new to the area and looking forward to being part of this wonderful school community. I enjoy trying new coffee shops, traveling whenever I can, spending time with my family and friends. I'm looking forward to a fun and amazing school year!

Hey Tointon family! This is year two for me (Mr. Dreyer) here, but I've been at it with school counseling since 2001. You'll get the benefit of everything I've learned through 17 years at the high school level and another 4 years working with students at the K-8 level. There is a lot of dis-ease or stress in life and my mission is to spread "Contagious Ease." I'm here to be present for the situations of the moment and help with proactively creating future ease with the planning and real skill development students need to thrive in the real world. I'm originally from Michigan with degrees from Western Michigan (B.A. in Aviation Technology) and Eastern Michigan (M.A. in School Counseling). At home we have one teenage daughter now that both of our other daughters have moved into their twenties!

Hi my name is Kristin Flint and I'm happy to return to Tointon for my second year as a Special Education Assistant. I moved to Colorado in 2017 from RI to Berthoud and now live in Greeley with my husband and two kids Ava and Hayley. I have my BA from Rhode Island College in Psychology and History and a M.S. in Human Resources from the University of Rhode Island. I love gardening, cooking, and baking and spending time with my family. Can't wait to see all my students again from last year and meet the new faces!

Hi, I am Alison Zapf. This will be my 16th year working with District 6 as a physical therapist. I can be found at many of our elementary and preschool settings around town. I am also part of the child find team and support the PT/OT's in our district as the team leads. I spend my free time gardening, golfing, being on the lake, and recently have taken up pickleball. I am excited to be part of the Tointon special education team again this upcoming year!

Hello! My name is Gabe Ruschival, and l am the Band and Music Electives Teacher at Tointon Academy. I am so excited to start my fifth year at Tointon Academy! I have been teaching music for over 11 years in high school and middle school settings. I have my undergraduate degree in Music Performance and teacher licensure from the University of Northern Colorado, and my master’s degree in Music Performance from Southern Methodist University. I love helping students realize their potential as musical artists, and watching them grow through their development of music skills and musical expression! I love all kinds of music and have played in orchestras, bands, jazz bands and toured the world in rock bands. I love my family, doing projects around the house, and classic and cool cars, especially mustangs!

Hello Tointon Families! My name is Diane Grube, and I am thrilled to be at Tointon Academy again this year! I will be working with your amazing children in classes where we explore art, design, engineering, technology, and maybe even drones! I've been a designer and teacher for many years, and I love helping students create, problem-solve, and build new things. In my class, students will get to build exciting projects, try out new ideas, and learn by doing. I believe that every student can be creative, curious, and confident and I am here to help them shine. Outside of school, I enjoy hiking, photography, sports, learning new things and designing cool projects. I am so happy to work with your child this year. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just want to say hello. I can't wait for a fun and exciting year together at Tointon!

Hi there! My name is Tony Pinedo and I am the STEM teacher at Tointon this fall. Besides teaching STEM, I also work with our Media Studio, Makerspace and am in the library. I have taught since 2007 and have held positions in Social Studies, ELL, 4th/5th Grade, and a Technology Coach working with K-12 students and teachers. I completed my undergrad in History, Teacher's Licensure, and Masters in Curriculum Studies all at the University of Northern Colorado (GO BEARS!). I am excited for the upcoming year where our students can continue to explore their interests and ideas in our SmartLab. In my free time I enjoy playing games, making things, going to concerts with friends, watching baseball and traveling to different stadiums, as well as listening and playing music, especially guitar and singing in a band.

Hi! I'm Mr. Law, and this is my 12th year in education, with experience teaching at the college, high school, and middle school levels. I'm a Colorado native and earned my Master's degree in Earth Science Education after graduating from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). I love spending time outdoors and enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, and exploring everything Colorado has to offer. When I'm not teaching, you'll usually find me with my wife and our three kids. I'm passionate about helping students develop curiosity, think critically, and discover that science is all around them.