Our Team

Middleton Campus Leadership Team

Jacque Bettencourt
Elementary (PYP) Director
jacque.bettencourt@sageintl.org

Jacque has been in education for many years and was part of the Sage International Boise team from 2010-2015 in the role of Kindergarten teacher, PYP Coordinator, and then PYP Director. She then took a break to be home with her son, and most recently spent two years at Idaho Arts Charter School as the Secondary Assistant Principal. When she isn’t working, you will find her spending time with family and friends, perfecting her sourdough loaf, or enjoying the outdoors.

Sarah Jensen
Secondary Director
sarah.jensen@sageintl.org

Sarah was born and raised in Weiser, Idaho. Sarah has a wide range of experience in education, including six months on an American military base in Germany, and five years teaching middle school math in the Treasure Valley. In 2022, Sarah served as both Miss Jensen and Miss Idaho, and represented the Gem State on the Miss America stage. She is a plant lover, dog mom, outdoor adventure seeker, and exercise enthusiast. Her greatest passions are education and service, and she is excited to bring those passions to Sage International in Middleton.

Kelly Shaw
Dean of Students
kelly.shaw@sageintl.org

Born and raised in Boise, Kelly has had a passion for languages and world exploration since she was young. This passion drove her to education, and she believes that care and compassion are the foundations of student success and that every child is capable of achievement. Kelly is a seasoned French teacher with experience in both traditional and online classrooms. She has led international school exchanges, studied abroad twice, and travelled with over 200 students to seven countries. She values a global perspective and excels in the IB attributes of being caring and open-minded. Kelly holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

Nora Strauch
Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator
nora.strauch@sageintl.org

Nora‘s teaching career began in 2007. She worked in a variety of schools, including charter schools, overseas international schools, and traditional public schools, and joined the Sage International Network in 2019. Nora has worked as both a classroom teacher and a coordinator at IB World Schools since 2012. Nora believes strongly in the inquiry, action, and international-mindedness aspects of the IB framework. When not at Sage, you can find Nora spending time with her family and friends either in the outdoors or taking a trip to explore a new city or landscape.

Faith Hansen
Diploma Programme (DP) Coordinator
faith.hansen@sageintl.org

Faith came to Sage in 2015. She has been in the field of education for over 20 years and has taught at all levels from middle school through college undergraduate. She loves teaching English literature and language. However, her time working for educational nonprofits and teaching on college campuses has made her passionate about preparing and supporting students for university study.

Middleton Support Team

Jessica Humphries
Front Desk Reception
jessica.humphries@sageintl.org

Arin Jeffs
Registrar & Bookkeeper
arin.jeffs@sageintl.org

Joy Kaplan-Rood
Counselor
joy.kaplanrood@sageintl.org

Coming Soon

Jashelle “Jazzy” Anderson
School Nurse
jashelle.anderson@sageintl.org

Gina Fairchild
Food Service Manager
gina.fairchild@sageintl.org

Laura Hering
Kitchen Manager
Laura.Hering@sageintl.org

Wendy Ahyou
Facilities Manager
wendy.ahyou@sageintl.org

Middleton Staff

Elementary
JACQUE BETTENCOURT	Elementary Director	jacque.bettencourt@sageintl.org
AMBER ESPINOZA	Kindergarten Teacher	amber.espinoza@sageintl.org
YOANA PEREZ-BARROSO	Kindergarten Teacher	yoana.perezbarroso@sageintl.org
RILEY MCCAULEY	1st Grade Elementary Teacher	riley.mccauley@sageintl.org
SHELBY BECHTEL	1st Grade Elementary Teacher	shelby.bechtel@sageintl.org
ANNA GANSKE	2nd Grade Elementary Teacher	anna.ganske@sageintl.org
MACY BAGWELL	2nd Grade Elementary Teacher	macy.bagwell@sageintl.org
KASSANDRA HUWA	3rd Grade Elementary Teacher	kasandra.huwa@sageintl.org
KRISTY SCOTT	3rd Grade Elementary Teacher	kristy.scott@sageintl.org
GEORGINA BACCHOUS-GONZALES	4th Grade Elementary Teacher	georgina.bacchousgonzales@sageintl.org
MISTI STRADLEY	4th Grade Elementary Teacher	misti.stradley@sageintl.org
CHRISTINA PAK	5th Grade Elementary Teacher	christina.pak@sageintl.org
DERINDA JOHNSON	5th Grade Elementary Teacher	derinda.johnson@sageintl.org
MATTHEW KELLY	K – 5th Grade PE Teacher	matthew.kelly@sageintl.org
MALYNN REINKIEWICZ	K – 5th Grade Spanish Teacher	malynn.reinkiewicz@sageintl.org

Secondary
SARAH JENSEN	Secondary Director	sarah.jensen@sageintl.org
ASHLEIGH HOULE	Middle School English Teacher	ashleigh.houle@sageintl.org
ALLISON GARRISON	Middle School I & S Teacher	allison.garrison@sageintl.org
MIRANDA STANSBERY	Middle School Design Teacher	miranda.stansbery@sageintl.org
TATJANA TROUT	Middle School Spanish Teacher	tatjana.trout@sageintl.org
MICHAELAH BUSSE	Middle School Science Teacher	michaelah.busse@sageintl.org
ANA VALVERDE	Middle School Math Teacher	ana.valverde@sageintl.org
BRETT VALLEY	6th – 12th Grade PE & Health Teacher	brett.valley@sageintl.org
LINDSEY OLSEN	6th – 12th Grade Art Teacher	lindsey.olsen@sageintl.org
TYLER MCCLARY	High School Econ, History, & Electives Teacher	tyler.mcclary@sageintl.org
LORI ROBERSON	High School History & Economics Teacher	lori.roberson@sageintl.org
MATTHEW HANEY	High School Math Teacher	matthew.haney@sageintl.org
IAN NORLAND	High School Spanish/TOK Teacher	ian.norland@sageintl.org
DAVID SCHWARTZ	High School English Teacher	david.schwartz@sageintl.org
ABIGAIL MOODY	High School Science Teacher	abigail.moody@sageintl.org

Special Education
CHRISTINE MCMILLEN	Special Education & Federal Programs Director	christine.mcmillen@sageintl.org
TBD	K- 5th Grade Special Education Teacher
TARA MEGAN HARDIN	Middle School Special Education Teacher	tara.hardin@sageintl.org
HEATHER BAKER	High School Special Education Teacher	heather.baker@sageintl.org
RACHEL SCHAEFER	High School Special Education Teacher	rachel.schaefer@sageintl.org

Operations & Support
KELLY SHAW	K- 12th Grade Dean of Students	kelly.shaw@sageintl.org
JESSICA HUMPHRIES	K -12th Grade Front Desk Admin	jessica.humphries@sageintl.org
ARIN JEFFS	School Registrar/Bookkeeper	arin.jeffs@sageintl.org
JASHELLE “Jazzy” ANDERSON	K – 12th Grade Nurse	jashelle.anderson@sageintl.org
JOY KAPLAN-ROOD	K – 12th Grade Counselor	joy.kaplanrood@sageintl.org
TAYLOR ARMSTRONG	K-3rd GradeInstuctional Intervention Aide	taylor.armstrong@sageintl.org
HEATHER LOVE	RTI Teacher	heather.love@sageintl.org
WENDY AHYOU	School Facilities Manager	wendy.ahyou@sageintl.org
GINA FAIRCHILD	Nutrition Director	gina.fairchild@sageintl.org
LAURA HERING	Kitchen Manager	laura.hering@sageintl.org
KAREN MALENDER	Kitchen Assistant	karen.melander@sageintl.org
BETHANY SCHMIDT	Kitchen Assistant	bethany.schmidt@sageintl.org
KATHLEEN SHURTLEFF	Kitchen Assistant	kathleen.shurtleff@sageintl.org

Network
EMILY DOWNEY	Executive Director	emily.downey@sageintl.org
JOSH NOTEBOOM	Chief Academic Officer	josh.noteboom@sageintl.org
MATTHEW PETERSON	Psychologist	matthew.peterson@sageintl.org
JANNA MITCHELL	English Language (EL) Teacher	janna.mitchell@sageintl.org
ARRON WALTON	Enrichment Director	arron.walton@sageintl.org
MIA RUSSELL	Esage Coordinator	mia.russell@sageintl.org
MEGAN FUROIS	Outdoor Coordinator	megan.furois@sageintl.org
DANI ZWOLFER	IB Programs, Title IX Coordinator, Board Clerk	dani.zwolfer@sageintl.org
HEIDI HAGMAN	Marketing & Communications Director	heidi.hagman@sageintl.org
BOB BRIXEY	Facilities Director	bob.brixey@sageintl.org
RACHEL WILSON	Human Resources & School Based Medicaid Manager	rachel.wilson@sageintl.org
VALERIE ROBERTS	Payroll & HR Coordinator	valerie.roberts@sageintl.org
JOHNNY WATKINS	IT Director	johnny.watkins@sageintl.org
KRISS GRIMALDO	IT Specialist	kriss.grimaldo@sageintl.org
SHELBY LUSBY	IT Support Specialist	shelby.lusby@sageintl.org

Network Leadership Team

Emily Downey
Executive Director
emily.downey@sageintl.org

Emily joined Sage in 2014 as a parent of 3 boys, each of who have graduated with the full DP diploma. She enjoyed volunteering in a variety of ways at both of our schools, including as a member of the School Board, and in 2021 became the network’s CFO/COO. Emily is an experienced financial and operational leader as a CPA with over 20 years in the private sector with responsibilities spanning budgeting, forecasting, financial and operational goal setting, personnel management, market strategy, business consulting, corporate taxation and auditing.

Emily loves exploring the outdoors with her family and dogs, traveling the world, and tucking up with a good book.

Josh Noteboom
Chief Academic Officer
josh.noteboom@sageintl.org

Josh brings over 16 years of experience in public education. He previously led federal programs for the Idaho State Department of Education, advancing equity and access for Idaho students statewide. Josh has held a range of roles, including teacher and assistant principal in the Kuna School District, principal of Bruneau Elementary, and founding school leader of Village Leadership Academy, a Boise charter school focused on project-based learning.

A lifelong Idahoan and Kuna High graduate, Josh earned degrees from Northwest Nazarene University and Boise State. He is the proud father of two teenage children. Outside of education, Josh is passionate about Idaho’s natural beauty and enjoys hunting, camping, and paddleboarding.

Christine McMillen
Special Education Director & Federal Programs Manager
christine.mcmillen@sageintl.org

Christine moved to Boise in 1998 and worked as a special education teacher in West Ada and then most recently as principal of Canyon Springs High School in Caldwell.

She is also the proud mother of three grown daughters and two stepsons and enjoys spending as much time as possible visiting them in Colorado and Montana. She is passionate about student success and learning and looks forward to working with the great team at Sage.

Dani Zwolfer
IB/Curriculum/Assessment Director
dani.zwolfer@sageintl.org

Dani started at Sage in Boise when we opened our doors in 2010. She has held a variety of roles at Sage including elementary teacher, PYP Coordinator, and PYP Director. Dani is also an IB Workshop Leader and has enjoyed supporting colleagues at other educational institutions to develop their understanding of the IB. Before her career in education, Dani spent 19 years at an international market research company as a data analyst. When not on campus, she enjoys spending time with her husband exploring all the corners of Idaho and beyond or hanging out at a local coffee shop playing a board game with family.

Lisa Lechner
Network Business Manager/ISEE Coordinator
lisa@sageintl.org

Lisa has been with the Sage International network since it began in 2010, and was the first paid employee. She has served in a variety of roles in her time here, mostly accounting and finance-related. Lisa has a deep love and history in performing arts and is instrumental in bringing in a variety of local artists to share with our students and the performing arts program.

Heidi Hagman
Marketing & Communications Director
heidi.hagman@sageintl.org

Heidi started at Sage in Boise as a kindergarten parent in 2010 and enjoyed time volunteering while having her own photography business. She officially joined the team in 2019 working at the front desk, and now enjoys using her photography skills and previous years of experience working in IT to market to our community and communicate with families about our wonderful schools! She enjoys traveling and taking outdoor adventures with her husband Mike and their two teenagers.

Arron Walton
Enrichment Director
arron.walton@sageintl.org

Arron started at Sage Boise as a parent when the school opened in 2010, and started working at Sage in 2014 as the ESage Director. She is now also Enrichment Director and oversees extracurricular programs at both Boise and Middleton campuses. She previously worked at the YMCA for 13 years in the Child Development Branch in a variety of roles working with infants through school age children. In her spare time, Arron enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, camping, kayaking and gardening.

Bob Brixey
Network Facilities Director
bob.brixey@sageintl.org

Bob is an Idaho native that grew up in Parma. Bob started working for Sage in the summer of 2016. Prior to that, for twenty years, he was the Facilities Manager for a large church in Indiana. Bob served as a youth pastor in Colorado for five years while he attended Denver Baptist Bible College. He has three children and five grandchildren. Bob enjoys camping with his wife Gayle, entertaining his grandchildren, hiking, driving his hot rod, and working on his miniature railroad.