Our Team & Partners – Sage International School

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 children—one a high school graduate and the other a current senior. Outside of education, Josh is passionate about Idaho’s natural beauty and enjoys hunting, camping, and paddle boarding.

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.

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

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.

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.

Network Support Team

Janna Brown
Multilingual Learner Coordinator
janna.mitchell@sageintl.org

Matthew Peterson
Network School Psychologist
matthew.peterson@sageintl.org

Kriss Grimaldo
Technology Support Specialist
kriss.grimaldo@sageintl.org

Valerie Roberts
Human Resouces Coordinator
valerie.roberts@sageintl.org

Johnny Watkins
Technology Manager
johnny.watkins@sageintl.org

Rachel Wilson
Human Resources Specialist
rachel.wilson@sageintl.org

Mia Russell
ESage Network Coordinator
mia.russell@sageintl.org

Middleton Campus Leadership Team

Sarah Jensen
Secondary Director
sarah.jensen@sageintl.org

Sarah was born and raised in Weiser, Idaho. She earned her B.A. in Education from Washington State University and her M.Ed. Leadership from Boise State University. 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.

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.

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

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, as reflected in her volunteer work at an overseas orphanage and her service supporting Idaho youth through psycho-social rehabilitation programs. Kelly holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

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 achievemen

Nora Strauch
PYP Coordinator
nora.strauch@sageintl.org

Middleton Support Team

Amanda Christensen
Administrative Assistant
amanda.christensen@forgeintl.org

Arin Jeffs
Registrar & Bookkeeper
registrar@forgeintl.org

Cherie Hewitt
Kitchen Manager
cherie.hewitt@forgeintl.org

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

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

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

Lorinda Blew
Nurse
lorinda.blew@forgeintl.org

Wendy Ahyou
Facilities Manager
wendy.ahyou@forgeintl.org

Boise Leadership Team

Kate Hunter
PYP (K-5) Director
kate.hunter@sageintl.org

Kate’s teaching career began in 2003 in Barcelona Spain, where she instructed all levels of English as a new language. Kate has worked in a wide variety of schools, including private, magnet, and traditional public schools, serving as a teacher, IB Coordinator, district-level program administrator, curriculum and instructional specialist, and assistant principal. This is her first year on the Sage team, serving as the Elementary Director. When not at a Sage you can find Kate with her family, ideally enjoying all that the Idaho outdoors has to offer.

Zach Parker
Middle School (6-8) Director
zach.parker@sageintl.org

Zach began teaching secondary English at Caldwell High in 2005. He eventually moved to a small charter school in Nampa where he was the English and Social Studies department for the entire high school. Zach happily ended up at Sage in 2012 as the school aligned with his educational and life philosophy. He taught various levels of English and Social Studies at the secondary level while slowly taking on different leadership roles. In 2016 Zach made the shift to a full time Director of Middle School. When not roaming the halls of Sage, Zach enjoys having a book in one hand and a fly-rod or golf club in the other hand. He also enjoys the finer outdoor experiences of Idaho with his family of four.

Brandy Burkett
High School (9-12) Director
brandy.burkett@sageintl.org

Brandy has been working in the field of education since 2013. She began as an English teacher in the Nampa school district and was offered the amazing opportunity to teach at Sage for the 2017-2018 school year. Throughout her years at Sage, Brandy has served as an English teacher, Personal and Professional Skills teacher, College and Career advisor, and she has spent the last 3 school years serving as a Director in the high school.

Danny Solomon
Dean and Campus Operations Coordinator
danny.solomon@sageintl.org

Danny started his career in education in West Ada in 2010. He has worked as a paraprofessional, teacher, and administrator across multiple grade-levels and contents. His primary teaching assignments were in English Language Arts, before moving on to his time as an assistant principal. This is the first year Danny has served as dean and campus operations for Sage International. Danny’s values match Sage’s focus on including all students in a demanding education that develops them as local and global citizens. When not at Sage, a satellite communicator may ping his location with family, friends, or somewhere on a mountain, assuming he didn’t forget the device.

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

Lainey McGrady
Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator
lainey.mcgrady@sageintl.org

Lainey started at Sage in the fall of 2020. She has teaching experience ranging from grades 7 to 12 as both a math teacher and as an English teacher. She currently teaches 8th grade math for the Boise campus. Lainey also has leadership experience leading various committees, teaching professional development classes, and as a Boise State Regional Math Center instructor. Lainey holds the Middle Years Programme leadership role for the Boise campus. Outside of school hours Lainey enjoys spending time with her husband and children. Their favorite family activities include traveling, gardening, and playing golf.

Scout Scorcik
Career Programme (CP) Coordinator
scout.sorcic@sageintl.org