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.

Brian Bava
Sage Fellow
brian.bava@ageintl.org

Brian Bava brings nearly three decades of experience in education, most recently serving as Vice President of Enrollment Management at The College of Idaho, following earlier roles at Concordia University School of Law and Kimball Union Academy. Brian spent much of his youth attending international schools in Tokyo and Seoul and earned his International Baccalaureate diploma from United World College – USA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and History from American University and a graduate degree in Education Leadership from the University of Idaho. Throughout his career, Brian has worked in admissions, enrollment management, college counseling, coaching, and student support.

Brian and his wife Amy have two children, and he is an avid sports fan.

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 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. 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.

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

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. She 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.

David Schwartz
Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator
David.Schwartz@sageintl.org

David Schwartz has been at Sage teaching Language and Literature for about 4 years now, but has been working in and a student of IB schools since he was a teenager. His favorite part about teaching is seeing the new arguments and ideas students make across subjects.

When not at school, he is probably reading, speaking at a poetry event, or lounging by the Boise River.

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 Doramus
Front Desk Reception
jessica.doramus@sageintl.org

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

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

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

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

Laura Hering
Kitchen Manager
Laura.Hering@sageintl.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. Kate joined the Sage Team in 2022 as Elementary Director.

When not at 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 been High School Director since 2020.

She spends her free time at the CrossFit gym, and camping in the mountains with her family.

Danny Solomon
Campus Support Director
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 content areas. His primary teaching assignments were in English Language Arts, before moving on to his time as an assistant principal. Danny joined Sage in 2022, with values that 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

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.

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

Scout started at Sage during the 2024-2025 school year as the Career Programme Coordinator. She teaches Personal and Professional Skills and oversees Community Engagement projects and Career Readiness Tracks. Prior to Sage, Scout was at Alzar School, a semester school with campuses in both Cascade, ID, and Coyhaique, Aysen, Chile. There she taught English and Leadership and was a part of the whitewater programming staff.

When not at school Scout loves to spend time on the local rivers, in the local wilderness areas or checking out the newest coffee shop to pop up.

Ashley Henderson
Diploma Programme (DP) Coordinator
ashley.henderson@sageintl.org

Ashley has been working as a teacher since 2007. Her early experiences in education focused on working with at-risk youth in the Treasure Valley. She has been teaching math at Sage since 2011 and added the role of DP coordinator in 2023.

When not at Sage, Ashley enjoys spending time in the outdoors. She enjoys gardening, paddle boarding, and camping with friends and family.