Bio:
My name is Raylene Howell. I am so excited to be at Freedom Elementary!  I am a Special Education aide helping students in kindergarten and 1^st grade.  I have had training in early childhood development and have been working with young children for the last 10 years.  I am originally from New Mexico, and have lived in Colorado for the last three years.  My husband recently retired from the U.S. Air Force, during his career we moved frequently.  So our family has had the opportunity to live in Europe and experience many different cultures.  We have two children, Dustin, 19, graduated from Doherty High School in 2009, and Brittany, 16, a junior at Doherty High School.  My favorite thing to do is to spend as much time as possible with my family.  We like to travel, see movies, and eat out.  I enjoy working with kids of all ages and I hope to positively influence the children I meet.

Bio:

My name is Diane Israel and this is my third as a Special Ed aide at (fabulous) Freedom!  Prior to working here, I was an aide at Rudy Preschool for a year and an assistant teacher at Holy Apostles Preschool for five years.  I also have an "evening/weekend" job as a violinist in the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra.  I have played in the CSPO for the past 30 years.  Vern Ashcraft, our wonderful orchestra director, was even one of my former violin teachers! 

I grew up in Long Beach, CA, but moved to Colorado Springs as a teenager.  I received my Bachelor of Music/Masters of Music Degrees in Violin Performance from the University of Denver and Northern Illinois University.  I met my husband at Digital Equipment Corporation and he now works at Oracle.  Our son and daughter both attended D11 schools and are currently college students (a senior and a freshman), so we are brand-new empty-nesters!

I am passionate about reading and believe a love of reading (as well as of the arts, of course!) is the greatest gift we can give our children. 

Bio:

Hello, my name is Cindy Root and I am starting my third year at Freedom Elementary and with Dist. 11.  I am a mother of 3 beautiful girls.  My oldest is at Doherty, my middle is at Sabin and my youngest is here at Freedom.  I am so excited!  I have over 20 years experience with Downs syndrome.  I am going back to school to become a Special Educations teacher.  Big challenges! 

My name is Faith Rojo and I am a special educational assistant at Freedom Elementary. I have been working in the Special Education field for approximately 9 years. I moved to Colorado from California 4 years ago and have previously worked at Rudy Elementary. Freedom and the students are always a joy!