INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM
Elementary Team
Ms. Allen attends Evergreen State College Tacoma and loves reading, art, science, math, music, and all things creative! Ms. Allen is looking forward to being a part of the Catalyst community.
Sierra Amodei, Lead Teacher
Ms. Amodei is delighted to join the Catalyst Public Schools team as a 4th grade Lead Teacher. Ms. Amodei grew up in the Pacific Northwest, dreaming of traveling and living abroad. She obtained her Bachelors of Visual and Communication Arts from Franklin College Switzerland and spent four years traveling and exploring.
In the last 14 years, Ms. Amodei has pursued certification in copy editing at University of Washington and received her Masters in Teaching from Northwest University. She is grateful for the many opportunities she has had to volunteer and work with children from daycares to marginalized students abroad and families of domestic violence. Most recently, Miss Amodei has worked as a substitute teacher for Bremerton School District and Special Education paraeducator for 4th and 5th graders.
Ms. Amodei spends her time plotting new adventures and embarking on those adventures whenever she has the time. Also along for the ride are her two boys, Nino (6) and Alyosha (3) and one crazy pup, Callie.
Vianey Arias-Perez, Teaching Fellow
Ms. V was born and raised in Washington state and just recently moved to Bremerton from Grant County. She is an Eastern Washington University alumna who earned her Bachelor of Arts in Children’s Studies, minoring in Spanish.
Under her belt, Ms. V brings four years of experience working with children and families in educational and community settings, including taking on roles as an Assistant Teacher, Summer Camp Leader+Site Supervisor, and as a Youth Development Professional.
Ms. V is a bilingual educator fluent in English and Spanish, and is incredibly passionate about creating inclusive, supportive learning environments where every child feels valued and empowered to succeed.
She is super excited to join the Catalyst family as a Teaching Fellow and looks forward to building meaningful relationships with scholars and their families!
Carrie Buxton, Lead Teacher
Ms. Buxton is so happy to be joining the team at Catalyst!
Born and raised for almost all of her teen years, in Anchorage, Alaska, she is not stranger to the beauty of the Pacific Northwest! She moved to the mid-west as a teen, it is here where she finished high school and began her college career. During her college career, she took a break and focused on a service mission for a year and half where she had the pleasure of providing assistance and love to others in a new community, which rooted her love of serving others.
Her favorite past time is spending time with family and watching a good movie.
With a college degree n Public Relations, she found her joy in teaching when her youngest was struggling in reading in Kindergarten. After doing some research and finding a curriculum that would help her daughter, she began learning about various teaching approaches that would allow her help teach her daughter to read. By the end of Kindergarten, her daughter was reading at a first grade level. This sparked an interest and love for teaching, where she would then begin the journey of getting a Masters in Elementary Education.
Since then, her journey and love of teaching has grown! She has enjoyed 12 plus years of teaching in a classroom and with multiple grade levels! She is excited to continue her joy in teaching with the scholars at Catalyst.
Her family includes a wonderful husband of 22 years and two children, Harrison and Kennedy who both attend college. And-do not forget about their fur child- Kylo Ren- the cat!
She looks forward to working at Catalyst and meeting all of the wonderful teachers, scholars and families that make Catalyst great!
Leane Church, Small Group Instructor
Meet Ms. Church—yes, she’s married to Mr. Church. A Bremerton native, Ms. Church is a proud mother of two children, one in high school and one in middle school. Her family also includes two beloved dogs. She enjoys music, cooking for loved ones, and watching thunderstorms. In her free time, she can often be found foraging for interesting rocks and connecting with others through positive energy.
Ms. Church brings over 20 years of experience in education, having served in a variety of roles throughout her career. She has extensive knowledge in social-emotional interventions and emotional regulation strategies, and she believes strongly that there is more than one way to solve a problem.
Now joining Catalyst, Ms. Church is excited to complete her education and student teaching. Her goal is to transition from a paraeducator and small group instructor to a fully certified teacher with a deeper understanding of the community and its unique needs.
Ms. Church is deeply passionate about diversity, inclusion, and ensuring every child feels seen, valued, and loved. She believes that strong relationships are the foundation of a thriving learning environment and is genuinely excited for the school year ahead.
Marlon Davison, Teaching Fellow
Mr. Davison is a teacher with a love for history, learning, and helping kids discover their curiosity. A military brat, he has called Germany, South Korea, and Japan home before settling back in Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Political Science and has also served as an Education Volunteer in the Peace Corps, experiences that shaped his passion for teaching and connecting with students from all walks of life.
Mr. Davison has taught both second and fourth grade and believes in creating a classroom where every student feels seen, heard, and excited to explore new ideas. Outside of school, you can usually find him playing volleyball or tennis, thinking about the next lesson that will make history come alive, or finding ways to bring a little fun and creativity into learning.
He is dedicated to helping students grow academically, socially, and personally, and he loves nothing more than seeing their “aha!” moments in the classroom.
Brandee Haynes, Lead Teacher
Ms. Haynes is a Bremerton High School graduate who has worked in the education field for more than 15 years, working first in early education before receiving a Bachelor's Degree in elementary education. She continues to build deep roots in this community as she plans to work towards her Master’s Degree.
Ms. Haynes is excited to continue to work with a team that is as dedicated to the education and advancement of all children. Inspiring the next generation and being a witness to their endless capabilities is her goal.
Marva Jones, Teaching Fellow
Ms. Jones was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio but has lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years. Ms. Jones began her career teaching students in grades 3-6 in Cleveland. Since then Ms. Jones has worked as an educator with Kitsap Community Resources, the Suquamish Tribe and the Embassy Education Center. She holds both an Associate's degree and her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Jones is happily married is the mother of 4 children.
Rebecca McNeill, Lead Teacher
Ms. McNeill is thrilled to be joining the Catalyst team. Originally from small-town North Dakota, Ms. McNeill and her husband Brian have lived in Bremerton for over 20 years, along with their son, Adam.
Ms. McNeill completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from North Dakota State University. She has worked professionally in health insurance, community/public relations and youth development programs. She found inspiration in teaching when her son began elementary school. At the same time as her son was struggling with school structure, schools closed due to the COVID pandemic. Ms. McNeill and her son were able to focus entirely on activities that sparked wonder and imagination in his academic skills. In turn, Ms. McNeill began dedicating her professional goals to working with youth and eventually completed a Masters in Elementary Education.
Over the last several years, Ms. McNeill has worked for Central Kitsap, North Kitsap and South Kitsap school districts. She originally started as a para educator and has spent the last year substitute teaching for all three districts primarily in grades K-5.
Maddison Paulus, Lead Teacher
Ms. Paulus is a dedicated educator who grew up in Seattle, WA. Because of her passions for human rights, equity, and writing, Ms. Paulus studied international affairs, journalism, and Arabic at George Washington University in Washington D.C. During her time in college Ms. Paulus discovered that applying her passions to education is her true calling. After graduating, she moved back home to Seattle to be close to her family and pursue a career in education. She is currently a student in the U-ACT program at the University of Washington.
Ms. Paulus began working with scholars when she was 15 years old at a child development center in Seattle. Since then, Ms. Paulus has grown in her teaching through roles at elementary schools in Washington, D.C., and Federal Way, WA. Ms. Paulus’ favorite part of teaching is learning from her scholars. She enjoys art, writing, camping, and swimming in her free time.
Maribel Pelayo, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Pelayo is excited to become a part of the Catalysts team this spring. Ms. Pelayo was born in Los Alamitos, California and raised in Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of 17, she moved to Bremerton, Washington, where she graduated from Bremerton High School and embarked her quest as a Multilingual Language Bilingual Paraprofessional in 2019. During the past 5 years, Maribel has been supporting Multilingual Language Learners to help them become proficient in English. Currently, she is enrolled in an education program through Grand Canyon University where she hopes to graduate as an educator with Emphasis in English as a Second Language.
She is thrilled to continue supporting students at Catalysts Public Schools while fostering a positive environment where all students can reach their highest potential and grow as an educator who can provide innovative learning experiences to her scholars. During her free time, she enjoys fishing, spending time with her boyfriend and connecting with her relatives from Mexico.
Katie Powell, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Powell is thrilled to be joining the Catalyst team this fall. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with her BA in Education, Communities, and Organizations and a minor in Disability Studies.
Born and raised in Washington, Ms. Powell grew up in Marysville before moving to Seattle for college. Since graduating, she has worked in various educational positions, including serving as a resident teacher at University Child Development School and as a paraeducator. Since moving to the Bremerton area two years ago, Catalyst has been a school she has hoped to be a part of someday. She is excited to begin her journey at Catalyst as she continues her education toward her Master’s degree and teaching certification. During her free time, Ms. Powell enjoys hiking, relaxing with her two beloved cats, and visiting her family. She looks forward to getting to know everyone at Catalyst and contributing to the community.
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Alana Santos, Lead Teacher
Aloha! Ms. Santos is excited to be starting her 5th year at Catalyst. Originally born and raised in Hawaii, she made the move to Washington several years ago and have loved being a part of this school 'ohana.
For the past four years, she has had the privilege of teaching 2nd grade, and this year she is thrilled to begin a new adventure in 1st grade! She can't wait to learn and grow alongside her colleagues and scholars.
When she is not at school, you'll usually find her cheering on the Mariners, spending quality time with her family, and playing with her energetic three year old labrador, Gus Gus!
Traci Siasat, Lead Teacher
Ms. Siasat received her elementary certification from Central Washington University in 2007. Previously, Ms. Siasat worked with autistic children and adults, as well as substituting in schools all around Kitsap.
Ms. Siasat has lived in Washington all her life and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. In her free time she likes to travel and camp with her son. They love to visit full of science and history. Ms. Siasat also loves all things geology, especially rocks. On the weekends, you will find her rockhounding on the beach.
Ms. Siasat is passionate about inclusivity and making sure all scholars have found their place amongst their peers.
Katherine Viridian, Lead Teacher
Ms. Size is from a small surfing community in Southern California called Hermosa Beach where she spent most of my childhood. After graduating high school she went to Santa Monica Community College before transferring to California State University at Long Beach. It was there where she was exposed to what it really meant to be an authentic educator.
Ms. Size graduated with her BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Human and Child Development in 2019 and subsequently earned her Masters in Teaching from Pepperdine University.
After graduating from Pepperdine, she moved to Phoenix where she has been teaching for the last two years. Leaving that group of students was one of the hardest things she has done, but she cannot wait for new experiences in Washington.
When she is not at work she loves reading, creating, spending time with family, going on adventures, cooking and persistently and unsuccessfully trying to annoy her fiancé.
Taiylor Walters, Lead Teacher
Ms. Walters graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma in 2021 with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology as well as two minors focused in education.
She plans to continue through her Master’s degree and receive her teaching certification starting in August 2021. During her free time she likes to sit down with a good book, typically in the Young Adult genre, or watch one of the many Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. She is excited to be working with all of the Catalyst scholars and getting to know each and every one of them!
Note: Some staff are not listed on the website based upon their preferences.