This year we are blessed to have an amazing group of 15 new staff members who come to us from many different places. We want to introduce them to you so that if you see them in the halls, in your classrooms, or at the store you can say “hi” and introduce yourselves to them. We want to welcome them to our Charger Family (although some of them were students at Chatfield and have therefor come back home).

Mrs. Erin Calvert – Counselor

Mrs. Calvert has always been passionate about counseling, she was inspired at a young age by her aunt who was a psychologist with her Ph.D. Growing up, she loved the idea of working with kids but wasn’t sure what job could fit what she was looking for. She ended up pursuing a degree in psychology at CSU, where she gained experience through volunteering and shadowing a school counselor where she found out she wanted to be a counselor. As a counselor, her last job was at Jefferson Junior and Senior High School, where she was able to display her skills. Outside of her career, Mrs. Calvert is deeply devoted to her big family and enjoys watching her two younger kids grow up. One of the highlights of her job is seeing students develop and thrive throughout their high school years. An avid sports enthusiast, Mrs. Calvert grew up swimming, playing lacrosse, and participating in various other sports. She’s thrilled about attending and supporting the sporting events at Chatfield and looks forward to being an active part of the school community.

Mr. Fabian- Dean of Students

This year we are lucky enough to have Mr. Fabian as our new Dean of Students with the last names M-Z. Mr. Fabian was born and raised here in Littleton; he graduated from Chatfield Senior High School (Chatty for Life!) and then went to college at CSU. He lived in Brazil for two years, but besides that, Mr Fabian has only lived here in Colorado. Some of his favorite things to do are skiing, golfing, basketball, hiking, and hunting; if you can’t tell he loves to be active! He also loves to spend time with his family, which is him, his wife, daughter, and two sons. We asked Mr Fabian why he chose to work here at Chatfield. He shared that it was the right place at the right time–he used to work at Dunstan Middle School before he came here– he believes that Chatfield is a great place to be. This year Mr Fabian would love to see some State Championship Wins and all the students having a good time. As of now, he says that his favorite part of the job is blasting music and giving high fives on Friday mornings. Some fun facts about Mr. Fabian is that his favorite music artist is country Post Malone and his favorite food is Churrasco which is Brazilian cuisine. One thing he would tell his high school self is Chatty for Life is real. 

“Chatty for life, that’s all I have to say!”- Mr. Fabian

Mr. Dylan Ford

Mr. Ford is excited to be teaching band at Chatfield, a role that allows him to focus entirely on his passion for band instruction. Previously, he taught both band and orchestra at Dakota Ridge High School, where he developed a wide range of musical skills. He thrives in social settings and enjoys being around friends and family, which makes his job even more rewarding. At Chatfield, Mr. Ford is delighted to concentrate solely on band, allowing him to fully apply his expertise and engage deeply with his students. He finds great satisfaction in creating a vibrant musical environment and looks forward to contributing to the school’s music program.

Ms. Raquel Gunkel 

Ms. Gunkel is a new Seminar and English 9 teacher here at Chatfield. She has a long history with the school, including being a long term math substitute teacher and girls soccer coach during the 2021-22 school year, as well as a class of 2018 Chatfield alumni and a self-proclaimed “OG Super Fan”! However, Ms. Gunkel’s connection to Chatfield runs even deeper than that. Ms. Gunkel works alongside other staff member members who share the same name… her mother, Mrs. Gunkel, and her brother, Mr. Gunkel. She says she loves having the support from her mom and being able to stay close with her brother, even stating, “I love that I get to annoy my big brother every day” and “I cannot wait to play in the staff basketball game with him”. Outside of family and school, Ms. Gunkel enjoys weightlifting and working out, especially as a former collegiate soccer player. She is also in the process of obtaining her Master’s Degree in Exercise Science in order to pursue her passion of assisting athletes, specifically women, in their athletic careers. Ms. Gunkel says she is most excited to see the Freshmen Seminar program grow in order to better help students with the big transition from middle to high school. This excitement is reflected in her joy for helping students navigate high school and be the support system for students, just as Mrs. Stowe was for her during her high school experience. Ms. Gunkel is a lovely addition back into the Charger Family, and we are so excited to welcome her back with Charger Pride.

Mr. Joe Moore

This school year, we welcome Mr. Moore, also known as Coach Joe, to our teaching staff. As a secondary education and freshman seminar teacher, Coach Joe is stepping into the classroom for the very first time. Though new to teaching, he brings a wealth of life experience and enthusiasm to the role. Coach Joe’s journey to becoming a teacher started with a different path. For the past four years, he has been a dedicated wrestling coach, which sparked his interest in education. After realizing the impact he could have beyond coaching, he decided to pursue teaching full-time. Before making this career switch, Coach Joe spent a decade as a mortgage lender. Interestingly, he still holds his mortgage license and hasn’t ruled out getting back into business in the future. Coach Joe’s advice for students is simple yet profound: make friends, don’t be shy, and remember that “presence is half the battle.” He emphasizes the importance of showing up on time and being fully engaged in the learning experience. Excited to dive into teaching, Coach Joe is looking forward to discovering what it’s all about. He embraces a quote that reflects his evolving perspective on life: “When I was young, I was smart, so I wanted to change the world. When I got older, I got wise, so I wanted to change myself.” Aside from teaching and coaching, Coach Joe has an unexpected talent: he decorates birthday cakes! This fun fact adds a layer of creativity to his already diverse skill set. With his unique background and positive outlook, Coach Joe is sure to inspire students both in and out of the classroom. We’re excited to see the impact he will have on our school community!

Mr. Dawson Lang – AP Physics + Engineering 1

This is Mr. Dawson Lang, and he is a new teacher this year at Chatfield. He works in the science department, teaching AP Physics and Engineering 1. He’s also currently working on his master’s in physics, which I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty impressive. His interest in teaching sparked from his passion for physics and his desire to share that excitement with others. “Teaching became a natural fit because I’ve always enjoyed helping people understand complex ideas.” Since he was young, he’s always been fascinated with the way that the world works. He was always asking the “why” and “how” questions and found  tha physics and science typically provided him with those answers. “That curiosity is what drew me in and still drives me today.” Outside of teaching, he’s into basketball and baseball and plays in different leagues outside of school and this year, he’s looking forward to building a strong classroom culture, running hands-on labs and projects, and getting to know the students. We are so excited to welcome Mr. Lang into our school!

Ms. Peyton O’Dougherty – Freshmen Seminar Teacher

Introducing… Ms. O’Dougherty! She teaches Freshman Seminar, and Chatfield is so incredibly blessed to have her. As a Chatty alumni herself, she has a lot to share about her experience both as a student and teacher. She was inspired by her mom, a former teacher at Ute Meadows, that many Chargers have had the experience with as a teacher! She was always in her room for Take Your Child To Work Day, and during that, she realized she loved the moment she could help a student, and helping each individual reach that “lightbulb moment”. This year, she would like to help Chatfield adapt more positivity and kindness into what it means to be a Charger. Using a planner is one of the most important things for students to remember, with Ms. O’Dougherty’s advice to make it fun and personal so that each student can stay on top of their classes and assignments! This upcoming year, she is so excited to be highlighting her new program in Freshman Seminar, which focuses on study skills, grade checks, and working on good habits! If she wasn’t teaching in her current job, she would work in an Elementary school setting, but chose to work in high school because of our own Mrs. Snowden contacted her about an open position right as she graduated from the University of Wyoming. A motto that she lives by is “20 seconds of courage is all you need and something great will come out of it.” One fyn fact about her is that she has a class fish, named Mater, and a dog named Rip! She is a proud Chatfield Charger and we are so lucky to have her here!

Ms. Rori Olsen – CLD Teacher

Meet Ms. Olsen! She is a new addition to our Chatfield Staff, and is a CLD teacher! After teaching abroad for three years and taking a break to work at a university library, she realized how much she missed teaching and learning from students, which led her to pursue a teaching degree and license. Now, as part of the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse department at Chatfield Senior High School, she is eager to see the diverse backgrounds of students and staff highlighted throughout the year. She is particularly excited to discuss books with students and colleagues, and her advice to students is to seize every opportunity and live life to the fullest. If she weren’t teaching, she would be at home with her two young boys, continuing to teach them. She lives by John Keats’ quote about appreciating beauty in all things and loves spicy food, even when it makes her cry. This year, she is committed to growing, learning, and taking risks at Chatfield.

Mrs. Tracy Peronard – Math Teacher

Everyone, please welcome Mrs. Peronard to Chatfield!  She teaches Algebra and is coming from our

neighbors (not rivals) Dakota Ridge!  She is motivated by her immense love for Algebra and loves teaching it to students.  Mrs. Peronard loves the energy in our building so far, even labeling it as “infectious”.  Some advice she has for students includes: coming prepared, listening to your

teacher, respecting your classmates and being nice!  If she wasn’t a teacher she would be out, pursuing her passions, either running or mountain biking.  Fun fact, Mrs. Peronard is currently training for her third ultramarathon at the end of September at Crested Butte.  If she looks familiar, it might be because her husband is our Head Wrestling Coach, Coach Peronard!

Mrs. Lisa Richards – FACS Teacher 

Meet Mrs. Richards! She is our new FACS teacher and Chatfield is so lucky to have her. She came to us through a long term sub job last year and fell in love with the FACS department. She recently made a career change by leaving her own small business. She has a degree in art history but has become very passionate about her new job. This year she’s really looking forward to getting to know her students and building relationships. One thing she is very passionate about is kindness and staying curious about life. She emphasizes the importance of asking questions and approaching life without judgment. Some fun facts about her are that her son goes to Chatfield, she loves traveling, and is a former yoga teacher. If you or someone you know is interested in FACS go say hi and introduce yourself!

Mrs. Lauren Staffeld – Prevention Specialist

Ms.Staffeld is our new Prevention Specialist here at Chatfield. She joined our Chatfield staff because she heard about the love that staff, students, and the community have for our school. Ms.Staffeld started as a language arts teacher for grades 6-12 before becoming a prevention specialist here at Chatfield. As a prevention specialist, Ms.Staffeld focuses on preventing students from dropping out of high school. To accomplish this, her role entails coordinating kids’ 504s, career exploration, and focusing on at-risk kids, anxiety groups, and depression groups. Her favorite part of her job is talking to kids and getting to know them. Outside of work, Ms.Staffeld enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, golfing, swimming, and skiing. We are super grateful and excited to have Ms.Staffeld on our staff! Welcome!

Mrs. Audra Turkus – Dean of Students

Mrs Turkas is one of our new Deans at Chatfield this year. She will be working with last names A-L. She was previously at Littleton High School and before that Littleton Academy for a total of 15 years. Mrs Turkas was motivated to become a teacher in hopes of connecting with students and being more involved with activities to ensure students have a different school experience than she had. If she wasn’t teaching, Mrs Turkas thinks she would have been into something like nursing that way she can still connect with individuals daily. We might also see a book written by her down the road to go with her previous English background. She is excited to start new and get to know students outside the classroom by attending activities. Her favorites are gymnastics and cheerleading as she has some background with those but also enjoys watching basketball. She can even still do a backflip! We are super excited to have her at Chatfield with us and make sure to get to know our amazing new dean!

Rosalyn Vette – ASD Program Coordinator

Mrs. Vette is Chatfield’s new ASD Program Coordinator. She teaches two classes: Transition to Algebra and Study Skills. Prior to joining the Chatfield staff, she taught at Ken Caryl Middle School. She decided to join the Chatfield family because she says she has heard only great things about the Chatfield family and lives close to our school, so her commute is rather efficient. One piece of advice she would give any student at Chatfield is to not give up and, even when things get hard, she encourages students to believe in themselves and conquer those difficult things. One thing she is super excited about this year is establishing new relationships with her coworkers and students as well as fitting into the Chatfield community. A fun fact about her is that she once hiked a volcano in Chile covered in snow and ice, and the only way she got back down was by sliding down it and stopping herself by digging a pickaxe into the ice. She is very daring! If she wasn’t teaching, she says her passion is to be a scuba diving instructor. We are so excited that she joined the Chatfield community and make sure to greet her if you come across her, she is super nice!

Not pictured:

Mr. Matt Daniels – Technology Coordinator

Ms. Emma Ferdig – Science Teacher