This year, we are delighted to welcome seven new staff members to our school community! We want to introduce them to you, so if you see them around, say hello and talk to them. As our newest team members embark on their journey with us, please join us in extending a warm welcome. We are sure they will have a good, long-lasting impact on our school.
Mrs Kristen Shields – Spanish Teacher
We are thrilled to have Mrs. Shields as our newest Spanish instructor join our school. She brings enthusiasm and expertise. She was born and raised in Florida and has only been in Colorado for a year and a month! She has 17 years of teaching experience and holds a Bachelor’s in Spanish Language and Literature and a Master of Arts in Education. She has developed a great love for Spanish over the years and is passionate about encouraging students to travel and experience the globe in addition to learning the language. In addition to teaching, she likes to travel, cook, shop, and listen to K-pop. Adding Korean to her list of interests, she has been studying the language since 2018. She is excited to share with her students her passion for languages and cultures.
Mrs Gwen Hopkins – ASD Teacher
Our new special education teacher, who has both professional and personal experience helping students with autism is a wonderful addition to our team. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and after completing her bachelor’s degree in Communications Media, she went back to school to obtain her special education certification. She has a brother and a sister in special education programs, so she knows how essential it is to recognize and appreciate small victories. She thinks students on the spectrum are just like everyone else—each with their own special strengths—and focuses on social and emotional skills to help them regulate their emotions.
Mrs Andrea Brown – Counselor 
We are lucky to welcome our newest school counselor, who is passionate about assisting students in achieving their objectives. She was inspired by the school counselor who worked with her own brother and realized she wanted to have a similar beneficial influence. She is a mother of three children (ages 12, 11, and 8) who enjoys spending time with her two dogs, skiing, mountain biking, and camping on the weekends when she is not in school. She is also a Disney grownup with pride! She likes assisting all kids in overcoming obstacles and realizing their potential, but she particularly enjoys working with seniors on essay writing and post-secondary planning. “Be authentic to who you are, and whatever your dreams are, go for them,” is her straightforward but impactful message to students.
Mr Brent Jackson – Woodworking Teacher
Mr. Jackson, Chatfield’s new woodworking teacher, tells us a little about himself. He was first inspired to become a teacher due to the desire to have a positive impact on students’ lives. As well as teaching hands-on learning and encouraging them to be creative. When asked about what is most surprising about Chatfield, he stated, “It’s very student-centered, the students do everything around here and are in charge of many things. They also all have their own thing, whether that be sports or clubs they are involved in.” Furthermore, if you see him with very long hair, don’t be alarmed, a very interesting fact regarding Mr. Jackson is that he is currently participating in the consequences of losing a bet and must grow his hair out for the next 3 years, yikes! Despite making bets with friends outside of school, he runs a woodworking business and enjoys playing board games, watching sports, playing golf, and spending time with family.
Mr Thomas Walbrun – Social Studies Teacher
Mr.Walbrun is a new teacher this year of 2025-2026, but he is definitely not new to the school. He graduated from Chatfield Senior High in 2004. He also previously coached basketball a few years ago and about fifteen years ago for Chatfield. But it is still all new to him due to the fact that this is his first change in schools in thirteen years. Mr.Walbrun got into teaching due to it running in the family through his parents. He loves to teach because it gives back to the community. He is currently teaching four different sections of 10th-grade history and also teaches 9th-grade geography. When I asked him what his first impression was of the school, he immediately had a spot-on answer, which was “This is a place where everyone belongs and everyone has a chance to be successful.” Some of Mr.Walbrun’s outside hobbies include spending time with his family, such as his daughter; he also enjoys golf and, in general, being outside. He is very excited to be able to join this community. He is so very proud to be a Chatfield Charger, and we are so lucky to have him!!
Mr Ian Yeats – Economics and Social Studies Teacher
Welcome, Mr.Yeats, our new Economics and Modern World History teacher!!! He was initially inspired to become an economics teacher by his senior year economics teacher, whom he then later pursued in college. His senior year teacher really had a great impact on him, but he believes that you can’t study economics without learning history. One thing that he hopes students take away from his history class is the ability to examine the world around them critically, and he hopes that his economics students understand intuitively that there really are no solutions to any of our problems and that it’s really the system of trade-offs to find a balance that we are comfortable with. Mr.Yeats also says Chatfield has easily been the most positive work environment he has had as well, and he feels very welcomed!
Mr Adam Lindell – Social Studies Teacher
Mr.Lindell joined the Chatfield community for the first time this year. We are so excited to have him join this school! He made the decision to become a teacher due to the fact that he wanted to be able to create relationships with his students and get to know them. He teaches 11th-grade AP World History and 10th-grade history. His first impression of this school was very welcoming, and the community here is very willing to help, which shows him that this school feels like a family-friendly place to teach at. Something that he feels works best with him during teaching is to try and connect the real world to his teaching so his students are more engaged and interested in his class. Something he is looking for during this year is making new friends, coaching, and new challenges at a new school. Before becoming a teacher, Mr.LIndell worked at Lockheed Martin and has coached football for the past five years. Outside of school, some things he enjoys doing is playing video games and going to concerts, such as rap and pop genres. Mr.Lindell is full of excitement to come and join Chatfield to make this school a better place!
Not pictured- Mr Lindell
