K-5 Faculty

jhandyside@northstarcharter.org

I was born in Laramie, Wyoming and grew up in Eastern Oregon.  I earned my teaching degree at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon. I earned my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2012.  I have lived in Idaho for the past 24 years and have taught fourth and fifth grades for several years. The last nine years I have been teaching full day kindergarten.

I have two children.  My son Nathan lives in Nampa and is a crew manager. My daughter Kellie graduated with a BS in psychology and has since earned her master’s degree in non-profit management.  She currently lives in St. Louis.  I love being a parent and take pleasure in sharing their challenges and triumphs. I also love teaching; it is right up there with parenting. ☺

Art is one of my passions.  I enjoy oil painting, charcoal and pastel drawing, as well as ceramics.  During middle school, high school, and college I took as many art classes as I could along with private lessons.  I have a minor in art and enjoy teaching and encouraging my students to love and appreciate the many elements of art. In kindergarten we are able to explore a huge variety of mediums.

Other things I enjoy include reading, quilting, camping, fishing, white water rafting and horseback riding.  I love to hike in the mountains or just sit by a lake.  Anything outdoors and I’m game.

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ajohnson@northstarcharter.org

Mrs. Meloche grew up in Temecula, California with a huge love for teaching and singing. After years of pursuing a career as an opera singer, Mrs. Meloche decided to follow her passion of teaching instead by earning her Bachelor’s from Grand Canyon University in Elementary Education in 2019.

This will be Mrs. Meloche’s third year teaching at her favorite-est school ever, and her fifth year teaching her favorite-est grade in the whole wide world… Kindergarten! Allison is thrilled to call North Star her home and loves that she can be a smiling face to welcome new North Star students into our amazing community of learners. Her classroom is an intentionally joyful place full of bright cheery colors and a smile ear-to-ear for every person that walks in.

Mrs. Meloche still loves to sing and is so happy that she can use both her passion for singing and teaching together in the classroom. Outside of school Mrs. Meloche loves reading, writing, attending church and spending time with family and friends.

kroth@northstarcharter.org

Kimberly Roth is a native Idahoan, born and raised in Boise.  She graduated from Capital High School and earned her teaching degree from Boise State University.  She has been married nineteen years to her high school sweetheart, Joe.  They have two children, Brynnleigh, fifteen years old and Carson, ten years old.  As far as the other members of the family…two adorable Goldendoodles named Winston and Millie Mae.

Outside of teaching, Kimberly keeps busy attending extracurricular activities for her children.  Brynnleigh cheers for Owyhee High School and Carson plays football and basketball.  Kimberly also enjoys hiking the foothills, time on the greenbelt, bike riding, jogging, family game nights, time with friends and her church family.

This will be her nineteenth year teaching both Kindergarten and first grade.  Most of her career was teaching in the West Ada School District and this will be her second year at North Star Charter School.  Teaching 5 and 6 year-olds is a calling that comes with great responsibility and joy.   She is excited for another year of fun, growth and building relationships with students, their families, and staff.

ssaul@northstarcharter.org

Sarah Saul grew up in Puyallup, WA. She attended Northwest Nazarene University where she met her husband Kevin. After several long-distance moves and finishing her degree at California State University, Bakersfield, they settled back in Idaho in 2003.  They were later joined by daughters Graci, Natalie and Charlotte. Graci will begin her freshman year at The College of Idaho this fall, and Charlotte will join Natalie at Eagle High School.

Sarah enjoys watching her girls play lacrosse and soccer, camping, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. 

She strives to create a classroom community that feels safe and welcoming to her students. She enjoys that teaching kindergarten is an opportunity to help students start their school careers with a love of learning.

This will be her eighth year teaching Kindergarten and her second at North Star. She is excited to be a part of the North Star community and is looking forward to another great year!

sasin@northstarcharter.org

Shalayne Asin was born in Tucson, Arizona. She moved to Boise 19 years ago with her amazing husband, Todd, and loved it. She is the mom to three wonderful children; Adison, Avery, and Tanner are both at North Star. She is excited to start her fifth year here at North Star teaching the wonderful first graders again.

She graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education focused on K-8, with a Literacy endorsement, a Reading Specialist certificate for both K-8 and 8-12 and a history minor. Before teaching 1st grade she taught 3rd grade, 4th grade and Kindergarten. She is passionate about teaching and the students that she teaches. She strives to encourage their delightful sense of wonder and individuality in and out of the classroom. One of her favorite things each year is to get to watch as the students grow in confidence, grasp new ideas and come to see that learning is an exciting and fun experience. She strives to make her classroom a welcoming, happy environment that inspires students to want to learn.

She enjoys biking, swimming, taking long walks with her family that usually end up at a park, and just about anything out in the sunshine. She likes snowshoeing and sledding with her family. She loves to read, as do her children. They spend a great deal of time reading, at the library and just hanging out in the bookstores.

cloper@northstarcharter.org

Charleen Loper grew up in Southern California and fell in love with her husband who grew up in Nampa, Idaho. They spent five years in California and moved to Idaho to raise their children, who all became Boise State graduates.  Mrs. Loper graduated from Boise State University in 2008 with her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Studies. Prior to coming to North Star Mrs. Loper taught kindergarten for two years before realizing first grade was her true passion.

Mrs. Loper encourages her students to have a positive outlook and to believe in their ability to conquer any given task. She promotes kindness, respect, and a collaborative classroom atmosphere where children are excited to learn and grow both academically and personally. During her free time, Mrs. Loper enjoys reading, working on creative projects, riding her bike, and especially spending time with her family and friends. Her favorite colors are, of course, blue and orange! Go Broncos!  She looks forward to working together with her students and their  families to create a classroom of caring and kind lifelong learners.

cmassimino@northstarcharter.org

Courtney Massimino is a native Idahoan born in Idaho Falls and completed her education from Boise State University, earning a degree in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Early Childhood Education.

She is a 1st grade teacher with over 21 years experience, 12 with North Star Charter!  She has a passion for teaching students how to read and write and strives to ensure the success of all the students in her class.  Mrs. Massimino firmly believes that setting goals, both personal and academic, leads to achievement at all levels both in and out of the classroom. 

Mrs. Massimino is married to a fellow Boise State alum, Dan, and has two sons, Vincent (Freshman at BSU) and Xander (10th Grade Owyhee HS) who love hanging out with friends, playing video games and cheering on rival NFL teams, making for noisy weekends in her house!   

When she is not working, Mrs. Massimino loves to travel, camp, fish (she’s the best fisherperson in their house!) and when possible, just lay out on a good beach with some great sun. She LOVES being at North Star and is looking forward to another great year of learning!

sdrain@northstarcharter.org

Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Sheri Drain always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Sheri grew up loving school, while excelling in many sports such as volleyball, swimming, and track throughout her school years. Wanting a small town feeling she decided to attend Northern Arizona University where she went on to earn her Bachelors of Science degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities. She then taught in the Phoenix area for the next 7 years until her family relocated to the Boise area in 2002.

Sheri was then fortunate enough to stay home with her two young children until they were of school age when she then returned to the classroom. Always wanting to continue to educate herself, she then went to earn her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. While Sheri has more than 20 years’ experience in teaching at the elementary level as well as special education and administration, she continues to love most of all working directly with students. She joined the North Star team in 2009 and looks forward to many more years of teaching at what she believes to be the best school in Idaho. It brings her such joy to see students’ excitement as they grow both socially and academically.

rfranks@northstarcharter.org

lholt@northstarcharter.org

Lisa Holt has lived in Eagle, Idaho since 1998. She graduated from BYU Provo many moons ago in Elementary Education. This will be Lisa Holt’s thirteenth year of teaching, ten of which have been at North Star Charter School in the second grade. She feels blessed and honored to be able to come to work each day and be a part of this community and teach these students. She is very involved in the school and the community.

She is the mother of four daughters and feels like she hit the jackpot with them. She only has one still living at home with her who will graduate this year. The others are off pursuing their interests in careers, college, and life.

Ms. Holt loves tennis and wishes she could find more time and energy to play. She also enjoys camping, walking, reading a good book, and a good movie.

She is looking forward to another great year here at North Star Charter. She believes each year is a new beginning and there is growth for all kids awaiting them. She believes in making a good connection with each kid and strives hard for them students to feel safe to take risks in her classroom. She tries hard to build a community within her classroom of mutual respect and admiration. She loves teaching and second grade is the best.

teardley@northstarcharter.org

Teresa Eardley is from Utah. She attended Brigham Young University where she received a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. After graduating, she taught in Utah, South Carolina, and Tennessee. She and her family returned to the West and has been teaching 3rd at North Star since 2011. She loves teaching 3rd graders and watching the students learn and grow.

Teresa is married to Jared. They have one daughter, Savannah, who is married to Michael. They are currently working on their BA’s at BYU-I. Teresa also just became a first time grandmother. Teresa loves to read, bake anything chocolate, and play games. Her favorite place to travel to is Disney World. She is looking forward to an amazing year at North Star.

mpeik@northstarcharter.org

Maryann Peik was born and raised in San Diego, California. The Peik family was looking for a change in pace and decided to call Eagle, Idaho home in 2017. She completed her education degree in Diversified Liberal Arts with an English Language Learner emphasis from the University of San Diego in 2001. After some time, she decided to further her education and graduated with a Master’s Degree from Grand Canyon University in Gifted and Talented Education.

Maryann is an experienced teacher who has worked in different environments, but she is most comfortable teaching 3rd grade. She finds that third-graders have a natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Maryann is dedicated to creating a welcoming and secure classroom where students feel free to make mistakes and learn from them. She is excited to be returning to North Star Charter for her fifth year.

Maryann enjoys spending her free time attending her daughter’s theatrical performances, tending to her garden at home, and exploring the scenic state of Idaho. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and they have three daughters: Hannah, a junior who is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Astrophysics at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania; Emma, a high school junior studying theater at Idaho Fine Arts Academy; and Nora, who is currently in the 6th grade here at North Star. Go Huskies!

ewaller@northstarcharter.org

Long-time Eagle resident, Erin Waller, grew up in Allendale, New Jersey. She has always had a
love and interest in educating children. After graduating from Penn State University, Erin
immediately put her teaching credential to use, teaching kindergarten and preschool in New
Jersey. Erin was also an owner of a preschool as well as one of its teachers. Erin took a hiatus to
raise her large family and was excited to return to teaching in 2010. She taught 4th grade at
Rolling Hills Public Charter School and absolutely LOVES teaching third grade and being a part
of the incredible North Star staff.

Each year, Erin hopes that her students in her class feel valued and comfortable in her classroom
environment so they are happy and enjoy coming to school. Her goal is to reach each student
based upon their individual learning style so that every student is appropriately challenged. Erin
looks forward to building lasting memories with each of her students!
Erin and her husband, Ken, enjoy spending time catching up with their six children, Stephen,
Katelyn, Ryan and Sean (twins), Kevin, and Morgan, over family gatherings. She also has three
grandsons, Asher, Max, and Yukon and three granddaughters, Zoe, Nadia and Kodiak that she
loves spending time with.

Erin’s other passions are cooking, camping, planting flowers, riding her bike, dancing, reading,
doing house projects and watching “chick flicks.” Personal motto: “Believe you can and you’re
halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt-

janderson@northstarcharter.org

Born in Southern California, Jensa grew up with 5 siblings enjoying tons of family beach time. She was actively involved in basketball and volleyball growing up and even attempted coaching. She twirled baton, played piano and guitar, was a scholar athlete throughout high school, and enjoyed the outdoors through surfing and snowboarding.

Mrs. Anderson went to Utah State University where she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and met her husband of 23 years. She taught sixth grade English and Social Studies in Utah before moving back to Southern California. There she taught middle school science for two years then took a leave of absence from teaching to be home with her children full time. Her family settled into Idaho seventeen years ago and love calling this place home! She has three fantastic kids (ages 19, 16, and 13), all of whom attended North Star. She loves watching them grow into smart and kind humans. As a family they enjoy camping, white water rafting, fishing, traveling, and playing with their dog, Sam. When not with her family, Mrs. Anderson can be found reading, organizing, practicing photography, singing, or playing volleyball.

She has been working at North Star since 2017 and loves teaching 4^th grade! Connecting with students and helping them love learning is her life’s passion. It’s going to be a remarkable year of growth!

agable@northstarcharter.org

mrodeghiero@northstarcharter.org

Mrs. Rodeghiero was born and raised on a ranch in Eastern Montana. She attended Montana State University in Bozeman, MT and moved to Boise, ID with her husband, Mark, in 1995. Mrs. Rodeghiero completed her Elementary education degree at BSU.

For eight years, she taught second, third and finally fifth grade where she successfully team-taught part time with Casey Hawkins, North Star’s Elementary PE teacher. During this time, she also earned a master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Idaho. Mrs. Rodeghiero took a break from teaching to stay at home with her son, Gavin, now seventeen, who is a senior at North Star. She also has twins, Ivy and Royce, who are in 8th grade at North Star.  She team taught third grade for five years with Mrs.Leatherman, now She decided to go back full time once all her kids were in school full time.  It was at this time that she decided to embark upon a new adventure in 4th  grade.  She loves being in the classroom! Her hobbies include spending time with family & friends, camping, scrapbooking and relaxing up North.

rapalategui@northstarcharter.org

Robin Apalategui has taught for over 10 years, and she is proud to be a North Star Husky. Mrs. Apalategui is excited to be teaching fifth grade this year! Before coming to North Star, she previously taught 4th grade (8 years), Second Grade (1 year), Sixth Grade (1 year) and Kindergarten (1year).

Mrs. Apalategui attended California State University, Fullerton, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development and Education. Mrs. Apalategui is excited for fifth grade. She loves the 5th grade content and can’t wait to meet her students. She is highly motivated, enthusiastic and a dedicated educator who wants all children to be successful learners.

Mrs. Apalategui has a true passion for working with scholars and she is looking forward to her first year at North Star Charter! When Mrs. Apalategui is not in the classroom, she enjoys being with her

family. She has three children- Ariana, Nico, and Emma. She especially likes watching her children play sports- football, baseball, softball, soccer, cheerleading, and more! Mrs. Apalategui loves to be in the sun, enjoying the outdoors with her friends and family. She also enjoys making homemade ice cream and churros.

tmichel@northstarcharter.org

Mrs. Tamara Michel grew up in Central California. After
graduating high school, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to
pursue a career in law enforcement. Mrs. Michel worked in the field
of law enforcement for 14 years.

Mrs. Michel graduated college with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Occupational Studies from California State University,
Long Beach and a teaching credential from California State
University, Monterey Bay.

Mrs. Michel is married to her amazing husband, Art, and has
two fantastic sons, Quinton and Mason. Quinton is a senior at BSU,
and Mason is a sophomore at The College of Idaho. The Michel
family’s trio of dogs (two female Boston terriers and a male rescue
that strongly resembles Scooby Doo) are a huge part of their lives.
Mrs. Michel made the transition to teaching not long after her
sons were born. Although she enjoyed the field of law enforcement,
she felt education was a more prolific career to have while raising
her children.

This school year will be her eighteenth year teaching
and her sixth year at North Star. Mrs. Michel has taught multiple
ages ranging from first to seventh grade. She looks forward to an
amazing year as a Husky!

nfranks@northstarcharter.org

Natasha Franks was born in Las Vegas, NV and moved to Idaho when she was 6 years old. Natasha attended her school years in Meridian, then moved to Moscow where she attended the University of Idaho. Natasha graduated from U of I with a bachelors in Elementary Education with an endorsement in History. This will be her second year teaching 5th grade at North Star! Prior to North Star, Ms. Franks taught 3rd grade in Nampa, and student-taught 5th grade in the Boise School District.

Outside of the classroom, Ms. Franks can be found outside walking the greenbelt with her beloved golden retriever named Bentley. She loves sushi, hanging out with friends and family, being outside (especially hikes and boating), and traveling when she can.

Ms. Franks has a passion for teaching, continuously learning, and building connections with students and their families. She looks forward to another year at North Star!

cbenton@northstarcharter.org

Growing up, Carrie was fortunate enough to have lived all over the United States and overseas. After graduating from high school in Idaho, she attended Boise State University. With a degree in psychology and a new husband, she decided to make Boise/Eagle her new home.

Carrie was excited to take on the role as North Star’s librarian in 2004. She loved the close-knit community and high achievement focus found at the school. A move to Tokyo, Japan with her family in 2009 necessitated her departure.

She continued her work in the library at the American School in Japan while she lived in Tokyo. The experience was life-changing and rewarding. After returning to Eagle in 2015, she was grateful to assume the role of North Star librarian once again.

Carrie is married to her wonderful husband Jeff and has a daughter in Austin, Texas and a son in Boise.  At one point in their education endeavors, all members of her family have graduated from Boise State University.  Go Broncos!

cdabb@northstarcharter.org

Cami Dabb was raised in Kennewick, WA. After high school, she attended Brigham Young University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology. In 2007, Mrs. Dabb married to her husband, Curtis. They have four children; one daughter who is currently in 10 th grade and three sons. Her sons are in 8th grade, 5th grade, and 4th grade. Her children keep her busy with all their different activities. She loves to watch her kids participate in music and sports. Her family loves to travel and explore outdoors. The family dog, Ginny, adds some fun to the family. Ginny is a three-year-old Vizsla. She is very energetic and loves meeting new people.

Mrs. Dabb has been a computer specialist for three years. She has enjoyed helping kids learn to utilize technology in their education. She is excited to bring her skills and knowledge to North Star Charter School.

chawkins@northstarcharter.org

Mrs. Hawkins grew up in a rural town, Mariposa, CA, just outside of Yosemite National Park. She has always been actively involved in sports and anything that has to do with the outdoors. Her love of children and passion for teaching have been with her since she was a young girl.

After graduating on the Dean’s List with a Bachelor’s degree from Sacramento State and earning a teaching credential from Chapman University, Casey moved to Grandview, ID, in October of 1995. Midyear, after three months of subbing, she was offered a fulltime second grade position at Mountain Home AFB. She spent the summers of 1996 and 1997 teaching Spanish speaking migrant ed. preschoolers. In 1997, she moved to Eagle, ID and taught fifth grade in the Meridian School District for the next eight years.  Every position she has filled with passion and excitement.

When her boys arrived into this awesome world, it was apparent that she needed to be at home more; however, as much as she loved being home, she also needed to keep her feet in the classroom. While getting her Master’s degree in Administration, she also shared a fifth grade teaching contract for three years with Mrs. Mariah Rodeghiero, one of North Star’s amazing fourth grade teachers. This was an incredible opportunity that she thought she would enjoy until retirement…until she stepped foot into her first charter school.

Upon viewing what charter schools could offer students, immediately she knew it was part of her next phase of life. She was impressed and excited about working with a group of teachers that were all grounded in the same beliefs. She spent eighteen years successfully teaching 5th and 6th grade math with some of her greatest friends at a charter school; her students’ enthusiasm towards learning and their ISAT scores prove that the method North Star has to offer is exceptional.

Casey has been married for twenty-four years to her best friend, Dan Hawkins, retired Asst. Fire Chief at Mt. Home AFB. They have three adorable not-so little men (ages 23, 21 1/2 and 20). Together they enjoy biking, snow skiing, waterskiing, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, swimming, jet-skiing, motorcycle riding and spending time with family and friends.  She and Dan are now empty nesters, but life continues to be incredibly busy.

Casey looks forward to her fifteenth year at NSCS, her fifth year teaching K-5 PE and her 30th year as a teacher.  She is excited to continue inspiring

dholladay@northstarcharter.org

As Mrs.Holladay enters her 10th year at North Star she is excited to welcome Mrs.Mahaffey to the K-5 counseling team.

Their team is committed to supporting all students with their academic, social/emotional, and behavioral needs. K-5 is where a foundation for school is built and the counseling team wants to support all students in building a strong and positive start to their learning journey.

When Mrs.Holladay is not at North Star she enjoys spending time with her husband, Mr.Holladay, who is a North Star teacher, and their son Jack. As a family they like spending time on their little farm and being outside together.

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kmahaffey@northstarcharter.org

I am thrilled to join Mrs. Holladay as a school counselor for our outstanding K-5 elementary students. I will be collaborating with Mrs. Holladay to promote the social, emotional, and academic success of K-5 students. I am dedicated to creating a safe and positive school environment for all learners and am passionate about nurturing resilience, kindness, and a love of learning in every student.

I am the mother of two amazing teenagers, Hunter and Madalynn, and have been married to my husband, Wayne, for over twenty years. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have been working at North Star since 2018 as a paraprofessional and look forward to serving the students at North Star in a new capacity.

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kowen@northstarcharter.org​

Kendyl Owen was born in Eugene, OR and moved to the Boise area when she was in the 3rd grade. She graduated from Lewis-Clark State College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Shortly after graduating, she returned home to Boise and started working at North Star as a Special Education Paraprofessional. Miss Owen quickly realized her passion was in the education field and returned to school in 2019 to complete her teaching credentials. One quick year later, she graduated from Boise State in 2020 with her Master’s in Teaching Special Education. She came into her teaching role with a great amount of experience with children with disabilities. She has a sister who has Autism and serves as her greatest inspiration in life. Miss Owen has also spent time as a developmental therapist, youth development professional, and a long-time nanny.

When she is not at North Star she enjoys spending time with her friends & family, working out, reading, or hiking the foothills with her golden retriever, Huntley. Miss Owen loves teaching at North Star, seeing that it is the very place where she found her passion for teaching!

jmolina@northstarcharter.org

Jillian knew she wanted to be a teacher when she went on a Mission Trip to New York as a 16 year old. She was given the opportunity to teach small groups of students at an after school program and decided then and there that she wanted to become a teacher. Since then she has made every step towards making that dream her reality.

Jillian received her Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies from California Polytechnic State University in 2014 and went on to get her credential and Master’s in Education at UC Davis from 2014-2016. She worked as a 7th & 8th grade Science teacher for two years and then taught one year as a 4th grade teacher. In 2018, after she had her first daughter, she chose to stay home doing part-time work to spend more time as a mom. She started teaching part-time for Tech Trep Academy in 2020 when she and her family moved to Idaho.

She enjoys spending time with her family which consists of her husband and three kids – Hazel, Nora, & Ezra. Teaching science is her passion and she is excited to continue to teach at North Star Charter School.

sresendez@northstarcharter.org

Samantha Resendez grew up in Nampa, Idaho. She graduated from Skyview High School in 2018. She started working at North Star in 2020 as an Elementary Paraprofessional. Ms. Resendez worked as a para while she attended college to get her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She graduated from Western Governors University in May of 2024. She came into her teaching career with a great amount of experience in General Education as well as Special Education. Her greatest dream was to become a teacher to inspire and grow the minds of the generations to come.

When Ms. Resendez is not at North Star, she loves spending time with her friends and family but most importantly her fiancé, Jeff.  She loves spending quality time with her dogs, Rey and Rogue, on her fiancé’s family farm in Middleton. Overall, she is extremely excited and blessed to be able to continue her teaching career at her favorite school, North Star!

aschwin@northstarcharter.org​

Abbie Schwin grew up in Kuna, ID. She graduated from Nampa Christian High School , and in 2021, she went on to double major in K-12 Music Education and Applied Voice at Northwest Nazarene University. 

2 years ago, Mrs. Schwin married the love of her life, Ryan. They live in Nampa and enjoy the outdoors together.  In their free time, they go hiking, camping, swimming, skiing, and love to spend time with their friends and family. Mrs. Schwin also loves to play guitar, singing and listening to music. Her favorite genre to sing is jazz and she occasionally has gigs throughout the Treasure Valley area. 

Mrs. Schwin loves being a part of the North Star family, and cannot wait for year 3! She is very excited to continue to share her love for music with her students.