Supporting Students

Math Interventionists

kim brown

Kimberly Brown

Hi, I'm Kim Brown, the Math Interventionist at Hiawatha School.  I grew up in NH but came to Vermont to attend UVM.  I received my undergraduate degree in Mathematics.  After exploring many different places and jobs I landed back in VT as a middle school math teacher, which I loved!  Eventually, I became interested in math education at all levels, especially in the early developing years. 

I received my Master's from UVM, through the Vermont Math Initiative.  I spent my first 10 years working at the Bakersfield Elementary Middle School in Bakersfield, VT, 2 years at the Vilnius International School in Vilnius, Lithuania, and now I am in my 2nd year at Hiawatha Elementary School.  I am loving the community here at Hiawatha.  Your children are amazing!!

Literacy Interventionists

Ms. Anne Venturo

Ms. Anne Camisa

Degrees and Certifications:
- B.S. Elementary Education University of Vermont 1985
- M.Ed Reading and Language Arts University of Vermont 1998

Endorsements:
State of Vermont: Elementary Education, Reading Specialist, Consulting Teacher, and Reading Coordinator

kasey mccuin

Kasey McCuin

I am one of the reading specialists at Hiawatha. I started my career as a classroom teacher for 5 years. I then became licensed and practiced as a special education teacher for 4 years. I have a dual license as a reading specialist and this is my third year at Hiawatha as the EWSD Reads reading specialist. 

In my free time I love spending time with my family, camping, kayaking and of course reading!

Learning Specialists

Jennifer Ormerod

Jennifer Ormerod

My name is Jennifer Ormerod and I have been teaching at Hiawatha Elementary since 2015 as a Learning Specialist.  I absolutely love the Hiawatha community!

When I am not teaching I love spending time with my family, which includes visiting my two daughters in Boston and Columbus.  I also enjoy reading and a variety of outdoor activities.  

kari rittenburg

Kari Rittenburg

Hi! I am one of 3 learning specialists at Hiawatha.  This is my second year at Hiawatha and I just love this community!  I am entering my 16th year of teaching and I have experience both as a special educator and a general classroom teacher.  I hold a Bachelor's Degree from Rivier University in General and Special Education and I received my Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Saint Michael's College.  In my free time I enjoy reading, and spending time with my family.  

Speech and Language Pathologists

Ms. Kristeen Eliason

Ms. Kristeen Eliason

Hi, I'm Ms. Eliason.  I am the speech-language pathologist at Hiawatha Elementary School, and have been working here for the past 18 years!  I grew up in Utah and moved east to attend college at the University of Connecticut.  My husband and I then moved to Vermont for graduate school at the University of Vermont.  We loved Vermont so much that we couldn’t move after graduation!

At Hiawatha, I love helping students increase their communication abilities, whether it’s learning to articulate speech sounds, understand new vocabulary, tell stories, express their thoughts and ideas, engage in conversations with friends, read, write, or communicate with technology.  I love being a part of this community and supporting our core value of communication.   

When I’m not at school, I like to spend time with my husband, my 13-year-old daughter, and my pets (a greyhound and a cat).  I also love hiking, biking, drinking good coffee, cooking, reading, traveling, and watching Star Wars.

kerry pierson

Kerry Pierson

Social Emotional Learning/Behavioral Specialist

Ms. Alice Weston

Alice Weston

I grew up in Bristol, Vermont.  After earning degrees from Middlebury College and Trinity College of Vermont, I worked as a special educator for 24 years, earning an advanced degree from UVM during that time.  I'm now in my fourth year as the Social Emotional Learning Coach and Behavioral Specialist at Hiawatha.  I love teaching and working at Hiawatha School!  I also enjoy gardening, foraging, community bands, training my puppy, and spending time with my family.  I'm happy to hear from anyone in the community, so please email me if you'd like to be in touch.