Deanna came to the Newton School as a Kindergarten paraprofessional. The following school year, she became one of the Special Education Teachers at the school, and has remained in that position for 24 years. Deanna graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Special Education. In 2021, Deanna earned her Master’s degree in Education from the Upper Valley Educator Institute. When Deanna is not teaching her students or completing paperwork, she is spending time with her husband, Jason and their two children, Jackson and Alice. Together, her family and two dogs like to spend time outside at their home in Bethel ,Vt riding ATV’s, hiking and working the land, spending time with friends and family, or sitting on the porch enjoying the peace and quiet. Deanna can be reached at dcayer@wrvsu.org

Aurora (she/her) first came to Newton in 2000 as a kindergartner. A Newton alum, she received a BFA in visual art and a BA in art education from Prescott College and an MFA in visual arts from Claremont Graduate University. Aurora returned to Newton as a paraeducator in 2019 and began teaching art at Newton in 2021. Outside of school Aurora spends her time working as a professional artist and disability studies scholar. Her work in disability arts has earned her recognition from multiple organizations including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts. Aurora lives in Strafford with her cat Orion and enjoys painting, colorful overalls, dinosaurs, and baking. Aurora can be reached at aberger@wrvsu.edu.

Brenda was a volunteer and substitute teacher at Newton School before becoming an official staff member in 1998. Since then, she has become a “Highly Qualified Paraeducator” and has enjoyed working in all grade levels. When she is not in school, Brenda likes to spend time with her family in the great outdoors. You can reach Brenda at bkniffin@wrvsu.org.

Lisa (she/her) arrived at Newton in 2021 after moving to the Upper Valley from the Massachusetts coast where she and her husband raised their two now grown kids. Lisa has a B.A. in Psychology from Connecticut College, a M.S. in Environmental Science from The Johns Hopkins University, and a M.Ed. specializing in Middle School Science from Lesley University. She began the teaching portion of her career in 2011 after spending the previous 20+ years in the nonprofit and government sectors working on behalf of cleanups of hazardous waste sites, conservation, animal welfare, and solar energy. When not helping students learn, she enjoys exploring and traveling, gardening, hiking, cooking healthy food, music, and practicing yoga and meditation. She lives with her husband, their two dogs Ziggy and Bumba, and their ginger cat Pumpkin who rules the roost. Lisa’s email is lmilligan@wrvsu.org.