My name is Riley Falkner. This is my 2nd year at SVA! I graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Business Administration. My husband and I just moved to Colorado from Branson, MO, in July 2023. While the Rocky Mountains are beautiful, we will forever be partial to the Ozark Mountains.
Year Started at SVA: 2023
Favorite Things
College/University: University of Arkansas
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Utah State University, Julia Ferre built a career crafting on-air and online media before finding her path to education. She was accepted into the Boettcher Teacher Residency Program in 2016. During her residency, Ferre shared her experiences as a content author, editor, and technology researcher with Douglas County neighborhood school students. She completed a Master of Arts in Education with a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learner Endorsement from Adams State University.
After four years as a 5th grade teacher, she became the 8th grade science teacher at SkyView Academy. Her science instruction includes career-focused preparation, vocabulary-acquisition strategies, and experiential collaboration amongst student squads. She believes student-designed environments and student-selected demonstrations of learning foster the strongest intrinsic motivation. Her past careers in television news, corporate communications, website design, and telephony inspire the projects she encourages students to develop. Asking students to practice job skills while tackling domain-specific learning targets is done through workplace-style models and with support from guests who are industry leaders and subject-matter experts. She reports her most profound professional development has come from her own teenagers, “They have opened my eyes to how much love secondary students need.”
In addition to teaching five sections of 8th grade science, she also supports secondary students who follow an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) and is the teacher-sponsor of STEMblazers on the SVA campus—the only campus in Douglas County to host specialized career development workshops for teens. Ferre has previously been named a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year.
2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year Finalist
See the award presentation here.
Year Started at SVA: 2017
Favorite Things
College/University: Utah State University (BS), Adams State University (MAE)
Google Site -A Google Classroom for each grade level of ALP students will be provided to students and parents directly.
STEMblazers
If you search for Adam Fiedor on the internet, you will find that I am an investment banker who works with business owners and entrepreneurs on transitioning their companies to new ownership. You may even run across the fun fact that I previously worked on Wall Street and have a history of consulting with boards of directors with strategy planning, financial analysis, and mergers & acquisitions. If you dig far enough, you may even find that I am an advisory board member and regular guest lecturer for the University of Denver Reiman School of Finance. I also happen to have studied at the University of Denver as well as Harvard Business School. I previously served on a non-profit board – Cottonwood Institute.
What you will not find on the internet is that I am the first-born son to Polish immigrants who raised me in the south Chicagoland area. As a teenager, I had a colorful past and have made mistakes along the way. I am not perfect, but I succeeded in being the first of my immediate family ever to finish college. Along the way, I fell in love with a woman that is out of my league, Barb Fiedor, who keeps me honest and on my toes. We are raising three wonderful SkyView students – Lukas, Kaija, and Savannah – who continue to surprise me in good ways and test my patience.
My kids have asked me why I want to be a director. Secretly, they believe that I am doing this, so I have direct access to their teachers to spy on them. My public answer to them is that I want to help SkyView become the best, pay it forward because someone has to, and be a great example to all of our kids.
I was born and raised in Mexico. My parents used to have a Restaurant in Mexico, where I started working when I was seven years old. After finishing University, I married and came to live in the United States in 2006. My Mother died in August 2022, and the following year, in August 2023, my foster father died. I have a beautiful family: my husband Nic, my son Michael, my daughter Evelyn, and my dog Emma. I enjoy practicing spirituality, taking holistic classes, exercising, reading, traveling, and spending time with my family.
Year Started at SVA: 2023
Favorite Things
College/University: Universidad de Guadalajara Mexico.
I am so honored to be a member of SkyView Academy’s Leadership Team. It means the world to me to work alongside a team that values student success and well-being as much as I do. I earned my bachelor’s and master's degrees from Northern Illinois University. After working in the Boston area in both the school setting and private practice for 10 years, the birth of our daughter brought us to the Denver area to be near family. SkyView welcomed me in 2011 as the K-12 speech and language pathologist. It has been an amazing experience to be a part of the growth and development of the Student Support Services team over the past 13 years. All students present with a unique combination of gifts and challenges. I am passionate about making learning accessible to all students and am grateful to have the opportunity to facilitate student development and confidence. Building and maintaining relationships with students, staff, and families is super important to me. I will continue to work with students schoolwide as a speech-language pathologist and as the Student Support Services Director.
When I'm not working, I do my best to keep up with my daughter. You can usually find me at a sporting event or driving to and from practices with our dog as my co-pilot. I also enjoy cooking, baking, traveling, hiking, and reading.
I am committed to this school, our students, and our incredible staff. I'm so excited for a new school year!
Year Started at SVA: 2010
Favorite Things
College/University: Northern Illinois University
Hi! My name is Sydney Friend. I graduated in the Class of 2024 here at Skyview Academy and am SO excited to be an assistant preschool teacher this year. In my free time, I enjoy reading, weightlifting, listening to music, taking photos, being with my friends and family, and exploring new places around Colorado.
Year Started at SVA: 2024
Favorite Things
College/University: Arapahoe Community College
SkyView Academy
6161 Business Center Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO 80130
303-471-8439
Questions:
communications@svak12.org
Enrollment & Records:
enrollment@svak12.org
