Support Staff

Dana Crooks

MDS Counselor
dana_crooks@dpsk12.net

Denise Cutkelvin Heern

Restorative Practice Coordinator (RJ)
d_cutkelvin-heern@dpsk12.net

My name is Denise, and I serve as the Dean of Discipline and Restorative Practices at Colfax Elementary. A native New Yorker, I’ve called Colorado home since 2018 and have proudly worked with Denver Public Schools since 2022. With a background in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, I bring a deep understanding of behavior, empathy, and accountability to my role.

Having started as a Special Education paraprofessional and now serving as Dean, I am committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive school environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive. As both an educator and a DPS parent, I am deeply invested in creating a school culture that values relationships, encourages growth, and supports restorative approaches to discipline. I believe in working collaboratively with students, staff, and families to build a community rooted in trust, dignity, and shared responsibility.

Destiny Leftwich

Native American Culture & Education
destiny_leftwich@dpsk12.net

Gem Leone

MDS Counselor
gem_leone@dpsk12.net

Marcia Small

Guest Teacher
msmall@dpsk12.net

About Me:

My name is Marcia Small.  I am a retired DPS Dance/Physical Education teacher.  I taught one year at East High School, ten years at North High School and finished my teaching career at South High School where I taught for sixteen years.  When I retired eight years ago I quickly became extremely bored and so I started guest teaching.  Since my son, Cole Hydrick, was already teaching at Colfax Elementary I quickly adopted Colfax as my favorite school for guest teaching.

Over the years, Colfax has become my second family because I know all the wonderful, hard working staff and the amazing students!  The students call me Ms. Small, Ms. Marcia, Ms.Tiny or Mr. Hydrick’s mom.

[:en]Karen Ahern[:]

Karin Ahern

Speech Pathologist
Karin_Ahern@dpsk12.net

Karin is in her 8th year at Colfax and 25th year in the district.  Karin loves supporting children with their communication needs and strives to make therapy sessions engaging and fun.  When not working, she enjoys backpacking, puzzling and working in the garden.

Michelle McGuire

Psychologist
Michelle_Mcguire@dpsk12.net

About Me:

This is my seventh year as a proud Colfax Tiger and my 15th as a Bilingual School Psychologist in Denver Public Schools. In my work at Colfax, I am deeply committed to supporting student mental health, fostering resilience through trauma-informed practices, and collaborating closely with families and staff to promote student success. I’m passionate about helping students build strong social and emotional skills, celebrating their unique strengths and cultural backgrounds, and creating a safe, inclusive environment where every child feels seen and supported. I feel incredibly grateful to be part of our “Small but Mighty” Colfax community and look forward to another great school year.

Sobre mi:

Este es mi séptimo año como orgullosa Tigre de Colfax y psicóloga escolar bilingüe en las Escuelas Públicas de Denver. Estoy profundamente comprometida con el apoyo a la salud mental estudiantil, el fomento de la resiliencia mediante prácticas adaptadas al trauma y la estrecha colaboración con las familias y el personal para promover el éxito estudiantil. Me apasiona ayudar a los estudiantes a desarrollar sólidas habilidades socioemocionales, valorar sus fortalezas y orígenes culturales únicos, y crear un entorno seguro e inclusivo donde cada niño se sienta valorado y apoyado. Me siento increíblemente agradecida de formar parte de nuestra “Pequeña pero Poderosa” comunidad de Colfax y espero con ansias otro excelente año escolar.