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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.
Social Worker
maggie_fitzgerald@dpsk12.net
I am excited to be joining the Colfax community as a School Social Worker this year! I graduated with my MSW in 2024 after a career change from human resources and account management. The switch to social work has been both challenging and highly rewarding, and I am happy (and lucky) to be doing something that I truly care about. I look forward to being a part of the Colfax community and watching students grow their skill sets and knowledge.
Native American Culture & Education
destiny_leftwich@dpsk12.net
Native American Culture and Education Program literacy specialist
destiny_leftwich@dpsk12.net
Hau Mitakuyepi (Hello Relatives),
Anpetu kin le, cante waste nape chiyuzapi. Wasicuya Destiny Leftwich emaciyapi ksto. Lakota winyan hemacha. Waziahanhan ematahan na Heska Othunwahe el wati. Good Afternoon! I offer a warm heart-felt handshake. My name is Destiny Leftwich. I am Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota but I am currently living in Denver. I am with the Native American Culture and Education Program for Denver Public Schools. I am a literacy specialist for the program. I will be supporting our Native American students attending: Cheltenham, Colfax, Cowell and Denison Montessori this school year.
For the 2025-2026 School Year, NACE will be here to support the Native American students in all areas of their academic, social, emotional, and cultural goals. We know that a positive home and school partnership can have a successful impact on these areas and for this reason, our supports include, but are not limited to, the following:
Academic intervention and student success
Regularly monitoring student attendance
Mental and behavioral health supports
Teacher and student connection to support classroom engagement
Cultural outreach and programming to support community belonging, equity and school experience
And any additional unique support your student(s) may need
It is a goal of our program to provide an environment that cultivates a sense of belonging by utilizing our Native/Indigenous culture, values, knowledge, and spirituality. By engaging, empowering, and connecting our Native/Indigenous students and families with school faculty and administrators we look forward to accomplishing that goal. I especially look forward to connecting with your student(s) this school year, and invite you all to reach out at any time with additional questions or concerns.
Thank you. I look forward to working together this school year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Guest Teacher
msmall@dpsk12.net
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.
Social Worker
isaac_troxler@dpsk12.net
This is my first year at Colfax Elementary School. I am a bilingual mental health professional with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver. My clinical experience includes working with Spanish-speaking clients at SOL Mental Health and SALUD Family Health Centers. I work for Centus counseling, consulting, and education to provide therapy to students and groups. My approach is strengths-based—I believe in identifying what’s working and building from there while helping students and families navigate challenges with compassion and skill. I draw from a range of evidence-based modalities, tailoring my methods to meet each student’s unique needs. I aim to help students achieve academically and socially.
Este es mi primer año en la Escuela Primaria Colfax. Soy un profesional bilingüe de la salud mental con una Maestría en Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Denver. Mi experiencia clínica incluye trabajar con personas hispanohablantes en SOL Salud Mental y SALUD Centros de Salud Familiar. Trabajo para Centus asesoramiento, consultoría y educación para dar terapia a estudiantes y grupos. Mi enfoque se basa en las fortalezas-creo en identificar lo que funciona y construir a partir de ahí mientras ayudo a los estudiantes y las familias a superar los desafíos con compasión y habilidad. Me baso en una variedad de modalidades basadas en evidencia, adaptando mis métodos para satisfacer las necesidades únicas de cada estudiante. Mi objetivo es ayudar a los estudiantes a tener éxito académico y social.
![[:en]Karen Ahern[:]](https://colfax.dpsk12.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/122/Karen-Ahern.jpg)
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.
Psychologist
Michelle_Mcguire@dpsk12.net