KUNSMILLER CREATIVE ARTS ACADEMY
Middle School Program
Imagining and Achieving since 2009
8th Grade - To access the 8th Grade Website, Click Here
Emily Ayres- emily_ayres@dpsk12.org
8th Grade Exploratory Language Arts and High School Visual Arts
Emily grew up in a small town in rural New Hampshire. She moved to Colorado in 1999 to attend Fort Lewis College in Durango, where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. After college, she worked in the field of substance and alcohol abuse. Deciding on a change of careers, Emily earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and her Teaching License from Metro State College. This is her third year at KCAA, and she is very excited to continue working with such a great team at an arts integrated school. In her spare time, Emily enjoys painting, outdoor activities, and traveling. www.emilyayres.weebly.com
Kimberly Myers- emily_ayres@dpsk12.org
8th Grade Math
This is my fourth year living in Colorado and my second year teaching 8th grade math at KCAA. Previously I worked at Henry World School and before that at Littleton Preparatory Charter School. I began tutoring students in math and reading while in college in Tacoma, Washington where I also taught summer enrichment classes in math and science for 2 years. I have also worked in Phoenix, Arizona. I have a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Secondary Mathematics from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Art and International Affairs from the University of Puget Sound.
Andrea Tyner- andrea_tyner@dpsk12.org
8th Grade Language Arts
Hi! My name is Andrea Tyner and I am an 8th grade Language Arts teacher at KCAA. I have been in DPS for 5 years and I love working with DPS students, teachers, and staff. I am very excited to be at KCAA infusing the arts into reading and writing. Outside of being a teacher, I am a wife and mother to two great kids. I also have two dogs and a cat. In my free time, I like to read, write, swim, ski, hike, take walks and spend quality time with my family and friends. I also like to complete projects around my house. My motto in life is "Help Others" and teaching allows me to do that each and every day.
Nathan Schwalen - nathan_schwalen@dpsk12.org
8th Grade Science
Nathan completed a B.S. degree with a major in Wildlife Biology at the University of Georgia. After conducting field work with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (loggerhead sea turtle nesting study) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Galena, Alaska, he returned to school for a teaching certification in secondary science. Nathan taught physical science and chemistry at the high school level in Georgia. He moved to Denver in 2004 to work with the Denver Zoo’s education department where he integrated physical science instruction with the Zoo’s biology/ecology based programs. Nathan joined KCAA in 2010 as a 7th grade math/science teacher and is thrilled to be teaching his true passion – science this year.