Meet Our Teachers & Staff

Mrs. Sylvia Cruz-Torres has been married for 20 years and is the mother of three boys. She loves shopping, reading, and baking. Her favorite thing to do is to spend time with her family.

I am originally from Pennsylvania but moved to Arizona in 1988 to start my teaching career. I met my husband, David, of 25 years playing basketball with some of the guys. We are blessed with three children. Our daughter Raianna is 21 and will graduate from ASU in May. Bryce is 19 and is finishing his freshman year at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Ryan is 15 and a freshman at QCHS.

This is my fifteenth year in special education. I have taught in Casa Grande, Peoria, Apache Junction, and Queen Creek. I graduated with a bachelor of science in special education from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania.

Learning is an everyday occurrence and I believe that every child can learn. It’s important to make a learning environment where every child feels safe, respected, and loved.

Coming soon.

I was born in South Bend, Indiana, but moved to Arizona when I was four, so I feel like an Arizona native. I’m the lucky mother of three daughters. I love being outside, hiking, walking, traveling, shopping, and being crafty. I enjoy watching college football (Go Irish!), spending time with friends, and especially spending time with my girls.

I believe in the true love of learning and that it is a life long journey. I’m excited that I have the opportunity to contribute to a student’s joy of learning in the beginning of their educational career. I believe it is the job of a preschool teacher to teach students about life skills needed to help them grow and prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. Preschool is important as it teaches valuable skills such as sharing, interaction with others, and cognitive growth. Every child can learn, and it is the job of the teacher to help find the best tools with which to help them be successful. I try to create a classroom that is nurturing but also structured, as there needs to be rules and expectations so that students can rise to the challenge of learning. I love being a teacher because of the change and challenges each day brings. Kids are a joy to work with, they are excited and interested and eager to learn, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help foster that.

Miss Amy is originally from the great state of Washington and has lived in Arizona since 1998.

I am excited to be entering into my first full year of teaching! I became a member of the QCE family 3 years ago and have worked as a paraprofessional, 3rd grade student teacher, special education student teacher, and preschool teacher. I graduated summa cum laude from Northern Arizona University in 2015 with a dual bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education.

I believe that every student has the ability to learn and be successful. In order to create an atmosphere conducive to learning, students must feel comfortable taking risks. Therefore, I strive to foster a classroom community where students feel safe and supported. In addition, students each bring a unique set of skills and experiences to the classroom and learn best in varying ways due to different learning styles, interests, and preferences. I embrace these differences and use them to strengthen learning experiences in my classroom. I set high expectations for each and every one of my students, while providing the structure and guidance necessary to achieve success.

Hello! My name is Stephanie Lederman, and I am very excited to join the fourth grade team at Queen Creek Elementary this year! This is my 22nd year teaching third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. I love teaching the intermediate grades, but fourth grade is my absolute favorite. I have lived in Arizona since 1987, and I have always been fascinated by Arizona history and all the wild plants and animals of the beautiful Sonora Desert. My favorite time of year is the refreshing monsoons that replenish our life-giving water tables, lakes, and rivers. 

Do you know any military veterans? Veterans have a very special place in my heart. I grew up in on Air Force bases all over the United States and in Germany. I can speak some German and Spanish, and I try to improve my language learning a little every day. My dad served his country as a C-130 pilot while my mom held down the fort at home. I am looking forward to learning more about you as the year unfolds.

I graduated from Tempe High School in 1990 and went on to get my BA in elementary education from Arizona State University in 1995. A few years later, I pursued my English language learning and gifted education endorsements from Arizona State University West Campus, and I found that the instructional and assessment strategies used for English and gifted learners are excellent for all types of students. Before I had my two daughters, I went back to school and achieved my masters in educational technology. I love to incorporate the use of technology into my lessons. I have taught third grade for three years, fourth grade for five years, fifth grade for five years, and sixth grade for nine years.

As a teacher, my job is to provide a safe, nurturing, and engaging classroom environment, where students can develop confidence by learning from my example that they are free to make mistakes and grow to be even more successful in the process. In fact, my motto is “The more mistakes you make, the smarter you become!” I am very passionate about finding or developing the most relevant curriculum to capture and hold a child’s interest. Integrating the subject areas helps with building up a child’s necessary basic skills to learn and work in a constantly changing world. In addition, I often present students with experiences that require critical thinking and opportunities to communicate, and I help them persist in the face of any challenges. I believe every child is unique, talented, and has the ability to reach their individual goals. It is my duty to partner with parents to help ensure my students have the most beneficial educational experience in their fourth grade year with me, especially in preparation for the next.

I am a mother of three children who all attend Queen Creek Schools. We love going to new places and having fun together. Disneyland, along with the beach, is our annual trip of choice.

I have taught in the Queen Creek School District for over nineteen years in grades three through seven. I have acquired my math endorsement as well as my master’s degree in administration.

I graduated from NMSU with my BS in education in 2004. I did my student teaching in 5th grade in Belize, Central America. My husband was active duty in the Army, and we were stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. I taught kindergarten and second grade for the Department of Defense. We moved to Arizona in 2007. I taught 2nd grade for Apache Junction for three years. In 2009 I got my master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from GCU. I took off five years to stay at home with my kids. During that time I taught English online to Korean children in South Korea and subbed for QCUSD. In 2015 I decided it was time to get back into the classroom and began teaching 4th grade for QCES and have been loving it ever since! Go, Eagles!    

In my classroom, I foster the idea that students should start thinking for themselves. I believe that real learning comes when the student starts to explore, and comes up with real ideas that are shared with others. Students begin to realize that there are other perspectives, and they begin to collaborate with each other. Learning how to work together is one of life’s greatest skills. 

Mr. Quinn is going into his seventh year of teaching in the Queen Creek Unified School District. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and master’s degree from Arizona State University.

Mr. Thalke has taught elementary school since 2003. He holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education and believes lifelong learning is important.

The students need to feel safe and have fun in a structured and consistent environment. Having good classroom management skills is the key to ensure the success of your students.

Mrs. Villalobos is native to Arizona. She has no children of her own, but does have lovely goddaughters and a godson. She loves to go shopping, exercise, and read. Her favorite thing to do is to spend time with her family.

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to know who my learners are and what kinds of knowledge and experience they bring to the group. This will help tailor a curriculum that fits their needs. I strongly believe that all children are capable of learning, if they have the proper motivation and direction from their teacher. It is my duty to ensure that all of my students are being motivated through a safe learning environment and always striving for success.

I am originally from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and I moved to Arizona about four years ago, after graduating college. I am thrilled to be working in Special Education in the QCUSD for another year. I enjoy watching students make progress every year. In my down time, I love working out and competing in Crossfit competitions.

I went to Misericordia University in Dallas, PA from 2010 to 2014. I graduated with a dual degree in Special Education/Early Childhood Education. I have taught in the QCUSD for four years. I worked at Desert Mountain Elementary School for two years as a resource teacher. This is currently my second year teaching resource classes at Queen Creek Elementary School. I have taught grade levels between kindergarten to fifth grade.

In my classroom, I hold my students to a high expectation that meets their abilities. I want to create a positive and safe learning environment for each student. Every student learns in a different way and it is my job to make sure that their needs are being met. In my classroom, students will develop organizational, self-advocacy, and life skills. Student success is very important and I believe that every student can achieve success.

I am the mother of a sixteen year old son. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked with my husband for eight years at our printing and marketing firm. I am an alumnus of both U of A and ASU, but the Wildcats have my heart. In my free time, I enjoy yoga, hiking, trying new restaurants, watching U of A sporting events, posting clever observations on social media, and spending time with my family and friends.

In 2014, I went back to school to earn my master’s degree in education. I started teaching in January, 2015. The 2015-2016 school year is my first at QCE. I love working in the learning center classroom. Every day is an adventure!

Come prepared!

Patience, patience, patience. 

Never let them see you sweat!

When the classroom is loud, speak softly.

Ms. Vosika was recently married and enjoys spending time with her husband. She likes hiking, bike riding, and visiting with family.

Ms. Vosika is going into her fourth year of teaching. She has worked in a learning center classroom for students with autism for three years and was previously a paraprofessional. Ms. Vosika’s passion is in special education.

I believe that all students can learn with the support of teachers and parents. Kids can succeed in school when teachers and parents set high standards for their students. A strong classroom management plan must also be in place to assist students in meeting these standards. Following a classroom management plan will create a structured environment allowing students to understand what is expected of them and to follow daily routines, and it will keep students accountable for their own behaviors and assignments. In addition, teachers must create a positive and safe learning environment for kids to influence student achievement and create enthusiasm for learning.

All students develop a mode of communication, whether it be verbal, or non-verbal, such as signing or using  assistive technology. The ability to communicate is essential to every child’s ability to learn, socialize with others, and to fulfill their potential. 

I am married and have three children who attend school in the Higley district. They are ages 14, 11 and 8. We recently moved to Arizona from Colorado to be closer to aging family. I am a Major in the Colorado Army National Guard. I love sports, outdoor activities, reading and scrapbooking (if I have free-time!)

My philosophy on health care centers around prevention. It's so important for our young students to eat healthy meals, get plenty of sleep, do physical activity, wear sunscreen and stay hydrated. I am very excited to work with younger students.

Born and raised in southern California, I moved to the Phoenix area in 2012 to be with my wife. To see what I do in my spare time not spent with family, please see my online profile.

Mrs. Fisher is going into her 23rd year as a counselor. She has been a counselor in the Isaac, Chandler and Queen Creek School Districts.

School counselors are student advocates who provide support to maximize their students' personal growth, potential, and academic achievements. Partnering with other educators and family members, school counselors facilitate the support system to ensure all students are equipped with the knowledge and the skills to function as productive members of society.

Mrs. Friesen has one husband, two children, two cats, and a snake named Spot. She loves camping, binge watching Netflix, and singing anywhere and everywhere, including waiting in line at the grocery store or pumping gas.

Mrs. Friesen is finishing her first year of teaching. She received her degree in music education from Northern Arizona University in 1996. She sings with The Phoenix Symphony Chorus in many venues throughout the Valley.

Musicians must be imaginative, disciplined, dedicated, and brave. I strongly believe that all children are capable of making and appreciating great music. As a teacher it is my job not only to provide the tools for making music, but also to feed the flame of bravery needed to put oneself out there and shine.

I grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado but have also lived in Connecticut, California, Utah, and Texas. My husband and I moved to Arizona in 1993. We live in Gilbert with our four sons. I enjoy sewing, cycling, organizing, and most of all spending time with my family.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to our ELP class. My family and I moved to Queen Creek seventeen years ago. I have been teaching here in Queen Creek for the past sixteen years. My wife, Darla, is also an elementary school teacher and will be the data and math specialist here at QCE this year. We have three children: Adam 17, Brielle 15, and Elyas 11. Adam and Brielle are at QCHS, and Eli is at Newell Barney. My hobbies include fishing, cooking, and woodworking.  

After completing my BA in elementary education from ASU and then Ottawa University. I pursued my master’s degree from NAU in elementary education. I graduated in 2004 and then began my coursework in gifted education at ASU. Finally, after many grueling years, I finished my doctorate in leadership and teacher training at Grand Canyon University in 2013.  

I am a firm believer in a pragmatic approach to education. The process of how to learn can be just as important as what to learn. Students need the opportunity to feel safe in attempting new challenges. I believe that it is not failure until one quits. “I haven’t failed.  I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison.

I received an athletic soccer scholarship in college, and I am a Sun Devil at heart. I love playing sports, hiking, working out, drawing, painting, and making and selling things. I have a passion for classic cars and own a ’70 Chevelle. When I am not at work, you can find me playing with my nephew, hanging out with my family and friends, working out, or attending all the Arizona Cardinals games! Go big Red!

I absolutely love teaching and coaching! My classroom is a fun, yet structured, learning environment. I am a firm believer in respect, teamwork, and hard work. I hope to teach my students the importance of a healthy lifestyle through developmental sports and health education. I hope to instill in my students the importance of being physically active in a manner that will increase their physical competence, self?esteem, and an enjoyment of many physical activities. The physical education curriculum will include a balance of individual skills, health concepts, and game activities. These activities are designed to enhance the cognitive, motor, and physical fitness development of every student. As a physical educator, I want to take on the challenge of motivating my students to develop a healthy lifestyle and to demonstrate to them how much fun physical activity can be both individually or shared with their peers.

Mr. Kirchoff is a husband to his beautiful wife Sarah, and father to his four wonderful children; Joshua, Catherine, Jacob and Michael. He likes to spend time with his family, doing home improvement projects, working on his classic car, NASCAR, dirt track racing, and quarter midget car racing with his son, Jacob.

Mr. Kirchoff is currently in his 17th year of teaching. Previously, he has taught in the Chandler and Florence Unified School Districts. He received his master’s degree and his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University.

Participating in an instrumental music class like band or orchestra is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding things a student can do. By giving students the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, we expose them to different sounds and types of music, how to understand their personal roles while working with others, foster self discipline, and most importantly to help them learn the importance of perseverance! 

I grew up in Wisconsin, in a suburb of Milwaukee, (yes, I am proud to be a Cheesehead!), and moved out to Arizona ten years ago. I have a boy in preschool and a girl in first grade. We spend our free time playing sports, hiking, taking our dog for walks, playing at the park, watching movies, and traveling. My favorite sport is soccer and I still play about three times a week.

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in Exercise Sport Science with an emphasis on Physical Education and School Health Education. After graduation, I moved to Arizona and began my teaching career in the Coolidge Unified School District. I am now very excited to be starting my eleventh year with the Queen Creek Unified School district and will be teaching Physical Education in the mornings at Desert Mountain and the afternoons at Queen Creek Elementary.

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to work in a field related to fitness. It was in college when I decided that I'd like to help teach others about how to keep their bodies healthy and how to stay active. I believe that the goal of elementary physical education is to provide the students with the fundamental skills that they need to continue an active lifestyle outside of Physical Education class and into adulthood. Students should be able to track and improve their own level of fitness, work with others through small group and whole group activities, communicate to one another verbally and non-verbally while also providing appropriate feedback to one another, and understand rules and strategies for a variety of different activities. Everything we do in my P.E. classes ties back to the SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Education) standards. I ask that the students always do their best, have fun and learn!

I attended college at California State University, Chico, where I graduated with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Relations and Journalism. I was on a path as an event planner to move into politics, but felt that my life was lacking a true purpose. After much thought and research, I became a career switcher and began my second career in education. At the time I was living in Virginia. I attended a program to become a certified educator and began my career as a middle school Language Arts and US History teacher. I taught for four years, realizing how many students struggled to read in middle school, which brought about a desire to learn more about how students acquire literacy and how I can help become a solution for this problem. I went back to school, and in 2014, graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Masters in Education Curriculum and Instruction, with a special emphasis in Reading. During grad school, I completed my internship with a Reading Specialist who taught me so much about intervention and struggling readers. I then worked for two years for Roosevelt School District #66 as an English Language Learner (ELL) interventionist. Here I acquired more knowledge about language and reading acquisition, as well as how to be a part of school leadership, and became a resource/coach for teachers. Last fall, I was honored to come to Queen Creek Elementary school as your Reading Specialist, overseeing the Title I program. I have made a home in this community as I also moved to Queen Creek last winter, and I look forward to being able to serve our students for many years to come.

Every child deserves an education that open doors and delivers instruction that reaches the individual ability to learn. I truly believe every child can learn, and we educators must continue to subscribe to being life-long learners ourselves, so that we may be able to continually improve our skills to better meet the needs of the individual children in our schools. If we can offer the best of ourselves every day to every child, then this allows every child the opportunity to make successful choices for their own futures.

Coming soon.

Coming soon.

I am a lifelong musician and teacher, but it took me a long time to realize I needed to put the two together, and just do it!  I got my degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Music from NAU back in 2006.  I didn't start teaching right away, and kept going to school for different things, and working in various fields while raising my son. I got the opportunity to teach music at an Elementary School in the White Mountains, and I knew I had found my calling!  I've been teaching elementary school music for five years, with one year as a third grade gen ed teacher in between. I have been a Beginning Band and Choir director, Drum Circle facilitator, as well as a private music instructor for clarinet and piano.

I believe every child is a natural musician, artist and creator! We all have something unique and beautiful to contribute to this world, and I love being a facilitator to helping a child find something they love and are good at!

Wife to Shaun and mother to three beautiful kids: Bryce (12), Aly (11) and Jaycee (9).

I was born and raised in Montana, where I attended school through college and moved to Arizona upon completion of college. After entering the great state of Arizona, I worked for many years in the social work sector with juvenile detention and child protection services. When I became a mother, I went back to school and became an educator, because impacting youth to empower themselves was more appealing.

My educational philosophy has always been "what's best for kids" and how can we give them the tools to succeed regardless their personal circumstances. I spent a decade in the secondary science classroom teaching mostly biological science, chemistry, and AVID. Again, I felt a drive to change my professional career to teach kids to learn how to achieve personal accomplishments, so I returned to school and received a master's in school counseling. Upon completion, I left the high school classroom and became a junior high counselor. I am happy to become a part of the Queen Creek School District as my own children attend school here in Queen Creek, and we live in the community. 

Mrs. Sanchez is a licensed Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L). She is in her fourth year of providing occupational therapy services in the school setting.