Discovery Community School A 'Choice' Option for your Child and Your Family A Lake Washington School District Program
Toby Brenner - Principal
I am honored and excited to be the principal of Sandburg Elementary School and Discovery Community School. My career in education has been varied and diverse. I come from a family of teachers, and I began my career working with elementary students as a children's counselor. I began teaching in 1993, and have taught 2nd, 5th, and 6th grade as a classroom teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. I also spent two years teaching English in Taiwan. I taught for many years here in the Lake Washington School District at John Muir Elementary School before moving from the classroom to the district level as an Instructional Technology Specialist, working to help teachers better meet the needs of our students through the use of key technology tools. In 2004 I was first introduced to this community while serving as the Vice Principal for Sandburg/DCS. For the following two years I served as principal at Jefferson Elementary School and the Lighthouse Elementary Cooperative choice school program in the Everett Public Schools before returning to Sandburg/DCS for the 2007-2008 school year.
As hard as it may be for some of my students to believe, a principal really does have a life outside of school. My wife Josephine and I have two small children, aged 1 and 4, so my home is pretty active! When I am not working with students, teachers, and families, I can often be found driving my motorcycle through the twisty back roads, playing racquetball and snowboarding, or just reading books and spending time at the park with my family.
For my entire career I have worked to meet the changing needs of young people, and I bring that passion and commitment to Sandburg and DCS. School should be a place where children feel happy and engaged, and where parents feel welcome and involved, and it is my goal to ensure that Sandburg and DCS is no different. I look forward to the chance to work with a great community to help our children reach their highest potential.
Mark Blomquist - Vice Principal
This is now my eleventh year as an educator. I have taught 6th graders, middle school students, and 5th graders. In New Jersey I was an enrichment specialist and gifted and talented teacher, and I spent two years working with teachers around Lake Washington School District as an Instructional Technology Specialist. This year I teach our Pull-Out Enrichment program, or Quest, part time and serve as the Assistant Principal at Sandburg/DCS part time. I have a wonderful family: my wife, Jera, is mother of two boys and works part-time at a church in Seattle. Our amazing little boys are Ewan, age four, and Callum, age two. We are avid skiers and travel to Colorado to ski with my wife's family as often as we can. We also like to travel, but don't get to do it as much as we used to now that we have little kids. When we can, we also like to water ski and spend time on the water.
Diane Jewell - Youngers and Head Teacher
I am originally from Wisconsin and earned my Bachelor of Science degree from the UW of EauClaire. I worked many summers as a camp counselor. This experience led me to an Easter Seals Camp in California where I met my husband, Jim. We settled in San Francisco where I taught for 10 years and earned my Master of Arts degree. I have recently completed my Professional Certification for the state of Washington and enjoy my new position at DCS. We love our life here in the Pacific Northwest with our 2 daughters, Kelsey and MacKenzie. It's a beautiful location to hike, ski, and celebrate the solstice.
Carol Fletcher - Middles Teacher
What a fabulous community we have here at DCS - and I am honored to be part of it! As Middles teacher (grades 3-4), I have been on staff here at DCS since 1999. Prior to that, I taught 3rd grade at Carl Sandburg, Alcott Elementary, Benjamin Rush Elementary, and Peter Lea Infants School in Cardiff, Wales! I am a native Northwestern - born and raised in Tacoma! My college years were spent at CWU in Ellensburg, and I hold a B.ED degree in Music Education, and a M.Ed. in Reading. When I'm not teaching, I am usually enjoying time with my 16-year-old daughter, Kimmi, taking long walks with friends, playing the piano, traveling, going to the symphony, plays, and many other cultural events that our area has to offer.
Monica Engquist - Olders Teacher
Growing up in Redmond Washington, I am a proud product of the Lake Washington School District. Working with children has always played a large role in my life. I volunteered in an elementary classroom for year and a half while attending Redmond High School, and I worked with children in the YMCA child care program while earning my BA in Education from Washington State University. Running and weight training are my hobbies, and these activities are what I devote most of my free time to. I recently became a first time homebuyer, and I am excited to be able to call the Kirkland area 'home'.
Janet Zins - Secretary/IA
I am a native of the Kirkland area and attended schools in the Lake Washington School District. I currently live in Kirkland with my husband, Dwight, son Drew, who attends college at the University of Idaho, and two golden retrievers, Penny and Sadie. I enjoy vacationing at the Oregon Coast with my family, and I love to pass the time with my hobbies of gardening and reading. I have worked in the Lake Washington School District for twelve years, and enjoy very much working with the students and families at Discovery Community School.