2nd Grade
Welcome to Second Grade!
Kayla Barden
Kayla Barden
I am entering my eleventh year teaching and my sixth year teaching in the beautiful state of Colorado. While I am a native to Colorado, I spent 6 years living in Arizona and moved back in July of 2021. I have previously taught Kindergarten through 2nd grade and am very excited to now be entering my 10th year as a 2nd grade teacher.
I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with my degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English as a Second Language and an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. I received my masters degree in reading from Grand Canyon University as well.
While studying at UNC, I met my husband. We have now been married for 8 years and have two daughters, Payton (3) and Nora (8 months) We also have a dog, Sammy, and a cat, Thor.
When I am not teaching, I love being outdoors. I love to hike, paddleboard, and work out. I have also recently found a new love of baking sourdough bread. I also enjoy reading and watching the Broncos and Avalanche with my family.
In the classroom, my goal is to create an engaging classroom that allows your child to grow mentally, emotionally, and physically through hands on learning. I hope to create relationships that promote kindness and positivity as well as teach students how to be independent learners.
I look forward to an amazing year with your child!
Alissa Blechar
Alissa Blechar
I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. I received my degree in elementary education with an emphasis in English. I also completed my Masters degree in Reading and Curriculum Instruction from Grand Canyon University. My philosophy is that children should be involved in their education. My classroom will be very hands on and students will be active participants rather than just observers. I look forward to working with all students in reaching their education goals!
This is my 25th year working in DCSD. I started working in the BASE program while I was a sophomore in high school. I entered college with the intent of graduating with a BioMedical degree but it was through working with the Kindergarten Enrichment Program that I discovered my true passion for teaching. In addition to my years in before/after school care and kindergarten enrichment, I also worked as an educational assistant that worked with Multilingual (ML) students and taught 1st grade for 12 years. This will be my 19th year teaching and I cannot wait to see what this year holds!
On a more personal note, I love the outdoors! During the summer, I like to camp, hike, fish, play in the lakes and streams... or pretty much anything I can do outside! During the winter, I enjoy snowboarding and taking my daughter, Cadence (12), and son, Torin (9), skiing. I enjoy reading and often have a book started as soon as I finish another. Anything with art has also been a passion of mine. I find it relaxing to paint, draw, or model something out of clay. My husband and I have 2 dogs who enjoy the outdoors just as much as we do, if not more. Each day brings a new set of adventures for us and we love watching how quickly our kids learn and grow!
I look forward to working with you and your child to reach his or her educational goals and to develop a passion for life long learning!
Jamie Zapien
Jamie Zapien
I am thrilled to get to know everyone as the school year commences. My husband and I relocated to Castle Rock in 2013 with our two daughters, Isabella (19) and Adriana (16). We moved from southern Colorado. In the summer I love to spend my time camping and traveling. You can find me wrapped up in a book and drinking lattes when the weather turns dreary. My family and I have a Great Dane, Iroh. He loves to go on adventures and explore the world with us. We also have a Golden Retriever. Her name is Pepperjack & is still quite the puppy!
I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies K-8 at Western Governors University in the Spring of 2021 and I earned my Master’s Degree in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education in May of 2026 through Fort Lewis College. This is my sixth year teaching and my eighth year at Flagstone Elementary!