Meet Our Team
Meet the educators who make New Discovery School such a special place to learn and grow. Our experienced team brings curiosity, creativity, and care to each day, creating an environment where children feel known, supported, and free to explore through play.
Leadership & Administration
Bret began his career in early childhood education in 1995 after graduating from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree in World Religion. After moving to Austin, Texas, he received his foundational training in the early childhood field while working in inclusive environments serving children with special needs. As a classroom teacher, he collaborated closely with teams of educators and therapists.
A lifelong lover of music and the arts, Bret has consistently incorporated guitar, music, and creative expression into the classroom as tools for teaching and community building.
After moving to Seattle in 2000, Bret joined New Discovery School as a classroom teacher and music specialist. In 2015, founding director Susan Gorman promoted him to Program Manager, a role focused on supporting social-emotional learning initiatives, administrative leadership, and educational opportunities for parents and teachers. Following Susan Gorman's retirement, Bret served as Assistant Director, classroom teacher, and music teacher under Director Alissa Nasiatka until her departure in 2019.
Bret is a longtime student of contemplative practice and is certified as a mindfulness instructor and facilitator through Shambhala International. He has helped integrate research-based, secular, and developmentally appropriate mindfulness practices into the NDS social-emotional curriculum. He is also a Washington State DCYF-certified teacher trainer and a Talaris Institute Parenting Counts trainer.
Bret is deeply committed to the mission of New Discovery School: fostering a warm community while protecting play, loving relationships, and the arts as central components of early learning.
As a former NDS parent, Katherine is honored to be part of the team that creates such a magical place for children and families. She loves that the teachers at NDS celebrate the true joy of childhood and give children plenty of space to make messy discoveries.
After moving to Seattle in 2002, Katherine became a teaching assistant in a pre-K/kindergarten classroom and quickly discovered that she belonged in the classroom. This led her to earn a Master's in Teaching from Seattle University. She then spent eight years teaching second and third grade in Seattle Public Schools. After the birth of her first child, she stepped away from the classroom but continued to stay connected to education. She worked as a substitute teacher in both Seattle Public Schools and NDS, became an instructor for Roots of Empathy, and led many PEPS groups. Katherine was promoted to Assistant Director in 2026.
In addition to working in the field of education, Katherine enjoys cooking, singing, and children's books. She also loves spending time outdoors, whether riding her bike, taking long walks, hiking, or skiing.
Nicki began teaching American Sign Language at NDS in the fall of 2000 while also working as a production manager for a large corporate gift company. Later, while serving as an office manager for a plumbing company, she accepted an opportunity to join NDS as the full-time administrative assistant to the director while continuing to teach ASL one day each week.
Over the years, Nicki has taught American Sign Language to learners of all ages, but preschoolers remain her favorite students because of their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. She enjoys introducing children to a powerful new way of expressing themselves
Being part of the NDS community has been a pleasure for Nicki. She enjoys welcoming families each day and helping the school run smoothly. Whether she is answering phones, applying Band-Aids, offering hugs, or even fixing plumbing issues, she approaches the work as a labor of love rather than simply a job.
When not at NDS, she enjoys dancing, gardening, traveling, and hiking in the desert.
Jason has been working with children and families since 2014 and is thrilled to be part of the New Discovery School community.
He earned a bachelor's degree in education, Communities, and Organizations at the University of Washington. Jason is excited to apply the skills and knowledge gained through his education in support of children and families.
Outside of NDS, he enjoys watching movies, creating art, reading, and running with his partner. He looks forward to continuing to build relationships with the NDS community.
3's Team
One of Dena's favorite aspects of teaching is that children are natural scientists. Science and math literacy in early education are among her greatest passions. She believes children possess tremendous abilities from the very beginning and that those abilities can be nurtured through intentional support and exploration.
Children's curiosity, desire to ask questions, and opportunity to experience so many things for the first time all play an important role in the learning process. Dena considers it a privilege to be part of that journey. What she especially loves about NDS is that opportunities for exploration are woven into every part of the day.
She is delighted to be part of the NDS community.
For Jozie, learning through play is not just a pedagogical approach—it is a joy. During their years as an assistant teacher, they have yet to find a school environment more conducive to that joy than New Discovery School.
Jozie is honored to help students explore their understanding of themselves, their environment, and the world through games and play. Drawing on their background in philosophy, they enjoy helping children reflect on the “whys” and “how” of their experiences. They love engaging with children’s interests, matching their enthusiasm, and asking thoughtful questions that deepen curiosity and appreciation.
Jozie believes each child holds a universe of their own within their mind and that thoughtful play provides the best window into that world. They are excited to explore, learn, and grow alongside all of the students at NDS.
Chanel graduated from Western Oregon University in June 2016 and moved to Seattle just three months later to begin a new chapter with her partner, now her wife.
Within days of arriving in Seattle, she accepted a position at her first preschool and quickly discovered how much she loved working with young children. Chanel spent seven years at Kids Inc., progressing from part-time teacher to lead preschool teacher and eventually assistant director. Afterward, she joined Pike Market Preschool and Childcare before becoming part of the NDS team.
With a decade of experience in early childhood education, Chanel finds the work incredibly rewarding and loves being part of the New Discovery School community.
One of her favorite activities is camping with her wife and their dog, Ramsey. During the summer, they spend time exploring favorite campsites throughout the region. Chanel is also an enthusiastic reader, particularly of mystery novels, and enjoys attending concerts and discovering new music.
Inspired by her mother, who was also a preschool teacher, Chanel has always loved working with children. She believes that children are not only learners but also teachers, and she values the opportunity to learn from them every day. Her teaching philosophy centers the child and supports each learner's growth and exploration. She looks forward to getting to know the children and families of NDS.
A Seattle native, Michelle has spent much of her life on playgrounds and in environments dedicated to supporting young children.
She has been part of New Discovery School since 2013 and has worked in the 5’s, 4’s, and currently the 3’s program, as well as in the extended day and summer programs.
Michelle was initially drawn to NDS because of its strong sense of community. She values the nurturing environment the school provides for both children and staff and firmly believes in the importance of a supportive village in raising children. Her own experience raising her daughter reinforced that belief.
Before joining NDS, Michelle’s mother owned and operated a licensed home preschool for more than 20 years. Michelle likes to say that she began “teaching” around age four and has continued refining her skills ever since. She began studying American Sign Language in high school and continued through college, and ASL remains one of her passions.
Michelle earned her Massage Therapy degree and BCTMB certification from Ashmead College in 2003. Another longtime passion is swimming. In addition to her work at NDS, she teaches private swim lessons year-round at Little Fish Swimming School.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with family, practicing yoga, relaxing with her beloved pets, and exploring everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
Hana studied Air Transportation Management in her native Indonesia. After moving to the United States in 2005, she began teaching and quickly discovered her passion for early childhood education.
She earned her Child Development Associate credential in 2009 and has continued her professional growth through additional early childhood education workshops and training. Hana joined the NDS staff in the fall of 2011.
She loves spending her days with children, helping them learn, explore, and prepare for the future. Hana also enjoys creating environments where children feel secure, loved, and supported while away from home.
She enjoys sharing cultural experiences through cooking, stories, and photographs. Throughout the day, she introduces children to elements of Spanish and Indonesian/Malay language and culture.
Hana loves being part of New Discovery School because it is a place where everyone is continually learning from one another.
4's Team
From the moment Elise walked through the doors of NDS, she felt welcome. Having always wanted to work creatively with children, she could not imagine a more ideal setting. The sense of comfort and belonging among the staff and community is unlike any working environment she has experienced.
Elise began her journey at New Discovery in the fall of 2000, working with three-year-olds. With a background in and a love for the arts, she began exploring techniques to enhance creativity in her students. Eventually, she began teaching art to other classes as well.
In a community that embraces so many talents, there seem to be no limits to what can be learned from both the children and one another. Opportunities to take outside classes and participate in the school's informative curriculum help Elise grow as an educator and discover new ideas to bring to her students. She is honored to be part of this community. Helping fulfill the school's philosophy while fostering kindness, confidence, and creative expression provides a deep sense of satisfaction.
It is difficult for Gwyn to remember a time when she was not teaching or working with children.
She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she often played teacher in her backyard treehouse. Gwyn earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin and later completed a master's degree in teaching at the University of Puget Sound. Following graduation, she taught both first and second grade in the Mukilteo School District.
After the birth of her first child, Gwyn became a full-time parent and an active participant in the North Seattle Co-op Preschool Program. Once her two sons were in elementary school, she became a substitute teacher with Seattle Public Schools. After several years with the district, she joined the NDS community.
Gwyn loves teaching four-year-olds and enjoys being part of such a supportive community of teachers and families.
Kate Bischoff is excited to join the NDS team this year and bring the magic to the extended day program. After working in various preschool and elementary extended day programs and classrooms, they look forward to bringing their 10+ years of childcare experience to the NDS family.
Kate is also an experienced musician and loves to sing, as well as play piano and guitar. She plans to bring this experience to the classroom as well when possible and looks forward to expanding her repertoire of children’s music.
Kate has had an extremely diverse set of professional experiences, from teaching 4th grade at a Title I school to substitute teaching, to teaching at an Islamic private school, to volunteering at a queer youth summer camp. All of these experiences have contributed to their understanding of culturally responsive teaching and the importance of equity and inclusion. Kate’s goal is to find solutions for challenges faced by children with disabilities and form strong relationships with all the students in her class.
Niki is a longtime educator with more than 25 years of experience in the field. Her work has included classroom teaching, behavior and family intervention, curriculum development, and inclusion support.
Her areas of interest include play-based learning, positive behavior guidance, anti-bias education, and inclusion. Niki holds a bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University and a master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Washington. She is also a Washington State DCYF-certified teacher trainer and a certified Incredible Years parent educator.
Outside of work, Niki enjoys live music, reading with children, traveling, and working on the New York Times crossword puzzle.
After graduating with a BAS in Early Childhood Education from North Seattle College in 2019, Alex continued their education and became a proud University of Washington graduate, earning a Master of Library and Information Science degree. They are grateful to apply their education and continue learning each day alongside the New Discovery School community.
Alex enjoys using the environment and children’s emerging interests to raise questions and gather information alongside young learners.
Before joining NDS, Alex spent eight years teaching in a variety of early learning centers throughout Seattle, as well as teaching American Sign Language and leading summer camps. They enjoy exploring the outdoors almost as much as they enjoy books and all things library-related.
Thomas Kauffman was largely encouraged to pursue a career in education by his wife, herself an educator. Between 2024 and 2026, the two of them lived in Taiwan, teaching English, while he worked on his Bachelors of Educational Studies. Teaching in Taiwan, he led a class of mixed ages and abilities and enjoyed the challenge of organizing lessons and activities so that all students were equally engaged.
Prior to this, he worked as a substitute teacher at various charter schools in Rochester, NY. He has also worked in elder care and clinical settings, where he gained valuable insight into the human experience and grew in his conviction that the most important work is done in the service of others.
He is excited to be joining New Discovery School and is looking forward to supporting creativity and curiosity in students. When he is not working, Thomas enjoys reading, cooking, and keeping up with old friends.
Grace first started working at New Discovery School in 2017, shortly after graduating from high school, when her mother, Alissa, was the director. NDS is where she fell in love with Early Childhood Education, particularly social-emotional development and helping children understand their feelings and the world around them.
Since then, Grace has worked as both a preschool teacher and a nanny, experiences that helped her realize how much she enjoys supporting not only children but their entire families. She earned her associate degree in Early Childhood Education from North Seattle College and continued toward a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. When she was about 30 credits away from graduating, she felt strongly called to change directions and pursue her longtime interest in working more closely with children and families as either a Child Life Specialist or a grief educator. She ultimately changed her major to Marriage and Family Studies at BYU-Idaho.
Grace is now back in Seattle completing an internship with The Ladybug House, where she is creating resources to help adults talk with children about illness, death, and grief in honest, age-appropriate ways. She is especially excited that this project combines so many of the things she cares about: children, families, big emotions, and making difficult conversations a little easier. Grace believes that children are capable of understanding more than they are often given credit for and that they deserve honesty. She also believes parents deserve access to strong resources and a supportive community to help guide these conversations.
Grace is thrilled to be back at NDS. She loves hearing children's ideas, questions, stories, and jokes. One of her favorite memories from her very first summer at NDS was when a young student thought her name was "Teacher Grape" for an entire month. Grace has shared that story with children she has worked with ever since, and they always love it.
So, if a child comes home talking about "Teacher Grape," that's Grace!
Diana is delighted to be part of the New Discovery School community. She brings more than five years of experience teaching young children in Russia, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates, and Armenia.
She enjoys helping children grow through play, creativity, and curiosity and believes every child learns in their own unique way.
Diana holds a bachelor's degree in Education earned in Moscow, Russia, and recently completed the Early Childhood Education Certificate Program at North Seattle College. She is excited to bring her knowledge and experience into the classroom while continuing to grow alongside the NDS team.
She enjoys using music, movement, and storytelling to create warm and engaging learning environments. Diana also speaks several languages and enjoys sharing different cultures and perspectives with children and families.
Outside of teaching, she enjoys baking, playing drums, and traveling, all of which inspire her work with children.
Paige met New Discovery School founder Susan Gorman shortly after graduating from Willamette University. Both were members of the Sammamish Rowing Association, and Susan recognized Paige’s potential and invited her to teach at NDS. She began her career at the school in the fall of 1996.
In addition to the education courses she completed in college and her ongoing professional development through workshops and continuing education, Paige considers herself fortunate to have worked alongside many exceptional educators whose guidance has shaped her approach to teaching.
Paige loves teaching four-year-olds. She delights in their honesty, joy, and sense of wonder. Watching children grow and challenge themselves throughout the year is one of the most rewarding parts of her work. She especially enjoys sharing sensory-rich experiences through art, science, cooking, and nature exploration.
Paige feels incredibly fortunate to be part of a school where she has spent more than half her life. Her two children attended NDS as preschoolers and often return to help when their schedules allow. She is grateful to work alongside such remarkable teachers and families and values being part of such a generous and supportive community.
Kat has worked at New Discovery School since 2013. She earned her teaching certificate in 1999 and completed a master’s degree in Human Development at Pacific Oaks College NW in 2004. Prior to joining NDS, she worked with toddlers and taught children from kindergarten through second grade.
Kat loves nature walks, especially when children are involved. She also enjoys birding, swimming, gardening, arts and crafts, and playing music.
She values being present with four-year-olds, watching their imaginations unfold and finding meaningful ways to support their ideas. Kat appreciates working at a school that honors children’s play and recognizes the tremendous learning that emerges from it.
She is continually inspired by the children, her colleagues, and the broader NDS community. She also loves beginning each day with song circle.
5's Team
Audrey has 32 years of experience working with children as both a nanny and preschool teacher. In 2006, Susan Gorman asked whether she would be interested in applying for a teaching position at New Discovery School. Audrey accepted the opportunity and quickly realized this was what she was meant to do.
She enjoys helping children grow as individuals while they discover the world around them. Audrey especially enjoys supporting children as they learn to manage their emotions and think through the challenges they encounter.
Her favorite activities include running, gardening, and spending time with animals. She lives in Seward Park with her husband.
Freshly graduated with their degree in Biology, Quincey is a lifelong student in the pursuit of whimsy. Their love of living things great and small and their passion for weaving play into the everyday has led them to discover a knack for working with young children.
Before joining New Discovery School, Quincey spent five years with Camp Read-a-Rama as a counselor and co-director of summer programming. There, they connected books with carefully chosen activities and local adventures, encouraging children to "live books" rather than simply read them.
Quincey was introduced to NDS by Read-a-Rama colleague Alex Grennan a few summers ago and has been hoping to become part of the community ever since. They are excited to continue learning about early childhood education alongside their fellow teachers and, most importantly, to study the art of whimsy from its true masters: children.
Outside of school, Quincey enjoys making art of all kinds, animal husbandry, traveling, gardening, exploring the great outdoors, and finding new ways to bring a little more playfulness into daily routines.
Preschool was one of Hope’s fondest childhood memories, and much of her adult life has been devoted to recreating that same sense of joy. Her mother taught in the classroom next to hers, and Hope fondly remembers writing letters and delivering them to her throughout the day. The school she attended was deeply community- and family-oriented, and her favorite memories include playing with shaving cream, spending time outdoors, making friends, and being encouraged to explore creatively.
During college, Hope devoted much of her time to theater, creating and performing in productions. Her love of performance and narrative ultimately led her to earn a degree in storytelling from Cornell College in Iowa.
After moving to Seattle, Hope began working at a Montessori school. While she appreciated the materials and philosophy enough to become Montessori certified, she found herself most energized by moments of laughter, imagination, and creative expression that existed beyond the structure of the method. Those experiences eventually led her to New Discovery School.
The first time Hope entered NDS, she was immediately reminded of her own preschool experiences. Although the school looked very different from the one she attended, it embodied the same playful, respectful, and community-centered spirit she cherished as a child. She feels both humbled and grateful to be part of the NDS community.
Make Believe Productions Presents: Drama Club
Hope leads an engaging Drama Club focused on storytelling, improv games, and acting. With more than a decade of preschool teaching experience and regular performances with CSz Seattle, she combines her passions for teaching, comedy, storytelling, and theater.
Students participate in imaginative improv games, act out stories, and collaborate to create a short play. At the end of the session, they perform their production for an audience. In addition to being fun, the club supports confidence-building, collaboration, and comfort with public speaking.
Ella is a returning Seattle native. She spent two years teaching kindergarten in Chicago through Teach For America, where she discovered her passion for working in early childhood education. During that time, she also completed a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, graduating in June 2024.
Ella was thrilled to return to Seattle and join NDS last year, where she taught in the five-year-old program. She is excited to continue teaching alongside her wonderful colleagues during the coming year.
Although Ella did not attend NDS herself, many members of her family did and continue to have fond memories of their experiences there. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and being with friends.
The Board
The NDS board of directors meet monthly and consist of 8-10 volunteers who possess a variety of skill sets and strengths from within the present and alumni NDS community. The board is responsible for the long-term health of the school and provide support to the administration, staff and community. They serve a 2 year term.
