Learning Never Stops: A Year of Faculty Growth at Seven Peaks

By Amy J. Doherty, Director of Marketing and Communications

As I enter my fourth year at Seven Peaks School, I have begun to understand something that is not always visible to families from the outside. Teaching in an International Baccalaureate school requires an extraordinary commitment to professional learning.

IB accreditation is not simply a designation a school earns once and then maintains. It is an ongoing process of inquiry, reflection, and growth. Faculty are expected to continually deepen their practice through workshops, conferences, collaboration with other IB schools, and formal IB training.

From a communications perspective, this is one of the most energizing parts of my job. Each time our teachers return from a training or conference, they come back with fresh ideas, new strategies, and a renewed enthusiasm for their craft. That energy does not stay in a notebook or conference room. It shows up in classrooms, in conversations with colleagues, and in the creative ways our teachers collaborate across disciplines.

This year, in particular, has been remarkable. Our faculty have participated in professional learning across the country and internationally, from literacy training and science education conferences to leadership workshops and experiential learning programs abroad. What follows is a snapshot of the learning that has taken place during the 2025–2026 school year.

It is also, simply, a moment to say thank you to our faculty for the care and dedication they bring to their profession.

Supporting Students Through Crisis

SPS Faculty: Theo Wilhelm and Chandler Peterson

Theo Wilhelm, our MYP Coordinator, and Chandler Peterson, Counselor, completed training in Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention. The program focused on how schools can support students and staff during difficult moments, as well as how to establish clear and compassionate protocols for responding to a range of crises.

Through scenario-based training and role play, they explored how people respond differently to stressful events and how thoughtful support can help individuals and communities process and heal. The training strengthens Seven Peaks’ ability to respond thoughtfully and effectively to challenging situations while prioritizing the well-being of students and staff.

Crafting Inquiry in the PYP

SPS Faculty: Sammy Lyke

PYP Coordinator Sammy Lyke participated in a workshop on Crafting Inquiry at The Spear Center at the International School of Portland. The training focused on designing learning experiences rooted in curiosity, strong questioning, and student collaboration.

By exploring strategies that make student thinking visible and by collaborating with other international educators, Sammy gained new approaches to deepening inquiry-based learning within the Primary Years Programme.

Innovating Science Education

Faculty: Sydney Matthews

Design teacher Sydney Matthews attended the National Science Teaching Association’s Innovating Science Education Conference in Minneapolis. The conference explored themes such as outdoor and place-based learning, climate science, sustainability, and STEM-focused problem solving.

Sydney’s goal was to strengthen opportunities for students to engage with real-world scientific challenges. The conference offered new strategies for connecting classroom science to outdoor environments and global sustainability issues, supporting the school’s broader commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Experiential Leadership and Global Learning

Faculty: Kim Evans and Kori Donley

Kim and Kori participated in the World Leadership School (WLS) annual training in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica. The immersive four-day program focused on experiential learning, cross-cultural engagement, and leadership development.

Educators worked through the stages of a World Leadership School program, learning strategies for group facilitation, risk management, and guiding meaningful student reflection. The training strengthens Seven Peaks’ capacity to lead transformational travel and experiential programs that foster leadership, cultural awareness, and community engagement. For those parents who do not know, our MYP travel program collaborates with WLS for each of the middle years grades. Spring travel is a meaningful and deeply transformative experience for our middle schoolers, as well as our chaperones.

Leadership in IB Schools

Faculty: Sammy Lyke

Sammy also attended the International Baccalaureate conference, Navigating Leadership in Los Angeles. The three-day conference explored how IB schools cultivate student-centered learning environments while developing the attitudes and skills needed for both academic and personal success.

The sessions focused on strengthening a culture of inquiry and reflection throughout the school community and explored how IB education contributes to building a more thoughtful and peaceful world.

Learning from Other IB Schools

Faculty: PYP Single-Subject Teachers

Seven Peaks’ PYP single-subject teachers, Sydney Matthews (Design), Felicia Villalobos (Spanish), Charlene Santucci (Art), Clayton Pearce (Theater), and Jer Ellis (Kindergarten Assistant), spent a day visiting the International School of Portland alongside their PYP coordinator.

Each teacher observed classrooms within their own subject area, gaining insight into how another IB school approaches inquiry-based learning in disciplines such as art, language, music, and science. The visit also fostered professional connections between teachers across schools, opening the door for future collaboration and shared learning.

National Art Education Conference

Faculty: Charlene Santucci

Visual arts teacher Charlene attended the National Art Education Association convention in Chicago, a national gathering of art educators focused on innovation in art instruction and creative project development.

The workshops offered new techniques and fresh perspectives that Charlene plans to bring directly into her classrooms, supporting students across the wide range of ages she teaches and expanding opportunities for creative exploration.

Deepening Literacy Instruction

Faculty: Mariah Runk

Mariah is currently completing the yearlong LETRS professional learning program, a nationally recognized training focused on the science of reading. Developed by literacy expert Dr. Louisa Moats, the program helps educators deepen their understanding of how students learn to read and write.

Through this training, Mariah is strengthening her expertise in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, with the goal of further refining small-group literacy instruction for her students.

IB Training for New Faculty

Faculty: Baylee Hatter, Dominique Ovalle-Kongsli, and Theo Wilhelm

Several faculty members completed foundational International Baccalaureate workshops this year.

Baylee participated in a Category 1 IB training focused on implementing IB practices in the classroom, while Dominique attended a Category 1 workshop for MYP Visual Arts in Los Angeles. MYP Coordinator Theo Wilhelm also completed a specialized IB training on the role of the MYP Coordinator.

These workshops help ensure that Seven Peaks continues to align its teaching practices with IB standards while strengthening collaboration across grade levels and subject areas.

Advancing Mathematics Instruction

Faculty: Baylee Hatter

Baylee also attended a professional development workshop through YouCubed at Stanford University, led by renowned mathematics educator Jo Boaler. The training explored how data science can be integrated meaningfully across grade levels and how math instruction can encourage deeper conceptual understanding.

The workshop supports Baylee’s ongoing work to design math learning experiences that are both rigorous and engaging for middle school students.

Looking Ahead

The learning does not stop here. In April, the entire Seven Peaks faculty will participate in additional in-house International Baccalaureate professional development for both the PYP and MYP programs.

Professional learning is one of the quiet engines that powers great schools. It shapes the questions teachers ask, the projects students explore, and the ways classrooms evolve each year.

As someone who has the privilege of telling the story of Seven Peaks, it is inspiring to see how deeply our teachers invest in their own learning so that our students can continue to grow. And this year, more than ever, that commitment is worth celebrating.