SMMS Staff
At Santa Maria Middle School, our caring, compassionate, highly qualified teachers and our experienced support staff are committed to providing an outstanding middle school experience for your child and to helping our students achieve to the best of their ability.
Administration

Amelia Sanchez
Principal
P: (623) 707-1100
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Biography
About Amelia Sanchez
Education
BS Elementary Education, Grand Canyon University
Experience
Ten years in education. I taught sixth grade ELA for four years and have worked with middle school students for nine years.
Why I Teach
This is what I love to do. This is my passion. I enjoy building and establishing positive relationships with our students and guiding them to achieve their goals.

Donald McClintock
Assistant Principal
P: (623) 707-1100
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Biography
About Donald McClintock
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Jennifer Hodges
Counselor
P: (623) 707-1129
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Biography
About Jennifer Hodges
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Office Staff

Wanda Bishop
Social Worker
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Biography
About Wanda Bishop
Education
BS in Human Development & Family Studies - University of Alabama (2006)
Master of Social Work - University of Alabama (2009)
Experience
I hail from the great state of Alabama. (Roll Tide!) I moved to Phoenix in 2017 as an empty nester ready to explore the next chapter of my life.
Upon my initial arrival to AZ, I served as a long-term substitute and later a full-time teacher for kindergarten and second, fourth, and fifth grade. The 2022–2023 school year marked my second year serving as a school social worker.
I spent most of my professional career (12 years) working in student affairs at the University of Alabama, where I served in various capacities—the most relevant position was a student care specialist providing crisis intervention for students and their families.
Why I Teach
I believe that every child has the capacity to blossom into wonderful individuals in spite of past traumas if equipped with the right tools early on. My goal is to disrupt the discourse one student at a time with hopes of building a brighter and better tomorrow for us all.

Maria Carroll
Attendance Clerk
P: (623) 707-1052
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Biography
About Maria Carroll
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Maria Contreras
RTC Monitor
P: (623) 707-1100
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Biography
About Maria Contreras
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Dafney Russell
Secretary
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Biography
About Dafney Russell
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Sixth Grade

Eduardo Alvizo
Math
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Biography
About Eduardo Alvizo
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Lory Banuelos
Language Arts
P: (623) 707-1126
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Biography
About Lory Banuelos
Education
BS in Psychology - GCU, Secondary Education - GCU
Experience
The 2022–2023 school year marked my third year teaching, though my ninth year overall in Santa Maria.
Why I Teach
I knew I wanted to work with kids but never knew what route my life would take. I have been working at Santa Maria for many years before I saw myself in a teaching position. I love to read and want to nurture and encourage that with my students. I also want to create a space of safety and creativity for the kids and a place where I can encourage them to be themselves.

Edward Caro
Social Studies
P: (623) 707-7183
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Biography
About Edward Caro
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Ismael Gonzales
Math
P: (623) 707-1080
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Biography
About Ismael Gonzales
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Janice Irby
Science
P: (623) 707-1131
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Biography
About Janice Irby
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Kamila Jelani
Social Studies
P: (623) 707-1128
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Biography
About Kamila Jelani
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Seventh Grade

Isaiah Casillas
Math
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Biography
About Isaiah Casillas
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Walter Isaacs
Science
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Biography
About Walter Isaacs
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Jason Kibsey
Science
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Biography
About Jason Kibsey
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Nicole Orton
Language Arts
P: (623) 707-1078
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Biography
About Nicole Orton
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

William Van Liew
Social Studies
P: (623) 707-1091
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Biography
About William Van Liew
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Theresa Webber
Math
P: (623) 707-1065
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Biography
About Theresa Webber
Education
BS Elementary Education - Emphasis in Mathematics - Grand Canyon University
Experience
The fall of 2020 began my third year as a classroom teacher after two years as a substitute. During school, I worked for four years as an educational assistant in grades K through 8. Prior to that, I spent many years volunteering for local elementary schools that my nieces and nephew attended.
Why I Teach
I teach because I believe all children deserve a quality education. I had a couple of incredible teachers during my education whose patience and understanding have had an effect on my life to this day. I hope to be that for my students as well.
Eighth Grade

Angelica Boladas
Science
P: (623) 707-1092
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Biography
About Angelica Boladas
Education
BS Elementary Education, Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan
Experience
I have been teaching for 12 years. 2022–2023 is my second year of teaching at SMMS.
Why I Teach
I teach because it brings joy to know that others learn from me. It gives a sense of fulfillment when they apply in real life the knowledge they acquired in school. With that, it reminds me of the crucial role that teachers play in society as persons responsible for molding the minds of learners to create a better world as they grow. For me, nothing beats the noble feeling of having changed someone positively and helped them reach their potential one day at a time.

Tristan Hutcheson
Math
P: (623) 707-1074
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Biography
About Tristan Hutcheson
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Bill Stewart
Social Studies
P: (623) 707-1075
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Biography
About Bill Stewart
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Jaime Tres
Science
P: (623) 707-1077
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Biography
About Jaime Tres
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Caleb Willow
ELA
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Biography
About Caleb Willow
Education
Bachelor of English - ASU
Experience
Began teaching in 2019
Certified Yoga Instructor, 2012
Why I Teach
Caleb Willow comes from a long line of educators and has been with Santa Maria since 2019 (pre-pandemic). He believes that all his students are valuable for the continued success of our society. A firm believer in peer-to-peer mediation, he manages his classroom by holding students accountable for their actions and expects that their conflicts with each other can be resolved if they learn how to communicate, apologize, and work together for future successes. Mr. Willow has managed small businesses before entering the education field, and he feels that his real-world experiences and his interactions with people from all walks of life has prepared him for working with the young adults in his classroom. He is excited to be teaching tomorrow's future.

Karen Yanez
Math
P: (623) 707-1064
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Biography
About Karen Yanez
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Educational Resource Teachers

Lindsey Comandini
Reading Interventionist
P: (623) 707-1068
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Biography
About Lindsey Comandini
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Juan Jimenez
Math Interventionist
P: (623) 707-1130
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Biography
About Juan Jimenez
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Helen Nance
Librarian
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Biography
About Helen Nance
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Cynthia Schmidt
Reading Instructional Assistant
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Biography
About Cynthia Schmidt
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Exploratory

Renee Contreras
PE
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Biography
About Renee Contreras
Education
Texas A&M International University
Experience
Three years
Why I Teach
I teach because I want to positively impact students' lives by helping them reach their fullest potential both inside and outside of the classroom. Since high school, I knew I wanted to be a PE teacher because of my passion for sports, and I wanted to be able to help shape the lives of others just like many of my past teachers have done for me.

Jay Harrison
PE
P: (623) 707-1099
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Biography
About Jay Harrison
Education
MPE in Physical Education - Arizona State University
BA in Marketing with Minors in Portuguese and Economics - Utah State University
Experience
10 years
Why I Teach
Since I was a child, I loved going outside and playing sports with family and friends. That passion grew in high school and college by taking all the PE/weightlifting classes I could take and participating in competitive sports for the following reasons: for enjoyment, to get in shape, and to find respite from the difficulties of life, school, and work. Now that I am an educator, I want to help my students to understand and excel by participating in daily physical activity.

Victoria Hernandez
Media Center
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Biography
About Victoria Hernandez
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Lisa Padilla
Art Teacher
P: (623) 707-1076
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Biography
About Lisa Padilla
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Donald Seago
Media Technology
P: (623) 707-1072
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Biography
About Donald Seago
Education
MEd Secondary Education - English Language Arts
Experience
Why I Teach

Xavier Yanez
Band
P: (623) 707-1096
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Biography
About Xavier Yanez
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Special Education

Emma Banuelos
Instructional Assistant
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Biography
About Emma Banuelos
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Nicole Bourgeois-Horne
Self-Contained
P: (623) 707-1121
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Biography
About Nicole Bourgeois-Horne
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

John Conti
Self-Contained
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Biography
About John Conti
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Mary Jimenez
Instructional Assistant
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Biography
About Mary Jimenez
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Barbara Miller
Instructional Assistant
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Biography
About Barbara Miller
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Steffany Salguero Chacon
Instructional Assistant
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Biography
About Steffany Salguero Chacon
Education
Experience
Why I Teach

Lindsey Sattler
Resource
P: (623) 707-1127
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Biography
About Lindsey Sattler
Education
Experience
Why I Teach
Custodial Staff
Jerry Moreno
Head Custodian
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Adela Gonzalez
Custodian
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Lourdes Nieto
Custodian
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Otoniel Salguero
Custodian
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