A new flock of Kadets have found their home in the hallways and classrooms of Air Academy High! Please give a warm welcome to Ms. Paluso, Ms. Mullinix, Mme. Perron, Mr. Newell, Mr. Barringer, Mr. Sudduth, Mr. Cullers, Mr. Snyder, Ms. Riggs, and last but not least, Mr. Wahlstrom. Read on to learn more about these wonderful new staff members and what they bring to the Kadet family.

What made you pick a teaching position at AAHS? Is there anything in particular you look forward to?
Ms. Paluso: AAHS hasa great ASL program in Colorado Springs and I was a student teacher and observed two ASL teachers here at AAHS last semester. I knew I wanted to teach here because I can see many potentials in students’ abilities to demonstrate their signing skills to communicate with Deaf people in the Colorado Springs community.

Ms. Mullinix: I chose AAHS because of the students and staff. The first time I visited AAHS I could tell that AAHS was/is a positive, fun, and active learning environment. I also chose AAHS because of their commitment to the arts. I am looking forward to getting to know the students and to be able to pass on my passion for Digital Media – Computer Art in its many forms.

Mme. Perron: Probably AAHS established reputation as the best high school of the district, and collaborating with the AAHS WL teachers

Mr. Newell: I have actually been coaching Air Academy Swimming and Diving for 14 (Girls’ team) and 8 (Boys’ team) years already. I kind of had my foot in the door. I spent 9 years teaching at Discovery Canyon Middle School in the Science department and getting experience and building myself up you could say. I live in the area (Rockrimmon) and my kids will eventually go to school here and that is really cool for me. Also, my wife is alumni at AAHS, grew up in the area and we have a lot of history with the school.

Mr. Barringer: I chose to come back to Air Academy High School after teaching here in 1980-81 and 1981-82 School years. Then I filled in for a situation in 2013 (Feb. to June) Loved the environment and attitude of the students here so decided to come back. The set up for the Anatomy and Physiology classes here and the academic atmosphere is excellent

Mr. Sudduth: I chose AAHS after learning about the quality of District 20 overall.  I had a choice of D49 or D20 and a conversation with Mrs. De la Garza led me to AAHS.  I am very grateful and happy to be here.

Mr. Cullers: I grew up in Colorado Springs, where I graduated from AAHS! I love the Kadet culture and am excited to be back at AAHS.

Mr. Synder: I picked Air Academy because of the great student and staff reputation. I knew the culture would fit well with my personality and experience.

Ms. Riggs: AAHS has so many great qualities!  The student body here is amazing and I have enjoyed getting to know the AAHS students and families.  I haven’t had a chance to meet everyone yet, so I encourage students with last names L-Q to stop by Student Services to meet me.  The teachers, staff, and counselors here are not only excellent at their crafts, but also genuinely wonderful people.  I cannot think of a better group of people to work with.

Mr. Wahlstrom: I was very impressed with the students, staff, and parents I met during the interview process. There was an amazing sense of pride from students, staff and parents in Air Academy High School and Kadet Culture. I look forward to being part of this great school and epic tradition of excellence.

What classes at Air Academy do you offer?
Ms. Paluso: I teach ASL 1, ASL 2, and ASL 4 classes at AAHS.

Ms. Mullinix: I offer Photography 1, 2 & 3, Graphic Design, as well as Computer Animation.

Mme. Perron: I teach French 1, 3 and Honors French ⅚

Mr. Newell: I am teaching Earth Science and Astronomy 1 and Astronomy 2.

Mr. Barringer: Currently, I am teaching Anatomy and Physiology (3 classes), 1 Honors Biology, and 1 General Biology plus a study Hall.

Mr. Sudduth: I am co-teaching World Geography and Alg. I and I teach two blocks of Study Skills at the present time.

Mr. Cullers: During this school year I am teaching Health, Shooting Stars Basketball class, and Racquet sports.

Mr. Snyder: Physics and Honors Physics

Ms. Riggs: I am the L-Q counselor, so you won’t often see me in the classroom however I will be helping students complete their Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAPs) in one of the computer labs over the next month.  I am also available for students and families as a resource to offer guidance for social, emotional, and academic issues.

Mr. Wahlstrom: I am currently serving as the Assistant Principal.

How long have you been teaching?
Ms. Paluso: I started teaching spring 2015 as an ASL substitute teacher at several high schools in Colorado Springs. However, this year is my first year teaching. I am excited to work with Kadets students and what I can contribute to their learning growth experiences in my ASL classes.

Ms. Mullinix: This will be my 7th year of teaching.

Mme. Perron: I started teaching at Air Academy Junior High in 1983 (it was at the time the only middle school in the district ) then opened Eagleview where I stayed 13 years before going to Rampart High School where I taught all levels 1 through 6 (IB, AP, regular), French of course.

Mr. Newell: This is my 10th year full-time teaching. I have coached here for 14 years, and I was a substitute teacher here (D20) for 4 years prior to getting my first real job (at DCC).

Mr. Barringer: I started teaching in 1979. I retired in June 2012. Subbed in 2013 and now came back for 2015-2016. That makes about 33-34 years of teaching.

Mr. Sudduth: I have been teaching for 15 years, all in Oklahoma.  This is my first year in Colorado and I hope to teach another 15 years in this great State.

Mr. Cullers: I have taught and coached baseball for 6 years.

Mr. Snyder: 6 weeks.

Ms. Riggs: This is my first year as a school counselor.  I was a Systems Analyst in my previous career path and worked for Caterpillar designing a coding programs for their Parts and Service Department.  However, I have been a busy stay-at-home mom for the last several years.  Two years ago I decided to go back to school to get my degree in counseling and now I feel honored to be here at AAHS.

Mr. Wahlstrom: I have been in public education in various roles since 1993.

Is there anything about Air Academy that initially surprised you or otherwise caught your attention?
Ms. Paluso: There is nothing that surprised or caught my attention about AAHS. However, AAHS has been very supportive to accommodate my needs in order to be effective in my teaching.

Ms. Mullinix: What caught my attention was that the students and staff are helpful, friendly, and hard working. The students have a great energy and bring a lot of great ideas to my classroom.

Mme. Perron: Yes, and it is hard to describe: the administration is self-confident, the kids are well-behaved, the expectations are high, yet everybody (students and staff) is laid-back. A nice combination; I have never experienced such a positive and collaborative setting before in my career!

Mr. Newell: The culture is great, which I knew. People take care of each other and you can sense that just walking down the hall or popping into a random classroom. However, I am shocked by the fowl language in the hallway. Not the best representation from a great population of people ☹.

Mr. Barringer: The not using of bells keeps me on my toes. Plus how quickly everybody clears out at 2:45 PM. Plus out here near the trees just gives it a peaceful atmosphere.
Mr. Sudduth: The amount of support for everyone at AAHS, (students, faculty, staff, etc.), is incredible.  It is has been a most amazing and impressive experience already.

Mr. Cullers: The students and staff make Air Academy an amazing school to be a part of. The culture is alive and well as it was years ago.

Mr. Snyder: I’ve lived in District 20 so I already knew what to expect for the most part. Within the very professional and nurturing learning environment of Air Academy, the independence of the teachers and the casual dress code surprised me the most.

Ms. Riggs: The very first thing that caught my attention about AAHS was Donna Esmond.  I have been in a lot of high schools and have never had such a warm and welcoming interaction as I had with Ms. Esmond.  I also am in awe of the beauty that surrounds our campus.

Mr. Wahlstrom: I was not surprised but what caught my attention was an incredible sense of pride from students and teachers.

Lastly, is there anything about yourself you’d like to let students know?
Ms. Paluso: I am Deaf and do not be afraid to say hi when you see me around on the campus ☺

Ms. Mullinix: I would like to let the students know that teaching is my second career. I worked as a freelance graphic designer, worked with small businesses, and worked in a large corporation and hope to use that experience to help students prepare for lifelong learning in academics and in life!

Mme. Perron: I teach only Silver days, and I am delighted to here!

Mr. Newell: I grew up in Montana, went to college at The University of Wyoming. I love to be outdoors and hike and bike and fish and camp. I am not what I would consider a typical Science teacher, but love to encourage kids to learn and model learning through my own mistakes.

Mr. Barringer: Not really anything specific to tell them about me. Most of my classes get to know me quite quickly and I hope they sense I care about them and how I might help them with their futures.

Mr. Sudduth: The students should know that I am always here to help in any way possible.  Whether you are enrolled in one of my classes or not, I always enjoy visiting with and helping students anytime possible.

Mr. Cullers: I went to college in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah where I also played baseball. Go Utes! On my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I also like to hike, Frisbee golf, bike, play basketball, and do just about anything that is outdoors or active.

Mr. Snyder: After 25 years of Air Force service I love being in the classroom and feel at home and where I belong.

Ms. Riggs: I want students to know that I am here to help support them for big and small things.  My door is open to anyone who needs some help and I enjoy getting to know each student that comes in to see me.  For fun I like to hike, bake, and spend time with my husband and two kids.

Mr. Wahlstrom: I have made a career of working with students and I am very excited about being part of the Kadet Family.

Make sure to stop by and welcome these new teachers to our school!