Lisa Burg: Math
Portrait of a woman wearing glasses and standing in front of a flowering tree.

Lisa grew up in the North East and then moved to Alaska and Colorado for 25 years before moving back to VT. She taught at Whitcomb HS and then WVHS for the last 6 years.  Her hobbies are metalworking, gardening, reading, and raising pet goats (2), rabbits (2), chickens (2) and ducks (10). She usually can be found hanging out with her mother, 2 of her children or her animal friends. You can reach Lisa at lburg@wrvsu.org.

Danielle Clayton: English
Photo of a woman in black, smiling at the camera.

Danielle began teaching at White River Valley High School in 2021, while simultaneously finishing a Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction. She has a BA in French Studies, with specific interest in anthropology and postcolonial literature. Before becoming a teacher, in the traditional sense, she was a French tutor and taught Okinawan karate and conflict resolution. She enjoys martial arts, horror, and science fiction films and literature; herbalism and wild foraging; playing bass; singing; and exploring the woods with her family. You can reach Danielle at dclayton@wrvsu.org.

Sheila Cleary: FCS
White woman waving, standing on a street in a small town in the summer.

Sheila started working here in 2016. She reinvented the FCS program after it had been closed for many years. She started the Game of Life  and Child Development Programs. The FCS program can cover so many aspects of life so each year the program matches the students’ interests including career readiness. She enjoys gardening and her 3 pets in her free time and she  oversees the Barre Town Dog Park. Sheila grew up in Vermont and has taught at Technical Centers and alternative high school programs. You can reach Sheila at scleary@wrvsu.org.

Trinity DeSimone: English
Story of a white woman with a big smile hold a large poster of the Catcher and the Rye book cover.

Trinity is from Washington state; she has been teaching since she moved to Vermont in 2006 with her husband David. While David was earning his Master’s Degree in Environmental Law and his Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, she taught middle school English and social studies at South Royalton School for two years and has been teaching English at WRVHS/ South Royalton High School since 2009. Though Dave graduated VLS in 2010, they decided to stay in Vermont and raise a family. Trinity had their daughter, Vivian, in 2014 and earned her Master’s Degree in Education- Curriculum and Instruction in 2016. She loves teaching and feels lucky to be a part of this community. You can reach Trinity at tdesimone@wrvsu.org.

Lisa Dragon: Science
Picture of a woman and child outside holding

Lisa has been teaching high school life and environmental science at WRVHS since 2015.  After earning a BS in Biology, she spent a decade traveling, doing field science, and leading environmental education experiences before becoming a classroom teacher.  Lisa holds an MS from the Field Naturalist Program at UVM and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction.  She loves natural history, hiking, fishing, gardening and having adventures with her husband and daughter.  She is so appreciative of the opportunity to work with the WRVHS students and community and loves being a teacher. You can reach her at ldragon@wrvsu.org.

Claire Epchook: Social Studies
Wildcats logo, green and yellow.

Claire has taught a variety of grades and subject areas over her career. She is now teaching part time. Currently she is teaching two 9th grade classes and one Advanced Placement course. She can be reached at cepchook@wrvsu.org.

Alex Gagnon: Clara Martin Clinician, PLC
selfie

Alex Gagnon joined White River Valley Student Union and the Clara Martin Center, Summer of 2022. They are excited to be the Clara Martin Center’s Classroom Case Manager with the White River Valley High School personalized classroom team. They have over ten years of experience working in social services, health, and mental health. They grew up in the Rutland area and have lived in several different areas of Vermont. In their free time Alex enjoys gardening, crafting, and swimming. Alex also searches for geocaches and swimming holes all over Vermont. You can reach them at agagnon@wrvsu.org

Sam Griffin: Global Citizenship, World Language
headshot of a man in blue.

Sam was born and raised in Vermont, attending Woodstock High School and then Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, majoring in History and French.  Before earning his teaching license, he completed an ESL certification and taught English overseas for a time.  He has been teaching various History and French classes at WRVHS since 2016.He enjoys golf, hockey, skiing, and cycling in his free time. He can be reached at sgriffin@wrvsu.org.

Don Morrill: Math
Photo of a man with his arm around a young hockey player at an outside rink.

Don has been teaching at WRVHS since 2018. He grew up as an army brat and is not sure where he hails from.  He transitioned to teaching after an extended career in the insurance field and raising 5 boys.  As a self proclaimed Disney “super fan,” Don can often be found preparing for his next trip to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” You can reach Don at dmorrill@wrvsu.org.

Debbie Howe: Special Educator
Headshot of a woman wearing a half smile.

Debbie grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada until she moved to the United States in 2001. She joined WRVHS in 2020 as a special educator. She enjoys spending time with her husband, extended family, dogs and parrot. Rockhounding, gardening, hunting and art projects are among her favorite hobbies. You can reach Debbie at dhowe@wrvsu.org.

Molly O’Brien: English
Portrait of a woman, hiking, pointing at a trail sign that reads "Molly Lake Trail".

Molly has been teaching here in the district since 2017. She teaches English and directs the fall drama club productions. Originally from Massachusetts, Molly came to Vermont for college and found that she couldn’t bring herself to leave. When she’s not teaching, she can be found hiking, cross-stitching, or going to the movies! You can reach Molly at mobrien@wrvsu.org

Elysabeth Ray: Humanities
Portrait of a woman, presumably a tourist, standing at the feet of two elephants.

Elysabeth (“Lys”) Ray joined us in 2021 as the English teacher for the Personalized Learning Classroom.  As staff and student needs adjusted, she joined in as a Social Studies teacher as well.  A lifelong learner and avid traveler, lys has taught everywhere from rural Vermont (at SoRo in the 1990’s!) to the DC suburbs to Shanghai, China and all the way back to us here.  In addition to “hanging out with teenagers” (she has five of her own!), she loves to read, write and play sports.  And sleep whenever those other things allow!  She can be reached at eray@wrvsu.org.

Raina Robins: Math
Portrait of a woman with long hair, smiling on a beautiful day.

Raina has been teaching at WRVHS/South Royalton School since 2008.  Prior to that, she taught remedial math classes and tutored students at Green Mountain College after working at a civil engineering firm.  She holds a Bachelor of Science (Environmental Engineering) and a Master of Arts (Education: Curriculum and Instruction). She has two children who both graduated from WRVHS (2021 & 2022).  She can be reached at rrobins@wrvsu.org.

Jessica Sperling: Science
Portrait of a woman with glasses smiling in front of a pond.

Jessica has been teaching at White River Valley HS since 2018.  Jessica grew up in Rochester, New York and came to Vermont after living in Colorado for a handful of years.  She has a background in geochemistry.  Some of her favorite things to do are hiking, swimming, skiing, and spending time with her family.  In the summer you will find her lounging by the water with a good book.  You can reach Jessica at jsperling@wrvsu.org.

Nalani Sutton: Science
Picture of a woman, smiling and feeding a llama.

Nalani has been teaching at White River Valley HS since she moved to the Upper Valley in 2018.  Over the years, she has taught many types of science to students ranging from grades 6 - 12.  Nalani grew up in Massachusetts and loves the city of Boston.  She is especially interested in physiology,  track and field, and visual arts. When spring comes, she spends as much time as possible outside in the sun. You can reach Nalani at nsutton@wrvsu.org

Caroline Tuller: HS Spanish Teacher
teacher and family

Caroline has been teaching Spanish at WRVHS since she moved to Vermont in 2014.  She grew up in Tennessee and attended Berry College in Georgia.  She lives in South Royalton with her husband and daughter.  Caroline can be reached atctuller@wrvsu.org.

Josh White: Global Citizenship
Photo of a man kneeling with a black dog in his arms.

Originally from Connecticut, Josh White has been teaching in the district since 2018. Besides teaching History, Josh also runs the Amnesty International Club and Game Club. An avid hockey fan, Josh also enjoys hiking, reading, games, and travel. You can reach Josh at jwhite@wrvsu.org.

Errol Hinton: PLC
happy man

Errol is a life long Vermonter, growing up on his Dad’s farm in Westmore Vermont. After graduating from Vermont College (UI&U) Errol received his Masters of Arts in Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from Johnson State College.  Errol has dedicated himself to helping kids and has spent the last several years working for Washington County Mental Health.  Errol loves to woodwork and play his guitar.  He lives in Chelsea with his wife Renee and two youngest children, Aislynn and Ellie. You can reach Errol at ehinton@wrvsu.org