Faculty & Staff Directory

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I sang professionally for the Michigan Opera Theater at the Detroit Opera House as a child through my teen years.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
I’d love to have the ability to teleport, so I could travel all over the world more efficiently!

What is one thing you've learned from students?
Have fun! Learning happens best through exploration and play!

What did you want to be growing up?
I always knew that I wanted to do something in music, whether that be performing or teaching.

What draws you to working with students?
I love the joy that comes from my students and their eagerness to learn.

What is one thing you enjoy about CSS?
I love seeing all the smiling faces on campus because it makes me feel welcomed.

What is your favorite spot in the world?
Paris is probably my favorite spot in the world because the architecture is so beautiful and my birthday happens to fall on Bastille Day!

Emily is a composer, pianist, and educator who recently relocated to Colorado Springs from the San Francisco Bay Area. She spent the last three years teaching K-8 performing arts and music composition at an independent school in Menlo Park, California. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Emily began her professional music career at an early age singing for the Michigan Opera Theater Children's Chorus. Emily holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition and a minor in Piano Performance from Columbia College Chicago. In her professional career as a composer, she experimented with extended techniques using acoustic instrumentation and a digital approach to sound. Her compositions have been performed by various New Music ensembles in Chicago. While at Columbia, she also began teaching so she could share her joy for music with students of all ages. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that every student is capable of expressing the skill of creativity through collaboration and curiosity.

What is your role at CSS? My roles at CSS are English Department Chair, Upper School English teacher, Capstone Program Director, National Honor Society Faculty Adviser, Senior Class Sponsor, Full STEAM Ahead Program Director, and Upper School Community Service “tracker.”⁣
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⁣What is a favorite memory at CSS?⁣ ⁣Wow! There are more than I can sort through to find just one, so I’ll just write down a few to capture some of my favorites: Protecting Mr. Benson through the streets of Hoi An; laughing hysterically with Natalie R. as she bailed water into our canoe on the Mississippi; Matt B. hunting our AP class with a super soaker as we reenacted “The Most Dangerous Game”; purposely putting stressed seniors to sleep by reading Romantic poetry (Julie S.C.); and many, many CSS Revue skits!⁣
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⁣What draws you to working with students?⁣ I am reassured by some of the standard conventions of human development that I can rely on from year to year, including the look of wonder on a student’s face when they face a brilliant realization or make a brilliant stride forward — those AHA! moments keep me going and produce more and more of my own AHAs!⁣
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⁣What is one thing you enjoy about CSS and why?⁣ I love the campus itself. I have missed driving by the pond every day and spotting ducklings or turtles or great blue herons, along with several grazing deer or the occasional bear in the field or by the creek. I enjoy looking out of my classroom window at the changing leaves on the trees on the quad and seeing the other buildings full of so many great people whom I admire and care about.⁣
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⁣What is your favorite spot in the world?⁣ ⁣That’s easy! A bookstore or a library. I feel inspired and calmed by being surrounded by books.⁣

What is your role at CSS? I am the Instrumental Music teacher and Band Director for grades 4-12. I also teach Upper School Music Theory, direct the Pep Band, and coach the Upper School Garage Band, Holiday Winds, and various other small ensembles.

What is one thing you’ve learned from students? I’ve learned that goosebump moments aren’t restricted to professional recordings, performances, or paintings. Our CSS musicians, actors, and artists create some incredible moments that touch my heart and inspire me to be better at what I do. Our students create moments that will raise the hair on your arms, cause you to believe that they actually are the character they are portraying, or help you to experience colors (or other visuals) in a whole new way.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have? I am a HUGE fan of the superheroes that have gadgets like Batman or the Green Arrow. Give me a utility belt full of cool devices or some arrows with a sweet bow, then add a neat costume, and I would be good to go! If I had to choose a superpower, I would love to have Spiderman’s ability to stick to things, paired with his super strength!

What is one thing you enjoy about CSS? I love how we think outside of the box and encourage risk-taking while exploring the possibilities of experiential education within every discipline.

What did you want to be growing up? I don’t know that I ever decided that I officially wanted to be a cowboy or the character from a favorite TV show - although I’m sure there are pictures and stories somewhere that suggest otherwise - but I always did want to follow my mom and dad around and learn how to do things that interested them. At one time my dad was a carpenter, and I would build things in the garage using his tools and scraps of wood. I would also go out on jobs and help him paint or do various other tasks. I did the same with my mom, following her around the kitchen and wanting to help her bake or visiting her at work when she was an RN in the ICU at the hospital. I wanted to be like them!

What is a favorite memory at CSS? I met my wife, Stacy, at the school, and we worked together for several years, so getting married at CSS was an amazing experience. The ceremony was outside on the Terrace of the Trianon in late October 2014. It was a beautiful 80-degree day with Colorado blue skies and the fall colors all around us. I remember looking over near the entrance to the gym and seeing two of my Upper School Band students watching our ceremony. There were regional volleyball games going on in the Field House that weekend, so our girls’ team ran out to give us hugs in-between games. I also remember a team from another school sitting under a tree on the quad, and cheering for us when the pastor finally said “you may now kiss the bride.” Such a magical moment at CSS!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I was a member of the Pikes Peak Derby Dames (now known as Pikes Peak Roller Derby). I was mainly a referee, but I have my own trading card!

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Universal Sentient Being Transfiguration. I could become a powerful raptor and enjoy the freedom of flight one moment, then perhaps turn into an octopus to explore the ocean depths, convert to a cheetah and outrun everything, and then transform back into myself at some point. This way, I can experience all the wonders of the animal kingdom first-hand!

What is one thing you've learned from students?
There appears to be more pressure to be busy than to have a balance, and students have taught me to not feel guilty if I'm not always being productive. It's ok to slow down, savor, observe, evolve, and grow at your own pace, so there's no need to compare or compete with anyone but yourself. Years ago, I was a Scholastic rep and I love that they altered the term "reluctant reader" to "dormant reader," because you never know when that spark will occur to light a passion, regardless of age, subject, or any other category.

What did you want to be growing up?
A boss or a Jedi. Haha. I frequently wanted to play "business" and my younger sister would be my secretary (or we'd play "hospital" and she was the nurse to my doctor or I'd be the pilot and she'd be the co-pilot). I'm sensing a theme here.

What draws you to working with students?
I draw on their energy, which in turn fires up my passion, which in turn powers up their enthusiasm, which ultimately makes learning more fun and dynamic. There's never a dull moment and I find myself gravitating to students because of their insatiable curiosity. I see so much potential everywhere I look.

What is one thing you enjoy about CSS?
There are so many unique and profound things that make CSS special, but if I had to pick just one, I'd say I'm in awe of all the innovation...from the revolutionary teaching techniques by my amazing colleagues to the creative solutions many students devise. I witnessed a phenomenal math teacher produce a fraction/percent/decimal lesson via a fun game and later that same day, I see a fabulous science teacher helping students put their glacier models in a freezer. This experiential learning makes a massive difference when it comes to retaining information and I'm here for it!

What is your favorite spot in the world?
It used to be Waldo Canyon until the fire; best hike ever! Now, I'd say pretty much anywhere with my two boys. They are fun and easy travel companions; our last big trip was to the Big Island of Hawai'i for my younger son's 16th birthday in 2022, so we're due for another adventure. I do love to travel and have been to 49 of the 50 states (North Dakota eludes me) & about a dozen countries, so I do see a lot more exploring in the future. We're all about to become SCUBA certified and my younger son will be on an international tour with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony to Australia and New Zealand (followed by a vacation in Japan); my older son and I may just have to join him. I will say that NYC makes me feel alive!

Bio: Deedle has an eclectic background ranging from working in residential treatment facilities for traumatized adolescents to entrepreneurial endeavors to public schools. Born and raised in Northern California, she moved to the Atlanta area from 1993-1998, where she fell in love with veterinary medicine. After moving to Colorado Springs in 1998, she purchased, owned, and operated Colorado Avenue Veterinary Hospital (which is now Cerberus Brewing Company) until she started her family. She then started, owned, and operated her art-and-play-based preschool until her two sons were in Kindergarten, at which time she began working in CMSD12 as a math interventionist and librarian. Deedle also holds a Paralegal Certificate from Pikes Peak State College (& is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society) and is the President of the Cheyenne Mountain Music Association.

Other roles Deedle has engaged in include robotics team head coach who went to the state championship five years in a row (with two state championship trophies made of LEGOs), Battle of the Books coach, high school speech and debate/forensics team adjudicator, Science Olympiad/Math Olympiad coach, Chess Club coach, and chair of five vastly different boards. When Deedle isn't working or traveling, you can find her hiking with her two sons and dog (Luna), snuggling up with a good book while surrounded by her three cats (Gingy, Yam, and Tofu), or caring for her backyard chickens at her house in Cheyenne Canyon. She is a huge animal lover and bibliophile who also adores 80s alternative music, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and just about any game or toy you can imagine. Basically, she's a kid at heart.