Deborah Hale
Intermediate Classroom Teacher, Executive Director, Afternoon Bus Driver
Deborah is our Intermediate teacher of 2nd and 3rd grades. Deborah is also the founder, owner, and director of Inside Outside School. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from North Texas State, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas State, and is Texas Teacher Certified for grades K-8. She has 37 years of teaching experience in private, public, and charter schools. She is a Kagan trained instructor in cooperative learning and multiple intelligences. She is a writer, storyteller, singer/songwriter, artist, puppeteer, jewelry designer, doll maker, and more. In her spare time, Deborah is the Children’s Program Director at the Church of Conscious Harmony and is a Godly Play facilitator and meditation instructor. She also enjoys spending time with her family, including her 6 children and 5 grandchildren. Deborah is the author of Math Trails and Other Outside Math Adventures.
www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGTC6KB
Visit Deborah's classroom page
www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGTC6KB
Visit Deborah's classroom page
Erin Johnston
Assistant Director, Upper Classroom Literacy & Social Studies Teacher
Erin joined the IOS staff in the 2015-2016 school year and is the Assistant Director, classroom teacher of the 5th grade class, Electives Teacher, and mom of an IOS Alumni. Erin graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's of Science in Applied Learning and Development and is an EC-4 Texas Certified teacher. She has been in training and education for over 2 decades in various settings, including public and progressive private schools, as well as a short time as director and co-owner of a mixed age progressive school for 4-7 year olds. She has mentored teachers, parents, and homeschool groups to infuse the science of learning environments into creating supportive spaces that encourage students of all ages to enjoy the pursuit of learning. Erin is a self-proclaimed lifelong learner who enjoys writing, reading, and all things Pinterest in her spare time and spending her weekends with her family.
Stacy Wooster
Primary Classroom Teacher
Stacy Wooster began working for IOS as the yoga and mindfulness teacher, as well as electives, during the 2017-2018 school year. A Texas state certified teacher since 2005, she aims to provide a sanctuary for learning where children can explore who they are and the wonders of their world. She offers a space to dig deeply into the curiosities that inevitably arise for children by balancing structured academics with open learning. Experienced with curriculum development and implementation, she created the first Registered Prenatal Yoga School in Texas in 2012 and teaches the programming during the summer. Stacy finds herself to be a lifelong learner and she has studied various holistic wellness in various forms for the last 20 years. She maintains her own apothecary, has a love for fitness and yoga, enjoys watching the cycles of nature, and believes wholeheartedly in keeping a creative practice such as art or writing just for the fun of it. Stacy mothers her own 3 children, all of which are fully involved in Inside Outside School culture (2 current students and 1 now in high school). She feels honored to serve your children too.
Sarah Graham
Upper Classroom Science & Math Teacher
Sarah started her teaching career as a nature-based educator, leading programs at summer camps, through 4H, at the Mo Ranch Environmental Leadership Program, and at the Austin Nature and Science Center. After becoming a certified teacher, she taught 6th - 8th grade science classes at schools in AISD. She transitioned to the Austin Jewish Academy and added math and health classes to her repertoire.
Sarah is certified in Science 4th-8th, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Special Education (SPED).
Sarah's educational approach is focused on generating and cultivating student enthusiasm in order to connect with the material they are learning. She works to make complex concepts accessible and enjoyable for all ages. She's thrilled to be joining the team at IOS, and learning and growing as a teacher in this community. Sarah is also a certified yoga and prenatal yoga teacher, a rescue-level scuba diver, and homesteader. She runs a small farm called SHAMBA and has dairy goats, bees, chickens, ducks, geese, and a large garden.
Sarah is certified in Science 4th-8th, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Special Education (SPED).
Sarah's educational approach is focused on generating and cultivating student enthusiasm in order to connect with the material they are learning. She works to make complex concepts accessible and enjoyable for all ages. She's thrilled to be joining the team at IOS, and learning and growing as a teacher in this community. Sarah is also a certified yoga and prenatal yoga teacher, a rescue-level scuba diver, and homesteader. She runs a small farm called SHAMBA and has dairy goats, bees, chickens, ducks, geese, and a large garden.
Cristine East
Administrative Coordinator, Librarian
As the Administrative Coordinator, Cristine is the support person for the teachers at the Inside Outside School. She enjoys collaborating with the staff so that they can focus on the most important job of teaching our students. She is responsible for enrollment, communications, purchasing, and more.
In addition, Cristine is the school librarian and connects with our students through weekly read alouds. Both Cristine’s mother and mother-in-law are librarians, and she grew up spending her Saturdays in the library as her mother worked.
In her free time, Cristine loves to sit under a tree, with her toes in the grass, and her nose in a good book. She is also mother to two wonderful boys who are currently enrolled at IOS.
In addition, Cristine is the school librarian and connects with our students through weekly read alouds. Both Cristine’s mother and mother-in-law are librarians, and she grew up spending her Saturdays in the library as her mother worked.
In her free time, Cristine loves to sit under a tree, with her toes in the grass, and her nose in a good book. She is also mother to two wonderful boys who are currently enrolled at IOS.
Miles Owens
Teaching Assistant Primary Classroom, Morning Bus Driver
This is Miles' first year at IOS. He recently moved to Austin after graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Philosophy & Linguistics this past May. While at the University of Maryland, Miles was a bus driver for UMD DOTS and a youth lacrosse coach. He loves discovering new music from around the world to hear people from diverse backgrounds expressing similar themes in their own voice. In his free time, Miles likes to play guitar as well as perform stand-up comedy.
Laurie Rose
Teaching Assistant Intermediate Classroom, Substitute Teacher
Laurie and her energetic 4th grader are both joining IOS in fall 2021. Laurie has a masters in Education from UT Austin, and she has worked with children in many capacities, such as: caring for preschoolers; directing a before-and-after school program in a public K-5 elementary school; advising children, families, and volunteers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central TX; and working with children at Helping Hand Home, a residential treatment center for victims of abuse and neglect.
Favorite things to do include: spending time with family, comprised of two kids and two COVID kittens; crosswords, Scrabble, Boggle, and assorted other word games; and reading kids’ books (and sometimes books for grownups).
Favorite things to do include: spending time with family, comprised of two kids and two COVID kittens; crosswords, Scrabble, Boggle, and assorted other word games; and reading kids’ books (and sometimes books for grownups).
Danielle Vermillion
Teaching Assistant, Substitute Teacher
Danielle is the schoolwide teachers assistant and general aide to the campus. Her two children started IOS in the fall of 2017, and Danielle joined our staff in the fall of 2018. She loves creating positive moments and energetic interactions with the kids, and can most often be caught cheerleading the students in their endeavors.
Danielle and her husband Will are in the process of building a greenhouse and starting a farm in the area, gardening and animal husbandry are passions of theirs. In her free time, Danielle loves reading and spending time in water.
Danielle and her husband Will are in the process of building a greenhouse and starting a farm in the area, gardening and animal husbandry are passions of theirs. In her free time, Danielle loves reading and spending time in water.
Amber Nichols
Amber Nichols (she/her) - Music Teacher
Amber is a lover of music and a fearless lifelong learner. Amber created tuneBugz! In 2009 to be in partnership with parents in supporting musical growth in children from birth. Amber is a passionate song carrier sharing songs, dances, rhythms from around the world. Amber is a licensed Music Together provider and is honored to be in partnership with Sara Hickman to bring a bit of Texas Music History to life at IOS.
Amber plays guitar, djembe, banjo-lele (thanks Covid) & studies voice and community song healing with Susan Lincoln. Amber is an entrepreneur, a life partner to Dan, Mom to 3 humans (Linc, Henry & Milton), 1 ferret (Jerry) and 1 cat (Banjo).
Visit Amber’s community music school here: www.tuneBugz.com
Visit Amber’s Linked-in page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberpnichols/
Amber is a lover of music and a fearless lifelong learner. Amber created tuneBugz! In 2009 to be in partnership with parents in supporting musical growth in children from birth. Amber is a passionate song carrier sharing songs, dances, rhythms from around the world. Amber is a licensed Music Together provider and is honored to be in partnership with Sara Hickman to bring a bit of Texas Music History to life at IOS.
Amber plays guitar, djembe, banjo-lele (thanks Covid) & studies voice and community song healing with Susan Lincoln. Amber is an entrepreneur, a life partner to Dan, Mom to 3 humans (Linc, Henry & Milton), 1 ferret (Jerry) and 1 cat (Banjo).
Visit Amber’s community music school here: www.tuneBugz.com
Visit Amber’s Linked-in page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberpnichols/
Dr. Tom Hale
Grounds Man of Mystery, Builder of All Things Awesome
Principal horn of the Austin Symphony and Austin Lyric Opera and performs with orchestras in Houston, San Antonio, Victoria and Laredo Member of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina, and Spoleto, Italy, since 1987 as both performer and conductor
Has worked in the “emergency conductor” capacity on numerous occasions to great acclaim. Served on the faculties of the University of Texas, Southwest Texas State University and Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Founding member of the Pinnacle Brass Quintet and the Wild Basin Winds and performs regularly with the Chamber Soloists of Austin, the Victoria Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival, and A. Mozart Fest Educated at Texas Tech University (B.ME., M.M.) and the University of Texas (D.M.A.)
Tom maintains the campus and builds very cool things like donkey barns, goat sheds and outside classroom spaces.
Has worked in the “emergency conductor” capacity on numerous occasions to great acclaim. Served on the faculties of the University of Texas, Southwest Texas State University and Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Founding member of the Pinnacle Brass Quintet and the Wild Basin Winds and performs regularly with the Chamber Soloists of Austin, the Victoria Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival, and A. Mozart Fest Educated at Texas Tech University (B.ME., M.M.) and the University of Texas (D.M.A.)
Tom maintains the campus and builds very cool things like donkey barns, goat sheds and outside classroom spaces.