Hisle Happenings
April 12th
PreK: Ms. Dunn
Hi! I'm Karen Dunn! I find joy in helping studewnts discover and learn. I've been a teacher for 15 years. My husband, Patrick, and I have been married for 33 years. We have three amazing grown children. We love to spend time together as a family hiking, being at the beach, and playing with our puppy.
PreK: Ms. Riley
I LOVE teaching! I have a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Stephen F. Austin State University. I was born in raised in Texas and have lived here all my life. I have 2 sons, 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, and a leopard gecko. My sons are Logan and Hudson. Logan is 13 years old and Hudson is 9 years old. Our dogs are named Zelda and Pixel, our guinea pigs are named Link and Ganon, and our leopard gecko is named Stripe. I am ESL certified and this is my third year teaching. This is my third year teaching PreK along with one year in kindergarten.
PreK: Ms. Ross
I have been teaching 3-4 year olds in Leander ISD since 2007. My experiences include teaching children from a wide variety of backgrounds and needs. Teaching our youngest learners is my passion and I plan to finish my teaching career with this population of students. I also love getting to know and working with families!! I look forward to partnering with all of you to make this a wonderful year for your child.
I have been married to my husband Mike for 37 years and we have one son, Michael who is a graduate from University of Texas, Dallas and has recently gotten married to a beautiful girl named Isabelle. We also have a dog named Buddy. Together we like to go on hikes, play jumbo Jenga, have movie and pizza night on Fridays, and travel to places with beautiful beaches when we can.
Kindergarten: Ms. Dawson
My name is Jenn Dawson. I am a wife to my husband Jimmy, a mom to my 13 year old daughter, Holly, and a cat-mom to three adorable cats named Binx, Cheetoh, and Rocky. I grew up in south Florida, but have been in Texas for 20+ years. I am coming from Bagdad Elementary where I have been teaching 2nd grade for the past 7 years, three of which I was the Team Lead. I will be the Kindergarten Lead at Hisle Elementary and I am beyond excited! Some of my favorite things include board games, unicorns, cute school supplies, the beach, cozy blankets, good books, chocolate and sour candy, scary movies, and the color pink. I can't wait to meet all of you and your children. We are going to have so much fun learning and growing with each other as we embark on this new journey together for the 2024/2025 school year!
Kindergarten: Ms. Giddens
My name is Crystal Giddens. I graduated from SFA with my Bachelors in 2009. I have taught Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade over the past 12 years in Liberty Hill. This will be my first year teaching in Leander ISD. I’m looking forward to coming back to the district I grew up in and graduated from. I live in Leander with my boyfriend, and our 3 precious fur babies Winston, River and Hazel. We love the outdoors!
Kindergarten: Ms. Williams
My name is Sydney Williams, and I am so excited to be a part of the Hisle kindergarten team as a first year teacher! I am originally from Loveland, Colorado but grew up in Cedar Park, Texas with my parents and two siblings. All three of us kids went to school in Leander ISD, and I am beyond thrilled to be back in such a fantastic district. I was an instructional assistant in a General Science lab when I attended Texas State University, and I mentored as a camp guide at Magellan International School. I was also a resident in a kindergarten class in Lockhart, Texas for the 2023-2024 school year, and I loved every minute of it! I graduated as a proud bobcat, and I love spending my free time going to the river, watching movies, and taking road trips! I cannot wait for this upcoming school year at Hisle to begin!
KIndergarten: Ms. Sisk
I got my bachelors in education from Texas State University. This is my 10th year in teaching elementary education and 6th year with Leander ISD. My first 7 years were spent in 1st grade and then my dreams of teaching kindergarten became reality. I have a 5 year old daughter name Stella who will be in kindergarten next year. I am so excited to have her in my grade level! My husband, Jeff, and I just celebrated our 1 year of marriage and are growing our family, we are expecting in October. Teaching is a huge part of my life, it is not just my career, it is who I am, and I am so thankful I have a job that I not only love but also that gives back to me everyday.
