Meet Ms. [Last Name]

I am so excited

Meet Ms. Gillum

  I am so excited to begin my new adventure at Westgate Community School! I feel that my passion for teaching and my student-centered style make Westgate the perfect fit, and I couldn't be more excited to be part of this wonderful community.

  I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where I attended both private and public elementary schools. After graduating from Principia High School, I continued my education at the University of Missouri–Columbia, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Growing up in a family of teachers, pursuing a career in education was a natural choice.

  After college, I accepted my first teaching position at Brunswick School, an all-boys school in Greenwich, Connecticut. I spent two years refining my teaching practice as an associate teacher in both Pre-Kindergarten and second grade. During that time, I also earned my master's degree in Literacy and Special Education.

  Wanting to be closer to my family, I moved to Colorado after completing my graduate program. I accepted my first lead teaching position with Denver Public Schools as a fourth-grade ELA-S teacher. Although I am not fluent in Spanish, the experience gave me valuable opportunities to work with multilingual students and families from a variety of backgrounds. After one year, I transitioned into an English classroom.

  In 2023, I joined Omar D. Blair Charter School, where I taught Kindergarten for two years. It was there that I realized my heart truly belongs in the primary grades. Most recently, I spent a year in Fort Collins co-teaching in a first-grade classroom at Beattie Elementary in Poudre School District while covering a maternity leave.

  I was actually out of the country when Westgate reached out to me for an interview! From the very beginning, I fell in love with the school and everything it offers students and families. I was thrilled to accept the Kindergarten position and am so excited to begin this new chapter at such an inclusive and supportive school.

  My goal each year is to create a classroom where every student feels safe, cared for, and excited to learn. I want to know my students not only as learners but also as individuals. Every child is an important part of our classroom community, and I work hard each day through relationship-building, teamwork, and social-emotional learning to help students recognize just how special they are.

  One of the things that drew me to Westgate is the belief in "Every Student, Every Day." I believe every child deserves my full care, attention, and effort every single day. These values guide my teaching and my interactions with students, and I look forward to partnering with families to help each child have a joyful, successful, and meaningful Kindergarten year.

to begin my new adventure at Westgate Community School! I feel that my passion for teaching and my student-centered style make Westgate the perfect fit, and I couldn't be more excited to be part of this wonderful community.

I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where I attended both private and public elementary schools. After graduating from Principia High School, I continued my education at the University of Missouri–Columbia, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Growing up in a family of teachers, pursuing a career in education was a natural choice.

After college, I accepted my first teaching position at Brunswick School, an all-boys school in Greenwich, Connecticut. I spent two years refining my teaching practice as an associate teacher in both Pre-Kindergarten and second grade. During that time, I also earned my master's degree in Literacy and Special Education.

Wanting to be closer to my family, I moved to Colorado after completing my graduate program. I accepted my first lead teaching position with Denver Public Schools as a fourth-grade ELA-S teacher. Although I am not fluent in Spanish, the experience gave me valuable opportunities to work with multilingual students and families from a variety of backgrounds. After one year, I transitioned into an English classroom.

In 2023, I joined Omar D. Blair Charter School, where I taught Kindergarten for two years. It was there that I realized my heart truly belongs in the primary grades. Most recently, I spent a year in Fort Collins co-teaching in a first-grade classroom at Beattie Elementary in Poudre School District while covering a maternity leave.

I was actually out of the country when Westgate reached out to me for an interview! From the very beginning, I fell in love with the school and everything it offers students and families. I was thrilled to accept the Kindergarten position and am so excited to begin this new chapter at such an inclusive and supportive school.

My goal each year is to create a classroom where every student feels safe, cared for, and excited to learn. I want to know my students not only as learners but also as individuals. Every child is an important part of our classroom community, and I work hard each day through relationship-building, teamwork, and social-emotional learning to help students recognize just how special they are.

One of the things that drew me to Westgate is the belief in "Every Student, Every Day." I believe every child deserves my full care, attention, and effort every single day. These values guide my teaching and my interactions with students, and I look forward to partnering with families to help each child have a joyful, successful, and meaningful Kindergarten year.