Staff Directory
Click on a Staff Member below for more info
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Hi! My name is Martha (Swallow) Fiala. I have been teaching amazing English
Learners at Lincoln Elementary School since 2006. I love getting to know and
working with students and parents with various language backgrounds. I also
enjoy jogging , baking , reading , and singing .
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Title 1 Interventionist
Hello, my name is Michelle Lythgoe. This is my 16th year in education. I am currently in my 2nd year as a reading interventionist here at Lincoln Elementary School. My previous teaching experience includes 7 years as a 1st grade teacher, 3 years as a rural school k-6th grade teacher, 2 years in kindergarten, and 2 years in elementary art. I have enjoyed each of the different ways that I have been involved with teaching kids but the rural school was definitely the hardest and most rewarding of all of my experiences because it included multiple grade levels and lots of adventures in nature. I have been married to Mr. Lythgoe for a long time, we have two adult children who are the light of our lives. Our boys, (Spencer and Nate) are by far our best contribution to this world. I love to plant flowers and try to keep them alive! I also love to paint and craft. I look forward to someday having grandchildren to love and teach as they grow. In the meantime, I love being a part of the greatness that I see at Lincoln.
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Hello, my name is Samantha Mauch, and I have been in education for 14 years, all served within the Twin Falls School District. I am a lifelong member of the Twin Falls community. I have taught at O’Leary Middle School and Twin Falls High School and served as the instructional coach at Bridge Academy and Magic Valley High School. In my tenure, I have served in many leadership roles including grade level lead, student teacher mentor, O’Leary math department head, student of the month lead, Twin Falls School District math department chair, and now as the Associate Principal at Lincoln Elementary. I believe that nurturing strong relationships with students is the most important part of education. I admire the students at Lincoln because they are not afraid to try new things, they know how to have fun, they embrace change, and most importantly they believe life is full of boundless possibilities.
I hold a Bachelor of Science from Idaho State University and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University. In 2020-2021, I had the great honor of being recognized as Teacher of the Year for the Twin Falls School District.
Hello! My name is Cheri McKenzie. I began my journey in education as a child who played school with siblings and friends. I later became a candy-striper at St. Benedicts in Jerome, Idaho, as I wanted to help others and was learning which route to pursue, the medical field or education. I graduated from Jerome, Idaho and then attended CSI. I completed my bachelor’s degree from BSU in 1994 and became a teacher that same year. After teaching grades 6-8 in Jerome for 17 years and several years of summer school in Twin Falls, I taught at Bridge Academy for two years. I believe the experience at Bridge Academy led me to fall even deeper in love with our profession. I went back to school and received my master’s degree in 2014, the same year that my youngest child graduated from high school. I went on to become an instructional coach for three years at Robert Stuart and Bridge Academy, then an assistant principal for two years at Rock Creek and Harrison Elementaries. This is my seventh year as the principal here at Lincoln Elementary and I truly think of it as home. The staff has a heart for our students and families, and I am honored to serve you all!
Hello, my name is Nicole Mix and I am a first grade teacher here at Lincoln. This is my 8th year teaching first grade and I absolutely love it! I enjoy getting to teach students how to read and seeing their growth from the beginning to the end of the year. Such a transformation! Outside of school, I like to spend time with my husband, Alex, our son, Bo, and our dogs, Murphy and Axel. We enjoy going hiking, kayaking, and camping.
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My name is JoAnn Youngstrom Sanchez and I started working at Lincoln Elementary in 2020. I am a Title Aide and I love working with the children. I run a children’s club that takes care of two gardens here at school, and on rare occasions you might see me strumming my ukulele and singing fun songs with the kids. My husband and I enjoy living in Twin Falls with all the beauty and diversity this town has to offer. I have three grown children, my daughter, son and his wife all live in Boise. My oldest son and his wife live in Sacramento CA. I was Born in Blackfoot and raised in St. Anthony. I raised my kids in Boise. I’ve lived in Washington, California, Utah and Arizona, but it sure feels good to finally be back here in my home state.
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- What is your name? Ms. Valentinter
- What grade do you teach? I teach 2nd grade.
- How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for 20 years.
- How long have you taught at Lincoln? This is my 5th year teaching at Lincoln.
- What is your favorite subject to teach? Why?
- Where did you go to college? I went to college at UNLV and CSU Chico
- Do you have any children? pets? I have 2 daughters. Ava is a freshman at Canyon Ridge and Olivia is in 7th grade at Robert Stewart. We have a Wiener Dog named Sadie and a cat named Smokey. When school is out we also live with the class pets; A Bearded Dragon named Rosie and a Betta Fish named Blue.
- What are some of your favorite things to do in your spare time? In my spare time I like to be with my family. Gardening, plants, cooking, pets, reading and movies are some of the things I like.
- What is your favorite part of being a teacher at Lincoln? I like getting to know my students and their families.
