Sherry Holland – Chapter Leader
Sherry is a retired school librarian who joined Spellbinders in 2008. She feels incredibly lucky to have been trained as a Spellbinder Training leader by the original founder, Germaine Dietsch. She looks forward to training new Spellbinders in August to send into classrooms all over Routt County . She loves to collect folktales from around the world and share them with classrooms she visits. She believes in the power of story to teach and inspire people of all ages. One of her favorite projects has been to teach junior storytellers at her school, the public library, and at the local Boys and Girls Club. Telling stories creates such a personal connection with your audience. It is so magical to see students in the classrooms hanging on your next word as you ignite their imaginations through the art of oral storytelling. Storytelling is such a wonderful extension to my love of reading, learning, and teaching.
David T. Moulton
I grew up in a Navy family so we lived all up and down both coasts and spent 3 ½ years in Yokosuka, Japan. We usually moved every 2 or 3 years. I spent a lot of my free time sailing. Once I graduated from college with a degree in English Language and Literature I took up a career in Procurement (purchasing – contract negotiation) for various agencies in the Federal Government. I retired in 2004 and moved to Steamboat Springs where I do a lot of skiing and birding. I also do some hiking, canoeing , biking and, of course, storytelling.
I joined Spellbinders in 2009, and enjoy telling folktales from all over the world to my fourth grade classrooms. Many of my favorite stories feature animals. Telling stories in the schools is the most fun and rewarding thing that I have ever done. I always walk out of the school with a huge grin on my face. After finishing my stories one day, the teacher was telling the kiddos to be sure to say thank you. One girl rushed over, half climbed into my lap and was giving me a big hug as the teacher asked her: “Did you say thank you to Mr. David?” I replied to the teacher: “She certainly did.”
Marianne Capra
Marianne has worked in Natural and Cultural History interpretation for the National Park Service, in field science schools, at the Tread of Pioneers History Museum and in several school districts. She joined Steamboat Spellbinders in 2009, and enjoys telling true stories to kids in any grade. According to Marianne, “in December I often tell a Winter Solstice story that is a journey deep into the dark, hidden frozen forest of a child’s imagination with musical interludes. The stars glow in the students eyes by the end of the story. Telling this story lights me on fire, as well”.
Favorite Quotes to Live by:
“Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for you are crunchy and taste good with kethup.” -Marcel Marceau
“A story — a true story — can heal as much as medicine can.” — From Proof of Heaven
“May I be alive when I die.” — D.W. Winnicott
Jo Smith
Jo worked for 30 years as a science teacher in middle and high school. She is the published author of three middles school science textbooks about Synergized Middle School Chemistry. Jo is a master gardener who love to travel and play duplicate bridge when she is not teaching as an adjunct professor in the Sciences at CU Boulder. She joined Spellbinders in 2010 and enjoys telling adventure and nature stories to kids in first and second grades. When Jo arrives in the classroom to tell a story, she loves to see the eager expression on the kids’ faces and all of the hugs that follow.
Karolynn Lestrud
Karolynn has worked in the photography and publishing world. She has done a lot of volunteer work in the arts and historic preservation in Steamboat Springs. Karolyyn joined the Steamboat Chapter of Spellbinders in 2014 and currently tells stories to second grade. She greatly enjoys reading so many stories to prep for her classroom visits where she often tells stories about animals and tales that explain the natural world. She is delighted and surprised to realize how closely kids listen and pay attention to her stories.
Denise Fasolino
Denise is a part-time business owner, homeopath, and practicing writer and dreamer of stories. She joined Spellbinders in 2014 and currently delights kids in Kindergarten through 3rd grade with fairy tales, myths, legends, and historical stories.
Celia Dunham
Celia was a preschool, Kindergarten, and second grade teacher for 36 years, and the Principal of Strawberry Park Elementary for three years. Currently retired from education, she enjoys traveling and camping on extended trips, most recently with a 6 week trip in Asia. She is also a mother to both a daughter and son and a grandmother of two boys. She joined the Steamboat Spellbinders in 2012 and revels in telling folktales from around the world to second graders. Celia says that she, “just loves to look in the eyes of kids who are engaged in the world of story”.
Sherrie Ford
Sherrie Ford is a recovering accountant, having spent 30 years leading accounting and benefit teams for various companies. Coming from a background where creativity is not an asset, she decided in 2015 that it was time to push the boundaries. Where better to do that than telling stories to 2nd graders? Now cries of “Is it true?” follow stories of sleeping giants, colossal pumpkins forming the earth, and clever men catching ghosts.
Ginny Osbourne
Ginny was born in New York and moved to Colorado when she was nine years old. She loves the ocean and the mountains. She joined Spellbinders in 2018. Ginny taught for 32 years, 30 of those years were right here in Steamboat Springs at Soda Creek Elementary School. While there she taught a variety of grades including K-5 Title 1 reading, and I was a classroom teacher in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. She always loved teaching literacy and sharing her love of reading and stories with her wonderful students. My favorite part of teaching was listening to “The Cubs” read to me.
Ginny tell stories to first and second grade students. She enjoy folktales that teach about different cultures and countries. She also love sharing stories about animals that teach the children about justice, kindness and ways to make the world a better place. The children respond to the wisdom from the animal world. My favorite memories in storytelling are the special bonds created in the classroom through literature. It is fun to see the children’s faces as we all travel together on a journey through the magic of a story. The children are always such a wonderful audience and have such powerful insights to share.
Dr. Tom Page
Tom is a retires Pediatrician from San Diego California. He loved telling jokes to his patients and continues to dazzle students with his wit and humor. He is a grandfather who share stories with his grandkids and even has a daughter who teaches 1st grade. He likes to tell stories in the primary grades and now living here in Steamboat when he is not out traveling the world.
Stephen P. Lyon
Steven became a Spellbinders in 2022. He has amazing animal and life stories from living with animals growing up. He tells stories to third graders His stories have been told in a one room school house to when he was teaching Sunday School.
Linda Fredrickson
Linda joined Spellbinders in 2022. She has been a teacher, coach, principal and librarian. She has been in education for 38 years. in multiple states that include; Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and most recently Texas. She will be visiting classrooms as a special guest Spellbinder when she comes to Steamboat. She loves to tell stories that are interactive with her audience and makes them laugh.
Cathy Shryock
Cathy has been in our Steamboat Springs classrooms before she joined Spellbinders. She was instrumental in the READ with dog program for years, reading with students with the comfort of her dogs. She is also been involved in the local 4 H program helping kids train their dogs. Now retired from years at the Postoffice, she travels with her dogs to compete in Dog agility events.
Janet Panebaker
Janet has been busy in Routt County with several programs before becoming a Spellbinder. She has been giving programs in training search dogs, wool spinning and is involved in Crane festival. She is also serving on the board of the South Routt library district. Having been a teacher she loves stories and sharing them with students.
Jane Stein
Jane spent her career as a health and science journalist writing about everything from air pollution to pandas in the Washington DC zoo! She wrote a children’s book “Traveling Around the World,” about a teacher (like her mother) who travels to more than a dozen countries. She, like her mother, loves stories about different cultures. Jane lives part time in Steamboat and will be a wonderful guest Spellbinder in our local schools.
Peggy Musser
Peggy is an interpreter for the Colorado Sate Park here in the summer. She has a love wildlife and share stories as part of her work with the Yampa River State Park. She visits the Yampa Valley in the summer and winters in Louisiana.
Caitlyn McKenzie
Caitlyn has been telling stories to her 2 daughters and brings her many talents to Spellbinders. She is excited to laugh with the students in her classrooms and always has a smile to share. She has her own business in Steamboat and keeps busy with 4 H with her kids too.
Bonnie Boyce-Wilson
Bonnie is a grandmother and a great grandmother! She has a Master’s in Social Work and is a certified teacher . She lives in Sun City West, AZ in the winter and summers here in Steamboat Springs, She likes telling to all ages and has a love of
environmental stories, like the environmental impact story about Rustle the plastic bag and Shelly the sea turtle. She also enjoy telling about Alison’s Alligator. When she’s not traveling the world she just might be flying as she is also a pilot!
Howie Levin
Howie is the author of 7 books, 5 which are illustrated children’s book. He has visited 40 countries and ran his own business at 12 Olympic and Paralympic games. His favorite kind of stories are about animals and nature.
Tim Anderson
Tim joined Spellbinders in 2022. He is a teller of Tall Tales! He has been in Steamboat for many years and has raised 2 sons who are now married.