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Erica Maxwell

Ms. Erica is thrilled to bring her passion for the natural world into the classroom at Syringa. With a Bachelor of Science from Boise State University and a love for outdoor learning, she’s dedicated to helping students discover the wonder of science through hands-on exploration, curiosity-driven projects, and real-world connections.

Before finding her home in education, Erica explored diverse paths in pharmacy, business operations, and public health — all experiences that shaped her holistic approach to teaching and her belief that science is deeply connected to every part of life.

Whether she’s guiding students through a nature investigation or sparking a classroom experiment, Erica encourages them to ask bold questions, look closely at the world around them, and think wildly!

Fun Fact: Erica was born and raised here in Hailey, Idaho.

Joshua Greenberg

Mr. G started his journey in education in 2011 when a young college student inspired him to return to the University of Idaho to get his degree in Art Education. With a Bachelor’s in Photography from the University of Utah already, it wasn’t a huge leap to start teaching art and graphic design. For nearly ten years, Joshua taught various types of art to high school students in Garden City, KS, and obtained a Master’s in Instructional Technology from Fort Hays State University. But when family needed his support, he returned to the Wood River Valley, teaching art for a year at Hemingway STEM School.

In his younger years, he adventured on the Clark Fork in Missoula, MT as a photographer, interacted daily with the Wood River Community as the assistant manager at Shorty’s Diner, and dabbled in graphic design for a non-profit and various local businesses.

His honesty, loyalty, and drive is exemplified by his creative lessons and love of teaching, no matter the age. He takes pride in creating community and connecting with students on a one-on-one basis and providing a safe space for students to learn and create themselves.

He currently lives in Hailey, ID with a published author who identifies as his spouse and three fuzz-brained cats while collecting video games and vinyl records.

Fun Fact:  Josh watches a ton of YouTube about true crime, medical mysteries, and sports–specifically track and field. Ask him about his latest video trivia!

Claudette Patton

Ms. Patton is originally from Kentucky and first visited Blaine County in 2002, where her family quickly agreed, “Our souls sing here!” An international educator, accomplished attorney, and award-winning youth mentor, Claudette Patton has dedicated her life to nurturing and protecting children—both in the courtroom and the classroom—while positioning them for success.

Her leadership and service have been recognized with a gubernatorial appointment to the Child Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board, as well as a state Volunteer of the Year Award for her mentorship of at-risk youth. Nationally, she was honored by the Congressional Award Foundation and the White House with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for mentoring disadvantaged youth through the Congressional Award Gold Medal program—the highest honor Congress grants to youth in the United States.

As a nonprofit board member and civic engagement leader, Claudette has worked tirelessly to “make dreams come true” for students of all ages. For recreation, she enjoys skate skiing, hiking, and competing on a curling team. A second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, she is currently teaching the art form to her 5-year-old grandson, Elias.

Claudette returned to live full-time in Hailey in 2025. She and her husband, Jim, enjoy traveling, hosting friends and family for holiday gatherings, and making special memories with their daughter, grandson, and three beloved rescue dogs.

Fun Fact: Claudette has visited 39 countries on humanitarian mission trips and has 156 nations to go!

Robin Englehardt

Mr. E grew up in North County, San Diego. Robin received a football scholarship to Stanford University, where he also discovered his love for film. He spent 30 years working in the entertainment industry as a producer, director, editor, and cinematographer, and earned his MFA from the American Film Institute in 1996.

In 2010, Robin moved from Santa Monica, California to Bellevue, Idaho. Since then, he has shifted his focus to working with children and education. Over the last 15 years, he has served as a Cub Scout Den leader, football coach, ski instructor, full-time teacher, and substitute teacher. Robin is excited to be a part of the team at Syringa Mountain School and is currently pursuing his K–8 teaching license.

When not teaching, you can find Robin walking his dog, Sunshine, riding his gravel bike, or snowboarding on Baldy.

Fun Fact: Before becoming a beloved teacher, Robin was nearly trampled by a silverback gorilla in Uganda—all in a day’s work filming for the Travel Channel! From dodging sniper fire in Sarajevo to testing shark-proof suits in the Caribbean, his camera has been on some wild rides. Now, he’s channeling all that adventure into the classroom at Syringa Mountain School!

Brian VanderWyst

I grew up in a small town in southern Idaho, and after graduating from Boise State, I decided to take a gap year in Puebla, Mexico. It was a year that changed me – I learned Spanish and immersed myself in a new culture. Eventually, I found my way back to Idaho, where I’ve lived in the Sun Valley area for the past 20 years with my wife and our three daughters.

Our family feels incredibly lucky to be raising our girls in such a vibrant and supportive community, and I am excited to contribute to Syringa Mountain School’s mission. With a background in finance and a passion for community engagement, I look forward to using my skills and enthusiasm to support the school and help it continue to thrive.

Nora Roebuck

Originally from Peru, I am a 24-year resident of the Wood River Valley. I’ve worked with students at Wood River Middle School and Wood River High School as a paraprofessional and translator. And as a preschool teacher at the Big Wood School. I hope to bring this experience and dedication to Syringa Mountain School Board.
I want to continue to strive for educational excellence for our students. I will continue these efforts by supporting our teachers and staff, so that all students can succeed.

My 12-year old son, Sebastian is in 8th grade and looks forward to attending Wood River High School thanks to the formation he has received over the last 5 years at Syringa.

I love our friendly, compassionate, and caring community, and I want to give back by serving as your school board member.

Cheryl Zimmerman

Ms. Cheryl and her husband Paul moved to the Wood River Valley in 2007. She is a proud mother of two and shares her home with two dogs and two cats. For the past 16 years, Cheryl has dedicated her career to education and family programming, serving the youth and families of the valley in a variety of roles.

She owned and operated a state-aligned preschool for 11 years, which also offered an after-school program and year-round summer camp. Cheryl later joined the Wood River YMCA as the Associate Director of Child Care. She has volunteered as a coach for Girls on the Run and Boys Soccer, continuing to support children outside the classroom. Most recently, she spent three years as a substitute teacher for the Blaine County School District and worked as a first grade summer school teacher.

Cheryl has a deep love and passion for working with children and is excited for the opportunity to serve as a paraprofessional and be part of the Syringa Mountain School family.

Fun Fact: Cheryl is a certified yoga instructor and enjoys sharing yoga and mindfulness practices with our students.

Christopher Alexander

Chris moved to the Wood River Valley in 2020 with his Idaho-native wife Jane and now four children. He grew up in Boston and also lived in the DC Metro area. He has degrees from Boston University and Johns Hopkins University in International Relations and Economics respectively. Professionally he has a lot of experience helping health care institutions, government, and businesses better serve patients, citizens, and customers.

Chris loves Syringa. It’s the main reason he moved here and loves seeing his children thrive emotionally and academically. Chris paid rent during his college years translating Individualized Education Plans for Brazilian students. Then his first post-college job was at a health clinic advocating for kids to get appropriate school services. He’s very happy to contribute back to the Syringa Community by serving on the Board.

Shannon Harris

Shannon Harris grew up in Shoshone, Idaho, and graduated from Shoshone High School. After college, she returned to her hometown and began working in the administrative office for the Shoshone School District. She and her husband, Mark, raised two daughters who also graduated from Shoshone High.

Shannon and Mark now live in Gooding, Idaho. Mark has been a self-employed farrier for many years. Their oldest daughter is a Speech-Language Pathologist for the Gooding School District, and their youngest is a high school English teacher in the Shoshone School District. Shannon and her oldest daughter also operate a greenhouse where they raise heirloom vegetables organically. Gardening is a large part of her life, and she balances it with a rigorous work schedule and spending time with her grandchildren, ages 5 to 15.

She is excited to be part of the Syringa Mountain School community.

Fun Fact: Throughout their school years, Shannon and her entire family were active in sports and rodeo, which took them on many special adventures. Today, that spirit of activity and adventure continues as she follows her grandchildren in their many sports and extracurricular activities—where they also maintain high academic honors.