Saddle Ranch Elementary School

Bill Barsnter

Hello my name is Bill Barstnar. I am a Colorado native, and I feel very blessed to live here. My music passion began as a child having opportunities for lessons and performance in both piano and voice. After receiving a college vocal scholarship my first Choral position was at the high school level. Wanting to move closer to my parents took a middle school General Music position. Seeing the impact teachers have on Elem. kids led to my most recent positions. I have been part of the Saddle Ranch.

My hobbies include fishing (trout and bass) golf, tennis, racquetball and traveling (specifically for these hobbies).

Sarah Madison

Teaching art is my passion and I am excited to be the Art teacher here at Saddle Ranch! Nothing is better than watching students explore and discover new materials or ideas in the world of art.

A little about me is I was born in Chicago, Illinois but have been in Colorado for eight years. I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago for my Bachelors in Art Studio Painting, and received my Masters in Art Education from Columbia College Chicago.

In my free time, I love all outdoor activities and spending time with family and friends. That includes hiking, skiing, and painting.

Traci Papastathis

My passion for teaching STEM comes from the interaction with students on a daily basis. I enjoy watching students learn and grow through their own creativity. I have been in education since 2006, first as a third grade teacher and then as a fifth grade teacher, and now as the STEM teacher. I began teaching at SRE in 2015, and I could not imagine a better home away from home. I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with my Bachelor's Degree in May 2006. Later I attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and earned my Master’s Degree in December 2011.

Aside from teaching, I love spending time traveling with my husband and our two fur puppies, Thor and Loki. We enjoy spending our time traveling to new places, camping as often as possible, and hiking in the great outdoors.

Scott Renker

Hello SRE community, my name is Scott Renker and I'm proud to be Saddle Ranch's new physical education teacher! While I have spent many years as a middle school educator around the Front Range, I am extremely excited about my venture into the elementary school level and in passing along my love of movement and wellness to our Mustang family.

A few things about myself: I am a proud husband and father of three little ones. I am a near-Colorado native (25+ years now) having grown up in Aurora. I attended the Univ. of Northern Colorado for both my B.A. and M.A. degrees. I am a certified personal trainer, though keeping kids moving and happy is my true calling. And finally, I am extremely excited about here at Saddle Ranch and helping build and support a community, both in the gym and within the community at-large, that values and loves movement, games, and wellness as much as I do.