Specialty Teachers

Raquel Callis is the handwork teacher and garden assistant. She lives on a farm with goats, sheep, geese, chickens and more! Raquel's hobbies include hiking with her family, spinning, weaving, knitting, natural dyeing, growing food and flowers! She loves story telling and Waldorf education methods. Raquel is so excited to meet her students! She hopes they fall in love with handwork!

Caleb Warnock is the bestselling author of 24 nonfiction books, including Backyard Winter Gardening, The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast, Successful Gardening in Utah, Forgotten Skills of Self-Sufficiency, and 276 Edible Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. He is an expert on gardening in the arid West and has taught gardening classes for more than 25 years. He is one of the nation’s leading experts in geothermal greenhouse design, and created the above-ground walipini greenhouse. He has built hugelkultur gardens and geothermal greenhouses across Utah. He specializes in organic fruit tree care. He created the hugelkultur gardening method for arid climates, which is the lowest-water method of gardening, weed-free, no-till, and chemical-free. He is an expert in food forests for arid climates. He is certified in the nutrition of weight loss, diabetes, and autoimmune disease. He is the owner of nationwide heirloom seed company SeedRenaissance.com. Caleb graduated with a bachelor’s in composition from Brigham Young University and a master’s in composition from Utah State University. He and his wife enjoy 12 grandchildren and a backyard zoo.

Logan is a graduate of Utah Valley University with degrees in Music and Philosophy. He further earned his Master of Music Education degree with Kodály Emphasis from the Kodály Center at Holy Names University. With over 20 years of experience in private cello instruction, Logan continues to work within the string community as a conductor, coach, and adjudicator. Having initially taught on the secondary level, Logan has spent the last several years teaching elementary general music classes for the Provo City School District while also directing an elementary orchestra and choir. Logan is a past President of the Utah Fellowship of Local Kodály Specialists and a Regional Representative for the Organization of American Kodály Educators. He has presented at national and international conferences and holds certification levels in Kodály, Orff, Suzuki, Conversational Solfege, and World Music Pedagogy.  Logan loves spending his free-time with his wife, two daughters, and the many extended family members that live nearby.  

Paul gained his Spanish skills while serving a mission in Chile.  After receiving his Masters in the Art of Teaching, he landed a job as a dual language teacher and has enjoyed this profession for the past 10 years. He is excited to teach the students of Mountain Sunrise Academy the beautiful language of Spanish as an endorsed TESOL (Teaching Students of Other Languages) graduate.  

Paul feels like MSA is a God-send because of his passion for music. He plays the violin, cello, and piano, sings bass in the Millennial Choirs and Orchestra, enjoys a fruitful and beautiful garden, and has enjoyed many years of attending performances of musicals, plays, and other amazing performances. He has served as choir director in his church.

Paul is married to a beautiful, talented musician as well. Together they have raised 5 children and currently have a golden Labrador retriever, Ruby, and a puggle, Harli.

Licensed as a Social Service Worker since 2004, Clorissa has an extensive background in teaching, social work, and service in the community.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science emphasis Psychology and a second applied degree in Early Education and Family Studies. Additional graduate studies in social work were pursued through Campbellsville University in Kentucky.  

She loves dancing, singing, playing the violin, gardening and being with her spouse and four daughters.   She is super excited to be a part of the Waldorf environment because it aligns with her personal passions for continual growth and balance in all areas of development.  Being part of team and school that honors experiential learning, and the innate value of the whole child is a dream come true. 

Vanessa was a stay-at-home mom for fourteen years, making her three children her life and joy. She homeschooled them and loved being able to spend every moment with them. She knows that the experiences one has during their childhood years are extremely impactful on the quality of the rest of their life. She wants every child she has the privilege of interacting with to know that they have individual value and great worth. 

Prior to becoming a mother, Vanessa earned a B.S. degree in Applied Environmental Geoscience. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was honored to receive the Outstanding Graduate of the Year Award from the Department of Geosciences at Weber State University. Shortly before she graduated, she began working at Utah’s Department of Natural Resources, where she worked for 7 years. Her favorite job ever was tutoring students who were experiencing academic struggles. She is thrilled to be part of the Mountain Sunrise Academy community and looks forward to contributing positively to its nurturing environment.

Vanessa’s favorite activities include cuddling with her children while reading a good book, landscape photography, and oil painting.

Hello, I am Mrs. Brighton.  I am a former PTA President from a Montessori school in Kansas City.  So, I embrace the philosophy of educating the whole child.  I have been teaching for three years and I have a Masters degree in Instructional Technology from Utah State University and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the USU as well. This is my second year at a Mountain Sunrise Academy.

I believe that a child should be free to express himself or herself and should always feel like learning is a new and fun adventure each day. It is important to shape their minds, hearts and hands with positive healthy responses that will guide and inspire. I am excited to join with the faculty, parents and administration in creating a place where students can learn, grow and become great citizens of humanity.