Office Support

Elliott headshot

Mirriah Elliott

Principal
Mirriah_Elliott@dpsk12.net

I am a proud DPS graduate from South High School. I earned my Undergraduate Degree from the University of Northern Colorado and my Master’s Degree, Educational Specialist Degree and Principal License from the University of Colorado at Denver. I began teaching in Mapleton Public Schools in 2000, then came back to DPS and taught for eleven more years. Both of my children are DPS students. My daughter Kai is a junior and my son Jace is a freshman as third generation students at South.  We also have an exchange student living with us this year from Madrid, Spain. Daniela is a sophomore at South this year!

When I’m not at school, I enjoy being adventurous in the Colorado wilderness. I love camping, skiing, hiking, gardening and biking with my husband and children. When not socially distancing, I spend a lot of time cheering on my kids as they participate in a multitude of sports. Photography is another passion. When it is not so warm outside, I love reading, cheering on the Broncos and Avs, playing board and card games with my family and cuddling my two cats, Pocket and Crush, and dog, Pogo!

Norma Barron

Norma Barron

Office Support I
Norma_Barron@dpsk12.net

I am originally from Mexicali Baja California, Mexico.  I was raised in Southern California and have been living in Denver, CO for the past 25 years.  I hold the Office Support I position here at Carson.  I am the proud parent of four Denver Public Schools alumni!  We have a great team here at Carson that I love to work with!  I love to make a difference for families and students.
In my spare time I love to read, drink coffee and spend time with my kids Iliana, Lalo, Isela and Diego.  I also love playing with my four dogs:  Choco, Oreo, Max and Izzy.  For Sports I love practicing Kickboxing!

Kristen Celmer

Health Paraprofessional

I was born and raised in Southern California, but in 1997, I moved to Denver. When my children were young, I operated a licensed daycare from my home, where I taught a preschool curriculum. Furthermore, I served as an office manager for a Home Health Care Agency for several years. I hold a degree in Interior Design and worked in that field until 2020 when I decided to pursue a more fulfilling career. Since then, I have served as a Paraprofessional in a center-based Multi-Intensive Autism classroom.

Jessica Compaore

Office Support II
Jessica_Compaore@dpsk12.net

Recently graduated as an MSU Denver alumni in 2019, Born and raised in Denver Colorado. My major is technical Communication mobile and social media and my minor is Africana studies.
I have experience with event planning, fundraising, social media, marketing, Computer Software, working with different personalities, conflict solutions, leadership, business, organization, public speaking, and education resources.

I am apart of many Organization in the communtiy- NAACP Aurora Branch, NANBPW Inc ( 5280 BPW Inc), Tech Media For Chrisitian Restoration Church.
I have a small business called Cika Media Inc, My vision is to help bridge the gap between Clients and Social Media marketing. Social Media can be very overwhelming because there are so many platforms and so much to do and I want to make the experience fun, and exciting, and expose clients to a whole new world of marketing and branding.

Tara Dudenhoeffer

1:1 Paraeducator / School Technology Representative
tara_dudenhoeffer@dpsk12.net

Hi, I’m Tara! After living in the Austin, Texas area for almost 20 years, I relocated to Denver in 2015. I graduated with a degree in Social Work from Texas State University. I have held many positions as a Social Worker, but my favorite ones were always the ones where I worked with kids. I began working as a guest teacher with DPS in November 2016, and I was the designated guest teacher at Carson during Covid. I became an official Carson Cougar in 2021. I am currently a 1:1 in 2nd grade Math, and I am also the school technology representative for our school. This is my third year at Carson, and I cannot imagine that I could be happier anywhere else. I am proud to be a part of this great community.

When I am not at Carson, I enjoy traveling, reading, watching live music, and hiking with my dog, Nova Diggs.

Kalyn McGinnis

Dean of Instruction
Kalyn_McGinnis@dpsk12.net

I was born and raised in Colorado; I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Colorado State University and my Master’s of Education & Human Development in Teaching in Diverse Contexts from the University of Colorado – Denver. I completed my Education & Leadership Policy Studies coursework from the University of Denver and earned my principal’s license in 2021.

I love teaching children how to love learning and to pursue their passions. I am honored to have been at Carson since 2016 where I have had the opportunity to lead and coach teachers in planning and instruction. In my free time I enjoy watching movies, baking, and playing video games with my wife, Mars. We have one dog, Ivy, and two cats, Reesey & Mocha!