Middle School

Jessie Levesque - MS English
University of New Hampshire, BA
Quote: "Words, so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them."  – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Jessie , a native of New Hampshire, knew at a young age that a career in education was her calling.   At the age of 17, she began teaching for the Breakthrough Collaborative in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she taught middle school students in a variety of courses including, Language Arts, Poetry, Creative Writing, Speech and Debate, and Arts and Crafts. 

Following study at James Cook University in Australia, Jessie graduated with a degree in English Teaching.  Immediately after graduating,  she road-tripped across the country to Tucson, Arizona, where she has been teaching seventh and eighth grade Language Arts for the past four years. 

After searching for a place that felt a bit more like home and had a fantastic school, Jessie found a perfect match.  This summer, along with her dog, Pickles, she will be loading up her trusty jeep and moving to Park City.  In addition to education, her passions include traveling, softball, card making, and writing. email >

Melissa Christensen - MS History
Brigham Young University, BA 

Quote:  “It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishment the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”   -- William Ernest Henley

Raised in Los Angeles, California, Melissa earned a degree from Brigham Young University with a major in history teaching and a minor in teaching Spanish.  She spent a semester attending a local university and living with a Chilean family and traveling throughout South America.

Melissa began her teaching career in Santa Cruz, California at the high school level. She taught Spanish 1, World History, World Civilization, International Baccalaureate History of the Americas, US History, Government and Economics, and served as department chair. 

Taking some time off to raise her three children, she had the opportunity to spend a year in Hawaii with her family, volunteering in the local elementary school and learning to surf. Melissa and her family are now settled here in Park City and she is thrilled to be working at Park City Day School. In her free time Melissa, enjoys doing activities with her three children and husband Boyd.  She enjoys reading, running, camping and other outdoor activities, and hopes to have the opportunity to travel to all of the continents. email >

Jim Zimmermann, Middle School Math and Science 

Washington University, BA University of Pennsylvania, MS

Quote: "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." —Mark Twain

A native Missourian, Jim Zimmermann graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Biology (and a wife—not your typical combined degree program!). Graduate school brought Jim and his wife Linda to Philadelphia, where Jim studied early developmental biology at the University of Pennsylvania; his research there culminated in a graduate degree in Molecular Biology.

After engaging in scientific research in both Denver and Salt Lake City, Jim moved into the field of education. He is now in his ninth year of teaching Middle School, with subjects having ranged from math to science to history to Latin.

A board game enthusiast, Jim has hosted a Middle School Strategy Games Club and co-sponsored a Chess Club. This is Jim's third year of serving as Middle School Division Director. Jim and Linda have two sons, Will and Eric, who are in the 4th Grade and love baseball, Star Trek and adventure stories. email >

Skye Shelton-Hoffmeister, Middle School Math
University of Utah, BA
Brigham Young University, Urban Teaching Program

Quote: “With self discipline, most anything is possible.” —Theodore Roosevelt

Skye Shelton-Hoffmeister’s love of learning and passion for teaching has unerringly led her to be a professional educator. She enjoys exercising her creativity and knowledge when planning original lessons. She has taught several grade levels from 2nd to 8th in her 13-year career and is enthusiastic to teach every day.

As a recipient of a Japan Fulbright Scholarship, Skye values diversity and strives to teach her students valuable skills for our global community. She has taken groups of students on education experiences to Washington D.C. and Italy as well as numerous camping trips throughout Utah. Hands-on community service learning projects have been an integral part of each class that Skye has taught.

Skye and husband Jim live in Salt Lake City with a family of dogs, a cat and their young son, Zephyr. Outside teaching, her passions include yoga, hiking, snowboarding and traveling. email >