Meet the Gifted Education Team at Towne Meadows Elementary | Schedule a Tour!

Denise Shaw, Third Grade *(3rd Grade New for 2026-2027 School Year!)*

Fun Fact: Outside of school, Mrs. Shaw treats her Golden Doodle, Apollo, as her "fifth baby!"

Classroom Experience: Next year will be Mrs. Shaw’s 13th year teaching. She chose to get her gifted endorsement six years ago because she loves working with the deep thinking patterns of gifted learners. In her classroom, she acts as a guide, giving students choices in their education while keeping daily routines. She encourages her students to research, explore deeply, and find answers on their own.

What Students Learn: Shaw uses special tools in math to help students spot rules and patterns. Next year, her third graders will dive straight into fourth-grade math lessons.

Kayla Worthington, Fourth Grade

Fun Fact: Mrs. Worthington loves crafting and baking, and she is currently working to perfect her homemade sourdough bread.

Classroom Experience: Mrs. Worthington is entering her fifth year of teaching. She grew up in Gilbert and attended Highland Junior High and Highland High School. Her classroom is high-energy and full of teamwork, resulting in great class discussions and a friendly community.

What Students Learn: With a background in college science, Mrs. Worthington focuses on real-world math and science. Students explore interesting science mysteries before ever opening a textbook. Fun projects include studying electricity with hands-on "energy sticks" and coding their own operation games.

Maria Gioffre, Fifth Grade

Fun Fact: Mrs. Gioffre is a huge Wizard of Oz fan!

Classroom Experience: Mrs. Gioffre has taught at Gilbert Public Schools for 14 years, spending the last four at Towne Meadows. She creates a flexible classroom held together by steady routines. All big projects are done entirely in class so she can watch how students think and solve problems in real time.

What Students Learn: Mrs. Gioffre lets students help pick their projects, brainstorming ideas on the class board so lessons match what the class cares about. She also teaches class discussion skills early on, showing students how to give polite compliments and disagree with each other respectfully.

Valerie Ogden, Sixth Grade

Fun Fact: Ms. Ogden has many hobbies, like strength training, painting, drawing, and sewing her own clothes.

Classroom Experience: Ms. Ogden has taught for nine years and previously taught at the junior high level. She also grew up in Gilbert, attending Carol Rae Ranch Elementary, Highland Junior High, and Highland High School. Her classroom balances fun digital design with clear expectations, and her classroom walls are covered in student artwork.

What Students Learn: Ms. Ogden focuses heavily on getting sixth graders ready for junior high. She teaches life skills like organizing backpacks and finding a binder system that works for each student. Her lessons also leave space for students to hit roadblocks so they can practice problem-solving and asking for help before entering junior high.

Robyn Gonzales, Gifted Instructional Coach

Fun Fact: Miss Robyn loves the outdoors and has been visiting sand dunes since she was seven years old. She started on three-wheelers and now drives a fast side-by-side off-road vehicle.

Classroom Experience: Known on campus as Miss Robin, she has 27 years of experience in education and serves as the school's gifted instructional coach.

How She Supports Students: Miss Robyn works closely with Gifted teachers to design lessons around each student's specific learning goals. She also works directly with students, pulling small groups in for extra, fast-paced learning games.

To learn more about the Gifted Academy at Towne Meadows Elementary, schedule a tour at TowneMeadows.GilbertSchools.net/Tour.