Rachelle comes to American Heritage from Lincoln Academy where she was a Kindergarten teacher for seven years, a Reading Specialist for two years, and a First-Grade Teacher for one year. Rachelle graduated from BYU in 1997 with a degree in Health Sciences and an emphasis in Family Health. She later earned her Utah Teaching Certificate, and is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Utah in Reading and Literacy, with a Level II Reading Endorsement. Her training in Spalding and Orton-Gillingham have been indispensable tools in her success teaching children to read, and will fit well with American Heritage School’s approach to teaching literacy. She also has experience with Elementary Early Intervention and tutoring at-risk elementary school students in reading and literacy. Rachelle was born in the Midwest. Her father was a university professor, which lead to many moves through his graduate degrees, and subsequent teaching posts. Her first year of school was in Guadalajara, Mexico at a private LDS school where her father was conducting a study abroad program. Eventually her parents settled in Orem, UT as her father accepted a position at Brigham Young University as the Director of the English Language Center. Rachelle served in the Raleigh, North Carolina Mission from 1991–92. She married Brent Packer while at BYU, and they are the proud parents of two beautiful children; a son (22) and a daughter (18). They love skiing and sailing as a family, as well as traveling, with favorite destinations being Europe or Hawaii. The people and mission of American Heritage drew her to seek a teaching position at AHS, and she feels grateful for the opportunity to work alongside and serve the students and faculty at American Heritage.