Mr. Mark Pickett, M.S., is returning this fall to the MYHS staff to teach Math, Science and Auto Shop. Mr. Mark retired a two years ago after working for 40 years as an Aeronautical Engineer doing wind tunnel and flight testing at NASA and Honeywell. He has a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle AU and an M.S in Industrial Engineering from Cleveland State University. He also has an associate degree in Aviation Technology from the University of Illinois CU where he received his Private Pilot and Aviation Mechanics certificates from the FAA. Mr. Mark is a member of Phoenix Flyers and has taken all of his students flying in the club C-182. In his spare time Mr. Mark likes to sail and scuba dive with his son and is an avid backpacker. 

Ms. Kim is returning for her third year in the MYHS program. She is excited to enter the 2023-2024 year teaching the same classes for Math and Design, but also adding some art classes too! Ms. Kim is certified through the International Baccalaureate Organization in Math. She loves the teaching philosophy and strong sense of community at DGM. Ms. Kim’s background is full of interesting skills and talents! Ms. Kim loves learning new things. Before coming to DGM, she was an independent art teacher and an entrepreneur! She has done everything from curating design and dine pop-up events, being a personal chef, owning a wellness company, and selling her art in boutiques! She has her Masters in Architecture and was also an architect for several years. She moved to Arizona from Hawaii in 2020. In Hawaii she was part of a paddling team, and she surfed, hiked, and rode her bike as much as possible! She enjoys that she can continue living an active lifestyle in the desert! Ms. Kim feels blessed to be a part of the DGM community and looks forward to continuing to grow with, educate, and support students as they progress through the MYHS program! 

Mr. Miles Canevello holds a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and a minor in Youth Services Leadership from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. In addition, Mr. Miles recently earned his Masters of Education in Montessori Integrative Learning from The Institute of Educational Studies at Endicott College. Mr. Miles is also certified through the International Baccalaureate Organization in Science. 

Mr. Miles has been a Lead Montessori Middle Years Teacher since the 2018-2019 academic year. Throughout his teaching experience, he has taught ELA, Social Studies, Science, and upper-level Mathematics. Prior to teaching, he was an academic tutor and life skills coach for high school and college special needs students. Desert Garden Montessori, the Montessori teaching philosophy, and the International Baccalaureate structure to educating are all in harmony with Mr. Miles’ interest in student-centered education, establishing comfort and connection between students and teachers, sharing passions, persevering through challenges, and overcoming limitations which are all integral to student success. 

Mr. Miles initially became interested in education when he was 13 years old while teaching skateboarding. He feels, “There was something special about sharing background experience, knowledge, and wisdom with my peers that was very special to me. It was an interesting teaching experience to be a 13-year-old teaching skateboarding to 5-year-olds on some days and 18-year-olds on others.” Born and raised in a log cabin in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Miles has been enjoying life in Arizona for 12 years. The beauty of the environment in Arizona has solidified his passion for the outdoors, skateboarding, holistic health, and yoga/mindfulness.  

Ms. Patti Duncan, M. Ed., is thrilled to be returning to MYHS in the fall! While this will be her third year at Desert Garden as a staff member, she has been associated with the school for many years as two of her grandchildren are being raised in the DGM environment.  Prior to teaching at MYHS, she taught for over 30 years in public schools (Mountain Pointe) and colleges (Rio Salado). She has a Bachelor of Science in Education (emphasis on English and Reading), a Masters Degree in Guidance Counseling and CTE endorsement, as well as Reading and Structural English Immersion Endorsements certification. Ms. Patti is also certified through the International Baccalaureate Organization in Language & Literature.  She is a fourth–generation Arizonan; she has three adult children who were raised in Ahwatukee.  Outside of school, Ms. Patti’s life revolves around her five grandchildren. She also enjoys traveling, reading, and playing with her puppy, Stella.  Ms. Patti will be teaching English, Humanities, Honors English, and Concurrent English. She will also be involved in an AI class and the yearbook (assistant to Mr. Ben). She looks forward to having your student in class! 

Ms. Krista John, M. Ed., has spent over a decade in the field of education with one main goal: to take a creative, personalized, and holistic approach to teaching and learning that supports each students’ growth as a whole person. She has worked for Desert Garden since 2016 in several different roles including teaching Italian, English, and History in MYHS, and as the Director of MYHS who led us through our IB authorization. She holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in English, and a Master of Education from Arizona State University. She also has certification in IB Leadership and Foreign Language. Her experience includes work in curriculum, classroom teaching, guidance counseling, and school leadership in both private and public education. Ms. Krista is passionate about creating opportunities for students and teachers. She sees the power that comes from small class sizes and student driven experiences. She believes schools should prepare students to become global citizens and leaders who are academically capable, socially responsible, critical and creative thinkers. She loves her family, traveling, good books, and history! The John family took time to travel during the pandemic in their RV and have been to 43 states in the last 18 months! In her free time, you can usually find her with her nose in a book or planning their next trip! Ms. Krista is very excited to be a part of this talented team and continue to help the MYHS program develop. 

Mr. Benjamin Formisano has been teaching and assisting at Desert Garden Montessori since 2019. Benjamin studied Interior and Graphic Design at Portland State University and he is also certified through the International Baccalaureate Organization in Design. is excited to be coming onboard the MYHS team as a Design teacher this year. He is looking forward to assisting Patti Duncan on the yearbook this year as well. Benjamin is an active member of the Tempe community, who sits on the board of multiple charitable organizations benefiting the community. Outside of school, Benjamin spends his time interning with some of the Valley’s best interior designers. 

Mr. Gautham Bala is part of the iTeam at Desert Garden. He obtained a B.S. in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s in Social Work, with a concentration in schools, from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Gautham has learned wellness and mindfulness from our very own Dr. Dave and incorporates it into his own lifestyle. He believes in the importance of promoting mindfulness to students and the benefits it encompasses. Gautham has also coached and played tennis for years and hopes to spread his love for it at DGM. In his free time, Gautham loves to spend his time outdoors, specifically playing spikeball, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. 

Coming soon!

Ms. Krista John, M. Ed., has spent over a decade in the field of education with one main goal: to take a creative, personalized, and holistic approach to teaching and learning that supports each students’ growth as a whole person. She has worked for Desert Garden since 2016 in several different roles including teaching Italian, English, and History in MYHS, and as the Director of MYHS who led us through our IB authorization. She holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in English, and a Master of Education from Arizona State University. She also has certification in IB Leadership and Foreign Language. Her experience includes work in curriculum, classroom teaching, guidance counseling, and school leadership in both private and public education. Ms. Krista is passionate about creating opportunities for students and teachers. She sees the power that comes from small class sizes and student driven experiences. She believes schools should prepare students to become global citizens and leaders who are academically capable, socially responsible, critical and creative thinkers. She loves her family, traveling, good books, and history! The John family took time to travel during the pandemic in their RV and have been to 43 states in the last 18 months! In her free time, you can usually find her with her nose in a book or planning their next trip! Ms. Krista is very excited to be a part of this talented team and continue to help the MYHS program develop. 

Shetal Walters is the founder and Executive Director / Head of School of Desert Garden Montessori. Ms. Shetal started the school in her living room in 1996 and has devoted her energy and care to its growing community of students and families ever since. Ms. Walters holds an M.S. in Counseling and a B.S. in Liberal Arts; her professional experience includes counseling families, couples and individuals, but her most valuable skills are in bringing people together, and she is most motivated by the work of building community while educating children. Ms. Shetal enjoys traveling, music from ‘80s to Motown, banana-protein smoothies, and she has a different favorite color from day to day. She loves best her dogs, three children, and her husband, whom she’s been dating since age 15. 

As Executive Director, Ms. Shetal is fully responsible for the execution and preservation of the mission set forth by Desert Garden Montessori School. Her general responsibility is to create and sustain an ongoing Montessori Educational program with full authenticity. School growth and enhancing the programs to fulfill best practice for students to prepare them for Education for Tomorrow are central to her daily duties. Building community partnerships, working with various educational institutions, cultivating lasting relationships with alumni, current parents and staff are core to her role as Executive Director.