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 happy to be returning to MYHS in the fall! While this will be her fourth 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 including Mountain Pointe and Rio Salado, as well as teaching in Germany. She has a Bachelor of Science in Education (emphasis on English and Reading), a Masters Degree in Guidance Counseling and a CTE endorsement, as well as Reading and Structural English Immersion Endorsements and 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 and playing with her puppy, Stella.  Ms. Patti will be teaching middle school and high school Humanities and Honors Humanities. She will also help students create this year’s edition of the yearbook. She looks forward to helping your students continue to grow as they progress through MYHS at Desert Garden Montessori.

Ms. Elyse Brumit, M.S., is joining MYHS for the 2024-2025 school year to teach Biology, Middle School Science, and 7th grade Math. Born and raised in the Easy Valley, Ms. Elyse has travelled to Europe, Mexico, and Canada and explored the American Pacific Coast and the Rockies. Ms. Elyse earned her B.A.E. in Secondary Education from Arizona State University and her M.S. in Environmental Management and Policy from American Public University and has over 10 years of experience in education. She believes in “it takes a village to raise a child” and is so excited to join the Desert Garden community! 

Mr. Adonis Battle is joining MYHS for the 2024-2025 school year to teach Middle-School and High-School Physical Education and Pre-Algebra. Born and raised in Phoenix, Mr. Battle has played Football, Basketball, and Track and Field. Played at college Football at Phoenix college then moved to Northern Arizona University (NAU), while receiving his BA in Public Relations. While having 2½ years of teaching experiences and he believes in “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships” and is so excited to join the Desert Garden community! 

Ms. Caprice is delighted to be a part of the DGM community! She serves as the Middle School and High School Design Teacher and Middle School Art Teacher. With a diverse background in education and a passion for design, she is committed to fostering creativity and critical thinking in her students. 

Ms.Caprice holds an International Baccalaureate (IB) certification and an International Teaching Certificate. My teaching journey has taken me across the globe, including a year in Vietnam where she taught English. Before embarking on her teaching career, she served as a medic and spent a year volunteering in Uganda, setting IVs and supporting orphans living with HIV/AIDS. These experiences profoundly shaped Ms. Caprice’s approach to education and her belief in the transformative power of Design. 

Design has the potential to change the world, and Ms. Caprice is passionate about inspiring her students to harness their creativity. In her free time, she loves to travel, volunteer, play with her dog, and work on her plant business, The Local Garden Shop. These activities enrich her life and bring new perspectives and ideas that she incorporates into her teaching. 

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!

s. 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.