Amy Bringedahl – Principal
Amy Bringedahl is in her second year as principal of Merrill Middle School. During her 20 year career Amy has held administrative positions in elementary, middles and high school as an Athletic Director, Assistant Principal and Principal. Prior to her administrative experience Amy was a middle and high school Social Studies teacher actively involved in coaching basketball, volleyball and track. She has had the unique opportunity to work in four different school districts ranging in size from a small rural middle school of 350 students to an urban high school of 1360 students. This experience has enabled her to acquire a strong K-12 perspective.
As an administrator Amy has led schools to increased student achievement through the implementation of Professional Learning Communities which have focused on; analysis of student achievement data, differentiated instruction, collaborative grading and curriculum analysis. She is a strong believer in a student-centered approach to discipline instituting the Responsible Thinking Process into all schools that she has worked in.
Amy holds a Bachelors Degree in Social Studies and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. In her spare time Amy enjoys golfing, fly fishing and backcountry camping/hiking with her husband Jim.
Brett Stringer – Assistant Principal
Brett Stringer, a passionate educator and neighborhood resident, is a Colorado native committed to improving education in his home state. Raised in Colorado Springs, he graduated from the University of Denver and earned his masters of Administration Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Colorado. Prior to holding the positions of Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Merrill Middle School, Brett held positions as the Dean of Instruction at Martin Luther King Junior Early College, as well as Humanities Facilitator and teacher of English and ELA at South High School.
In 2008, Brett was recognized as a leader in his school when given the Mile High Teacher award, and has since helped to build innovative programs for professional development in both South High School and MLK Junior Early College. As the newest member of Merrill’s administration, Brett is committed to fostering the culture of excellence, innovation and respect that Principal Bringedahl and the rest of the Merrill faculty and staff and community work towards every day.
In his spare time, Brett enjoys being outdoors with his wife, a high school Art teacher, and his two children, future graduates of South High School, classes of 2024 and 2027.
Satrina Chargualaf – ELL Dean of Instruction
Born and raised on the beautiful Pacific Island of Guam, Satrina Chargualaf is Merrill’s new Dean of Instruction with a specific focus on English Language Learners.
Satrina relocated to Denver to pursue her principal’s license and attended the University of Denver’s Principal Licensure Program. In Colorado, she has been a high school ELA-E
teacher, a district ESL Coordinator, k-8 assistant principal, and a middle school assistant principal for the past 12 years combined. In addition, Satrina was one of two professionals selected to develop an online ESL course for teachers as part of the joint collaborative effort with St. Vrain and Northern Centennial BOCES, providing classroom teachers with strategies they can use to ensure the success of their English Language Learners. This program can be accessed by teachers not only in the United States, but worldwide.
In her quest to serve the Denver community, Satrina became a Teacher Effectiveness Coach prior to her current Dean’s position at Merrill Middle School. Lastly, in her spare time, she enjoys traveling to destinations with beautiful beaches.
