Get to know our teachers:
Sara Kilstrom M.Ed, WDT, C-SLDS
Director of FLEX Programming & Outreach
Welcome to FLEX 2026–2027! My name is Sara Kilstrom, and I am so excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with you and your family this school year. This year marks my 33rd year as an educator in the Phoenix area. Over those years, I have been fortunate to serve in many different roles—as a classroom teacher, Reading Specialist, preschool director, and adjunct professor. Each experience has taught me something, shaped the educator I have become, and ultimately led me here to The Jones-Gordon School, where I get to spend my days doing something very close to my heart: helping children learn to read.
But my story as an educator actually began long before I ever stepped into my own classroom. Teaching is part of my family’s story. My grandmother taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Illinois, and both of my parents went on to become educators as well. In 1971, when I was just two weeks old, my family packed up and moved to Phoenix so my parents could help open Shea Middle School in the Paradise Valley School District. So, while I can’t quite claim to be an Arizona native, it is certainly the only home I have ever known.
I grew up not far from our JGS campus, attended schools in the Paradise Valley Unified School District, and later went to Northern Arizona University. Looking back, I realize that my parents and grandparents were quietly instilling in me a love of learning all along. At the time, I didn’t recognize it as anything unusual—it was simply how we lived. Somehow, I always knew I wanted to become a teacher.
My dad was a principal for many years and earned his doctorate in Arizona history. Growing up with him meant that family camping and hiking trips usually came with an Arizona history lesson—or several! As a child, I sometimes felt as though I was learning far more about Arizona than I ever needed to know. With age, however, I have come to appreciate what a gift those experiences really were.
My dad also spent many years teaching Arizona history to educators throughout the Valley. In one of those wonderful “small world” moments, I later discovered that he had been a principal and college professor to teachers who are now here at JGS. This year at JGS, one of my Dad’s greatest outdoor education lessons will be taught to our own students. Life has a funny way of connecting our stories.
Today, I find myself wanting my own children to soak up as much knowledge, history, and wisdom from their grandfather as possible. The things I may have taken for granted when I was young have become some of the things I treasure most.
When I look back over 33 years in education, I feel incredibly thankful. I have been given opportunities I could never have predicted when I first decided to become a teacher. I have learned from wonderful educators, families, and—most importantly—children. They have taught me just as much as I have ever taught them. And through all the different chapters of my career, one passion has remained constant: helping children discover that they can learn to read.
That is one of the reasons I am so grateful to be part of The Jones-Gordon School community and FLEX. Every child arrives with a story, and every family does too. Those stories matter. They are part of what makes our community so precious. As we begin the 2026–2027 school year, I look forward not only to sharing a little of my story with you, but even more importantly, hearing yours. I cannot wait to learn about your child—their strengths, their interests, the things that make them laugh, the things that challenge them, and the hopes you have for their year ahead. I am very happy to be on this journey with you.
Melissa Wiegand M.Ed., CALT, C-SLDS, WDT, WCT
Director of Wilson® Programs & Wilson® Credentialed Trainer
I have lived in Arizona for most of my life. My family moved here from New Jersey when I was two, and I often think about how life takes us along a path to where we are meant to be. This is my 32nd year teaching, and I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember.
In college, I thought I wanted to be a second-grade teacher because I didn’t know how to teach reading and assumed students would already know how to read by second grade. I quickly realized how much I wanted to understand how children learn, so I also studied learning disabilities and reading. After graduating from Ohio University, I returned to Arizona with my fiancé, Scott, who is now my husband.
My first teaching position was as a middle school special education teacher. I supported students in general education classrooms, modified curriculum and assessments, and worked closely with teachers to ensure all students could access the curriculum. My second year, I moved into a resource position, teaching social studies, English, study skills, and reading.
Before my third year, I was ‘voluntold’ to attend a two-week reading training. That experience changed my life! I had been taught to use a whole-language approach in college and left feeling unsure how to teach reading. In just two weeks, I learned how to explicitly teach students to read and I discovered my passion.
For the next three years, I attended trainings throughout the year and completed a three-year practicum to earn my Certified Academic Language Therapist credential. I later took eight years away from full-time teaching to be a stay-at-home mom while tutoring through On-Track Tutoring and earning my Wilson Level I Certification. When I returned to full-time teaching, I spent six years as an elementary resource teacher, teaching reading, writing, and math to students in grades K–6.
I believe strongly in being a lifelong learner. I wanted to continue my Wilson training, and I was fortunate that The Jones-Gordon School needed a Flex teacher. I joined JGS 13 years ago and have since earned my Wilson Level II Certification and become a Wilson Credentialed Trainer. I now have the privilege of teaching students and supporting teachers at JGS, as well as training and coaching educators across the U.S. and internationally. I believe literacy is a human right, and helping educators grow allows me to reach far more children than I ever could on my own.
Scott and I have two adult children, Avery and Hannah, and a dog, Elphie. Being a mom has also shaped me as an educator. I understand the parent side of education and the importance of advocating for your children. My oldest child attended Jones-Gordon, and JGS changed their life. I will always be grateful for that experience.
I want every student to feel proud of even their smallest accomplishments. My motto is “Defy Gravity,” inspired by the musical Wicked. To me, it means persevering when something is difficult and refusing to let disappointment or challenges bring you down. I hope my students learn to believe in themselves and recognize what is possible. I also love something former NFL player Malcolm Mitchell said about reading:
“Once you read, you are exposed to everything, which means I believe I can do anything. To me, that represents hope.”
That is what I hope to give my students and the educators I work with: knowledge, possibility, and hope.
