Our Educators

Debbie Silveria

Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher
and Site Coordinator

Debbie has been teaching for 18 years, all of them at Kings Mountain School. Twelve years ago Debbie was a recipient of the prestigious J. Russell Kent Award because of her work in our District's summer, Pre-Kindergarten Program, and she was awarded the Farmers Insurance Local Hero Teacher award in 2018. Debbie has been the Cabrillo Summer School Principal for their K-5 program since 2015.

Originally from San Francisco, she now makes her home on the Coast. All three of her children: Chelsey, Cody, and Chet, were Half Moon Bay High graduates.

What she likes about Kings Mountain School is the intimate redwood setting. "It feels like Little House on the Prairie,” she says. She is most proud about bringing dedication, balance and a caring atmosphere to our school. Debbie's hobbies include baseball, reading, kayaking, basketball, and dance. She loved Nancy Drew Mysteries as a child and puts The Secret of the Hidden Clock high on her favorites list. Something Debbie really values in a student is perseverance and always trying their personal best.

B.A., Business Management
Teaching Credential, Cal State Hayward
Master of Arts in Educational Administration with Distinction from California State University, Northridge

Kate Berkowitz

Second and Third Grade Teacher

[email protected]

Maile Springer

Fourth and Fifth Grade Teacher

[email protected]

This is Maile's tenth year as a classroom teacher at Kings Mountain School. Maile began her teaching career at Kings Mountain School as an aide and Special Education assistant in Suzanne Bolton's classroom.

Maile lives in La Honda. She has two daughters, Canada College Student and a graduate from UCSC. Both graduated from Half Moon Bay High School. She served on the La Honda/Pescadero School Board for four years, with one year as the President of the Board. She was an active parent in the Art in Action program at La Honda Elementary.

Running a multi-grade classroom, she brings a wonderful management style and fresh ideas. Her favorite book as a child was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. One thing she values most in her students is the ability to apply critical thinking to their work.

B.S., Bacteriology and Animal Science, University of Idaho

Lesli Schmutz

Administrative Assistant

[email protected]

Lesli comes to Kings Mountain Elementary School with a background in social work, children's issues, and advocacy. She lives in Moss Beach, CA with her daughter who attends Kings Mountain Elementary School.

Julie Pedersen

Paraprofessional

The Cabrillo Unified School District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics of race or ethnicity, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or based on the person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For questions or complaints regarding this policy, please contact Bianca Forrester, Director of Personnel and Pupil Services, Equity/ Title IX Compliance Officer at (650) 712-7100.