Seaside School
10 Smolian Circle
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Phone: 850-231-0396
Fax: 850-231-4725

View the Faculty Calendar

Cathy Brubaker :: Principal

Cathy Brubaker received her Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of West Florida in 1991. She received her Master’s Degree in Education/Training and Management Systems in 1997. After receiving her Master’s degree she completed the course work for certification in administration. She is currently working on her Specialist’s Degree. Mrs. Brubaker’s teaching experience includes teaching students with learning disabilities at the elementary and high school levels in Okaloosa County and as an adjunct instructor for the University of West Florida and Nova University. She has conducted workshops for other educators for the Okaloosa and Walton School system and the Northwest Region of Florida. She has also been a presenter at the Florida Educational Technology Conference held each year in the state of Florida. Mrs. Brubaker has taught at Seaside Neighborhood School for seven years. Along with her two degrees in Education, she has a black belt degree in Tae Kwon Do. Mrs. Brubaker enjoys working out at the gym, painting, camping, hiking, and watching her husband race his shifter kart.

EMAIL CATHY BRUBAKER

Betty Corley :: Administrative Assistant

Betty and her husband, Mack moved to Santa Rosa Beach in 2004. Prior to that, she lived in Semmes, AL which is located in Mobile County. Betty worked for 11 years with Smith Barney as a Financial Consultant Assistant. Three years before that Betty lived in New Jersey where she worked for Selective Insurance Company. Betty began her career in education working in the Mobile County School System for 10 years at Semmes Elementary as the registrar and assistant bookkeeper. Betty has two sons, both married and three grandbaby girls.

EMAIL BETTY CORLEY

Denise Findley :: Language Arts

Denise Findley is a graduate of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education in 1985. She began teaching in Tampa, Florida teaching both elementary and middle school. After moving to Orlando, Mrs. Findley taught both elementary and middle school during her 11 years working in Orange County Public Schools. In Jacksonville, Florida, Mrs. Findley worked in a National Model School for the America’s Choice School Design at Twin Lakes Academy Elementary. Most recently Mrs. Findley taught 4th grade at Butler Elementary and recently completed the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards program and is anxiously awaiting her results! She is married to Kent with two children, Trey and Kaley and a Boston Terrier Butch.

EMAIL DENISE FINDLEY

Serena Richard :: Health and Physical Education

Serena Richard is a graduate from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Health and Physical Education in 1997. Before teaching, she worked as a fitness instructor at the Crystal Beach Fitness Club. In 1998, Serena began working as the first ever Physical Education instructor for Seaside Neighborhood School. In her seven years as Physical Education instructor and Athletic Director, she helped shape and mold the athletic department from nothing when she started to the eight boys' and girls' sports that we have today. Serena took the 2005/2006 school year off after the birth of her second son. But, she has jumped back in the saddle for the 2006/2007 school year returning as just the Physical Education instructor. She is married to Seth with two sons, Skyler and Sander and a lab mix named Ranger.

EMAIL SERENA RICHARD

Kim Mixson :: 6th Grade Math and Art

Kim Mixson completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Kansas. Kim’s certification areas are in Elementary Education, Middle Grades Science, Middle Grades Social Studies, and Integrated Curriculum. Kim is currently teaching Math 1 and Art. Kim has been teaching for twelve years. Eleven of those years have been at Seaside Neighborhood School. Kim is married; she and her husband welcomed their first baby in March of 2006.

EMAIL KIM MIXSON

Jennifer Weintraub :: Social Studies

Jennifer Weintraub graduated from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC in 1981 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Urban Studies. Mrs. Weintraub also has 30 hours of Masters level education classes and is planning on completing her MAED in 2007. After several years of volunteering and substitute teaching, Mrs. Weintraub is very excited to be in the classroom fulltime. Prior to teaching at Seaside Neighborhood School, Mrs. Weintraub worked with her husband, Curt at their Christmas store in Sandestin. Mrs. Weintraub and her husband have two children, David and Brianna who graduated from Seaside Neighborhood School.

EMAIL JENNIFER WEINTRAUB

Charlotte Sause :: Reading

Charlotte Sause graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 1982 with a Bachelor Degree in Physical Education. She has been working on her Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology. Charlotte has taught at the elementary, middle, high school and college level. Charlotte not only developed the physical education program at Seaside Neighborhood School, she also developed the athletic program for Seaside Swim and Tennis where she was the director for ten years. Charlotte is currently working on her reading endorsement. Outside of school Charlotte enjoys reading, raising horses, teaching and playing tennis.

EMAIL CHARLOTTE SAUSE

Weidia Coutts :: Spanish

Weidia Coutts graduated from The Union Institute University in South Florida. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Education K-12 in 1998. Mrs.Coutts worked for two years with OWCC AmeriCorps as a reading Tutor at Butler Elementary. Currently, she teaches Spanish at Seaside Neighborhood School using TPR Storytelling. Mrs. Coutts has been married for 21 years to Fred and has two children and two dogs.

EMAIL WEIDIA COUTTS

Sharon Martin :: Pre-Algebra and Algebra

Sharon Martin graduated from Arkansas State University in 1984. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She worked several years in the financial and technology field. She received her certification in Education in 2004. She taught eighth graders for three years in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She has three children and one dog. The dog is the only one she brought to Florida with her.

EMAIL SHARON MARTIN

Travis Schwarzbach :: Sixth and Seventh Grade Math

Travis attended the University of Texas, graduating with honors with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Hook ’em Horns! Travis is middle-age, but young at heart. His four kids are his treasure and, his wife, Jennifer, his crown jewel. Travis spent much of his professional career as a number cruncher, working mostly in the financial markets arena, including stints in accounting, auditing, finance, and mergers and acquisitions. Since succumbing to his desire to teach eight years ago, he’s found his business background usually keeps him one step ahead of his inquisitive students. Travis’s unrequited love is golf, so he indulges in other pastimes, including reading (fiction mostly), movies (for the snacks), and grilling the day’s catch.

EMAIL TRAVIS SCHWARZBACH

Jennifer Schwarzbach :: Yearbook, Media Center, and Technology Support

Jennifer attended Oklahoma State University before spending fifteen years in the healthcare and insurance industries; however, she is now a professional photographer, having chosen to break free from the shackles of corporate America and pursue her one true passion. Her study of photography began with black and white film portraiture, where she made her home in the darkroom; with advances in digital technology, she now enjoys the freedom of capturing, creating and customizing images in the “digital darkroom”. Digital yearbook design, which Jennifer began at an elementary school level in 2005, seemed like a natural fit with her interests and experience. She has thoroughly enjoyed working with SNS students, designing their middle school book of memories. Jennifer is the lone lady at home, outnumbered by her wonderful husband, Travis, and their three boys, Reed, Logan and Garrett. Their daughter, Erin, is currently attending the University of Texas, making papa proud, of course!

EMAIL JENNIFER SCHWARZBACH

Elaine Parrett :: Radio

Elaine Parrett received her bachelors’ degrees in Journalism and English at Eastern Kentucky University. She obtained her master’s degree in English Education at the University of Louisville. Elaine’s teaching experience includes six years in the Fulton County system in Atlanta where she taught language arts, mass media, and speech courses. Elaine will be putting her journalism degree and news reporting experience to work at Seaside Neighborhood School where she will be teaching a course in Radio Broadcasting. Elaine is an avid reader who enjoys everything from the classics to Stephen King. She lives in Seagrove with her husband and son and their Jack Russell Terrier.

EMAIL ELAINE PARRETT

Kim Gordon :: Athletic Director and Gardening

Kim Gordon received her B.A. in French at Hollins University, and her J.D. from Vanderbilt. She practiced law in New York City and Birmingham, then taught 1st year law students at Vanderbilt. She has played tennis and ridden horses competitively; but most preparation for the Athletic Director position comes from her extensive experience watching her husband, daughter, and son play sports, many of which are offered at Seaside (except lacrosse and swimming). Having recently moved here, Kim loves discovering the abundance of opportunities to live an active, environmentally conscious, and healthy lifestyle, which is fitting with the philosophy of our new school garden. She is excited to learn, along with her students, how to cook what we grow in our garden.

EMAIL KIM GORDON

Billie Gaffrey :: Art

Billie Gaffrey has been a local Artist in the area for over 17 years. She shares an Art Gallery, Gaffrey Art in Blue Mountain Beach, with her husband, Justin, and their two kids Justin Jr., 13 years old, and Aria, 8 years old.

A self-taught artist, Billie has been painting since childhood and volunteers at area K-8 schools with art projects. Billie served on the Seaside Neighborhood School Board for three years from 2004-2007.

She is also in charge of the school's fundraiser, Via Colori, a street painting festival, held every year since 1997.

Billie will be putting her life experience to work as the Art teacher for 6, 7, and 8th grades.

The goal this year is to explore different mediums of art and interact with the other teachers to develop integrated lessons.

EMAIL BILLIE GAFFREY

Jim Ward :: Music

Jimmy Ward became fascinated with the guitar after seeing a man play one in a Saturday afternoon western. He recalls, "It seemed that when I found the guitar I found an old friend." His father taught him a few chords after returning from World War II. Later Jim took private lessons from Gene Davis, a fine jazz guitarist and teacher. He continued his studies under the instruction of Professor Gary Langford at the University of Florida.

Spending an extensive amount of time in Bermuda and Denver performing with an eighteen-piece salsa band called The Salsa All-Stars, he recorded with Stephen Stills, Billy Rich, and others. Jimmy became part of a band that would later be known as Leisure Mania in Key West, Florida. Jimmy performed regularly at the Jazz Cellar in Boulder, and was asked to play regularly at Sloppy Joe’s by its original owners. Thrilled by this opportunity, Mr. Ward and his fellow musicians relocated to Key West. This great group of musicians included band members from very well known artists and groups such as Spyro Gyra, the Rippingtons, Bobby Caldwell, Ricky Lee Jones, Dr. John, Michael Franks, and David Clayton Thomas of Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

Over the years, Mr. Ward’s singing and playing have entertained audiences in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Reno, Key West and New York. He has opened for Dave Brubeck, Jean-Luc Ponty, George Benson, Larry Graham, Dennis Hooten, Gary Burton and other notables. Today, Jimmy’s guitar and and vocal stylings rejuvenate listeners in venues throughout the southeast.