Shows / The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Auburn School District's vision is each student will have an educational experience in which they are seen and valued for who they are now, while developing their full academic and social potential to prepare them for the future they choose.
This podcast features amazing staff, students and programs that make our vision come true for the Auburn community.
There are so many people making a difference in Auburn and Superintendent Dr. Alan Spicciati can’t wait to share those stories with listeners!
Episodes
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #58 Tyler Casias-CTE Teacher Auburn High
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati talks with AHS grad and current AHS Career & Technology Education teacher Tyler Casias. Hear about his passion for the skilled…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #57-Brian Humphreys, Executive Director of Maintenance & Operations
Dr. Spicciati talks with Brian Humphreys, executive director of maintenance & operations. Hear about his path to the ASD, an update on projects from the 2025…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #56 Robin Pratt, Assistant Director of Native American Education
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati talks with Robin Pratt, assistant director of Native American education. Hear about canoe journey, the importance of Native…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #55 Angelo Herrera & Todd Arrigoni
In today's episode, Dr. Spicciati talks with High School Safety Officers Angelo Herrera from Auburn High and Todd Arrigoni from Auburn Riverside. Hear about…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #54 Greg Brown, Principal, Mt. Baker Middle School
In the first episode of the 26-27 school year, Dr. Spicciati interviews Mt. Baker Middle School Principal Greg Brown. Hear about his favorite teacher, the…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #53 2026 Retirees-Kaup, Adams, McKeough
In the year-end finale, Dr. Spicciati interviews three retiring teachers with more than 123 years of combined teaching experience! Hear from Auburn High…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #52, Landon Padur, Senior at Auburn Riverside High School
In the final senior interview for the class of 2026, Dr. Spicciati talks with Landon Padur from Auburn Riverside. Hear about his journey through the ASD…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #51-Bree Reed, Senior at Auburn High School
In this episode Dr. Spicciati interview Auburn High graduating senior Bree Reed. Hear about her debate skills, plans for her future and how tetherball prepared…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #50-Donivin Brooks, Senior at West Auburn High School
In the 50th episode of The Recess, Dr. Spicciati interviews graduating senior Donivin Brooks. Hear about his leadership at West Auburn, plans for the future…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #49-Lauren Mattioli, Senior at Auburn Mountainview High School
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati interviews graduating senior Lauren Mattioli. Hear about her experiences in the ASD, advice for incoming 9th graders and of…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #48-Konika Spicer, Bus Driver
In this episode Dr. Spicciati interviews Konika Spicer, bus driver. Hear about her love of children, the challenge of trains and, of course, her favorite…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #47- Gavin Lees, Director of Technology Integration
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati talks with Gavin Lees, from the Department of Technology. Hear about Gavin's path from Scotland to the ASD, our technology levy…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #46 Michaela Peringer, Elementary Multilingual Teacher
In this episode, hear from Michaela Peringer, multilingual teacher at Willow Crest Elementary. Dr. Spicciati shares her Auburn story, the linguistic diversity…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode 45- Ty Podeszwa, Elementary PE Teacher
In this episode Dr. Spicciati interviews Ty Podeszwa, elementary PE teacher. Hear about his love for The Beatles, WSU and of course, his favorite recess…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #44, Priscilla Torres Rosas, Elementary Teacher
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati interviews Priscilla Torres Rosas, 3rd grade teacher at Alpac Elementary. Hear about her journey in the ASD as a student…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #43-Chris Zawislak, CTE Teacher
Dr. Spicciati interviews Auburn High teacher Chris Zawislak. Learn about some great CTE courses, the impact on student career choices and the rocking world of…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #42 Brenda Ellison, Auburn Public Schools Foundation President
This episode Dr. Spicciati interviews Brenda Ellison, president of the Auburn Public Schools Foundation. Take a listen to the variety of ways the Foundation…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #41-Carol Smetheram, Theater Managing Director
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati takes you backstage by talking with Carol Smetheram, managing director of the three ASD theaters. Hear about her favorite…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #40-Sarah Berg, Middle School Counselor
Take a listen as Dr. Spicciati interviews Sarah Berg, counselor from Mt. Baker Middle School. Hear about her favorite teacher, the challenges of middle school…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #39-Dr. Alan Spicciati, Superintendent
In this episode, we flip the script and Dr. Spicciati is the interviewee. Hear about his journey to being superintendent, highlights of the great work going on…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #38-Jeff Grose, Executive Director of Capital Projects
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati goes behind the scenes about school construction. Jeff Grose, executive director of capital projects, shares the process and…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #37-Nikki Clemons, Director of Early Learning
In this episode, Dr. Spicciati interviews Nikki Clemons, Director of Early Learning. Explore the four different preschool options in the ASD, hear about…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #36-Dr. Joseph Williams III, Middle School Principal
In the first interview of the 25-26 school year, Dr. Spicciati talks with Rainier Middle School principal Dr. Joseph Williams III. Hear about his law school…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #35- Brynn Erdmann, Auburn Mountainview Senior
In the last episode for the 24-25 school year, Dr. Spicciati interviews Auburn Mountainview senior Brynn Erdmann. Hear about unified basketball, ASB and the…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #34-Andrea Love, High School Principal
Dr. Spicciati interviews West Auburn principal Andrea Love. Learn what makes Auburn's alternative high school a great place and Ms. Love's memories of 4-square.
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #33-Sir Naomas Failautusi, West Auburn Senior
Dr. Spicciati interviews West Auburn graduating senior Sir Naomas Failautusi. Hear about his path to graduation, plans for next year and learn a little bit…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #32-Jeanne Tuia, Auburn High School Senior
Dr. Spicciati interviews Auburn High senior Jeanne Tuia. Hear about her involvement in ASB, her commitment to helping others and her passoin for kickball and…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #31-Ryan Monsen, Auburn Riverside Senior
Dr. Spicciati inteviews Ryan Monsen, from Auburn Riverside's Class of 2025! Hear about Ryan's music path, his advice for being successful in high school and…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #30-Principal Paul McKenzie, Dual Language Program
We try something new with this edition of The Recess. Dr. Spicciati interviews Paul McKenzie, principal at Pioneer Elementary about the Spanish-English dual…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #29-Kyle Rees, High School Jewelry Teacher
Dr. Spicciati talks with Kyle Rees, jewelry teacher at Auburn Riverside, about his journey to being a jewelry teacher, hissing cockroaches and memories of box…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #28 Dee Nelons-Director of Safety & Security
Dr. Spicciati interviews Dee Nelons, director of safety and security, in this episode of The Recess. Learn about the variety of tools we use to keep students…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #27 Erika Broaden-Family Engagement Liaison
Dr. Spicciati interviews Erika Broaden, family engagement liaison. Learn about how she supports families, her journey to Auburn and, of course, her favorite…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #26-Lisa Wilkinson, Elementary Office Manager
Hear Dr. Spicciati talk with Chinook Elementary office manager, Lisa Wilkinson. Topics include diagramming sentences, welcoming families and sledding at…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #25 Cathy Meyer-School Nurse
Dr. Spicciati talks with lead school nurse Cathy Meyer about her path to school nursing, working with families and students, and memories of swinging at recess.
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #24- Abe VanDerPuy, Auburn High School Teacher
Dr. Spicciati interviews Abe VanDerPuy, longtime teacher and coach. Hear about his journey to teaching, AP African American Studies and fostering a feeling of…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #23-Brandon Hoggans, Behavior Intervention Specialist
In this epidode of The Recess, hear from Brandon Hoggans as he talks about his path to Lea Hill Elementary, his passion for being a role model and his…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #22-Corrie Agnew, Middle School AVID teacher
Learn about the ASD's amazing AVID program as Dr. Spicciati interviews Corrie Agnew, AVID teacher at Cascade Middle School. Hear about her path to teaching…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #21-Sergio Rios, Coordinator of Maintenance
Dr. Spicciati interviews coordinator of maintenance, Sergio Rios. Hear about all the ways he supports students and staff, his passion for playing drums and his…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #20-Tracy Arnold & Arlista Holman, ASD School Board Members
Dr. Spicciati interviews two ASD Board members as they talk about the role of the school board, their deep connections to the ASD community and, of course…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #19-Terri Herren, High School Principal
Dr. Spicciati interviews Auburn Mountainview Principal Terri Herren. Hear about her journey as ASD's first female high school principal, her advice for…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #18-Julie McKenzie, Kindergarten Teacher
Dr. Spicciati interviews Julie McKenzie, a Kindergarten teacher at Gildo Rey Elementary. Hear all about today's Kindergarten classroom, the importance of…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #17: Khysner Ayo- Auburn High Senior
We close out the year with Dr. Spicciati's interview with Auburn High senior Khysner Ayo. She talks about moving from the Phillipines to the US, her excellent…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode 16-Mande Wanlemvo-Auburn Mountainview Senior
Hear Dr. Spicciati's interview with Auburn Mountainview senior Mande Wanlemvo. He talks about the impact of AVID, the Superintendent's Student Advisory and his…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #15: Rory Murry, Auburn Riverside High School Senior
Dr. Spicciati is highlighting graduates for the rest of the year and kicks it off with an interview with Rory Murry, Auburn Riverside High School senior. Hear…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #14: Dan Duran, Coordinator of Maintenance
Dr. Spicciati talks with Dan Duran, coordinator of maintence. They discuss the many aspects of keeping our buildings great learning environments, his path as…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #13: Ryann Mead, Assistant Director of PK-8 Student Learning
Dr. Spicciati talks with Ryann Mead, assistant director of PK-8 student learning. Hear about the science of reading, the importance of literacy and her love of…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #12: Robert Powell, Prevention & Intervention Specialist
Dr. Spicciati talks with Prevention & Intervention Specialist Robert Powell. He talks about the ongoing fight against vaping, the importance of checking in…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #11: Noah Tenner, Auburn Riverside student
Dr. Spicciati talks with Auburn Riverside High School student Noah Tenner about his experience on the Superintendent's Advisory Council, the game of tag and…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #10: DJ Eastlick, West Auburn High School Graduate
Dr. Spicciati talks with recent West Auburn High School graduate DJ Eastlick about her high school experience, being class president and her bright future.
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #9: Analia Galloway, Director of Human Resources
Dr. Spicciati talks with HR Director Analia Galloway. She highlights the wide variety of positions in the district, how to apply and why you should come work…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #8: Elisabeth Ronley, Ceramics & Painting Teacher
Dr. Spicciati talks with Auburn High Art teacher Elisabeth Ronley. Learn about the Auburn High mural projects, the value of arts education and friendship…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #7: Kevin Paustian, Band Teacher
Dr. Spicciati talks with Mt. Baker Middle School Band teacher Kevin Paustian about trumpets, marbles and being the Washington State Middle School Band Teacher…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #6: Cindi Blansfield, Associate Superintendent of Business & Operations
Dr. Spicciati talks with Cindi about funding sources that make up the district budget, the upcoming replacement levy and jumping off swings!
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #5: Marci Killian, Culinary Arts Teacher
Dr. Spicciati talks with Auburn High School Culinary Arts teacher Marci Killian. From favorite recipes to grease fires, hear about one of the ASD's strong…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #4: Maeghan Bowman, Assistant Director of Multilingual Learners
Superintendent Dr. Spicciati talks with Maeghan about the richness of the languages of the students who call Auburn home and the teachers and programs that…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #3 Ben Atkinson, Assistant Director of Child Nutrition
Dr. Spicciati talks to Ben about the importance of nutrition, Auburn's innovative Farm to School work with local farms and of course his best recess memory.
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #2: Patrick Mulick, Director of Student Engagement
Superintendent Dr. Alan Spicciati talks with Patrick Mulick about cheerleading, special education and what inclusion means for the success of students with…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Episode #1: Blaire Penry, Washington State Teacher of the Year
Superintendent Dr. Alan Spicciati talks with Blaire Penry, the first Auburn School District teacher ever selected as the Washington State Teacher of the Year!…
- The Recess-An Inside Look at the Auburn School District
Introduction to The Recess with Dr. Alan Spicciati
This is a short introduction to the podcast Superintendent Dr. Alan Spicciati is launching that will focus on the stories of the staff, students, families and…