Ellen Challenger enjoys skiing, hiking, biking, reading and being a wife, parent and grandparent. She also enjoys helping people, being with kids and lifelong learning. She has been an educator for 30 years!  Ellen has taught grades K-2 in the Lake Washington and La Conner School District and was a preschool teacher for Whatcom Community College for 8 years. During her tenure at Whatcom Community College she was the director of the Child Development Center for 3 years.  Prior to becoming a principal at Emily Dickinson Elementary in 2002, she was a staff development specialist for 8 years. Ellen serves on the District Advisory Team, the Instructional Materials Committee and the Report Card Committee. Ellen is always looking for ways to engage teammates in a job which is fun, challenging and makes a huge difference for kids.

Except for the teachers, Explorer Community School shares the staff with Emily Dickinson. You can find the staff directory at the Emily Dickinson website.