Staff Directory

Photo of Christine McLaughlinChristine McLaughlin (she/her)
Grades One and Two
Explorer Community School
chmclaughlin@lwsd.org

Miss McLaughlin grew up in upstate New York, before moving to St. Louis where her family still resides. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a focused concentration in math as well as her master's degree in education from Indiana University. Before moving to Washington state, Miss McLaughlin spent a semester teaching in Dublin, Ireland, learning from another country’s educational system. She previously taught second and fourth grade classrooms in Kent School District. During her time in Kent, she has been involved in school leadership and expanding family engagement. It is her passion to cultivate empathetic, courageous, and curious young learners.

Miss McLaughlin loves integrating innovative and cross-curricular ideas and strategies into her classroom. Her diverse experiences allow her to better equip her students to become thoughtful global citizens. She aims to inspire and empower all students to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers. She believes in educating the whole child in order to build a community of compassionate, kind, and enthusiastic learners. Through a close partnership with families, all students are supported and their individual needs are met.

Outside of the classroom, Miss McLaughlin loves traveling to new places, reading, and spending time with friends. On sunny days, she enjoys taking her dog, Louie, on walks.

Debra Shaw Debra Shaw
Grades Two and Three
Explorer Community School
dshaw@lwsd.org

Ms. Debra Shaw, a native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, returned to the Northwest after teaching in both public and private schools in northern California. Before finding a home at Explorer Community School, Ms. Shaw also taught in the Spokane School District. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Idaho and her master’s degree in educational leadership from San Jose State University.

Ms. Shaw enjoys running, reading, spending time with family and friends, and developing herself professionally. She loves bringing new and innovative teaching ideas that she has learned into the classroom, especially regarding technology.

In her diverse education and teaching experiences, Ms. Shaw has learned the value of educating children beyond classroom academics. She believes in developing a community of educated, respectful, empathetic children through a partnership with their families. “It is important for children to be conscious of the world around them,” says Ms. Shaw. “They should be aware of community and world issues that may affect themselves as well as others.”

Photo of Charlene HarringtonCharlene Harrington (she/they)
Grades Four and Five
Explorer Community School
charrington@lwsd.org

Mrs. Harrington received her undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, where her family is from. Later, Mrs. Harrington earned her masters in curriculum and instruction from George Mason University. She previously taught middle school science in Virginia.

She loves learning new things, and tries to share that love of learning with her students through student driven lessons. Nothing makes her happier than watching students learn new concepts through discovery. She believes learning should be fun, and tries to facilitate that through engaging lessons and fun activities in an encouraging and positive classroom!

In her free time you can find Mrs. Harrington enjoying the outdoors. She loves to go hiking, trail running, snowboarding, rock climbing and camping. If she’s not outside playing, she’ll be inside cuddling her dog, reading a good book, and drinking a nice, delicious cup of coffee.

Specialist Staff

Counselor: Rebekah Appleton

PE: David Cardenas-Gomez

Music: John Kelleher (he/him)

Library: Kelly Williams (she/her)

Meet Our Admin Team

Principal: Ms. Westra (she/her)

Associate Principal: Mr. Spray