EL

Christian Darby
darbyc@ritenourschools.org

My name is Ms. Darby. I am one of the English Language (EL) specialists at Wyland. I have been teaching for 12 years and in this role for 10 years. I support and teach English to students who speak a first language other than English. I love working with our diverse group of students at Wyland! Prior to teaching EL, I taught 2nd grade at Marvin Elementary and 3rd grade in the Hazelwood School District. Teaching is my passion!
In my free time, I spend lots of time with my daughters, Avery and Noel. We love to go to the park and travel!

Me llamo Sra. Darby. Soy una de las especialistas en inglés (EL) en Wyland. Llevo 12 años enseñando y 10 en este puesto. Apoyo y enseño inglés a estudiantes cuya primera lengua no es el inglés. ¡Me encanta trabajar con nuestro diverso grupo de estudiantes en Wyland! Antes de enseñar inglés, impartí clases de segundo grado en la Escuela Primaria Marvin y de tercer grado en el Distrito Escolar de Hazelwood. ¡La enseñanza es mi pasión!
En mi tiempo libre, paso mucho tiempo con mis hijas, Avery y Noel. ¡Nos encanta ir al parque y viajar!

Meagan Young
youngm@ritenourschools.org

My name is Ms. Young, and I am an English Language (EL) Specialist at Wyland. The 2026–27 school year marks my 20th year in education. I began as a First Grade teacher and, after eight years, transitioned into the EL Specialist role, where I have spent the past 11 years working with multilingual learners from Kindergarten through High School. I currently have the joy of supporting Wyland's kindergarten and first-grade multilingual learners every day. 

I hold a Bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri and a Master's degree from Arizona State University. I am also endorsed in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in the state of Missouri.

Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my partner and our pets. I also love listening to audiobooks and attending cultural events and live performances with family and friends.

I want every family — regardless of the language spoken at home — to feel welcome and connected to their child's education. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns

My name is Jake Sandman and I will be teaching EL this year.  This will be my 12th year in education and my first year as an English Language specialist.  I graduated from  Mizzou with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. I also have a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Reading from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from Webster University. 

I have been married to my wife, Annie, for seven years and together we have three sons named Cameron, Macklin, and Sullivan (Sully).  We also have two dogs, Deuce and Ella.  In my free time, I love to run.  I also love music, reading, sports, and movies. I am truly looking forward to being an English Language specialist this year!

Mi nombre es Jake Sandman y este año impartiré clases de EL (Inglés como Lengua Adicional). Este será mi duo