Welcome to kindergarten at Columbia Elementary School! Many of you are probably both excited and nervous about starting the new school year. Please know that I share those same feelings. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you and your children. I know we are going to have a great year!

A little bit about me:

I am a product of the Mukilteo School District, and could not be more excited about teaching in my hometown. I attended both Harbour Pointe Middle School and Kamiak High School. I graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. in Education and Child Development. After graduation, I taught two years of kindergarten at Odyssey Elementary. I moved to Olivia Park Elementary to teach first grade for one year and made a prompt return to kindergarten the next. During my six years at O.P. I gained experience teaching both all-day and half-day classes. I earned my Master’s Degree from Lesley University in Integrating Teaching Through the Arts. I am thrilled to now call Columbia Elementary home - back to my old Mukilteo stomping grounds – and am ready to begin my fourteenth year of teaching!

Fun Facts:

• I am a huge baseball fan, and I consider Safeco Field a second home. You can always find me root, root, rooting for the home team – no matter how well they are doing.
• Music plays an important role in my life, and I love to incorporate singing and dancing into all kinds of daily activities.
• I earned the nickname “Mocha Queen” in high school, and have lived up to those standards by becoming a regular at Starbucks and some local coffee shops.
• Family is the most important thing to me. My Dad still lives down the street in the house I grew up in. For the past few years, he has volunteered in the classroom regularly. (If you ever get the chance, ask him about throwing out the first pitch at the Kingdome the night of Randy Johnson’s no-hitter.) My mom passed a little over five years ago. She came to live with me the last two years of her life and I am so thankful for the experience. My younger sister, Anna, and her husband, Chris – who actually went to kindergarten in this very classroom- live in Olympia and have a five-year-old feisty red head who is just starting kindergarten herself, Halle Noelle, and a two-year-old energetic red-headed addition:  Jacob Daniel. I love being an auntie!
• My furry family member is a Himalayan Cat named Leroy.
• If I had three words to describe myself, I would choose: Compassionate, Dedicated, and Enthusiastic.

I understand the importance of consistency in the classroom. I set clear expectations for all students, and hold my class to high standards, but always set realistic and attainable goals. I know the importance of collaborating with parents, and I welcome volunteers and visitors in my classroom. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have and am open to suggestions. Please feel free to contact me at any time. I look forward to working with all of you.