Here I am with my husband and 3 children!

I was very lucky when I was little, because I grew up in a big wonderful family in a beautiful area filled with lakes, and trees, and lots of places to enjoy being a kid.  My family had a farm 2 hours north of Toronto, Canada.   I started teaching in Toronto in an inner city school.    My first class had 42 second graders, many of whom spoke Italian, and I didn't!   It was an adventure.  

After travelling extensively, I met my husband, Jerry, in Oakland, California and moved up here 20 years ago.  We have been married for 26 years and have 2 children, Josh who is 24 and Katie who is 20.  The other child in the picture is our wonderful golden retreiver who would not be left out of a family photo!   Now I live in Bothell with my family, 2 cats, Lola and Mikey, another wacky golden retreiver named Bodhi, and our neighborhod bunny who often lives under our deck.

You can probably tell that I love animals, and I have a very deep respect for the natural world.   In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, reading great books, talking on the phone to my family in Canada, doing photography, and learning new things about everything I can.

I love teaching and believe that being around children is a great honor.   Thank you for the privilege of spending this year with all of these wonderful third graders!