Welcome to Hawthorne! About me: I'm married to my college sweetheart, with four grown children and a new baby grandson born this year.  Mark and I enjoy reading, taking long walks, eating out and road trips (we drove all the way to Canada this summer!). I have a BA in Elementary Education from Wheaton College, and a MA in Curriculum & Instruction with ESL endorsement from Concordia University Chicago.  My teaching experience includes preschool, kindergarten and third grade. However, this is my 20th year in first grade!  I love the opportunity to build a strong foundation for young learners. First graders are my favorite!

 

 I look forward to getting to know your child and family as we work together this year. I know they will stretch and grow in many incredible ways. Since every year my students teach ME new things, I know I will stretch and grow as well. I consider it a great privilege to partner with you to make it the most enjoyable and successful time it can be. My goal is to make our classroom a safe, calm and joyful place for your child to bravely try new things and establish habits that will shape them into eager lifelong learners and compassionate people. We work together to develop a happy class culture of caring, challenge and fun. 

 

A fun fact: my classroom shares a beautiful courtyard with the library, so we use it as our outdoor classroom whenever we can.  It's going to be a great year!