Hello and Happy New Year Einstein families!

 

This first week back has been wonderful. I had the opportunity to introduce myself to each class and give them a chance to ask me questions so they could get to know me. As I'm sure you can imagine, some of their questions were hilarious! I look forward to meeting all of you in the coming months as well.

While some of you received a letter from me last spring introducing myself, we have many new families so I want to share some of the same information that I originally included in the spring letter. Professionally in education, I have had the opportunity to work in the Highline and Lake Washington School Districts as both a teacher and administrator. I began my career in education working as an English Language Learner teacher in a school demographically very similar to Einstein.  My ability to speak Spanish was an asset in working with the students and families.  We had students that were very successful academically and enjoyed the benefits of living in the middle to high income demographic. We also had many students that struggled academically and had to overcome the numerous barriers associated with poverty. It was in this role that I gained valuable experience in teaching students how to read, write, verbally communicate, and behave as successful students.

Over the past four years, I have been in the role of Associate Principal at Redmond High School.  During this time I have worked diligently on behalf of the Redmond Learning Community. The opportunity to interact, support, and lead the diverse range of students at RHS has been very rewarding. While I spent a significant amount of time working with very high achieving students at RHS, I also spent a great deal of time working with students who struggled academically. To support these students I started many new programs at RHS. One such program was a Latino leadership group called Latinos Unidos. Through Latinos Unidos, students can receive tutoring, mentoring, and assistance planning for college. I also began a program for students with financial needs called RHS Help. Through RHS Help, students can confidentially access funding to pay for things like doctor's appointments, eye glasses, mental health counseling, school supplies, and other services a student may need to be successful in high school and beyond. I look forward to using this experience in working with Einstein students, parents, and staff to build on the great work that is being done for the range of students at Einstein. 

You may wonder why I wanted to move to the elementary level as a principal, and specifically, Einstein Elementary. During the past four years at RHS, it has become increasingly obvious to me that in order to have the kind of impact I want to have on students I need to begin my work with them sooner. By intervening early, one has the greatest chance at guiding students to true academic success. I am passionate about teaching and learning while starting as early as possible with children. I am also inspired by watching my seven year old son learn and grow as a young student. The joy I feel when I see him advance through the Read Well curriculum and begin to solve enVision math problems is something to which I am sure you can relate.

Over the next few months, I look forward to sharing more about myself with you. I think in working with me, you will come to know firsthand how much I love children and how seeing ALL of them succeed is of the upmost importance to me. As your new principal, I will work hard to continue the wonderful traditions that have been established at this incredible school.