I have been a part of the Synergy community for many years now. My son was a Young K student who graduated in 2013 and my daughter graduated in 2015. I volunteered in their classrooms, drove to many field trips, and eventually became a substitute teacher. In 2014, I was hired to work in the front office and it allows me to continue to support this wonderful school. My background in both the legal and athletic education fields affords me a unique perspective to bring to this community.

I began working at Synergy in September 1999. I have taught kindergarten with Rita Franklin my entire time at Synergy. I believe kindergarten is a very unique year in school for children. I really enjoy watching children learn, grow, and become responsible and confident during our time together.

I grew up in what was a small town in Somerset County, New Jersey and I loved it.  I spent much of my early childhood catching salamanders and frogs, riding my bike around the paths and streets of my town, walking miles to fishing holes, and creating explosions with makeshift science kits.  As I have aged, I expanded that exploration of my environment to the world at large, spending many months of my life hiking, biking, kayaking, and camping throughout the planet. I find that travelling resets my world-view and reinvigorates my desire to help make this a better place for us all.

I liked math as a student, but struggled with memorizing my times tables and suffered through all of the rote practice worksheets we had. I love math as an adult and have come to see it as an innate human language. All of us are capable of learning to read, write, and speak it, but we all learn to do so at different rates. I support the educational ideals of the Common Core State Standards, which help created more developmentally appropriate grade level standards, as well as broadening access to math by emphasizing a variety of modalities and processes for accessing math. Prior to joining Synergy in 2016, I spent several years working on developing pieces of the SFUSD's new mathematics curriculum. Despite my recent personal focus on mathematics, I am passionate about all areas of our curriculum.

Learning is a life-long passion for me and I have a BA in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis, an MBA from NYU, and have finished all the coursework for an MA in Mathematics at SFSU. Teaching is my third career: publishing/distribution, volunteer recruiting, then teaching. I taught in the SFUSD for for 12 years, with a one year break teaching middle school math at Megan Furth Academy. I was thrilled to have been invited to join the Synergy community as the middle-school mathematics teacher and could not be happier to be here.

I started my teaching career in San Francisco public schools in 1998. In 2004, I came to Synergy School to teach 1st and 2nd grade. It was a change from years of 4th and 5th graders, but I soon grew fond of teaching younger students. I help to lay the foundation and watch how it is built upon as the children grow up around me. It is a remarkable feeling, and a rewarding experience to be there at the beginning and see success at the end.

I’ve been teaching at Synergy since 1998. I have been extremely lucky to learn so much about myself as a teacher from my students and my fellow faculty members. I have the freedom to create curriculum, which allows me to engage students on subjects I am passionate about. I love how Synergy helps children become responsible learners and become very thoughtful about themselves and their actions as they move through the world. I enjoy having courageous conversations with children, and my favorite curriculum areas include science, hands-on math, dinosaurs, and city planning and building.

I began teaching at Synergy in 1989. I have taught all the elementary grades, but am currently happy to be teaching in our 4/5 combination classes with a wonderfully cohesive team. I think one of my favorite things about teaching at Synergy is that we can develop our own curriculum based on our interests and passions. For example, we teach about the internment of the Japanese-Americans as part of California History, and about the Civil Rights Movement for our study of U.S. History. It’s wonderful to have that kind of freedom in my teaching.

From 2010 to 2016 I served as the Director of Finance and Operations. I also have been on the Finance Committee and the Financial Aid Committee for over 25 years.

I have been the Director of Development at Synergy since 2007. I am an alumni parent and have been involved with Synergy as a parent and volunteer since 1999. I have helped in the classrooms, been a room parent, worked on the auction, and chaired the Parent Involvement Committee in addition to my current job. Synergy is a vibrant community and rewarding work environment. I love the energy and enthusiasm of the students, parents and my co-workers.

I first came to Synergy in 2001, drawn by the school’s philosophy of social justice and personal responsibility. I love to see my students grow and gain confidence in their abilities. I have also been fortunate to send my two children to Synergy (Class of 2005 and Class of 2011), and have watched as they benefited from such a nurturing environment. Previously, I was the executive director of a non-profit organization in San Francisco, providing gang intervention, academic, recreational, and social services to at-risk youth and their families. In that capacity, I was the recipient of the Western Addition Unsung Hero Award and the Willie Brown Youth Task Force Agency Award. In 2016, I assumed the role of Synergy’s Director of Finance and Operations. It has allowed me to come full circle while having the best of both worlds – working with spreadsheets and stakeholders and teaching my students.

I have been teaching at Synergy since 2014 and in Bay Area schools since 1996. For the first 11 years of my career I worked as a K-3 classroom teacher. As an art specialist, I have written curricula for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, led professional development for classroom teachers, and have been trained in Visual Thinking Strategies. I hold a BFA from The San Francisco Art Institute and several teaching credentials.

I believe all children can benefit from art education and am committed to bringing depth to my teaching practice. In my experience art provides opportunities for self-expression, understanding the world we live in, and developing problem-solving and small motor skills. Art lessons include class discussions, literature, games, demonstrations, historical reference, integration of the core curriculum, playful practice and reflection.

As an artist, I like to work in many different styles and materials. My personal artwork includes painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed-media sculpture, and jewelry- making. When not making art or teaching, I love to cook vegan recipes, hike, and camp throughout our beautiful state with my husband.

I always knew I would be a teacher even as a child. Perhaps it was because I had great teachers growing up, women and men who knew me, cared for me, and encouraged me.

I began as a preschool teacher, and then became a preschool director at the Audrey L Smith Developmental Center in San Francisco, and later at the Cross Cultural Family Center in the city, serving low-income families of color. In 1993, the decision to send my two young boys and later my daughter to Synergy was an easy one, but the decision to become a kindergarten teacher here six years later was not. I felt my families in the poorest areas of the city needed me. I later came to realize that the students of Synergy needed me too; it was important for them to see and learn from teachers of color.

However, my commitment to the poorest segments of the city remains strong. In addition to teaching at Synergy and taking on the role of Director of Admissions and Curriculum in 2010, I was a consultant to First Five California, the state’s health and education program for children. In that capacity, I helped guide program development and held workshops for teachers on kindergarten readiness. Currently, I sit on the board of the Cross Cultural Family Center and Mission Neighborhood Centers, and lobby Congress to fund programs for low-income health centers.

My religion is also important to me. As a member of the San Francisco Christian Center, I teach Sunday school, serve as a greeter at my church, attend bible study regularly, and help lead the center’s Daughters of Destiny group.

 

Trained in journalism, photography, and IT/Web development, I gladly accepted the role of Synergy’s first Director of Technology in 2006. My efforts include planning, deployment, and supporting the technology needs of the staff and students to help realize their common goals. With the support of the board, the co-op, and the parent technology committee, the school is evolving its tech uses with thoughtful purpose.

I’ve also been a proud parent here since 2005. The community continues to amaze me with its dedication to providing a loving, supportive, and inclusive place where young minds are inspired to grow.

I have been teaching at Synergy since 1988. I currently am teaching the 4th and 5th graders and taught 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders at our Grove Street site. Working at Synergy has taught me a huge amount about myself and how the wonderful minds of children work. Being able to laugh with children and my colleagues at work is a gift that I don’t think I could have in any other job.

I was born and raised in Latin America, specifically Bolivia and Guatemala. I have always loved languages and am tri-lingual – Spanish, English, and Italian. My teaching career began in the San Francisco public schools in the year 2000, but I have traveled the world and taught in Hong Kong and New York. In 2008, I moved back to California where I founded and ran an organic and fair trade quinoa retail company while raising my son, Isaac. When he started kindergarten, I returned to the classroom and taught Spanish at public high schools on the peninsula before my arrival at Synergy. I love sharing my passion about the Spanish language and the Latin American culture and I strive to incorporate the power of art, music, and poetry into my lesson plans.