“Train a child in the way they should go; even when he is old he will not swerve from it.” Proverbs 22:6

The early years of a child’s life are the foundation for a moral, successful, adult life.  At Nativity, our staff strives to help parents develop Christ-centered, responsible, highly educated young people.  Being in this environment where our children are cared for wholeheartedly is where I love to be.  I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else!

After graduating from USM in 1987 with a major in elementary education and a minor in journalism, I was hired at Nativity as a fourth-grade teacher. Believing that I needed to experience different classroom ages to be a well-rounded teacher, I eventually moved to second grade.  In 1995, I was able to move into the sixth-grade position where I found my true passion.

Sixth graders are the best!  They respect, love, and listen to the adults at our school. They are kind, compassionate, and always reaching to help younger students.  They are creative and full of ideas that we often use in our classroom. They want to learn, experience, and know all they can.  They question everything so that they better understand. They are old enough to recognize injustice, and youthful enough to believe they can solve the problems of the world. They are learning who they can be and how to develop their own unique strengths. They are still playful, and busy, and often challenging, but that is one of the reasons that working with them is so rewarding.  Developing their spiritual and academic gifts, as well as preparing them for their transition to seventh grade is my privilege.

On a personal note-My husband, Danny, and I are life-long parishioners of the cathedral.  We are blessed with a son, and two daughters, and six grandchildren. Over the years, we have been very involved with their lives as scout leaders, youth sport coaches, youth ministry advisors, and religious education teachers.  (I thoroughly believe that being an involved parent makes me a better teacher.) We love the outdoors-camping, swimming, gardening, hiking.