I’ve been teaching in the district for 23 years, teaching everything from preschool to 3rd grade. With an emphasis on physical education, my goal has always been to teach inclusively. I attended UCI as an undergraduate and Concordia for my credential. I love to fish, sail, cook and spend time with my family. I love to garden, and plumerias are my favorite flower! I walk the beach daily. I love my job and am excited to return to see students in person!

Tapping into her primary experience and love of PE, Elizabeth will work with our primary team as a dual expert! She will engage our primary students in interactive and fun physical education activities, focusing on the skills needed for successful playground and social navigation. Elizabeth has spent the past year (and her summer) honing her primary English, Language Arts & Writing skills. While focusing on the expert implementation of our SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words), Elizabeth is well-versed in all things literacy. Elizabeth will work with our younger students as they explore print and start their journey of becoming expert readers and writers!

I have been teaching in Newport Mesa for the past 20 years. I am so excited to be returning to Andersen, where both my boys attended! I received my Bachelor’s at Long Beach State and my credential and ESL/Bilingual Certificate of Competency at Azusa Pacific. I also have a Master’s degree in Educational Administration. In addition to teaching, I have been involved with the PTA, the school play, been a Cub Scout leader, and utilized my love for photography as the yearbook chair. I am ready for all this year has to offer!

This year we are excited to tap into Barbi’s expertise in Language Acquisition and Development in order to offer students the opportunity to learn the Spanish language and its culture. In addition to offering all students Spanish instruction, she will work with our upper-grade students on understanding the structure of the Spanish language and writing. We are so excited have the opportunity to offer this unique opportunity to our students.

I’ve been teaching at Andersen for seven years now and have been blessed to watch our students grow academically and socially. I have coached the Andersen Robotics Team and am excited to keep the program going to allow students to integrate tech, mechanical, and collaboration skills needed to run a successful team. I enjoy spending recess and lunch on supporting students’ learning and playing in mini-tournaments! I love watching our kids become independent learners and strive to instill in them my love of education.

In addition to supporting the Robotics Program, Jeff will provide math support and extension to our middle and upper-grade students. Advancement in math does not mean “learning next year’s curriculum,” but rather, Jeff will focus on delving deeper into math concepts and ensuring students develop a stronger understanding of numbers in order apply this knowledge to more challenging concepts.