This is my family. On top of having the best job in the world working with special needs children, I am also the proud mother of five children and now the grandmother to Addison Olivia, born June 22rd this year. This picture is at our daughter and son-in law's baby shower in May this year. Kirstyn is in the striped dress and Rafael is behind her. My youngest daughter, Tera is next to my husband, John. My middle daughter, Kate is in black and the tall, bearded man is my oldest son, Kevin. My youngest son, John is not pictured. I am very blessed. Kirstyn, Raffy and Kevin live in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, respectively. Kate lives in Xenia, Ohio and Tera and John are here in Michigan.
Addison Olivia At About 4 1/2 Months! She is a joy!!!!
I work at Patterson Elementary in Holly, Michigan. I have been in the district almost 17 years. Prior to Holly I spent a year and a half teaching fifth grade at Our Lady of Refuge in Orchard Lake, Michigan and four years as a guest teacher in Walled Lake and Huron Valley school districts. Before my children were born I taught career education (boy, am I old!!!) first and third grades, at Lincoln Consolidated Schools in Ypsilanti, Michigan and was also the reading consultant for K-6 for one year. (The joys of being a new teacher......moving classrooms every year!) http://www.lincolnk12.org
Outside Of My Crazy Days......
One may ask....What do you do for entertainment??? (My family, my classroom and my sense of humor are not enough....) Well, a couple of things come to mind. Spending time with my kids is always my first go to.....so we go to North Carolina when possible and look forward to holidays and weekends when we can fit time in to see all of them.
We also head to a little island called Isla Mujeres, in Mexico a couple of times a year, when possible. We found this island back in 2006 on our 25th wedding anniversary. We fell in love with the island, the food and the locals and have been coming back, with and without our Isla loving children ever since. Isla Mujeres is a small fishing island where the locals survive on what they can get from the ocean and tourism. We have become very involved in many of the organizations that help these wonderful people. We bring donations of clothing and shoes, school supplies, toys, prescription glasses, teaching materials, supplies for the local animal rescue, etc. which are given to those in need. We have supported an English school to help the locals learn English (so they can then get better jobs in the local hotels and restaurants), the special education school (who are not educated in Mexico), one college student, Felipe, who graduated with a degree in communications this past May and are now supporting a young woman, Citalli, working on her degree in international studies. In the state of Quinta Roo public education only goes through eighth grade so these young people continuing onto high school and then college is a HUGE step. Our group has graduated eight students from the university and we presently have approximately twenty either in college or waiting for supporters. Through all of these things we have become very attached and involved with others that share the same love of Isla and the wonderful people who are willing to share their island with us!
We also head to a little island called Isla Mujeres, in Mexico a couple of times a year, when possible. We found this island back in 2006 on our 25th wedding anniversary. We fell in love with the island, the food and the locals and have been coming back, with and without our Isla loving children ever since. Isla Mujeres is a small fishing island where the locals survive on what they can get from the ocean and tourism. We have become very involved in many of the organizations that help these wonderful people. We bring donations of clothing and shoes, school supplies, toys, prescription glasses, teaching materials, supplies for the local animal rescue, etc. which are given to those in need. We have supported an English school to help the locals learn English (so they can then get better jobs in the local hotels and restaurants), the special education school (who are not educated in Mexico), one college student, Felipe, who graduated with a degree in communications this past May and are now supporting a young woman, Citalli, working on her degree in international studies. In the state of Quinta Roo public education only goes through eighth grade so these young people continuing onto high school and then college is a HUGE step. Our group has graduated eight students from the university and we presently have approximately twenty either in college or waiting for supporters. Through all of these things we have become very attached and involved with others that share the same love of Isla and the wonderful people who are willing to share their island with us!