General Social Studies (K-4th)

Mrs. Katz is here to help! She has an A.A in Liberal Arts- emphasis in elementary school teaching and a in B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies. She started as a paraprofessional, working in classrooms for students with moderate to severe autism. She now holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and is considered a California “Highly Qualified Teacher”. She is currently in her 5th year of teaching in middle school grades 6th-8th. She has professional experience providing instruction in all core subjects. She is especially interested in Interdisciplinary Sciences, the basis of NGSS. She is the mother of three teenage sons, all with their own learning styles, needs, and strengths. In her free time (and with students) Alia likes to sing, play the guitar, and research new scientific discoveries.

Kim has been coaching and teaching a wide range of subjects for over 10 years, finding her passion when she was 17. She studied psychology for her BA at CSU Sacramento and accomplished her MA in Behavior Analysis from Capella University. She taught special needs students and their families for four years before exploring life as the art instructor KimChi! She is passionate about helping youth develop their critical thinking skills and self confidence through her teaching and tutoring.

Bethany is an EDMO intstructor and coach who brings enthusiasm and years of experience to her EDMO coaching. She has worked with many kids from teaching reading as an Title 1 Teacher to tutoring kids as young as pre-school all the way to high school age. She believes all subjects can be made fun to learn, even difficult subjects like math and writing. Her wide-range of other experience also allows her to bring in many opportunities to learn from crafting embroidery to making useful projects out of cardboard to learning Chinese.

Nicole is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema with a double minor in Animation and Computing Applications. She has chosen to pursue education because she believes technological skills are important to have in this new age of technology! Nicole is passionate about animation, programming, film, and art. Her favorite things to do when she’s not studying are drawing, painting, playing tennis, and surfing.

Annie received a B.A. in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and will complete her M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from San Jose State in December 2020. Annie's goal in education is to make a connection with every student she works with. She seeks to help kids develop through compassion and exploring their interests. Annie is dedicated to promoting social justice and cultural awareness to help students develop an informed and open-minded perspective on the world. She also believes in laughter and fun in education. She has experience in working with students in STEM fields as well as Social and Emotional Learning. She has experience with academic and career counseling, and has worked with children from ages 3-18.

Tina Barrentine's favorite sound in the whole world is "Aha!" when a concept finally clicks in the mind of a child. She loves one-on-one teaching and figuring out what works best for each child. She home schooled her own three children through high school and has tutored other students from elementary school through college. She has worked as a tutor for a nonprofit after school program, an elementary school, a preschool, a library based service for adult literacy and GED prep, and for anyone who has reached out for help. Her life's motto is "Be available," and she strongly believes in doing whatever works best for each student to achieve success.

Dominique is in her twelfth year of teaching. She will begin the 2020-2021 school year as a 4th grade instructor, but has had experience working with a wide range of students from K-Adults. She is currently in the process of completing her Master of Secondary Education with a credential in General Science. Additionally she completed her Bachelor degree at the University of California, San Diego. Currently she holds her Adult Teaching Credential in the areas of Math, Physical Science, ESL instruction, and Social Science. She is a Google Certified Educator who understands the needs of learners and the applications they must learn to become successful in a blended learning classroom. Dominique believes in educating the whole child with the main concept that the parent is the primary educator.

Jordie Marie Rippon is A graduate student studying Creative Producing and Management at CalArts. She has previously received a Bachelor's of Science in Technology Communication and Theater. She loves to create an environment that makes it fun to learn and loves to encourage and empower kids to think about problems differently as a tool to help solve the problem.

Kristy is a professional visual artist, linguist, teaching artist, and community organizer with more than a decade of experience teaching and tutoring in a variety of subjects. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Spanish Literature from Georgia State University and a Certificate in Spanish to English Translation from NYU. She is also a TEFL certified ESL teacher and has been teaching English and Spanish to students of all ages for over 10 years. She is an international muralist and has organized and participated in art projects and festivals all over the world. Kristy is passionate about youth development and has worked as a Teaching Artist for the past 5 years, teaching the art of muralism to New York city youth. She loves working with kids of all ages and seeing their confidence grow as they master the skills that used to intimidate them.

Paula is someone who truly values diverse interests and passions. As an older sister, she has loved working with kids and helping them learn. She is pursuing a B.A. in English Literature, minor in Global Public Health, and a Pre-Med track at UC Berkeley. Her passions are fighting for equal health opportunities for disadvantaged youth and building relationships with different communities. Ever since she was young, Paula’s mother has always told her that the one thing that no one can take away from is her education. However, children today continue to face various educational barriers and Paula hopes to help ensure equal educational opportunities for everyone. She values all education and loves to teach a wide variety of subjects. She really loves reading, playing with her dogs, and exploring new ways that she can be involved with her community.